Posts from an Australian lost in the Middle Kingdom
Xiamen, or Amoy as some call it, is a small city by Chinese standards being home to only around 600,000 people but it can still get pretty busy being a popular tourist destination for many Chinese. It’s an attractive coastal city, clean and has a certain charm about it not seen in other Chinese cities I have been.
Exploring the Historic Centre is one of the top things to do in Macau and the cities number one tourist attraction also being inscribed on the World Heritage List. It’s a collection of buildings and temples that reflect the history of Macau, in particular, the history of east meets west, with most of the buildings reflecting the city’s Portuguese past.
Macau is renowned for its casinos and its massive entertainment offerings, but the city offers a host of attractions, an insight into China’s colonial history, beautiful architecture, and villages by the beach that you won’t want to leave.
Chengdu, unfortunately, doesn’t make it on to many peoples list of places to visit while in China unless they are visiting Tibet or maybe going to see the Giant Buddha. That’s a bit of a shame as it is a really nice city, with friendly people and a somewhat relaxed environment compared to many other major Chinese cities.