See China

Do city people eat artificial rice? How can you find your home in your city where all houses look alike? If a student acts naughty in class in the city, will the teacher see it from the computer? How do you ride a plane? Do you sit on its wings or in its belly? These are some of the 100 questions written by primary pupils from remote Chinese countryside in Yunnan province.

China is a big country with a long history, but the land and its full heritage are only gradually coming to life. While we all know famous Chinese archaeological and historical sites such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City/Palace Museum and the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an. However, there are numerous other sites worth exploring, some easily accessible, some requiring a bit more effort.

Where once we turned to guidebooks to inform ourselves before embarking on an overseas trip, now more likely we are switching on our computers and using the Internet for trip planning.

Snow in Beijing is no longer the rarity it once was, but compared to many cities at a similar latitude, it’s still uncommon. With possibly the last snowfall of the winter on the ground, now may be the best time to take advantage of this meteorological opportunity.

When we think of Chinese history, most often we think of the great monuments that we see in cities like Beijing and Xi’an: palaces, statues, temples and other relics. These are spectacular, but China is now discovering its maritime history, much of which lies underwater.
Just last week, China announced it would work with the Kenya [...]

Evan Osnos from New Yorker, who’s running a regular “Letter from China” with quite a good sense of humor, has recommended three other China buffs who have went far enough into China’s most hide-away museums and produced the book Odyssey China: Museums.

Bama Yao Autonomous County is famous for its longevity rate and uncontaminated landscape.
The following pictures were taken by photographer Fan Xiaoqiang in December 2009.

Over-a-hundred-year-old woman.

Over-a-hundred-year-old woman.

Deep in the heart of historic New England lies one of the finer collections of Chinese art found outside of major city anywhere in the world. At its height in the first half of the 1800s, Salem was one of the United States’ richest cities, a major port that was a hub of China trade.

Mr. Liu Lei, president of the China Artistic Photographic Association, will soon start contributing his own column in the photo section of SeeChina.org.cn.
Below are some of his recent photos taken in the countryside of China.

A countryside Spring Festival parade, with farmers doing dragon dancing.

A countryside opera performance, with local performers acting as ancient kings and generals.

A [...]

Low temperatures, short days and this year, record snow, may make winter the best time to visit Beijing.