From madness of New Delhi, to the productivity of Singapore, and to the old world glory of Istanbul, it’s safe to say that Asian cities run the gamut in terms atmosphere, culture, and development. As one of not only Asia’s, but the world’s, major cities, Tokyo lends itself to being highly efficient, impressively modern and... Continue Reading →

The mountains may be high and the emperor far away, but that did not stop Yunnan from hosting a high-profile visitor this past week. Zhang Gaoli (张高丽), China's senior-most vice-premier, visited the province on an inspection tour of green industry growth and tourism development in the region. Water resource protection and rural construction were also included on... Continue Reading →

Earlier this summer, a branch of the United Nations bestowed one of its highest preservation designations on a little-known area of Guangxi province. The selection, which recognizes the importance of rock art some 16 millennia old, may have ramifications for younger but archeologically important sites in northwest Yunnan. Beginning with Sumerian cuneiform script, recorded human history... Continue Reading →

In China, demand for flights to the United States has doubled over the past five years, with numbers for European markets lagging only slightly behind. In fact, as of 2015, Chinese carriers operate nearly ten percent more flights to the US on a weekly basis than US-based carriers send to the mainland. This situation represents... Continue Reading →

In a country where bigger often equates to better, a truly massive science project is about to go online in Guizhou. Approximately 170 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital Guiyang, within a Karst depression in Pingtang County (平塘县), construction is nearing completion on the world's largest radio telescope. At 500 meters in diameter, the telescope, which has been dubbed the... Continue Reading →

A partnership between French conglomerate Moët-Hennessy and Chinese baijiu consortium VATS has led to the creation one of the highest elevation wineries in the world. The joint venture is set to debut its first luxury vintage this summer, following years of negotiation and preparation. The name of the vintage, Aoyun (敖云), translated by Moët as "roaming above... Continue Reading →

Living in China, some things cease to surprise. The odd, unusual and unexplainable often become mundane aspects of daily life. One such example occurred earlier this week along the Jinzhi River (金汁河) in northern Kunming. At approximately 9pm, pedestrians came upon an unusual sight — a Porsche Cayenne floating in the water, having 'crashed' there moments before.... Continue Reading →

Just outside of Dali (大理), a ninety-minute drive away, lie some of the greatest and most accessible views on offer in Yunnan. Rising to a height of 3,240 meters, Jizu Mountain (鸡足山) — literally Chicken Foot Mountain — towers above all of its surroundings. It is no ordinary peak, as it is home to several temples and a dizzying... Continue Reading →

Welcome back! It’s been quite some time since I’ve had the time to properly write up an update, but here we are. Today marks four months in China, and nearly six since I took off from San Francisco. As such, it’s as good a time as any. It's been crazy busy these past months. Since... Continue Reading →

November 8, 2015 marked a historic date in Myanmar. For the first time in five decades, a fair and free election was allowed to take place in the former pariah state. That is not to say that there were not elections previously. Famously, in 1990, the ruling military junta allowed for a free, multi-party election. On... Continue Reading →