Culture
Daily rituals, social customs, arts, festivals, and local ways of life.
Changzhou Combs and Shubi: The Craft Hidden in Everyday Hair
A travel-friendly introduction to Changzhou combs and fine-toothed shubi, a craft with more than 1,500 years of local history.
Qingguo Lane and the Canal: Changzhou at Walking Speed
A slow walk through Qingguo Lane, Changzhou's restored canal-side historic street with Ming-era roots, local residences, shops, and evening light.
Random-Stitch Embroidery: Changzhou's Painterly Thread
Learn how Changzhou's random-stitch embroidery turns angled thread into portraits, landscapes, and a meeting point between Chinese needlework and oil painting.
Clay from the Spring: The Traditional Craft of Huishan Figurines
Explore the ancient art of sculpting and painting Huishan Clay Figurines using black clay from the base of Huishan.
The Second Spring: Tea Rituals and Erhu Melodies at Huishan Spring
Sip green tea brewed with spring water rated by Lu Yu while listening to the haunting Erhu melody of Abing.
String and Story: Listening to Suzhou Pingtan in a Canal Teahouse
Sit by the canal in a wooden teahouse and listen to the soft Wu dialect, the sharp plucking of the sanxian, and the bright ring of the pipa.
Stitched Air: The Fine Art of Suzhou Double-Sided Embroidery
Explore the quiet workshops of Suzhou to discover Su Xiu, the ancient craft of double-sided silk embroidery where silk threads are split to the width of hair.
The Teahouse as a Public Living Room
In Chengdu, tea is less a beverage than a civic technology: chairs, shade, gossip, patience, and time made visible.
Lintels of the South: Deciphering the Brick Carvings of Chen Clan Academy
An analysis of the Lingnan architectural details at the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, tracing the folklore stories carved into its wooden screens, stone lintels, and brick roofs.
Eaves of the Waterways: The Qilou and Canal Lanes of Xiguan
Wander the arcaded streets of Enning Road and the restored canals of Yongqing Fang to see traditional Xiguan mansion gates and heritage preservation.
Canvas and Copycats: The Transformed Alleyways of Dafen Oil Painting Village
An exploration of Dafen's evolution from a mass-production workshop of classic replicas to a neighborhood of original painters and coffee-and-canvas studios.
1,700 Years in a Block: The Regenerated Alleyways of Nantou Walled City
Walk through Nantou Walled City, where ancient Ming Dynasty gates stand alongside dense twentieth-century tenements and modern art spaces.
Clay and Calligraphy: Craftsmen of Tianjin’s Ancient Culture Street
A journey into Tianjin's folk art traditions at Ancient Culture Street, from Clay Figurine Zhang's lifelike sculptures to Yangliuqing woodblock prints and traditional tea soup.
Piazza and Pavilions: Exploring the Italian Style Town
Explore the Former Italian Concession, visiting the elegant former residence and studio of intellectual Liang Qichao.
Beneath the Grey Eaves: The Everyday Poetry of Beijing's Hutongs
Wander past the grey brick courtyards of Beijing's ancient lanes, where daily life unfolds under laundry lines and scholar trees.
Ink and High Notes: Tracing the Painted Faces of Peking Opera
Step into historic wooden guildhalls to witness the vivid masks, high-pitched falsettos, and acrobatic battles of Peking Opera.
Shoulders of Bamboo: The Vanishing Bangbang Army of Chongqing
Carrying wholesale goods up the steep stone cliffs of Chaotianmen, Chongqing's aging bamboo porters are a fading symbol of working-class grit.
Stilts of Neon: The Architectural Drama of Hongyadong
Clinging to sheer sandstone cliffs, this towering labyrinth of traditional stilt houses has become a neon-drenched, vertical cyberpunk landmark.
The Slow Water: Riding Hangzhou's 3-RMB Canal Ferry
Skip the tourist boats and join the locals on a low-key ferry ride along the Grand Canal to the historic docks of Gongchen Bridge.
Woven Air: The Silk and Oil-Paper Umbrellas of Hangzhou
Under the shade of the West Lake hills, the ancient crafts of silk weaving and oil-paper umbrella making survive through patience and wood.
Alleyway Symphonies: The Shikumen Architecture of Shanghai's Lilong
Step inside Shanghai's historic stone-gate lanes to find a quiet world of drying laundry, community taps, and slow-paced neighborhood life hidden beneath the skyscrapers.
Corridors of Concrete: The Industrial Art Renaissance of the West Bund
Discover how Shanghai's former shipyards, fuel tanks, and runways along the Huangpu River have been transformed into a world-class waterfront art district.
Riding the Ramparts: Cycling Atop Xi'an's Ancient Wall
A late afternoon cycle along the 13.7-kilometer ancient fortifications of the Ming Dynasty, exploring how the wall acts as a threshold dividing ancient architecture and modern high-rises.
Ten Dynasties in Bronze and Gold: Inside Shaanxi History Museum
Navigating the massive collection of cultural relics, detailing the stories of Tang dynasty gold, silver wares, and the Silk Road legacy, with advice on how to secure the highly competitive tickets.
The Mask and the Flame: Behind the Illusion of Sichuan Opera
Beyond the theatrical fire and mask-changing illusions lies a centuries-old guild culture, regional pride, and the dramatic soul of Southwest China.