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Making Dumplings in the Hutongs

10/25/2019

One of the most memorable meals for those who travel with me to China is one of the first of the trip, in the hutongs of Beijing. Hutongs are little alleyways in the center of the city, some as narrow as six feet across. This is the heart of the city, a place where people have lived the same way for hundreds of years, despite the modernization of this capital city.

Families live in courtyard homes in the hutongs. Each trip to China, I bring travelers to the home of one of the families so that we can learn about their lives and also have a home-cooked meal. Sometimes, we get a dumpling-making lesson, like in the picture to the right, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wang.

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Moon Hill

10/18/2019

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The climb up Moon Hill in Yangshuo is exhilarating. It takes about 30 minutes to climb the stairs to the top. In the picture above, there is a group of students with whom I traveled to Yangshuo, along with some teachers and an equal number of "porter" women. These women hover around the bottom of the hill and offer to help travelers navigate the well-traveled route. The day we hiked was rainy, so it was helpful to have these lovely ladies on our arms, assisting our ascent and descent. I paid each of them for their services. Some might call me a sucker, but I love to support the locals. These women offered a service and I agreed. Plus, this picture was worth whatever I paid.

Moon Hill is a hill with a natural arch which looks like a hole through the hill. It is a popular spot for rock climbers, who flock to Yangshuo (in China's southern Guangxi Province) for its unusual limestone karst peaks.

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Xian City Wall

10/11/2019

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If you say "Xian," everyone thinks "Terra-cotta Warriors." But there's a lot more to Xian than the warriors. One of the many attractions is the Xian City Wall. I like to bring visitors to the wall because it's the only place I feel safe bike riding with China travelers. The wall is about 50 feet high and about 30 feet wide and the only vehicles on the wall are bikes and a few golf carts. It's a nine-mile loop all the way around and it is a lovely way to spend an afternoon, plus it's good exercise!

The wall is the last intact city wall in a major Chinese city. The rest have been razed in order to pave highways for easier access to city centers. So the Xian City Wall is special! Join me for a spin on the wall!

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Chinese Green Tea

10/4/2019

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Most people do not realize that green and black tea come from the same plant. For black tea, the leaves are withered and oxidized, unlike green tea which is dried immediately upon picking. The plants are pruned so that the new shoots will come up regularly. This is imperative because the best green tea leaves come from the youngest shoots. The leaves are harvested about three times per year. Once picked, they are dried in the sun or in a wok over a fire.

Some of the most popular green teas from China are Longjing and Huangshan Maofeng. Longjing is translated as "Dragon Well." This is probably the most famous Chinese green tea, possibly due to the fact that it grows in close proximity to Shanghai so it is easy to procure. Huangshan Maofeng is a special kind of Maofeng tea grown in the Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) part of the country, in Anhui Province.

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Making Dumplings in the Hutongs

Moon Hill

Xian City Wall

Chinese Green Tea

Lauren Drazen

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