XIAN LUOYANG 2026

October 17-19, 2026

Midnight flight 13 hours on Asiana to ICN Korea, aisle seat Basic Economy. The blessed big guy to my right stuck in the middle seat slept 10 hours straight before excusing himself to cross over for the toilet. I was in and out of consciousness but deeply slept for about 2 hours. Somewhere above the Pacific Ocean, I watched “EPiC: Elvis Presley”. His was the face of a Greek god statue; only he and Superman had black hair and blue eyes. His beauty and buttery voice won him well deserved fame and fortune, but for me his gospel songs were his legacy. During the 5 hours before connecting to Xian, I enjoyed the free lounge access from trip.com, and ICN’s 4th floor free nap and sleeping areas, which saved me from hanging around by the gates like a zombie. Just like the naked eye cannot see germs or bacteria, looking down from the plane, geography is devoid of people.

October 19-31, 2026 

Why Xian and Luoyang? This April, I visited the Sarazm Archaeological Site in Panjakent, Tajikistan, a 5000 year old Sogdiana settlement. At the small museum, I was surprised to see a fragmented mural which I recognized as Tang dynasty art. I then learned that Sogdianans were super traders on the Silk Road. Xian and Luoyang were only 200 miles apart; they were twin ancient capitals, which lasted until the end of Tang. Silk Road trading began in the Han Dynasty, when the Warrior Emperor (漢武帝) tamed the North and Eastern steppe nomads for the first time. 700 years later, Tang’s 2nd emperor Li (李世民) beat the Eastern Turkic nomads, and reopened trading through Central Asia. However Turkic and Tibetan nomads resurged by the time of Tang's 6th emperor, Wu Zetian (武則天). 

Wu Zetian was the reason I made this trip. When women were basically property under Confucius boundary, Wu Zetian crowned herself emperor, ruling 30 years alongside her husband, Tang's 3rd emperor, and then singly for another 15 years, until her death at age 81. She restored the Silk Road passage militarily. The face of the star buddha at Luoyang’s Longmen Grotto was carved to her likeness for eternity to revere. She instated exams open to the public for imperial jobs based on merit, against court nepotism. She had multiple young boyfriends into her old age.  During her reign, noble class women had extra social freedom. In 2016, the Chinese government reconstructed Yingtianmen (應天門), originally the front entrance into the palace of the Sui Dynasty (隋朝) that lasted only 37 years before Tang Dynasty took over. Yingtianmen was where Wu Zetian held her coronation. Until recently, I only knew her name as a ruthless b*tch. History was not HERstory; I'm especially inspired to connect artifacts to myths.

I visited Xian in the early '90s. I vaguely remember eating steamed dumplings and not much else, the Bell Tower was a quiet landmark, the Terracotta Museum was already relatively grand and amazing, and the favorite concubine of the last Tang emperor's bath pool, Huaqing Pool (華清池), was an unglamorous hole in the ground. Now 30 years later, attractions are grand or grander, all glow brightly in the dark.

Xian was warm, sunny but dreadfully smoggy. The airport bus to the Bell Tower was an 80 minute ride for ¥25 ($3.75). From the bus, I saw the outskirts of town, lined with cramped and dilapidated trade shops and trade malls. Further on, shops and streets became more orderly and newer. And then I got excited as the bus approached the West gate (安定門) of the great rectangular 8.5 mile Ming Dynasty City Walls that protected the old city. Ming’s first emperor, Hongwu Emperor (洪武 朱元璋) was 461 years after Tang. The Bell Tower was for morning calls, and the Drum Tower was for evening calls–450 years ahead of London’s “Big Ben.” 

The Bell Tower was the town’s centerpiece, circled by 4 way traffic. To access anywhere, pedestrians must cross through the massive underground metro to a choice of 11 exits onto street level. My hotel was Exit 6; Muslim Quarter, Exit 9; McDonald’s, Exit 5. As it was everywhere in China, Xian had plenty of food streets. The most famous was the Muslim Quarter. It was a reminder that Xian was multi-cultural since the Silk Road days. There were familiar foods like dumplings, skewers, hand made noodles, and meat pies. After 2 days, I seriously craved a chef salad.  

My targeted visit was the Shaanxi History Museum (陕西历史博物馆). Most state attractions were free with prior WeChat reservations. Special groups including seniors had the added privilege of walking in without reservation. This included foreign visitors until recently. Unfortunately It was near impossible to get a reservation. For this museum, tickets were gone within seconds. I paid “GetYourGuide” online for $24.50–they have professional buyers on standby to compete with the online purchases. Due to the massive Chinese population, everything had limitations. Daily survival required action without hesitation.  

The museum was breathtaking! Time capsules from the Shang (商) through Yuen (元) Dynasties of more than 2300 years. Example: 219 pure gold rounds (and 1000+ Han Dynasty royal items) were found in 1999 in Ho Family Village, buried during the chaos of war. The gold rounds were the emperor's tip/gift. Today's value would be USD$32K each, so USD$7.19 million was on display. Only the finest and most extraordinary artifacts of history and craft were showcased.  

Another notable historical place was the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔). It was built by Tang’s 3rd emperor and rebuilt by Emperor Wu Zetian to honor the return of Tang Xuanzang (唐三藏), who walked to and back from India for 17 years and brought back 657 Buddhist sutras. He translated 75 of them. All the sutras were stored in the Pagoda. I saw those beautifully bound books in display cases; they looked new and untouched to me. Seriously, I thought to myself, after his painstaking 17 years and then another 18 years translating the volumes, how many pages had anyone read?  

