Happy Holidays to all! Tomorrow, I will be leaving on my 19th trip to the Middle Kingdom. My longest expedition yet, this trip will spend the next six to eight months advancing my Chinese proficiency and studying both historical and Read more
I’m pleased to announce the release of the latest version of my Beijing guidebook, Conquering the Capital! Traveling to Beijing? This guidebook will give you a good overview of the city, with recommendations for sights to see, restaurants to eat, Read more
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 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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 Read more