The Life of Qin
 From Qinhuangdao | Apr 20, 2007 11:04

City of Smoke and Smiles
 From Shijiazhuang | Mar 26, 2007 23:03

an unlikely place to visit | Shijiazhuang | Feb 6, 2006 14:28
If you're going to China for just two weeks, this would be a strange city to stop in. While it does have a pretty nice temple and an okay museum, this is no showcase for the beauty of China. However, if you're looking to get away from tourists and see a big new Chinese city, this is a decent option. Unless you're in a McDonalds or Pizza Hut, odds are you won't see any other foreigners wandering around Shijiazhuang. Of course, accordingly, you won't find as many people who speak English as you would in Beijing or Shanghai, so watch out if you speak zero Chinese.

Perks: special treatment at many restaurants and shops, seeing a piece of the new China, you can find most anything you want to buy if you look hard enough, sellers aren't as likely to raise prices on you just because you're foreign.

Drawbacks: you'll get stared at and maybe yelled "hello!" at (especially if you get away from the downtown), dirty, not many other travelers to meet there.

pollution | Shijiazhuang | Feb 6, 2006 14:17
Shijiazhuang is one of the most polluted cities in China. There's a lot of coal mining in the area, and every day, a layer of coal dust settles on everything. The people who live there carry around tissues to wipe up dust and/or newspapers to sit on in case they want to sit down outside. Don't expect clear blue skies here.

Guilin | April 28, 2007 - April 29, 2007
elephant park, dragon's back, wandering

Yangshuo | April 23, 2007 - April 27, 2007
boat cruise down the li river, biking, west street, local foreign language college

Hebei | February 19, 2007 - February 21, 2007
Xingtai: visited scotty, baiyun cavern

Qingdao | December 30, 2006 - January 1, 2007
tsingtao beer factory, beach, old governor's house, various clubs and bars (babyface, jack's bar), french restaurant

Beijing | September 31, 2006 - October 4, 2006
tiananmen square, friendship store, silk street, summer palace, visited andi, visited zhangjie, lotus lane