These are dishes foreigners learn to order soon after arriving. I’ve avoided highlighting them as many miss out on the other awesome food in China. But I give in – they are pretty yummy, and many of you who have left China miss them.
My fourth year in China was hard, but it was a pivot point. I learned more about what I wanted from life. In some ways it was the end of youthful angst. My attitude was shifting, and my direction in life becoming more clear.
Yumen Scenic Area is in the desert about 90km (55mi) northwest of Dunhuang and was my favourite spot in the area. The remnants of wall still visible are over 2,000 years old; I was astounded by how much remains after centuries of erosion.
I was surprised at all the emotions stirred in me my when my flight landed in Beijing. I’m back – but I’m not staying. I’m home – but it won’t be my home for much longer. As I looked down I realised that I am about to become home-less.
The Cameron Highlands, about 200km north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has lots of tea estates and strawberry farms – the two most famous products of the area. I didn’t try the tea, but the strawberries were delicious!
17 days ago I received some terrible news. A girl from my youth group had passed away overnight. She was a beautiful girl, a beautiful person, and she will be missed. It’s been a long fortnight for me. I have been exhausted – mind, body and soul.
My third year in China had highs and lows, but I wasn’t going through the tumult alone. And while there was pain, challenge, disappointment, stress and strain – it was all laying a foundation for who I would be in the years that followed.
A well preserved Ancient City with a full city wall built in 1370 – 12m high (40ft) and 6km around (nearly 4mi), with a total of 72 watchtowers – puts Pingyao on the map. Also, by the 19th century PIngyao was the financial centre of China.
Xi’an has over 3000 years of continuous history and is home to 8 million people. We visited Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the Da Ci’en Temple; the Drum Tower; the Great Mosque of Xi’an; Muslim quarter markets; and the City Wall.
Dunhuang is an oasis town in northwest Gansu province surrounded by deserts – Gobi to the East, Taklamakan to the West. It is also ringed by mountains – giant “megadunes”, rocky San Wei mountains, and snow-capped Qilian mountains.
Most Chinese meals begin with cold dishes. They are pre-cooked and can therefore come to the table quickly, giving patrons something to nibble on while waiting for the main dishes to arrive. Sadly, many foreigners aren’t very familiar with liangcai.
The modern hukou system started in 1958 to register citizens and control migration between rural and urban areas. The government has started changes to these restrictions, but many Beijingers are prejudiced against rural citizens.
Stories From Tanya 