We were exploring Qufu (曲阜, Qūfù), the hometown of Confucius, when a giant glass display packed with bright pink cats stopped Dad and Elaine in our tracks. We went inside to investigate. Elaine came out with Meow — and somehow our Shandong traveling family had just grown. 🐱 Wait… Why Are There So Many Pink Cats in Qufu? Qufu. Confucius. Ancient courtyards. Traditional architecture. Chinese history everywhere. Dad thought he had a...
COME WITH US. Follow Our Stories. We took a slow walk through Sheung Wan (上環), where Dad and Elaine found breakfast shops, old storefronts, markets, trams, noodles, neighborhood cats — and the everyday Hong Kong that doesn’t need an admission ticket. Hong Kong (香港). Most first-time travelers arrive with a list. Victoria Peak. Victoria Harbour (維多利亞港). Markets. Dim sum. Shopping. Maybe Disneyland. Dad understands. We have our lists too. 😂 But one...
😂 WELCOME TO MACAU. Crowds. Chinese signs. Portuguese-style paving. Pastry shops. Souvenir shops. Food everywhere. And Elaine walking straight into the middle of it. We were on Rua de São Paulo (大三巴街), heading toward the Ruins of St. Paul’s (大三巴牌坊). Then Elaine stopped. A vendor cut her a piece of bakkwa — sweet dried meat jerky. Sample accepted. Taste test completed. Elaine smiled. And off we went again. 😂 Somewhere ahead was...
There are two ways to experience Hong Kong (香港). You can wake up, leave your hotel and travel across the city before your sightseeing begins. Or you can wake up… walk downstairs… and discover that Hong Kong (香港) has already started around you. That was one of Dad’s favorite things about staying with Elaine in Mong Kok (旺角). We stayed at iclub Mong Kok Hotel (旺角薈賢居), in a mature Kowloon (九龍) neighborhood...
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 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?...
What We Experienced in Beijing: At Tianleyuan Grand Theatre near Qianmen, Elaine went from seeing Beijing Opera in books and videos to wearing the headdress, learning the gestures and experiencing one of China’s great performing traditions for herself. Some travel stories actually begin years before the trip. This one began in Shenzhen in 2018. Dad and Elaine were at Shenzhen Book City (深圳书城, Shēnzhèn Shūchéng) — a place Elaine would grow particularly...
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