Posts from an Australian lost in the Middle Kingdom
Xiong’an New Area (CN: 雄安新区) is a new mega urban area and smart city project that encompasses three counties and 500 villages located in a strategic area that lies within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei triangle. What makes this project unique is, not only the scale and the vision, that it is directly under the management of the CCP Central Committee and the State Council.
Let’s take a deep dive into the world of Chinese tea and explore types of tea with popular varieties and their names, growing regions, selecting, hot to brew Chinese tea, and wrap up with a little bit of culture.
Many people consider bread as a new product into the Chinese food culture but, actually, it has a history almost as long as the nation itself. Grinding grains into flour dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) when mills were introduced from foreign countries via the Silk Road. It is touted that the mantou came into being during this time.
Trade war or not, ecommerce in China is on a continuing boom and it’s hard not to pay attention to the innovation that’s taking place especially in automation of freight and warehousing, and the massive size of some of the online portals like JD.com which has been valued at over $55 billion.
Here’s the main holiday dates for China 2019 and the dates to join in on amazing festivals (or hide under the bed and avoid the crowds and transport chaos :))
Here is a reading list of the must-read China books in selected genre including The Four Chinese Classics, Culture, Geopolitics, Politics, Corporate and Business, Economics, Personal Perspectives, Sociology, Philosophy, History, Modern History, and Military – History & Strategy.
Did you know that China has some 52 sites listed under UNESCO World Heritage? Ranging from ancient wonders to natural wonders, you’ll be amazed once more by some that you will know, and some that many never knew existed.
Want to learn more about China? Learn to speak Chinese? How about listening to the latest views of China watchers, political figures, and current affairs in China? Well, here is my pick of the top 40+ podcasts that are freely available on the internet.
Let’s take a dive into Chinese politics and get an understanding of what type of government is leading China and the government structure. Isn’t that the Communist Party, the CPC? Not exactly. Let’s explore.
![How it Works: the Communist Party of China (CPC) [and how you join]](https://welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/CPC-768x350.jpg "How it Works: the Communist Party of China (CPC) [and how you join]")
Politics in China is a mystery to anyone outside of the nation and not many will move beyond the label of “authoritarian”, and perhaps a few other names, so today, let’s take a bit of deeper dive into the core element of China’s political system which is the Communist Party of China (CPC) – 中国共产党 which can also be referred to as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In this chronology, I’ll list major conflicts, battles, and war in, and involving, China from Ancient times right through to the modern day.
This timeline of China’s wars, both civil and with other countries, is broken into three main sections being Ancient China, Imperial China with sub sections for the dynasties, and lastly Modern China post becoming a republic.
With the news that a development company is seeking to create a clone of Old Quebec near Shanghai, I thought it would be a great time to revisit some of the replica cities, copycat towns, or if you like duplicature, in China.
While China is renowned for its famous historic sites that date back thousands of years its ancient towns have been off the radar for most foreign visitors.
China has been the built the most skyscrapers every year for over a decade now, and last year was no exception with 77 having been built in 36 different cities. 12 were built in Shenzhen alone last year.
With China’s new found wealth it has been going through a long and much-discussed housing boom along with a boom in oversized, xenocentric, weird architecture and skyscrapers.
If there is something Chinese people like, surprisingly to some, it’s pushing the boundaries of their senses and the current glass walk bridge craze tickles that fancy just perfectly.
So, you want to go to China, but where? China still fascinates us with its mystical oriental charm and ancient history, especially for first-time visitors. So, for a first-time China trip, let’s explore some of the classic itineraries that explore the key historical and cultural sites that should not be missed.
Excluding Great Britain, Chinese are the oldest continuous immigrants to Australia beginning some in the early 1800’s. Their contribution to Australian society is immense and spans many fields over most all of Australia’s modern history.
![Welcome to Guangzhou [inc. Top Ten Things to Do, Eat, and Where to Stay]](https://welcometochina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/gz-768x350.jpg "Welcome to Guangzhou [inc. Top Ten Things to Do, Eat, and Where to Stay]")
The capital of Guangdong province, Guangzhou, is a vibrant city that is the beating heart of trade, not only in the province, or southern China, but perhaps even the whole of China itself. It’s home to the country’s number one trade fair, the Canton Fair, and has throughout history been a major domestic and global exporting hub.
What do you get when you merge nine mega-cities and two regions? A combined population of over 67 million and a GDP that's predicted to reach US$4.6 trillion by 2030.
Here's a one-page visual guide to some of the most common Chinese vegetables. Best thing is they are delicious and highly nutritious. With big pics, English - Pinyin & Chinese, you can easily track down your favorites in the market and try some new things.
Somewhere to unwind in Beijing? Here are the top spa hotels.
There are five types of sockets in use, one in Hong Kong/Macau, two in Taiwan, and the other two on mainland China. Here they are in pics so you can choose the adapter you may need.
Ctrip has hot deals with the airline Nokscoot including flying from China to Bangkok
If you are visiting, day touring or moving to Shenzhen for work or business then this is the must-have guidebook, Essential Shenzhen.
This extends on a question I recently answered on Quora, about alternative news in China. Included here is a huge list of news outlets, mostly in Chinese.
Mudanjiang’s Jingpo Lake integrates shaman culture and ice-and-snow activities this year to woo more winter vacationers.
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Photo taken on Oct 17, 2016 shows the scenery of red autumn leaves in Huhushui scenic area in Pingshan county of Shijiazhuang, capital of North China’s Hebei province.
Autumn scenery of the Qilian Mountains in Zhangye city, Gansu province, October 17, 2016. The Qilian Mountains are one of China’s major mountain ranges, forming the border between Qinghai and Gansu provinces in northern China.
Although there are many types of visa for China, the most common is the L visa for tourists, the M visa for business, and the Q1/Q2 for those with a Chinese partner and the Z visa for people with work contracts in China.