Other places I visited: 

• Ruins of the Tang Dynasty Palace (大棠西市為止博物館)  
• The Anti-Japanese 8th Route Army Headquarters (八路軍西安辦事處紀念館)
• South Gate morning street market (小南門早市攤)
• Sajinqiao Food Street (灑金橋美食街)
• Small Wild Goose Pagoda (荐福寺小雁塔）
• Xian museum (西安博物館）
• Tang Daming Palace Site (大明宮國家遺址公園）
• The Great Qin (赳赳大秦）
• Grand Tang Bright City (大唐不夜城）
• Tang Paradise (大唐芙蓉園）

Xian's was too polluted; I was glad to leave after 6 days. My heart dropped upon arriving in Luoyang-- same air! I got a cold. After exiting the train, I got hustled into taking a cab for ¥30 ($4.50). The driver asked incessantly about my life in Hong Kong (yes I lied). He offered to take me on other road trips–Shaolin Temple? As soon as I made it to the hotel I wanted to shorten this trip in Luoyang, perhaps go to Wuhan instead? But I got out in the evening and Yingtianmen Square and several night markets nearby were so nice. I got a Xinjiang lamb burrito. I was disappointed that the Luoyang Museum was closed just days ago for at least a year. Bummed. Also I found out foreigners were not allowed to visit Laojun Mountain (老君山). Luoyang was divided by the Luo River. North of the river, my hotel for 3 nights was steps away from Yingtianmen. South of the river, my hotel for 4 nights was walkable to the train station and nearer to the Longmen Grotto.  

The landmark that indicated the start of the Silk Road was actually in Luoyang (see snapshot below).  Emperor Wu Zetian stationed her throne in Luoyang instead of Xian.  

Every city I visited in China had an Old Town district. I think because Chinese cities had kept remaking so many ”historical” sites, such as the fabulous Yingtianmen, which was reintroduced like Las Vegas reintroduced the Eiffel Tower, had a lot of cool factors, but honestly, no one should expect that Xian and Luoyang having gone through multiple war destructions could have buildings still intact. Luoyang’s Old Town, although perpetually evolved, was the actual location through the dynasties. There, the oldest structure, Wenfeng Pagoda (文峰塔), was built in the Sung (宋) Dynasty and rebuilt in the Qing (清) Dynasty.  

Luoyang was certainly China's most historical city. The stories we heard as fiction got real there. I visited the house that the founder of Taoism, Lao Tse (老子) 600+BC had lived, and where Confucius had paid him a visit. Lao Tse was my family's ancient uncle! My father told me long ago; it was documented the Lee’s ancestral records in Taishan (台山).  

I visited the burial place of Guan Yu's (關公) head. The stories of the 3 Kingdoms ( Cao Cao 曹操 Sun Quan 孫權 Liu Bei 劉備) came alive. Guan Yu was Liu Bei's sworn brother, famous for his loyalty. That's why he had been idolized by crooks and cops to this date. Sun Quan killed Guan Yu and then worried about Liu Bei's revenge, so he cut off the head and sent it to Cao Cao, to frame Cao Cao for the murder. Cao Cao was usually the bad guy but not stupid. He honorably buried Guan Yu's head. Finally Sun Quan honorably buried the body in his turf, Hubei. In the end, none of the Three Kingdoms won. Sima Yi (司馬懿) established the Jin (晉) Dynasty for 155 years.  

I was curious about the Luoyang Ancient Tomb Museum. It was explained that the tombs were transported from their original burial. The tombs were emptied, on view were only the structural designs. There was identification of each tomb’s occupant(s). The museum explained various burial traditions through the dynasties, including animal and human sacrifices. There was a posting that Cao Cao’s skull was identified in a tomb in Anyang.  

Longmen Grotto (龍門石窟) was a real historical site. Expectedly, there was plenty of destruction. Many buddhas defaced by Mao's Red Guards (紅衛兵) or heads stolen by foreign museums and smugglers. Across the river, in 1936, Kuomintang (國民黨) built a mansion for Chang Kai Shek (蔣介石) to celebrate his 50th birthday. Lastly, I paid my tribute to Emperor Wu Zetian. How brilliant she was to promote herself as a Buddha!  

I also visited: 

• White Horse Temple (白馬寺)
• Lijing Gate (麗景門)
• Laozi Memorial Hall (老子紀念館)
• Luoyang Folk Museum (民族博物館)
• Sui-Tang Dynasties Grand Canal Cultural Museum (大運河博物館)
• Longxiang Commercial Street (龙祥商業街)
• Cross Street (十字街夜市）
• Zhougong Temple (周公廟)

November 1-7, 2026

I had 3 friends when I left Hong Kong at age 10. I met up with Lin Fung and Ka Lei in 1979 on my first trip back to Hong Kong. I didn't see Lai Seung. All 4 of us were around age 22 then. Lin Fung had 3 kids, and Ka Lei had 2. This time, 47 years later. Only Lin Fung and I met up for dinner at Sushiro, and then moved to McDonald's to continue our conversation. Lin Fung was doing very well; she often traveled with her husband; and they even came to Los Angeles twice without knowing my whereabouts. It was a lovely reunion. I was sad to hear that Ka Lei and Lai Seung had in fact already passed away.  

CENTRAL ASIA 2026

Penguin Travel 

Someday I hope to visit remnants of the Persian empire, such as Persepolis. But, the US and Iran had been hostile for years, and now, finally at war. Maybe I could get some flavor of Islamic culture from Central Asia. Also, the great Tienshan Mountains (天山) divided Xinjiang China from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. To find out what is on the other side, I took Penguin Travel’s 21 day tour: “The five stans–Follow in the footsteps of Genghis Khan”. In the end, although local guides didn't give too many details, searching Google along the way with e-sim data, I attest that the tour dutifully accomplished delivering those bloody footsteps. By bus, train, and plane, we meandered 2000+ miles across Central Asia.  

Turmen Sweat-Blood Horse

The Khan

In Mongolia, the giant stainless steel equestrian monument of Genghis Khan must forever represent every citizen’s ultimate pride and identity. Once upon a time, their brother was the most powerful (ruthless) man on earth.  

“Pax Mongolia,” 100+ years of prosperity was attributed to the Khan. Mainly because he took over the Silk Road. Pay his toll coming and going, and anyone's religion, race, or creed wouldn't be a concern. Evidence of his accomplishments were exhibited in their national museum when I visited in 2018. No mention of his ethnic massacres. 

