A closer look at China.

Landscape stories, local flavours and practical guides for a thoughtful journey.

Layered tiled roofs of Lijiang Old Town at dusk, with warm light on a distant mountain peak.

Lijiang: follow the water into everyday life

Beyond the mountain view, discover the channels, timber courtyards and local flavours that give the old town its character.

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Suzhou: a landscape woven into everyday life

A garden window, a waterside lane, a bowl of noodles: discover Jiangnan through its quieter details.

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A bamboo raft passes a green limestone hill along the Li River in Yangshuo County, Guilin.

Guilin: let a river unfold the landscape

Mountain silhouettes, changing water and life along the bank bring a familiar image of China into focus.

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Hangzhou: a lake, a landscape, time for tea

Follow a lakeside view towards the tea hills and discover the softer rhythms of Hangzhou.

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The sun sets over Erhai Lake in Dali, with lakeside trees silhouetted against golden ripples.

Dali: indigo and three cups of tea

Beyond Erhai’s open water, Zhoucheng’s tied cloth and Bai tea traditions reveal a more intimate Dali.

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Lijiang: mountain, town and water

Read the landscape through forest, water and distance, then discover the life of the town below.

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A waterside pavilion reflected in a lotus pond, framed by trees and willow branches in a Suzhou garden.

Suzhou: an openwork window, a seasonal bowl

Garden screens and the careful preparation of a noodle topping reveal Suzhou’s attention to small things.

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Rows of Longjing tea follow the hillside, with woodland and village buildings in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou: the hands behind Longjing

From the first pan to the final shaping, Longjing’s form and aroma carry the knowledge of its makers.

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Golden light breaks through clouds above the lake at Laoyuhe Wetland Park in Kunming, with a gull in flight.

Kunming: lake to table

Discover Yunnan’s capital through the water at Laoyuhe, the public life of Green Lake and the detail of crossing-the-bridge noodles.

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Pink and golden clouds reflect in the still water of Beihai Wetland in Tengchong, beneath dark layered hills.

Tengchong: grass and water

Read Beihai Wetland through the channels between its grass islands, then discover another local texture in Tengchong’s rice dishes.

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Flooded terraces follow the slopes at Duoyishu, Yuanyang, beneath a pink-blue dawn sky and receding mountain ridges.

Yuanyang: water held in the hills

Dawn settles into the Duoyishu terraces. Follow their curves to discover a landscape shaped by forest, villages and water.

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A canal in Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu, with pale walls, layered tiled roofs and warm sky reflected between the two banks.

Zhouzhuang: life beside the canal

Reflected sky and layered rooflines lead into a water town. Read Zhouzhuang through its canals, bridges and waterside spaces.

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First time in Hangzhou: the lake, tea hills and getting settled

Find your airport connection, distinguish the two tea museum sites and leave room to enjoy the landscape.

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First time in Suzhou: stations, gardens and getting around

Understand the station names and separate garden bookings, then make time for canal lanes and a bowl of noodles.

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First time in Lijiang: old-town bases and mountain entrances

Distinguish Dayan, Baisha and Shuhe, then understand the separate arrangements for Yulong Snow Mountain.

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A first visit to Kunming: city streets and separate shores

Find the airport connection, choose a city walk and name the lakeside park you want to visit.

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Warm light over Erhai Lake, with lakeside trees silhouetted against golden ripples.

A first visit to Dali: station, old town and lakeshore

Separate the arrival transfer, a lakeside walk and a mountain visit before filling the day.

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A first visit to Tengchong: town, wetland and geothermal country

Treat Heshun, Beihai Wetland, the volcanic park and Rehai as distinct places with separate arrivals.

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The tiled roofs and central axis of Beijing’s Forbidden City, viewed from Jingshan Park.

Beijing, made easier: airports, palace gates and reservations

A clear arrival, the right palace entrance and the few bookings that deserve your attention first.

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Xi’an’s Bell Tower illuminated at dusk, with its tiered roofs above the stone base.

Xi’an: separate the old city from the imperial tombs

Understand the city’s different districts before booking the Terracotta Army.

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Two giant pandas on a wooden climbing structure at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Chengdu: the right airport, the right panda-base gate

Clear up the confusing names and leave more time for pandas and the pleasures of the table.

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The illuminated terraces of Hongya Cave in Chongqing, seen from Qiansimen Bridge at night.

Chongqing: understand the levels, enjoy the view

The road and entrance level matter as much as the distance on your map.

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Guilin: know your pier before following the river

Separate the city, Yangshuo and Xingping, and remember that the main river cruise is one-way.

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Mist drifts between forested sandstone pillars and steep cliffs in Zhangjiajie, Hunan.

Zhangjiajie: choose the landscape, then the gate

Separate Wulingyuan from Tianmen Mountain, and check what your mountain transport ticket actually includes.

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Beijing: palace roofs and hutong life

Look across the palace roofs from Jingshan, then turn your attention to a courtyard doorway. Both scales belong to Beijing.

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Xi’an: more than one age within the walls

A repaired city wall and a bell tower that changed position reveal a city with several historical layers.

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A tiled-roof teahouse and bamboo chairs beside a wooded channel with small boats in Chengdu’s People’s Park.

Chengdu: tea tables and living water

From conversations around a covered tea bowl to the Minjiang’s channels, discover the cultural and geographical setting of everyday Chengdu.

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Chongqing: life between two rivers

From Chaotianmen’s river trade to hillside streets and layered buildings, discover the everyday life within the mountain city.

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Zhangjiajie: sandstone and woven threads

Look beyond the skyline to the structure of the forest and the craft of Tujia brocade.

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Tengchong: books, stone and rising steam

Discover Heshun through its public library, then read the landscape through volcanic forms and geothermal water.

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