So you’re about to travel to China. As part of your trip preparation, it is important to remember to prepare your phone by downloading apps that will be very useful during your time in the Middle Kingdom. Contemporary Chinese society is becoming increasingly reliant on mobile technology — between cashless Read more
For those avid readers of the blog, you’ll notice that we’ve done a redesign of the site. In addition to a cleaner and sleeker appearance, you’ll be able to view posts by category more easily and will no longer have to scroll down to the end of one post to Read more
Next week, I will be in China on my 18th trip to the Middle Kingdom. This trip will combine visits to urban and rural areas in an effort to gain more insight into a changing China. Like most trips, this trip will have a few phases and purposes. Expedition Phase Read more
The last day of my Xinjiang trip was spent in Urumqi, the region’s capital. Once a major hub on the Silk Road, Urumqi has seen large amounts of economic and infrastructure development to become the largest city in Western China. Highway development is evident everywhere in the city — overpasses Read more
Today’s Silk Road travels bring us to Turpan, a small city and former oasis on the Silk Road. With the construction of the new high-speed railway in 2015, this city is now only an hour by train from Urumqi. The train was scheduled to leave Urumqi at 9:07 a.m., so Read more
Greetings, Off the Silk Road readers! I write to you with some very exciting news. For the first time, Off the Silk Road is actually on the Silk Road! For the next five days, I will be embarking on an expedition to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Xinjiang (新疆), meaning “new Read more
I can’t believe I’m doing this again! Next week, I will be in China on my 16th trip to the Middle Kingdom. Like most trips, this trip will have a few phases and purposes. Return to the Capital: Beijing Bai the Lakeside: Dali with the Middlebury School of the Read more
Long time no post! Happy 2018! 新年快乐! It’s that time of year again — as January passes, the spring semester is upon us and many college students will begin new adventures studying abroad in China. I often get questions along the lines of apps students and travelers must download before Read more
Day: 3 Current Location: Kunming (昆明) Miles traveled: 1518 Hello from Kunming, the City of Eternal Spring. After taking a car to Lijiang airport where the driver proceeded to shave himself during the trip and flying on a plane where the safety demonstration was still playing as the wheels lifted Read more
Day: 2 Current Location: Lijiang (丽江) Miles traveled: 1318 (approximately) When we travel, we sometimes form strong relationships with the people of our host country. So when the opportunity came for me to return to the Nan Yao village (南尧村), where I stayed in a homestay two years ago, I Read more