FOLLOW OUR STORIES · WHERE WE STAYED Some hotels become part of a journey because they’re extraordinary. A beautiful view. A historic building. A rooftop swimming pool. A five-star breakfast. Our Motel 168 near Lishuiqiao (立水桥, Lìshuǐqiáo) wasn’t any of those...
Our Shandong journey was coming to an end. Dad & Elaine had reached Dezhou (德州, Dézhōu), and that evening we were heading back to Beijing. The journey sounded straightforward: DiDi → Dezhou East Railway Station → high-speed train → Beijing South...
Some restaurants charge extra for the view. Dad & Elaine found another version in China. Our table was tiny. Our chairs couldn’t be moved. Lunch came in a plastic box. And Dad remembers paying: more than RMB 50. 😬 Expensive for...
FOLLOW OUR STORIES → WHAT WE ATE When people ask what to eat in Beijing (北京, Běijīng), the famous answers usually come first. 北京烤鸭 (Běijīng kǎoyā) — Peking duck. 炸酱面 (zhájiàngmiàn) — noodles with fried soybean and meat sauce. 饺子 (jiǎozi)...
FOLLOW OUR STORIES · WHAT WE ATE Sometimes our China food stories begin with a famous dish. This one began with Dad looking at a sign and thinking: RMB 9.60? In Beijing? 😳 We had found a casual Shaanxi noodle shop....
This wasn’t one of Beijing’s famous restaurants. And that was partly why Dad & Elaine went in. It was dinner time, and inside were local families, a young child and workers still wearing their orange work uniforms. In other words: people...
Sometimes Dad creates his own problems. We were staying at our little hutong hotel in Beijing (北京, Běijīng). One morning, instead of eating the hotel breakfast, Dad deliberately walked into a small neighborhood breakfast shop nearby. The request was simple: “What...
Some of the most memorable people Dad & Elaine meet in China aren’t people we planned to meet at all. This one began inside a museum in Tianjin (天津, Tiānjīn). Our First Meeting — Wudadao Museum Dad & Elaine were visiting...
Not every meal Dad & Elaine eat in China has a story behind it. Sometimes we’re simply hungry. 😂 We were exploring the area around Xi’an’s Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔, Dàyàn Tǎ) when lunchtime arrived. Instead of searching for a...
Some people you meet while traveling disappear from your life as soon as the trip ends. And occasionally, someone reappears 12 years later. When Elaine first visited Beijing as an eight-year-old, Dad & Elaine joined a tour group. One of the...
We’re a father and daughter exploring China through real journeys, real traveler questions, and the little things that make us stop and ask, “Why?”
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