Travel China and Beyond

The World is Becoming a really small place; Travel in Seoul

On a recent business trip to South Korea, I had an interesting experience. But first let’s set the stage. Once immigration and customs are cleared, the next task ahead of a business or pleasure traveler is getting to their destination in the city they are visiting. If you are traveling to Seoul, South Korea, most likely you will arrive at Incheon International Airport. The airport is a long way away from downtown Seoul so you need to figure out a way to get there. There are several options: Continue reading The World is Becoming a really small place; Travel in Seoul…

Seat belts in China

Now, having talked at length about the various vehicles, I would like to highlight to you an interesting observation about the use of safety belts. Among drivers in China, the safety belts are often seen as a hassle rather than the well designed life saving tool they are. Why do I say that? Well consider the following examples: Continue reading Seat belts in China…

Side Trips from Shanghai - a visit to ZhouZhuang

I have been asked several times “what is there to do in Shanghai and in the vicinity if you do not want to go to a bar or a shopping area”…  Long story short, you can take a trip to Suzhou (everyone does that I think), or you can venture on the (slightly) less beaten path — a trip to one of the “water towns” — ZhouZhuang.  That town is still a relatively easy tourist destination and quite picturesque.  My first visit there was in 2001.  The images below are from that trip — I wanted to see how it has changed over the years….

What can you do in ZhouZhuang ?  Well, see some interesting architecture (bridges, houses) and browse through the arts shops and potentially buy some paintings, or a Yixing teapot….

In addition you can visit one of the early Taoist temples - ChengXu, (if you have not seen one of the Taoist temples in Beijing — DongYue Temple), here you can find good examples of its architecture and beliefs.

Other than that, the trip overall is relatively pleasant — you will see quite a bit of the countryside and understand some more about life in China outside of the big metro areas.