““One hundred and ten!” one of my neighbors yelled proudly from our shared common courtyard. He had been walking around the inside perimeter of our block of flats for the better part of an hour, phone in one hand and a leash connecting him to his sluggish corgi in the other. Face covered with the now obligatory mask, he walked over towards another dog-neighbor duo sitting on a bench enjoying the spring sun and in his booming voice announced he was increasing his loops by 10% each day.  » Read more »

Do Chinese Women Enjoy More Freedom & Power Than Other Countries? In the eyes of the western media, the Communist experience in China is presumed to be irredeemably bad. This picture is complicated when it comes to the position of women in Chinese society. Communism broke down the traditional strictures on women, freeing them to advance in many professions. Though the picture is mixed, for example women are under-represented in the upper tiers of government, there’s little question that women in China are far ahead of their peers in Japan and Korea.

Whilst travel companies typically extol monuments of the past, China’s attractiveness as a destination extends to its impact on our children’s future. For the past few months we have been looking into the folds and contours of China’s evolving landscape. Previously we looked at the revolution in smart phone apps and payment systems, at leapfrogging technologies in retail and at the development of Artificial Intelligence.

The Year of the Rooster Chinese New Year, also referred to as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, is the biggest and most important holiday in China. In terms of significance in Chinese culture the Lunar New Year is comparable to combining Thanksgiving and Christmas together. We have assembled some traditions and facts behind one of the world’s largest celebrations to provide a better understanding of this holiday. We have also put together some useful travel tips should you wish to experience this festival first hand.    » Read more »

Ever wished you could capture images of local life on your travels like these? It may take years to become a professional photographer but you can snap life in the hutongs of Beijing in just an afternoon, especially if you have a great local guide…   Father and son play a game of Chinese chess   Someone like Matthew Kelly, for example,  » Read more »