Asia to Eastern Europe was at this man's pathos. For 20+ years, 20 to 60 million, 10-15% of the human population died by his command.

The Terrain

From my plane window, the summits of Tienshan stayed in view for over an hour! Imagine Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang (唐三藏) walked from Xian China to Nalanda Monastery India, trekking over Tienshan twice! Genghis Khan and his horde, too!

Mountains were everywhere and rugged like the beginning of Earth–trekking or hiking, anyone? Below the blue sky were shades of gold and brown earth with olive colored weeds and shrubs. Now and then herds of single hump camels graze in their turf. Flashback to the Silk Road! The Toyota 4x4 bounced and tossed me and 2 mates on a thrilling 4 hour drive, on rocky unmarked off roads and iffy paved roads toward the Darvaza Gas Crater in the middle of the massive Karakum Desert. Time of my life!  

In a mountainous landscape, the appearance of a lake soothed and calmed the eye and heart. The Iskandarkul (Alexander Lake) in Tajikistan was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen anywhere.  

Cities and towns were up to standard. No graffiti anywhere was delightful. Except for road and construction dust and floating tree debris, places were decently kept. The Internet was fine, except in Turkmenistan. Soviet era landmarks remained solid to revere. Newer tenements looked utilitarian much like older ones.  Prominent commercial buildings were interesting mutants of classical styles. And then there was Ashgabat Turkmenistan, which was entirely white or off white, with or without gold trims, Las Vegas vibe, and man-made evergreen forests. Every stan has the requisite Islamic mosques, and separate old cities that interest tourists. Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan were most historically significant. Both major Silk Road hubs were entirely wiped out by the Khan. Timur rebuilt Samarkand 150 years later; his descendants rebuilt Bukhara several hundred years after.  

History 

Humanity doesn't change–destruction and construction repeat. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, aka Central Asia, had their share of man-made calamities. 2,356-2,353 years ago, for 3 years, Alexander destroyed Sogdiana (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan). 1,375-1,275 years ago, Islamic Arabs razed Central Asia and uprooted the fire worship Sogdiana culture. 808-801 years ago, Genghis Khan blood-washed Central Asia. 104-35 years ago, the Soviet Union, dominated by Russia, subjected Central Asia to socialism, and divided it into the 5 stans of the current day. Much of the past was rubbish and ruins at the mercy of excavation and reconstruction. The rest is up to museums to do right.  The 5 stans finally became individually independent, reborn as new countries in 1991.  History continues.  

Travelers

Our group was 15 (14 plus a leader). The itinerary was  precisionally designed for comprehensive coverage of each stan, yet we had ample free time to roam after most early dinners. Because Central Asia would not likely be a top destination for the average vacationer, I had expected to be among some avid travelers. Travelers are a special breed in my book. They know that places, people and things are transient. They capture moments and move on. We had great verbal exchanges, perhaps truer than friends at home. Everyone was fascinating to me. That’s another star for this tour! Our 15 had been to more countries than 3-10 pairs of hands could count! At least two are still on the road (tour ended 6 days ago). Most or all had been DIY travelers. Coming to Central Asia, however, we all had the good sense to join a tour! Nothing was random; this trip was another Divine Blessing!   Special Thanks to Andrey, Anthony, Barbara, Caroline, Darshan & Linda, Doreen, Jeanette, Juan & Ross, Keith, Sal & Camy, and Yunen! 

Tripod.com 2004-2010

Just found out tripod.com PERMANENTLY CLOSED as of April 5, 2026.  The Wayback Machine website only recorded the front page of my earlier travel blog. Cyber death! 

TAIWAN 2009 

We arrived in Kenting the previous afternoon and settled in at the A-Gong Resort Hotel for NT$1500 a night, just NT$300 more than the homestays on the same main strip, but much nicer. The strip came alive after dark. We strolled past food stands, trinket booths, dancing girls in front of pubs; there was a Seven-Eleven, an array of international eateries and beach souvenir shops; and there were also bicycle rental, scuba diving tour companies and no shortage of homestay apartments. At the farthest end were two swanky hotels, but where was the beach? And who was playing the bluesy songs? We walked down some wooden steps, and suddenly there it was! The breathtaking beach, clean and calm. The waves, soothingly rhythmic. At the landing, too, was the world’s most well-placed bar! Sunlight was settling, and then the beach was fading to darkness. Jeanette and I exchanged some stories, but mostly we sat in silence, smoking and sipping wine or beer. Four school girls were at the beach taking photos and hanging around for several hours. It got totally dark and quiet when I looked for them again, but I could make out only two couples left on the beach; one couple had lit cigarettes all night long. We moved our drinking down to the beach to see how it was by the waves. The smoking couple greeted us--the guy had just met the girl sitting there alone. For the rest of this special night, from strangers to strangers, we shared each other's painful experiences of love and life. (The photo was taken the next evening. When visiting Kenting, you must stop by to say "hello" to

i-Mark and have a few drinks at his mobile bar.

