Destination: China
Welcome to Hotel Quarantine
by Julia Ross | 06.18.09 | 12:31 PM ET
American media executive/blogger Mike Su just wrapped up five days in hotel quarantine in Beijing, after flying in from L.A. seated near someone with flu-like symptoms. Bad luck, but at least he used his time in the big house productively, chronicling The Seven People You’ll Meet in Hotel Quarantine. Yep, a few of these characters sound achingly familiar.
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Yahoo! BuzzFinding Trouble in Asia: Let Us Count the Ways
by Julia Ross | 06.09.09 | 4:31 PM ET
Is it me, or has it been a surreal few months for Americans in Asia? Guidebook writers and State Department travel monitors, take note: a few new travel “don’ts” have entered the lexicon. To recap, here’s what we know not to do next time we journey East.
Dragon Boats Go Global
by Julia Ross | 06.01.09 | 10:31 AM ET
Though the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival has long enjoyed popularity in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, mainland China only made it a public holiday last year—one of many signs that traditions abandoned during the country’s Cultural Revolution are finally being restored.
The funny thing is, the festival—which commemorates the death of a famous poet who drowned himself in a river—has become so globalized that China itself looks like it’s late to the party.
China’s Sex Theme Park That Wasn’t
by Julia Ross | 05.18.09 | 12:50 PM ET
Maybe it was the red thong. Officials in Chongqing, China, ordered the country’s first-ever sex theme park—set to open this fall—demolished over the weekend after news of its opening drew global media coverage and embarrassment among locals.
The park—dubbed “Love Land”—promised the chance to see giant replicas of genitals and exhibits on sexual history, with the goal of improving sex education in a country where open discussion of the topic has traditionally been taboo.
Sichuan, China
by World Hum | 05.06.09 | 12:02 PM ET
REUTERS/Stringer Students practice playing musical instruments in preparation for a performance to mark the first anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake, at a temporary primary school in Qingchuan County, Sichuan. China will mark the anniversary on May 12, 2009.
Things I Didn’t Know About the Dalai Lama
by Julia Ross | 05.05.09 | 1:25 PM ET
I dropped by a lively discussion last night on all things Dalai Lama, by World Hum contributors Eric Weiner and Pico Iyer, and learned a few things about His Holiness’s travel habits: he always flies business class; is addicted to the BBC World service and feels out of sorts when he can’t tune in; and prefers to spend his downtime on trips visiting local high schools.
Eight Great Funny Travel Stories
by World Hum | 05.01.09 | 2:23 PM ET
To mark World Hum's eighth anniversary, we've collected eight favorite travel stories from our archives that see the humor in travel
Cheap Airfares! Buy Now!
by Rob Verger | 05.01.09 | 10:30 AM ET
There is an amazing multitude of low fares for air travel out there right now. Want to fly cheaply to Australia? Shanghai? Las Vegas? I’ve rounded up some great travel deals below.
Eight Great Travel Stories About Food
by World Hum | 04.28.09 | 4:06 PM ET
iStockphoto To mark World Hum's eighth anniversary, we've collected eight favorite stories from our archives that explore the sweet spot where taste meets travel
My Twice-Cooked Pork Epiphany
by Julia Ross | 04.23.09 | 10:20 AM ET
Living in Shanghai, Julia Ross wasn't too hot on Chinese food. Then she moved to Taiwan and stepped into Shao Shao Ke.
A Vertical Tour of Hong Kong
by Julia Ross | 04.20.09 | 10:14 AM ET
I read the current New Yorker profile of urban climber Alain Robert—aka “Spiderman”—expecting to learn the whys and wherefores of the Frenchman’s quirky obsession with scaling the world’s skyscrapers. There was plenty of that, but what surprised me was the extensive description of Hong Kong’s built environment, a kind of vertical canvas for Robert’s peculiar talent.
Writer Lauren Collins does a wonderful job describing how Hong Kong’s residents interact with their surroundings:
Read more of A Vertical Tour of Hong Kong »
Wine and Dumplings: An Overlooked Match?
by Julia Ross | 04.13.09 | 12:34 PM ET
When I’m out for Chinese food, I don’t think twice about my drink order: it’s almost always a Tsingtao. But cooking school owner/author Jen Lin-Liu says beer doesn’t have to be the default accompaniment every time you pick up chopsticks.
For a piece in the New York Times, she recently convened a group of Chinese tasters and found that semisweet Rieslings were the best all-around choice for spicy dishes with strong flavors, while a Pinot noir paired well with twice-cooked pork.
Chongqing Municipality, China
by World Hum | 04.13.09 | 11:38 AM ET
REUTERS/Stringer A worker carries a statue of a saint who has achieved nirvana, also known as an Arhat, for painting at the Arhat Temple in Chongqing Municipality.
Huishui County, China
by World Hum | 04.10.09 | 10:09 AM ET
REUTERS/China Daily Residents ride a motorcycle surrounded by a herd of geese blocking a road in Huishui County, Guizhou province, China.
In Shanghai, What Not to Wear
by Julia Ross | 04.08.09 | 3:32 PM ET
In my old stomping grounds in Shanghai’s Pudong area, I was always amazed to see grown women wandering the streets in pajamas emblazoned with teddy bears and Mickey Mouse motifs. The Chinese teachers I worked with were embarrassed by the trend—they told me they wouldn’t be caught dead outside in pajamas—but somehow it’s become as much a part of Shanghai culture as soup dumplings and hairy crabs.