Pro tip: Visit Beijing when there is a major holiday as the air quality is likely to be decent with factories closed and many people out of town.
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In search of quiet in Suzhou
Suzhou is renowned for its historic classical Chinese gardens, of which less than 60 remain today. We sought out two of the city’s most famous gardens and a couple lesser known ones to see if Suzhou’s reputation as a paradise on earth holds true.
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Songbei, Harbin after dark // 松北区, 哈尔滨
Sometimes the most memorable experiences are those that you didn’t go looking for. Like the after-dark activities that we stumbled upon in Songbei, Harbin’s central business district.
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Shenyang 沈阳: Little Korea town at Xita
Shenyang’s Xita Street (a.k.a. Little Korea Town) features a North Korean-owned restaurant staffed by women from the DPRK. Expect an entertaining albeit kitsch dining experience complete with lively song and dance in Korean and Mandarin!
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Looking for quiet in Arashiyama
Arashiyama 嵐山 is on the western outskirts of Kyoto. While it is famous for its bamboo grove, this picturesque area has much more to offer visitors. Here are some places where you can escape the crowds when in Arashiyama.
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In search of fallen chestnuts
Three elderly women in a tiny mountain village continue their tradition of collecting and transforming chestnuts into sweets with the help of volunteers.
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Making washi in the mountains
Kurotani in rural Kyoto is one of the oldest paper-making villages in Japan. For more than eight centuries, the villagers have transformed the mulberry plant into elegant washi (Japanese paper) products.
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Riding the slow train around Yangon
The Yangon Circle Line is a slow ride, taking three hours to complete the loop as it passes through the city’s outlying areas. It is, however, a good way to see the rest of Myanmar’s former capital.
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Vignettes of Japan #15: At one with nature
During our brief sojourn in Higashi-Yoshino, we took leisurely walks by the river, passed a waterfall and ancient shrines, climbed over many moss-covered stones, weaved amongst skinny tall trees, and listened to riotous symphonies by unknown insects.
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