VIETNAM 2008 

From Hanoi airport to Hanoi central, I saw two accidents.  Imagine a family of four could sit comfortably on a single motorbike--baby in the front of the father (driver), another child, and then the mother at the back--going the speed of any car or bus.  Imagine a motorbike driver with 7 bottles (think giant Arrowhead) of water!  Imagine talking on the cell phone while driving a motorbike!!  Now pull back wider and imagine plenty of honking and all the motorbikes in the world on the same road with cars and buses.  Well, there was a traffic jam, and by the time I got to take a look, two women lied on the side of the road, about 10 feet apart, one dead.  The other one moved a little in a pool of blood.  Plenty of folks just stood around to look.    The other accident was a truck blocking multiple lanes with the front totally smashed.  When we got to town around rush hour with a million motorbikes, cars, and buses, our tour guide thought it was a marvelous idea for each of us to ride a pedicab to see this hub.  The pedicab sat the passenger in the front with the driver behind.  Imagine forging onto the herds of cars and bikes and street people; it was a wild ride and I inhaled a pound of dust and exhaust fume, but I felt incredibly alive and calm!!  In the morning I saw the Ho Chi Minh memorial; it was a nice square, perhaps not as grand as the Red Square or Tiananmen Square, but impressive too.  In the afternoon, I did the unthinkable, I crossed an intersection in Hanoi and was not killed.  As we stepped out from our exquisite dining experience back onto the wild sidewalk, a very thin man with nothing on his brown skin but a tattered pair of shorts stood looking on people eating noodles al fresco.As soon as one stood up to walk away, he grabbed the leftover and ran to the opposite side of the street. Seconds later he came back, returned the emptied bowl, snapped up a piece of scrap on the ground into his mouth, and quickly dissolved into the crowd. Today I'm in the middle section of Vietnam, a city called "Hue." Here I'm in a beautiful hotel after another great dinner--I'm being fed like a thanksgiving turkey 3 meals a day. Tourists are well taken care of as we carefully step over muddy pools and cracked roads into our 5-star hotels; I asked the tour guide how he slept last night; he said he found a local inn where he rented a bed, but he was kept awake because the ceiling dripped rain water most of the night. It is late evening, my 10 travel companions have bid me good night.  I am in the hotel lobby making use of the free internet. About 10 feet from me is a band playing romantic Schubert sonatas.

CAMBODIA 2008 - Excerpt:

HELLO from Siem Reap, Angkor Wat!    The Khmers had one great dynasty back in the 800's to 1400's, and then..did the people and the land just took a long snooze?  The magnificent Angkor Wat Temple was left swallowed up by trees and devoured by the jungle.  In more recent history, the tour guide explained, the government just gave the whole country to the French.  Unbelievably, when they asked for it back, the French gave it back.   Now the country survived Khmer Rouge and begins to heal.  Time to go see Angkor Wat.  Tomorrow will be in Hanoi.  11/12/08.

INDIA 2007 

  

JAPAN 2005 

GALAPAGOS 2004 

NANJING CHANGSHA, CHINA 2025

October 14-16 Flight:  Fifteen hours to Hong Kong then 2.5 hours to Nanjing.  Cathay Pacific again, because their arrival time to Nanjing at 1 pm was sensible.  Economy again, aisle seats to the side, not in the middle where Cathay crammed 4 seats designed for 3 on a Boeing 777.  The first miracle was the in-flight movie "Janice Ian: Breaking Silence"!  Two hours rekindling the life and songs of my favorite singer/song writer.  Hearing "Society's Child" moved me to tears; I nearly forgot the misery of being on a plane.  During transfer, my Hong Kong Airalo esim showed a local network but could not connect.  However my Asialink Airalo did connect seamlessly in Hong Kong and China.  I also had a 15 GB/30 Day China data card ($19.50 Amazon) with Google access for backup.  Internet connection is critical for GPS directions and sightseeing when traveling.

NANJING Prelude - 2 Movies:  

"Dead to Rights" was showing in a nearby theater.  Any mention of the Nanjing Massacre makes me grit my teeth, and since I had preplanned visiting Nanjing, I immediately went - not for entertainment, but because this history was finally being shown in Western cinema, and because using commercial movies to convey events is powerful. I must support it.  Long ago I had seen Frank Capra's WWII documentary, "The Battle of China," and I had also flipped through photo images in Iris Chang's books.  The atrocities were unbearable!  At the AMC in the mall,  I sat in the first row mid-section. The screening room was unusually full, mostly Chinese/Asian, adults and children - good! The film was inevitably haunting, although horrific scenes were concise, matter of fact,  without Hollywood style shock techniques.  The plot followed a young Japanese officer tasked with documentation, showing his transformation from naivety to brutality.  The film of course replicated events that Japan vehemently denied to this day.  Irrefutable evidence, however, was the perverse photographs and films they themselves took for fun and jest, which were preserved by God's Will for release to the world in due time.  The woman to my right sobbed the whole time. Lights came on; audience applauded.  I asked the 3 Chinese/Asian teenagers to my left what they thought.  Silence.

My friend Leo said, "You need to watch "731" to truly understand how those Japanese #$&@ were."  Since toddler time, I heard adults recount their firsthand horrors of the Japanese invasion. Deaths and starvation, and then eight years of bloodshed in Southeast Asia ended by American atomic bombs. Nagasaki and Hiroshima suffered greatly; ground zero in Hiroshima became a memorial to their victims.  Wars are cruel, employing cunning and ruthless ways to destroy the enemy.  Much history of human warfare had been lost and untraceable.  Everyone knows the atrocities of Nazi Germany in World War II, yet the Japanese military committed no less.  "731" describes yet another level of Japan's madness, was an eye opener for me, who could barely stomach even what I previously knew.   The Japanese government refuses to acknowledge any of it.  "Lies become truth if you repeat it a thousand times" according to Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda chief.  My Japanese friends naturally believe their native teachings: no massacre, no chemical warfare, no torture, free willing comfort women - 80 years of Japanese self-deception.  In 2007 Japan Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo said, "It lacks evidence to prove that Japanese troops forcibly recruited Asian women to be sex slaves.” As the world turns, outlandish textbooks may continue, but in this information age, sorry, those shameful deeds left a ton of evidence. 

Mass Grave

One among 40-70 Nanjing Comfort Brothels 

10 Days Nanjing: 

Baidu Map indicated Xinjiekou (新街口 New Block) Station converged all metro lines, and so my hotel choice was there.  Metro Line 1 arrived at this station that had  24 exits!  Baidu indicated a 6 minute walk to Exit 14, but I must had weaved through a mile before coming to street daylight.  Not only me, many pedestrians were nose to phone wandering cluelessly.  Even with GPS, the streets were haphazardly blocked everywhere, crossing underground or over a bridge may be the way, or it may lead to another planet.  No one will help - too many innocent looking scammers pretending to be lost tourists?  Where were the police, servants of the people?  The only folks that could find any place within China were the food delivery moped drivers, but they were top guns on a mission and unstoppable.  They honked coming from behind; 1, 2, or 10 would zoom by on sidewalks and anywhere.  These road warriors made an average of ¥6 ($0.84) per delivery.  Instead of unemployment or praying for miracles, even college grads opted to hustle these jobs until better gigs happen.  One midnight, someone pounded my 7th floor hotel room door by mistake - next door ordered food.  

