I recently saw the movie Avatar and like most people, was awed by the visual effects. Another thing that awed me though was that I realized that I had been to Pandora before. It wasnt in some far away world, but instead in central China; Hunan actually, Zhangjiajie to be exact.

Luckily, Kiko was with me during this eclipse and was able to take some great pictures of the people watching with us. You can see here how dark it actually gets. Her little point-and-shoot Olympus actually did a pretty good job taking a pictures of the eclipse too.

We saw it! Despite the clouds and predictions of thunderstorms here in Hangzhou today, we were lucky enough for the clouds to part just long enough for us to see the amazing total solar eclipse from a great location at the Hyatt Hotel on the West Lake.

This year I decided to stay in Shenzhen for the Spring Festival. Since this is a migrant city, it was practically deserted for this, the most important national holiday of the year; where everyone tries their best to get home to their families. Although quieter than in a place like Beijing, there were still some places you could see people preparing.

I recently made a new friend here in Shenzhen who is from Xian and I was inspired to finally post some pictures I have from there. Like so many cities in China, Xi'an is very beautiful, has some great food, and some very interesting places to see. One of the most famous attractions of Xi'an are the terracotta warriors. I do have many more photos and some videos that I will try to post later, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these.

Here are some pictures I took of the hike up to Harmony Peak at the top of Heng Shan, one of China's holiest mountains, often referred to as Nan Yue Shan (Southern High Mountain), while I was volunteer teaching in HuNan province.

During my travels throughout China, I must have taken hundreds of pictures of food; different kinds of meat dishes, fish and vegetables, but never any fruit. Well, the other day that all changed when I had what I can only refer to as a "When Harry Met Sally" diner experience after eating a ping pong ball-sized grape. I knew instantly that this would be my first picture of fruit and that I had to share it with you. Some of you may be wondering about the how they grow their fruit here in China. Is it organic? Do they use pesticides, chemicals, etc? Well, I have to tell you, this fruit is so amazingly good, the second you eat a piece you won't care where it came from, you'll just want more!

Well, I finally did it. People have been asking me for quite a while now if I have eaten dog while in China, so now I can finally say that I have. It wasn't quite on purpose, but yes, it finally happened. What I mean by "not on purpose," is that I really had no intention of eating dog or even letting the whole situation go this far. It all started as what I thought was a pissing contest between me and another man. He kept asking if I was adventurous and if I wanted to try it. I really didn't think he was serious...

I recently found this interactive weather map that is extremely useful for anyone traveling around china or anyone just curious to see what the weather is like here.

Yesterday I decided that it was about time I head to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center to watch this famous sunset I have been hearing so much about. Apparently, the view from the 7th floor is an amazing site not to be missed. To my surprise when I arrived, there was a pretty big commotion with tons of photographers and people in costumes everywhere so I had to take a few minutes to stop and see what all the fuss was about. Apparently, this weekend is the Hong Kong Game Fair and video game junkies from all over Asia gathered to check out the latest and greatest in gaming and pay respects to their favorite video game characters. I took some photos and videos that I thought I would share with you. Unfortunately, I wasn't very prepared for this and my camera ran out of batteries so many of these are taken with my phone. The video is also on my Nokia N93, which I haven't figured out how to edit yet, so as soon as I do, I'll post those for you to see. This was actually pretty funny. Up until now, except for Homer Simpson, I've never heard a grown man drool before. Enjoy!

On July 22nd, 2007 I was lucky enough to head out to Kai Sung, one of Hong Kong's outerlying islands to do some dives with Pro Dive Training Center HK. The crew was great, professional, courteous and helpful, the boat was really well-managed, and with an air compressor onboard, I was even offered the chance to get in as many dives as I could in a litle over four hours. Unfortunately, I can't say as many nice things about the underwater experience but I wouldn't change a thing about the day, especially considering I met some great people on the dive. Nothing went wrong during the dives, but the low visibility and lack of anything interesting to see (except this really over-sized and neon blue crab) just made you appreciate the above water environment so much more. Although I don't have any underwater content to show you, here are a few pictures I took throughout the day. I've got some video too that I'll try to post at some point.

As you will probably hear me mention a few times throughout the Hong Kong pages, one of the best places to visit while on Hong Kong Island is Victoria Peak. The peak tram, the tower, the gardens and all the surrounding areas (which I will try to post pictures and videos of shortly) are a great place to spend the day and evening. Here are a few pictures of the nightly fireworks and light show as seen from Lugard Road on Victoria Peak. I also posted a video of it here in case you'd like to check it out. By the way, go early, no later than 4:30 pm and plan enough time for your way down as there will be a long wait for every mode of transportation down after dark.

One of the nicest places to visit in China, that I unfortunately have not had a chance to write about yet, is the West Lake in Hangzhou. I have actually been there a couple of times now and still have not had a chance to see all the nice areas surrounding the lake. Good food, nice people, blue skies, great scenery and a beautiful lake make this place a must-visit in China.

I know that I knocked Guilin in a previous post, so I just wanted to take a minute to share with you a few pictures of one of my favorite places to enjoy abeautiful evening stroll and possibly an impromptu picnic... Rong Hu (Rong Lake), Guilin, China. Not only was it a very peaceful walk but there were inspiring views at every turn. Although you could walk right through this park in 15 minutes, it took me over an hour while taking these pictures and having my own impromptu picnic at the, what seemed to be built for me, gazebo-style lookout between the bridges.

