Our neighbor across the Pearl River Delta, Macau, has an outsized reputation as the “Las Vegas of the East,” and a quick European mini-holiday. But beyond the glittering lights and tourist-flooded streets, you will discover another side of Macau. Ornate temples wafting with incense, traditional bakeries, craftsman’s studios, and chapels and shrines with curious history can be found if you take the time to explore the winding alleys.  On this insider tour of Macau, we’ll see a relic of a Christian saint, a secret garden inside a public library, the most beautiful black-and-white mosa ..read more

Your next break is coming up; either Christmas vacation from school or at least the January 1 long weekend is a beam of light in the next few months. Where to travel during the winter in China? Even with pandemic hotspots popping up and the infamous poor heating in the south, here are a few awesome destinations to consider.  A couple rules of thumb for this winter:  Remember that south of the Yangtze in China does not have proper central heating, and can be humid and cold. So I would avoid the southeast (Jiangnan, Shanghai and nearby, Guizhou, Yangshuo etc.) for travel until we are ..read more

Looking for a refreshing experience to break up your sweltering Shenzhen summer? Well, look no further than the treasure of northeastern Guangzhou, Baishuizhai waterfall in Zengcheng district. Baishuizhai (白水寨瀑景区) is one of the tallest waterfalls in mainland China, falling a total of 428.5 meters between two former volcanic peaks. These hills are covered in lush bamboo forests, as well as natural hot springs. While hiking heroes opt to climb the 9999 steps to the peak of the mountain, kids and casual walkers can climb up the boardwalk skirting the waterfall itself. In several tiers g ..read more

Our neighbor across the Pearl River Delta, Macau, has an outsized reputation as the “Las Vegas of the East,” and a quick European mini-holiday. But beyond the glittering lights and tourist-flooded streets, you will discover another side of Macau. Ornate temples wafting with incense, traditional bakeries, craftsman’s studios, and chapels and shrines with curious history can be found if you take the time to explore the winding alleys.  On this insider tour of Macau, we’ll see a relic of a Christian saint, a secret garden inside a public library, the most beautiful black-and-white mosa ..read more

Let’s go out to discover Foshan, the colorful hometown of Cantonese traditions! Time spent in Foshan’s storied neighborhoods always makes for a great day out to learn about kung fu, lion dancing, ancient ceramics and traditional culture. Foshan city is part of the Pearl River Delta and the third largest city in Guangdong, with distinctive Cantonese cultural traditions and rich history. Its name means “Buddha mountain.” On this day trip, first we will visit the Nanfeng Ancient Kiln. Here you can see a ceramics kiln that has been in continuous operation since the Ming dynasty, for over 500 year ..read more

小桥流水人家 To make your home by a small bridge and flowing water. These words describe the idyllic scenery of Chinese villages, which people come from across continents to see, often seeking out the tourist canal towns around Shanghai. But we have such a quaint village right in our backyard around the Pearl River Delta. The irrigated towns and paddies of Guangzhou and Foshan are a prime but overlooked place to find a classic scene of Chinese life. On this day trip, we’ll head to the outer villages of Shunde district, part of Foshan just to the west of Guangzhou. In the water town of Fengjian ..read more

Teachers, classmates, students of life, come to the scholarly village of Shawan in southern Guangzhou! Shawan is a well preserved Lingnan style town, with a collection of stately buildings to explore. The grandest building is the Liugeng Hall, which is the ancestral temple of the He clan. This family has a long history going back to the Yuan dynasty, and a proud tradition of young scholars who performed well on the imperial examination. In fact, the whole town can be seen as a scholar’s study, so what better place to study China and wish yourself well for the rest of the academic year! Satu ..read more

Are you dreaming of a land of blue skies, colorful clouds, people living a quiet traditional life? A place where you can stretch your legs, climb green mountains, wade amongst wildflowers, and discover temples, new friends and always a bit of adventure? Sounds like a fairy tale, some kind of Shangri-La, you say? You would be right. And you can find your own paradise in the northwest corner of Yunnan province. Come with Greta Bilek, author of China Tea Leaves travel guides and explorer of China, on your dream trip to Yunnan province. Yunnan province is located in southwestern China, tucked bet ..read more

This trip is a variation on our classic Foshan trip, to discover the natural side of this classic Guangdong city and delve more into the center of Shiwan ceramics. Foshan city is part of the Pearl River Delta and the third largest city in Guangdong, with distinctive Cantonese cultural traditions and rich history. Its name means “Buddha mountain.” Our first stop will be Xiqiao mountain, an important sacred mountain in the Lingnan area. The distinctive green hills of Xiqiao were formed by volcanic activity in ancient Foshan, and its freshness presides over this southwest side of Foshan. The ..read more

Come with China Tea Leaves to Kaiping (开平), for a one day getaway to a place with stunning architecture and pleasant villages, not far from Shenzhen. Kaiping is part of the five counties known as the top hometown of overseas Chinese. One in ten people with Chinese heritage living overseas have roots from this region. It is also the hometown of diaolou (碉楼), a unique building type that acted as a fortress, watchtower, and clan house. Whereas palace and courtyard architecture throughout China expands out as it grows, the diaolou goes up. Thousands of diaolou are sprinkled throughout Kaiping’s d ..read more