If you happen to find yourself Xi’an, you simply cannot leave town without visiting the excellent Shaanxi History Museum, one of the best we’ve come across in China. Some of the best preserved terracotta warriors are housed in a special gallery where you can admire them from an astonishingly close distance. The different styles of dress […]
The Best Noodles in Xi’an, China
My favorite restaurant in Xi’an is the wonderfully-named First Noodle Under the Sun, and I would go back to Xi’an just to eat here. It’s truly that good! We discovered First Noodle on a previous trip to Xi’an and dined there twice this visit. The house specialty is the 4-meter-long noodle, which comes folded up […]
China’s Terracotta Army: Meet the Man Who Discovered It
Last November, we went to see Xi’an’s Army of Terracotta Warriors, a truly incredible experience and one I will never forget. So when friends visiting from the States hinted that they would also like to behold one of China’s most important cultural relics, we jumped at the opportunity for a return visit. It still boggles my mind […]
A New York-Style Brunch at the Dakota, Shanghai
We recently enjoyed a charming brunch at the Dakota Bar & Bistro in the former French Concession. On their website, they describe themselves as being an American-style bistro, and they delivered on their promise. From the casual, street-side patio to the sumptuously dark interior, we felt as though we’d been transported to the Upper East Side […]
China’s First Western Hotel
After the Treaty of Nanking opened China’s port cities to foreign trade, the British established their land concession and a building boom ensued. Realizing that the newly arrived foreign merchants would need lodging while in Shanghai, a Scottish man by the name of Richards opened an eponymous hotel near the Bund in 1846. It was […]