Chengdu Living

Getting around China on a bicycle is a fantastic experience that’s tempered by the eventual realization that bike thieves are everywhere, all across the country. Use these five tips to greatly reduce your chances of unwittingly donating your bike to the local community of thieves.

The Gaokao is the academic guantlet that all college-bound Chinese youth pass through on their journey to higher education. Learn more about what this hugely important day is like by hearing about it from someone who took the exam in 2010. There’s photos, too!

As in the past, I decided to watch the World Cup, at 2am, at a local spa while getting my feet rubbed. In this post I’ll share a bit about China’s spa culture and explain why this is a great place to relax while watching the World Cup or any sporting event.

It’s a hard life out in the countryside, but someone has to do it. For the next few weeks I’ll share with you the community living outside of Chengdu in Flower Town, a harmonious mixture of farmer, worker, artist and dreamer.

Traditional Kung Fu has become a commodity in our modern world, but there are still martial arts schools out there that refuse to sell out and instead carry on the true spirit of Chinese kung fu. We here in Chengdu are lucky enough to have our very own Kung Fu Family Martial Arts School in San Sheng Xiang.

Although it’s illegal for Chinese citizens to hold another passport, the flexibility of China allows for parents of mixed-heritage children to entertain the idea of dual-citizenship. In this most recent addition to the series, we take a look at requirements and possibilities for passports, visas and hukous.

Two weeks ago I was contacted by Dries, a Dutch entrepreneur who’s been living in Chengdu for years, about the architectural visualization production company which he’s employed by. His inquery turned into a tour of the massive office he works at, which is the latest addition to the company’s 12 other locations in China.

What follows is my personal account of the death of my girlfriends grandmother, lovingly referred to as Laolao. Along the way there’s grieving, vacationing, understanding and deception.

Sichuan’s Governor is confident that re-construction of the Quake-affected areas of Sichuan will be finished one year ahead of schedule, but people on the ground disagree with the government’s assessment and argue that the work has just begun.

I took the American summer camp director’s right flank as we visited Chinese school leaders and forged life-time business partnerships. Through the experience, I assumed a number of different roles which I share with you here.