Here are some photos taken at the International Spring Carnival at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, China. I have been unable to find any sort parade like we are used to in the states. Instead I find plenty of these types of festivals. This one is different from the traditional ones because it has a much more international feel, but it is still pretty interesting.

During the Spring Festival, people here in China pour into the streets, primarily at the Miao Hui's or temple fairs; however, there is only one Miao Hui that can say that it is still held in a temple. that is the Baiyunguan Temple Fair at the White Cloud Temple. The main reason for the visiting this temple is apparently for prayers and the wishing of good luck for the coming year as you can see from the videos and pictures I will be posting over the next few days. Here are some pictures and a video of one such good-luck-wishing event at the temple; throwing coins (50 coins for 10 yuan) at a bell on the Wo Feng Bridge.

Another interesting thing people seem to do for good luck is rub this ornate pot at Baiyunguan (aka White Cloud Temple) here in Beijing. As I mentioned in previous posts, the miao hui (temple fair) held at this Taoist Temple is actually the only miao hui that is still held at in a temple. That seems to explain why the crowds lining up at the door here are primarily visiting to make prayers and to perform the many rituals for bringing good luck. I found this one interesting as it involves approaching the pot with your eyes closed. Everyone seems to have pretty good aim, and for the most part, they all hit it dead on... I wonder if anyone peeks?

The miao hui at Ditan Park definitely seems to have been the most crowded one of all. The Beijing International Spring Carnival may have had more people but it was more spread out so I really couldn't say which was bigger. One thing I've noticed that these things is that food is huge. It seems to just be a place to eat a lot and then walk it off while doing a little shopping. It's pretty tough getting through the crowds. I always have a backpack with me wherever I go and I must say it was pretty difficult to get around with it on. Unless you really need something, I suggest leaving it at home or at your hotel. I hope you enjoy the video and this collection of pictures. It should give you a great idea of what a Spring Festival celebration is like in China.

Aside from bicycle riding to Dragon Bridge and Bamboo Rafting down the Yulong River, the next best thing to do in Yangshuo has got to be visiting Moon Hill and climbing to the top for a view of the amazing landscape all around you. Although there are many ways of getting there, I opted for the 1 hour bike ride. If you are short on time, there are mopeds, motorcycles, taxis and shuttle services available as well. Click here for some photos of some of the things you can expect to see along the way. By the way, the directions in Lonely Planet for how to get out there are pretty vague. The best way is just to go straight on the road you take to Yulong River (do NOT make a right before the bridge), pass over the bridge, go through the tunnel and make a right at the rotunda. You'll ride for about an half hour or so and cross a cool bridge before you see a sign saying Moon Hill (pictured here) on the right side of the street. Try not to get caught riding during rush hour because these are normal traffic streets and it can get pretty bad especially near the tunnel and rotunda. Once you get there, expect to stay between 30-120 minutes depending on far you like to climb and how much time you like to stay up there.

Another, more popular way, of returning to Yangshuo after bicycle riding to the Yulong River is by Bamboo Raft. In fact, you can normally bamboo raft all the way back to Yangshuo from practically anywhere on the river. Unfortunately, because I came in the winter, the water levels were pretty low and we could not raft the entire normal route; there were also plenty of areas where it was a bit difficult to pass as it was, but overall, it was still a great experience. And in case you are wondering, YES, you can get wet so remember to keep your feet up if you don't want to. Things are safe though as long as you keep them well-elevated and off the raft itself. Click here for some pictures and video of the trip.

I arrived very late last night to Beijing and basically slept all morning. When I woke up, I thought I should go out and she what Valentines day looks like in Beijing, but where should I go? Well, Wangfujing of course! Wangfujing is a major shopping area of Beijing. It's not the street vendor stuff we're used to seeing in other parts of the country, but more the shopping center-style we are used to seeing back in the states. Rolex, Nike, Adidas and other name brand stores litter this area and provide Beijing with a very modern and high-priced shopping atmosphere. Perfect for Valentine's day.Click here to see photos of Valentines Day in the Wangfujing Shopping District of Beijing.

Here is a short video clip taken from the top of Dragon Bridge on the Yulong River in Yangshuo, China. For more pictures from here, click here.

Today I had the priviledge of experiencing one of the most amazing scenic activities one could possibly engage in, taking a bicycle ride from Yangshuo to the nearby Yulong River. A popular activity here is riding a bamboo raft down the Yulong River. Although I plan to do this as well, today I thought it would be best to get to know the terrain a bit and just ride as much as I could. Although I eventually made it to a very nice spot at the river, my desire to take the road less traveled got me lost many times through the fields of some of these small farm villages.

What can I say about Yangshuo that has not already been said? Chinese writers and artists have been inspired by this place for thousands of years and after one second here you can see exactly why. Not too far south of Guilin, Yangshuo is definitely the place to visit in this area. I do not want to knock Guilin too much, but I will make a comparision to help you understand the difference between visiting these two areas; Considering they are so close and sit along the same river, they are very similar to each other both in terms of weather and geographical features. The main difference I see reminds me of the difference between...

DKar.com This is a pretty cool web site with videos and pictures from a man teaching in Chengdu, China.