An hour away from the Suzhou city center is the ancient city of Tongli! This ancient water city is one of the six famous ancient towns to the south of the Yangtze River along with the towns of Zhouzhuang, Yongzhi, Xitang, Wuzhen and Nanzun. When my Chinese colleague learned that I was traveling to Shanghai and was…
Category: UNESCO World Heritage Site
From Shanghai to the Classical Gardens of Suzhou (Part 2)
“It’s the peak of tourist season” said our driver. He was pissed. He had a difficult time looking for a parking slot. “Summer time, also in China, meant travels for many” he added. Since early 2000, several Chinese, especially those from rural areas began exploring the world via travels. Some began visiting large urban centers…
Heritage appreciation tour, or adventures and misadventures in Vietnam and Myanmar (Part 2)
Second day! City tour in the morning until about 1 PM, then fly to Yangoon via the official/national carrier of Vietnam. The tour was self-made – based on what the Internet provided as the must-see and must-not-do in Hanoi as suggested by travellers. But definitely, one important provision for the itinerary was the inclusion of…
From Shanghai to the Classical Gardens of Suzhou (Part 1)
A one and a half hour westward drive from Shanghai is the city of Suzhou in the province of Jiangsu. The city is home to kunqu, the oldest form of Chinese Opera and listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity since 2001. The city is also known for…
Heritage appreciation tour, or adventures and misadventures in Vietnam and Myanmar (Part 1)
My brother and I went on a “heritage appreciation tour” to celebrate his 21st birthday. This was a first time for us: to travel together. Normally, I would travel on my own or with my colleagues on official business or with the whole family on holiday tours. My sister informed me that my brother was…
Drottningholm: Palace, Garden and Theatre? It’s history!
One of my favorite European cities is Stockholm. The reason: Drottninghom Palace Complex. It was summer of 2016 – conference season for academics like me. The International Federation for Theatre Research awarded the hosting of the federation’s annual conference to Stockholm University on the occasion of the 250th year anniversary of the complex’s theatre. As…
Nope, it’s not only about the Geisha, but something more in Kyoto! (Part 3 of 3)
Then there is the Nijō Castle (二条城), built in 1603 as the official residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). But Ieyasu did not see the completion of the castle. It was his grandson Iemitsu who completed the palace buildings inside the complex some 20 plus years later after Ieyasu’s death….
Lakwacha with my KRM loves or why travelling with peers may be a better option
Almost a decade ago, my flatmates and I decided to have a weeklong break in Phnom Penh and Seam Reap in Cambodia, Bangkok in Thailand and Bintan in Indonesia. It was what at the National University of Singapore (NUS) calls the Reading Week, a weeklong break for students to do what else is expected of…
Nope, it’s not only about the Geisha, but something more in Kyoto! (Part 2 of 3)
From the Golden Pavilion, I took a 35-minute bus ride going to Ryōan-ji (竜安寺、龍安寺) or the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon. Some visitors call it the Silver Pavilion. Going to the actual site was a bit tricky. The bus stop was quite far from the actual site. I had to navigate a long street then I…
Paris, moi aussi, je t’aime, mon amour (Part 2 of 2)
And so the flaneur in me started to walk. It is something I don’t usually do (or more so, I cannot do) in Manila. But then, my friend Oscar, who accompanied me in Paris, informed me that I should be taking care of my belongings. He even remarked: “You’re in Paris!” Me musing: “huh?” Then,…