At 8 a.m. en route to 378 Alley (三七八巷), the day's excitement was wound up on roads and traffic. I was the only one strolling leisurely to the bus stop. 378 was a bona fide neighborhood street market. Shopping for brunch to be enjoyed back in my hotel room, I bought a quarter roast duck, sweet lotus root, sesame baked bread, mixed vegetables, cold tofu pudding, and some fresh figs. Upon hearing my mangled Putonghua (普通話), the tofu lady asked where I was from, was tofu pudding available in the U.S., and for how much. I replied the same as her price, 4, but in USD not RMB. Her eyes widened and proposed to come work for my future tofu shop in the U.S. On this China trip, I had decided to smile a lot at people. When I was taking the empty seat next to a grandma, her steadfast frown looked serious.  I smiled anyway, and then after hesitation, she greeted me. Nice!

Another perk at Xinjiekou was the Deji (德基）Shopping Mall, which lavished a decadent restroom on each of the six floors.  This gimmick sucked in locals and tourists to marvel, to lounge, but more importantly, to photograph, and lastly, to pee/poop in luxury.  It appeared that public spaces must be photo worthy.  Unthinkable new building designs (coming soon: Zendai Himalayas Center), enhanced old landmarks glamorously lit up at night, and heroic monuments were icons of pride and photo op.  To celebrate a revival of lyrical eras, Tang/Sung/Han costumed beauties could be seen strolling in parks and landmarks, usually followed by camera ready boyfriends.  I was in awe everyday. 

Nanjing was more magnificent then I could ever imagine - the Ming Dynasty!  Museums, with artifacts from rudimentary to Ming's masterful crafts, were time travel experiences.  Nanjing, the imperial capital, all began with Zhu, Yuanzhang (朱元璋).  This guy started out with nothing. To stay alive from starvation, he was a pauper turned monk turned soldier fighting the Yuan Dynasty (circa Genghis Khan 1271).  In 1368, age 41, he crowned himself.  His reign enforced law and order and was ruthless against corruption.  He had executed family members and war buddies to solidify zero tolerance.  He ruled for 30 years.  The Ming Dynasty lasted 276 years.  The Qing Dynasty (Yuan ethnicity) took back over, as the masses were hungry again due to imperial mismanagement.  Nanjing today, after dynastic and foreign wars should not have a scrap left.  Amazingly, China tirelessly maintained and rebuilt many historic sites.  The originally 22 mile Ming City Wall (longest brick city wall in the world) still has 13 miles standing with original bricks and engravings. Emperor Zhu and his wife's Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (明孝陵) was grand; it was a challenge to walk through the paths.  In olden days, folks on horses had to get off the horse (落馬站) miles away.

  

The third emperor Zhudi / Yongle the Great, (朱棣/永樂大帝) usurped his inexperienced nephew, lead his dynasty to prosperity and stability with the same iron fist as his father, the first emperor.  Notable was his Great Bao'en Temple (大報恩寺), a tower to memorialize his parents.  The current replacement tower at the location was made of glass and steel with bling bling lights at night that the public loved.  Even more notable was that he moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing!  Currently the Nanjing Palace location was kept as an enormous park.  Supposedly the Beijing Palace (故宮) was designed after Nanjing's.  Therefore the current Beijing Palace including the Forbidden City (紫禁城) behind Tiananmen Square (天安門), where Qing royalties comfortably lived for 268 more years was actually built by this Ming Emperor!  Yongle built Beijing's Temple of Heaven (天壇) too.  

In Nanjing, as in most Chinese cities, popular sites usually require WeChat reservations days earlier.  

我的南京打卡：德基廣場 三七八巷 朝天宮 南京博物館 侵華日軍南京大屠殺遇難同胞紀念館 三個必勝博物館 夫子廟 明瓦朗美食街 南京總統府 玄武湖 明城牆 大報恩寺 中華門 老門東 利濟行慰安所舊址陳列館 雨花台 瞻園 美齡宮 明考陵+博物館 金熙宅第  南京大排檔 五台山先鋒書店 明故宮舊址 頤和路歷史文化街第11區 中山碼頭長江渡輪 浦口碼頭

7 Days Changsha: 

Having lived in Los Angeles most of my life, I had culture shock in Changsha!  It was 4 hour 1,100 mile super train southward from Nanjing to Changsha.  Sunday 2 p.m.  Upon entering the metro after exiting the train, I was taken aback by the sight of wall to wall people!  My hotel was at the core of Wuyi commercial area, easy access to all directions; each led to pedestrian promenades that were madly lively. Vendors and repetitive recordings competed for attention, selling the same must eat must buy local specialties: fried sweet dough ball, stinky tofu, meat skewers, dried whole pressed duck, special milk tea that young folks lined up for, and much more. Folks casually snacked and drank while walking and avoiding mopeds, and  sometimes even cars, driving by.  I sat on a stool tucked away from danger, with a take out bowl of cow brain in mild spice sauce - delicious. 

Baidu map indicated from Wuyi to Orange Isle (橘子洲) would be 1.5 km (less than a mile) walk.  I ventured there to see the colossal Young Mao Zedong head statue.  The mile required crossing a highway bridge over the Xiangjiang River (湘江) that allowed a narrow sideway for walkers and, inevitably, annoying mopeds.  The river was pretty, but the mile felt much farther.  Having finally landed at the entrance, it turned out Mao was 2.5 miles at the other tip of the island.  There were tour sales people waving at newcomers.  The ticket office showed sightseeing fares that were confusing.  It wasn't obvious that there was a ￥20 tram available each way.  I walked the 2.5 serene but tiresome miles along the river hoping Mao would appear shortly.  I envisioned being impacted like the first time I saw the Statue of Liberty.  Mao was schooled in Changsha at age 17; the 105 foot granite head statue depicted him handsome and youthful.  Everyone snapped more than enough selfies having walked this far.  Thank God for the tram back.  

