What We Experienced in Xi’an: An Evening Stroll Through 回民街 — Street Food, Sour Plum Drink and a Different Side of the Ancient City Xi’an felt different after dark. During the day, Dad and Elaine had been surrounded by the enormous stories of this ancient city. City walls. Emperors. Terracotta soldiers. Museums. Dynasties stretching back thousands of years. But that evening, we weren’t looking for another monument. We went for a walk....
What We Experienced: Our green-train journey from Yuncheng in Shanxi Province to Hancheng in Shaanxi Province required a three-hour transit in Houma. Instead of sitting in the station, Dad and Elaine went exploring, found a little local restaurant for lunch — then continued through the countryside toward another ChinaTravelBUG rabbit hole. Sometimes the inconvenient route turns out to be the more interesting one. We were leaving Yuncheng (运城, Yùnchéng) in Shanxi Province...
Back in Xi’an: How China’s Ancient Capital Became Our Gateway to Beyond Xi’an
What We Ate in Baoji: After arriving by green train, Dad and Elaine stopped at a busy local noodle shop for our first meal in Baoji. This time Dad stepped aside: Elaine had to read the choices, speak to the staff and order lunch herself. We had made it. After Elaine’s first journey on a Chinese green train (绿皮车, lǜpíchē) from Xianyang (咸阳, Xiányáng) — including the little surprise that we didn’t...
Elaine’s First Green Train in China — Then We Discovered We Had No Seats! On the Move in Shaanxi: Elaine’s First Ride on a Chinese Green Train Elaine had already traveled on plenty of trains in China. Fast ones. Very fast ones. The sleek high-speed rail (高铁, gāotiě) that makes moving between Chinese cities remarkably easy. But Dad wanted her to experience another side of China’s railway system. Something older. Something slower....
Where Curiosity Took Us: Dad and Elaine were walking through Xi’an Xianyang International Airport when we spotted a row of strange white boxes marked “RELAXATION.” We didn’t sleep in one — but naturally, we had to find out what was inside. Airports are full of things designed to make you keep moving. Check-in. Security. Gate. Board. Go. But while Dad and Elaine were passing through Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (西安咸阳国际机场, Xī’ān Xiányáng...
What We Experienced in Xi’an: After spending most of the day at the Qin-Han Museum, Dad and Elaine walked to Qingong Metro Station and tried Xi’an’s metro instead — with Elaine using Alipay on her phone to scan straight through the gate. Dad likes taking the easy way when it makes sense. But Dad also likes trying another way. 😂 Earlier that day, we’d taken a DiDi (滴滴) to the Qin-Han Museum...
What We Experienced near Xi’an: Dad and Elaine spent so long exploring the Qin-Han Museum (陕西历史博物馆秦汉馆) that we completely lost track of time. There was no proper lunch restaurant — but Elaine found the solution in a vending machine. There is a small problem with taking Dad to a history museum. Dad forgets what time it is. 😂 And at the Qin-Han Museum of the Shaanxi History Museum (陕西历史博物馆秦汉馆, Shǎnxī Lìshǐ Bówùguǎn...
What We Experienced in Beijing: Dad and Elaine wandered Gui Street (簋街, Guǐjiē) after dark, under rows of red lanterns, past restaurants, old shopfronts and late-night food stops — with one very modern ending: Elaine ordering a drink by QR code. Some places in Beijing feel completely different after sunset. Gui Street (簋街, Guǐjiē) was one of them. By day, Dongzhimen Inner Street is still a busy Beijing road. But at night?...
Where We Stayed in Beijing: Furun · Jingyuan Hotel (富润·璟院) gave us a small boutique base near Wangfujing, at the edge of a hutong neighborhood — comfortable enough for a few nights of exploring central Beijing. When choosing a hotel in Beijing, Dad usually asks a very practical question: How much of our holiday do we want to spend traveling from our hotel to the places we actually came to see? Beijing...
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