Five Places. Five Questions. One Connected Journey Beyond Beijing (北京, Běijīng). Beijing (北京, Běijīng) → Jinan (济南, Jǐnán) → Mount Tai (泰山, Tàishān) → Qufu (曲阜, Qūfù) → Linzi (临淄, Línzī) / Zibo (淄博, Zībó) → Dezhou (德州, Dézhōu) → Beijing (北京, Běijīng) Most China itineraries tell you: WHERE TO GO. This journey asks something different: WHAT SHOULD YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU GET THERE? Dad originally started taking Elaine to...
Just Outside Beijing (北京, Běijīng), Dad & Elaine Found a Human Story Hundreds of Thousands of Years Older Than Imperial China When international travelers come to: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) we naturally think of history. The: Forbidden City (故宫, Gùgōng). The: Great Wall (长城, Chángchéng). The: Temple of Heaven (天坛, Tiāntán). Emperors. Dynasties. Palaces. Walls. Imperial China. But one day Dad & Elaine traveled southwest from central Beijing (北京, Běijīng)… and the historical...
Don’t Just Pass Through Shanxi’s Capital — Use Taiyuan (太原, Tàiyuán) as Your Base Most first-time international travelers planning China know: Beijing (北京, Běijīng). Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān). Maybe: Pingyao (平遥, Píngyáo). But then Dad says: Taiyuan (太原, Tàiyuán). And the understandable response is: “Where?” 😂 Fair question. Because Taiyuan (太原, Tàiyuán) isn’t the city Dad expects most first-time international travelers to build their China trip around. But after Dad & Elaine traveled...
Section 1 — Why China Kept Building Walls Most international travelers meet the Great Wall near Beijing. Elaine and I went farther west, to Yanmenguan in Shanxi — one of China’s great northern mountain passes. Standing there made me ask a much bigger question: why did Chinese states and dynasties keep building walls along the northern frontier for more than two thousand years? Everyone knows: The Great Wall of China — 长城...
Just a Few Hours From Beijing, Walk Into One of the Great Bronze Age Capitals of the Ancient World Beijing can easily consume an entire first trip to China. The: Forbidden City. Great Wall. Temple of Heaven. Summer Palace. Ming. Qing. Imperial China everywhere. But Dad has another slightly dangerous suggestion. 😂 TAKE THE TRAIN SOUTH. From Beijing, high-speed rail can bring you to: Anyang (安阳, Ānyáng) in Henan Province (河南省, Hénán...
We stopped overnight in Handan on our way from Beijing toward the UNESCO ruins of ancient Shang at Anyang. We visited Congtai, took our photographs and continued south. Only later did I realize just how badly I had underestimated this city. 😂 This Deep China story begins with a confession. When Elaine and I visited: Handan — 邯郸 (Hándān) we weren’t making a great historical pilgrimage to the ancient State of Zhao....
Section 1 — You Came to Jinan for the Springs. Good Place to Start. Take the: high-speed train (高铁, gāotiě) south from: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) and before long you can be in: Jinan (济南, Jǐnán), capital of: Shandong Province (山东省, Shāndōng Shěng). For a first-time international traveler, Jinan may not have the instant name recognition of: Beijing, Xi’an or: Shanghai. But ask many Chinese travelers what Jinan is famous for and one...
Five Stops, Five Big Questions — A China History Journey Through Jinan, Mount Tai, Qufu, Linzi and Dezhou Section 1 — We Left Beijing Looking for Shandong. Then the Museum Gave Us a Map Through Chinese History. For many first-time international travelers, a China trip begins with: Beijing (北京, Běijīng). And that’s a very good place to begin. The: Forbidden City (故宫, Gùgōng) shows you imperial power. The: Temple of Heaven (天坛,...
Section 1 — You Came to Climb a Mountain. Emperors Came for Something Much Bigger. Take the train south from: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) toward: Tai’an (泰安, Tài’ān) in: Shandong (山东, Shāndōng), and one mountain begins dominating the historical landscape: Mount Tai (泰山, Tàishān). For modern travelers, the attraction is obvious. A famous mountain. Ancient stairways. Temples. Stone inscriptions. Sunrise from the summit. And: a serious amount of climbing. 😂 难如登天 (nán rú...
Section 1 — You Came to Dezhou. Look in TWO Directions. By the time Dad & Elaine reached: Dezhou (德州, Dézhōu), our Shandong journey had already become rather complicated. 😂 At: Mount Tai (泰山, Tàishān) we asked about: Heaven (天, tiān) and imperial legitimacy. At: Qufu (曲阜, Qūfù) we met: Confucius (孔子, Kǒngzǐ) and asked how ideas became institutions. At: Linzi (临淄, Línzī) we entered the world of: Qi (齐国, Qí Guó)...
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?”
ChinaTravelBUG.com helps you travel China — and understand it better.
Come for practical answers to plan your trip. Follow our journeys to see what traveling in China is really like. And when something makes you curious, look a little deeper into the culture, history and everyday life behind what you see.
Along the way, we share our firsthand experiences, answers to real traveler questions, and insights from licensed local guides.
Come with us — SEE China. ASK questions. UNDERSTAND it better.