Amid the beautiful Mount Yuelu (嶽麓山) still stood the one thousand year old Yuelu Academy (嶽麓書院), uphill adjacent to, and now annexed by,  the Hunan University (湖南大學).  It was deduced that the business school that Young Mao attended was part of the predecessor of  Hunan University.  Young Mao had considered a business vocation.  He quit after only one month, because all courses were taught in English, but no course actually taught English. Yuelu was a meeting destination for Mao and his cohorts at the start of their activism.  A plaque hung at the reception hall, inscribed in 1917 by the principal of the academy reads "Seeking Truth from Facts" (實事求是), was said to be inspirational to Young Mao and became his moto.  Along with much poetic scenery, there were also tombs and memorials of revolutionary martyrs.  

Mawangdui (馬王堆) excavated Western Han Dynasty royal (but not emperor) tombs buried 2200+ years ago.  So far 3 burials (man, woman, adult son) were found.  Everything was preserved almost intact!  The woman wore 20 layers of silk clothing, colors and textiles remained vivid and substantial! See the cafeteria style meal tray, as they didn't share dishes back then.  The oval-shaped vessels were wine cups.  Everyday necessities including food stock remained:  duck, rabbit, other meats, dried or reduced to bones. Produce, fruits, beans, grains, and seeds, were dried.  Written items on silk and bamboo were still clear and legible!  The body was naturally buried in 4 coffin layers.  The woman's face, arms, and legs were white but fleshy.  Her hair black.  (No photo allowed, but available online).  No other burial preservations for over 20 centuries were this successful!  Simply amazing.

我的長沙打卡：太平老街 波子街 黃興步行街 橘子洲景區 湖南博物館 馬王堆 潮宗文化街區 岳麓山 金蘋果大市場 人和友 泰國嘉年華賣場 萬秀城服裝超市 長沙博物館

4 Days Hong Kong:

CHENGDU CHONGQING YANGTZE BEIJING CHINA 2025

Two months before the US China trade war of 145% and 125% mutual tariffs, in February I had already bought round trip Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong Beijing flights: USD $951, and $63 $55 for aisle seats. Cattle class seats were brutal. Coming and going, both were guys in the trapped seat next to me. Inevitably their elbow on the armrest had to invade my space. Breathe and relax, because I had to.  I checked in my carry-on(!) luggage and placed my backpack in the upper bin to maximize sit space. Even by the aisle, my outer foot must stay within the seat's confine, in order not to get hit by a service cart or passerby. 15 hours. I watched the Bob Dylan movie "A Complete Unknown." Noteworthy was the  actress's rendition of Joan Baez's "House of The Rising Sun." I always loved Dylan's version. On the way home I watched "Becoming Led Zeppelin." Time spared no one; once sweet face and wild, now graceful but nevertheless aged, Jimmy, Robert, and John（sadly drummer John Bonham died young) recounted their striking moments with glimmer and satisfaction in their eyes and lips. My brother took me to see them in concert at the LA Forum in the 1970's. Those were the days. 

Back to the trade war. I probably wouldn't have made plans to China had I known that the battle could escalate so quickly. Anything could happen; who could predict, borders could shut down.  I remembered watching on TV how folks scrambled to take the last copter out of Saigon.  Travel for leisure shouldn't be so dramatic.  I did already pay for hotels and transportation, and so with prayers, I went.

April 17 - May 7, 2025

I took 复兴號 (Fuxing, "revival") high speed train from Hong Kong to Chengdu 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cutting from south to north, there was nothing glamorous outside the window. I saw modest, although transformed, villages.  Brush barriers by rail tracks appeared approaching every town, probably to lessen train disturbance to the neighborhoods; industrial structures and farmlands were mostly world standard utilitarian; residential housing amid rural areas were mostly flat top box buildings, single or multi levels; and prominent skyscrapers appeared at bigger towns.  

CHENGDU has a load of history. I learned on this trip that it was the capitol of several periods since BC, including during the Three Kingdoms (AD 221-263). One day I aimed for 錦里古街 (Jinli Street, "Brocade and Silk").  It was an ancient commercial area 2000 years ago. The Qing Dynasty revived or duplicated the district.  It became a tourist attraction of snacks and gift shops. Serendipitously I wandered into neighboring 武候祠 (Wuhou Temple, "Royal Martial") and happened upon the burial places of 諸葛亮 (most famous military genius) and 劉備 (Shu Han emperor)!  Suddenly these historical figures were no longer theatrical or comic book characters. Thousands of years of history got real.

What is this? 
Made 4000 years ago! 

History went way further for me on this trip. I visited 三星堆 (Sanxingdui, "Three Stars Pile"). It was a major excavated habitat of 4000 years ago, around the time of Egyptian pyramids! Fantastic alien looking bronze heads and oddly connected creatures and plants sculptures aplenty and still more to dig. As proven by worldwide historical relics, human being's inventiveness and craftsmanship were already A+ back thousands of years ago. I come to think that we, today, are not any smarter than people back in the BC's, the crucial aspect of social evolution was the advancement of tools. The same powerful human brain that made the prehistoric flint stone made the smartphone of our time. There are plenty of indigenous medical methods that still work! 

“CHONGQING is cyberpunk!” I was instantly attracted and freaked upon seeing some vlogs on YouTube.  Gauging the Yangtze River as the base level, videos showed a curious mountainous cityscape of modern and ancient, western and Chinese buildings, with highways wrapped round and round multiple levels. Mid-air cable cars were part of the city's transportation across the Yangtze. Buses and cars on pristine roads (no potholes) at all levels, and then there was the famous metro train that ran through a residential building! Good enough for me to get off the couch and go take a look. 

 

On the way to 紅岩革命紀念館 (Hongyan Revolutionary Memorial Hall), I took Metro Line 2, which pleasantly surprised me as it indeed ran right into a building. I got off at 李子垻站 (Liziba Station) inside the building, and then had to go 6 floors down to river level, in order to transferred to Bus 318.  

I knew Chongqing would be physical. To my surprise, I didn't overly suffer, as I basically avoided up-step paths. Although not always conveniently located, there were escalators or elevators somewhere. I heard there is a 25-story apartment building with no elevator! The trick was to zigzag on elevators through interconnected neighboring buildings. I saw plenty of elderly people everywhere, some even toting loads. They must know something we tourists don't know. 

Earlier in my life, I knew of Chongqing as “Chung King.” There was a Chung King Road in Los Angeles Chinatown. Later I heard about Chongqing’s successful defense against Japan in WW2.  History recorded that Japan conquered over half of China by land battles, but it could not infiltrate Chongqing due to its inland location and natural mountain barriers. Japan resorted to aerial massacre, bombing Chongqing indiscriminately to bring China to its knees, for 6 full years. History recorded an immense devastation, but Chongqing never gave in. WW2 ended in 1945.  

  

My hotel was at 解放碑 (Jiefangbei, "Liberation Monument") Pedestrian Street.  Prior to 1980, the  monument was the highest Chongqing structure.  It is now surrounded by flashing neon name brands.  With reverence to the monument, I prayed for World Peace. Amen.  

My friend Candy took the high-speed train from Hong Kong to Chongqing, to joined me on the 3-night /4-day YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE on the Century Paragon.  Candy, lady of few words, was an ideal travel buddy.  Her trip's focus was photography, so I was glad to finally get photos of me that were not selfies.  

Downstream west to east, for 3 nights the ship meandered through vertical gorges, I anticipated a meditative lyrical river experience.  As much as the Yangtze had nourished centuries of living, human effort to curb flood, store water, generate electricity, and improve shipping had necessitated the building of dams.  Much was sacrificed.  Long established families by the river were relocated.  Their homes submerged.   The Century Paragon was pretty enough by international standards.  Fellow passengers were 95% native Chinese.  During the May 1st Labor Day holiday, there were plenty of preteen children and their parents or grandparents.  The ship catered to this majority.  All meals were Northern Chinese food.  Thank God they had fresh grind coffee and free French and California wine.  As serene as this slow cruise could have been, I quickly knew that it wasn't going to happen.  The second day was the best.  I declined the opportunity for an excursion.  With more than half of the ship gone, the deck became spacious, and the river was finally peaceful for those few hours.  Praise!   

The Yangtze Cruise ended at Yichang City.  I took the 10 p.m. Train T50, upper soft sleeper, 17 hours to Beijing.  On this old China train, to get onto the upper bunk, I first threw my luggage and backpack up there, took off my hiking boots, grabbed the guard rail and another anchor, stepped on a latch (no ladder), and pulled my body up over onto the bed.  Up there was ample storage space; I was comfortable and slept for hours.  I awoke to a fully occupied cabin of 2 upper and lower bunks.  It was daylight but hours before Beijing.  In the dining car I paid RMB ￥30 that included a cup of tea and a bowl of noodle soup.  There was no one besides cafe attendants.  I enjoyed quiet time looking out the window.  

I was able to get on public transportation everywhere by clicking Alipay "transport" and presetting the city onto my phone, so that once I arrived, the QR codes were available to scan for metro or bus.  Alipay payments instantly debited from my US credit card by market rate.  No currency conversion disadvantage for foreigners.  For the one guy busy grilling lamb skewers, I scanned the shop's posted QR, my phone showed RMB￥25, I entered my passcode, done.  The guy heard￥25 received.  No cashier involved.  

BEIJING:  My hotel at 前門 (Qianmen, "Front Door") was walkable to 天安門 (Tiananmen Square) and 故宮 (Ancient Palace).  Many landmarks require an hour on metros or buses, and plenty of walking even at the location.  I figured walking at least 3 miles per day.  There were many landmarks worth visiting; most places honored free senior admission with passport ID.  

The 1983 movie 火燒圓明園 (The Burning of Imperial Palace) had left an indelible impression on me.  Growing up in the US, the British and the French were often portrayed as elegant and well-mannered peoples.  I was shocked that the movie depicted their abominable violence and greed in 1860 during the 2nd Opium War.  On this Beijing trip, I made a posthumous memorial visit to the site.  圓明園 (Yuanmingyuan Park) is now a public attraction, the park has been fixed up and beautiful,  but the Foreign Mansion was left in ruin for the world to see.  

When the plane returned me to LAX, there were separate lines for Visitors, Green Card Holders, and Citizens at the Customs and Border Control. I eyeballed about 800 people lined up at "Visitors," the winding line was barely moving. I guessed foreigners now need to be screened thoroughly.  I whizzed through "Citizens" with zero waiting time. Another fabulous trip.

CHAOZHOU CHINA 2025

January 2025 Southern California Fire  

🙏“Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you in prayer seeking your spirit of comfort for our troubled minds. Lord, we feel overwhelmed and need your aid to calm our thoughts and grant us a sense of clarity and direction. Please fill our hearts with your peace that surpasses all understanding, help us to release our worries and fears to you, trusting in your plan for our lives. We pray for your strength and courage to guide us in facing these challenges. Grace and the Holy Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.” (CREDIT)

3 hours South Korea ICN  During my transfer at ICN airport, I inserted the 5ber sim, pre-downloaded with Airalo's 18-country Asialink esim, into my phone. SK Telecom and Airalo showed, but no Internet! With ICN’s free wifi, I text chatted for 2.5 hours with 3 Airalo robots one after another, and then I had to board the next flight. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, the Internet was instantly connected. I gave credit to Airalo’s tech support, that was, until I had no internet again on the return flight stopping in ICN. Luckily the esim worked smoothly in Macau and China. Especially in China, I could access Google!

4 Days Macau  The Macau government offered foreign visitors free bus/ferry transportation from HKG airport directly to Macau port. I barely made it to the end of the 2024 deadline and was able to board the free bus at SkyPier Terminal. Once again I crossed the world’s longest sea crossing, the 34 mile HZMB bridge. Upon exiting the Macau port, I bought the Macau Pass for the starting amount of MOP$130 (USD$16.12). MOP$100 was immediately available to tap and ride Bus 101X waiting outside, as well as ride any bus during my visit, and use as acceptable digital payment at most businesses. Unknown to me, I arrived on the same day that China President Xi arrived to celebrate Macau’s 25 years of homecoming since 1999. Festivity was in the air with red banners and celebratory decorations throughout town. From 2006, casinos began to appear on a landfill, which amazingly connected the islands of Coloane and Taipa into one continuous land. CoTai’s casino conglomerates brought designer shops, Michelin restaurants, and world landmarks to Macau. Glamour in grand scale naturally drew lookie-loos and patrons from near and far. The world class casinos had been welcomed spectacles and an economic booster for the locals to enjoy as well. Away from such “Las Vegas of the east,” Senado Square, the town center, was kept beautiful and photogenic. Elsewhere, most buildings and streets had seen better days. If I were in an alley or anywhere, without fail, roaring motorcycles would approach, honking at me to get out of the way. There were few traffic lights. Soon enough I understood that when folks can’t rely on regulatory controls, survival mode would kick in. Organized chaos was necessary and effective to save everyone’s time. As most of Macau aged through time with little renovation, it sustained much historical charm by default.

12 Days Hong Kong  After a quiet winter 2023, I craved the festivities in Hong Kong as seen on YouTube. Moreover, I wished to celebrate 2024 into 2025 among good friends there. Indeed, I was warmly welcomed. Special thanks to:  😀Winnie and 阿景 - for Christmas Eve, and New Year Eve! 😀Leo, 維記, Francis - for 南華會食點心打保齡, 大開眼戒!  😀Candy - for the home dinner, 深圳, 聖誕雞翼, and Bombay Sapphire! 😀Sam and Winnie - for 深圳, Patron, and 紅磡晚餐埋單！😀Freddy and 阿忠 - for 牛脷酥 from 天水圍, Johnny Walker Black, 臨別晚餐埋單！😀Tony - for 蜜蘭香 tea! 😀Ivy and 阿明 - for 捧場 😀宏記 - for 難得見面！😀Cousin 明仔一家 & All Other Friends - May we meet again!

4 Days Chaozhou  I knew my prior 10-year China entry visa had a few days left before expiration. Therefore, I didn’t mind that the 144 hour-no-visa perk did not apply to me, as I did not fly directly into China.

I pre-bought round trip train tickets at Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station and made a trial run the day before, to avoid being lost in the labyrinth of the Element Mall connected with the station. The best route was to take the metro, Tuen Ma Line to Austin Station, C exit, which was a smooth walk into the ticketing and departure level.

At the train station, I went to a Bank of China ATM that had HKD and RMB. As it turned out, only China debit cards could withdraw RMB. I exchanged USD$100 at an exchanger, which paid out only 90% in RMB. I felt having some RMB cash was necessary. My International Alipay app was tied to my U.S. credit card before leaving home. At first I was apprehensive, but it was absolutely easy, practical, and the exchange rate was the same as using my credit card directly. I pre-set my credit card notification to email me the USD amount of the transaction.

The ride to ChaoShan was only 2.5 hours on high speed 和諧號 (Harmony) at 190+ miles per hour. If not for the moving views outside the window, the train ran like it was not moving.

ChaoShan Station to my hotel, near Chaozhou People's Square, took an hour on Bus K2 for RMB$9 (USD$1.23). Once in town, a bus ride usually costs RMB$2 (USD$0.27). I saved some RMB$1’s for the bus, as I was not proficient with Alipay. One night I was too tired to walk or to find the bus, I took a stray motorcyclist’s offer to ride back to the hotel. The ride was 15 minutes for RMB$20 (USD$2.73).  I could not use didi on my Alipay; it required a China phone number to sign up.  For the hour trip on return to ChaoShan station, my hotel called me a didi (taxi) for the predetermined price of RMB$60 (USD$8.18).  The driver dropped me off inside the train station!  Didi or taxi’s were very inexpensive. 

Free Wi-Fi in my hotel could not access Google. I was pleasantly surprised that I still had Google Map, Whatsapp and YouTube using my foreign esim. In China, Google map was not as precise as Baidu map navigation, which I relied on to take public transportation and walk about.

I sighed with relief that the city kept most of its rustic charm. The Ancient City area upkept historical houses, streets, temples, gates, bridges, and pagodas existed as far back as the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The Chaozhou Museum in the People's Square, which I entered by passport identification without prior reservation, housed excellent resources to understand Chaozhou since antiquity and displayed their bravery and sacrifices toward the founding of New China.

Among the Chinese, Chaozhou people’s ambitions and abilities were known to be outstanding. Therefore, I imagined another hyperactive China city with an eyeful of sparkling highrises in a hurry to transform into a grand metropolis. Instead, I saw that their outstandingness was holding fast to their preferred culture and lifestyle, regardless of the busy objectives of everyday life. Their version of “stop and smell the coffee” was stop and smell the tiny cups of gongfu tea. UNESCO had recognized Chaozhou “gongfu tea” on its Cultural Heritage list. On any street, I saw the tiny tea sets ready to entertain outside or inside of shops. Just walking by, I was invited to sit down and had several cups. The shopkeeper and her friend treated me nicely but casually, as if I were a neighbor. The tea was hot and intense, like shots of cognac. Tea houses were mindfully decorated for tranquility. I walked into one that felt like the classical mansion in “Dream of the Red Chamber.” The young proprietor said RMB$98 (USD$13.38) for 2 to 4 people in a private room that included tea and sweets. And then I happened upon Pinyu Tea House ( 品羽茶屋). Hearing my interest, Master Long 龙素芳 served me up an authentic tea experience. Magnanimous Chaozhou hospitality!