China

Everyday Art in Everyday China

2026, art, China, , , , , , , , , , , , , View all 12 comments
Sheaves of grain along a village wall

My month in China was one beautiful scene after another. The natural environment is gorgeous and so is the formal art — paintings, architecture, sculpture. But even more, I loved the art of everyday things in China — the art you don’t find in museums — like the ways shopkeepers display their goods or design that is incorporated into packaging or how people tell stories in ways that are accessible to everyone. These small ways people express their love for what they are selling or a little part of their environment are gifts to the rest of us.

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OMG China

2026, China, , , , , , , , View all 9 comments

I just left China after four weeks of travel and, wow, it was one surprise after another. Whatever you’ve heard about the Chinese government and whatever is true about the Chinese government, it appears the Chinese government views its role as taking care of the many rather than the few. And it appears to be doing a lot to take care of its (very large) corner of the earth. It seems to be thriving. Explaining even what I observed as a tourist would require a short book, but I’ll just provide a few generalizations, with the understanding that these are my impressions combined with some simple research.

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Guilin, China

2026, China, , , , , , View all 11 comments

As often happens, I went somewhere to see one thing and found something I wasn’t expecting. But before I explain that, I’ll just say that I’m technologically challenged right now because China has a different system and I’m not even sure how I was able to get to this site. Even so, it’s awkward to use, so, I’ll keep this short.

Back to the main event….Guilin, China. I was there last week to see its stunning natural setting of “karsts,” which are dramatic limestone mountains. There are thousands of them for dozens of miles in every direction beside lakes and rivers and green agricultural land. The landscape gives a feeling of being connected to something primordial and was even more breathtaking than I’d expected.

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The Sacred and the Profane in Hong Kong

2026, China, Hong Kong, , , , , View all 15 comments

I don’t think I’ve ever been in a more city-like city than Hong Kong. It’s miles and miles of skyscrapers, unrelenting traffic noise, and concrete. At first, it had a lot of anonymity vibes, but, after Id’ walked around for a couple of days, it felt almost user-friendly. Overhead foot paths cross giant boulevards and wind through high rise complexes. Quiet paths hug the harbor through green spaces and large parks. No garbage and no bad smells except the fish sauce. The public transportation is impressive. Buses, trams, subway trains, and escalators. Also ferries. Because Hong Kong’s commercial districts are located on different islands, there is a lot of back and forth across Victoria Harbor. For 80 cents, you can hop a Star Ferry and almost any time of night or day.

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Bye For Now, Wonderful Asia

2019, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, , , , , , , , , View all 20 comments

On the path of the Temple Walk near Tokushima, Japan

Today is my last day of almost 4 months in Asia. I am feeling sentimental about it….so many special moments, beauty, pathos, fun, learning, unbearable heat and food I didn’t like. Here are a few photos that I haven’t posted previously .

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What I Learned About Taiwan from Yu Peng

2019, art, China, Taiwan, , , , , , , , , , View all 19 comments

A week is not enough to understand anything in depth but, in travel, it’s usually enough to form some impressions. Taipei? The language and the style is Chinese but most Taiwanese don’t think of themselves as Chinese. They are Taiwanese. But what is Taiwanese?

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Taiwan — There’s a Lot Going on Under the Surface

2019, China, Taiwan, , , , , View all 6 comments

Busy street in downtown Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.

On my first day in Taiwan, I asked a young Taiwanese woman in my hotel what she thinks about Taiwan’s relationship to China. She looked the other way and lowered her voice to a whisper. The next day, my taxi driver eagerly downloaded his decidedly progressive political views until I asked him about Taiwan’s future. Then he paused and lowered his voice.

Because sometimes in life, the best way to deal with disagreement is to just keep a low profile and do what you want.

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Alcatraz: East of West

2015, art, California, China, , , , , , View all 3 comments

6a00d83452a98069e20148c6abee07970c-800wiWhen I went to China a few years ago,  I didn’t think of Beijing as a city with a thriving arts community.  More of a temple/palace/Great Wall kind of place. So I was surprised when I got off the bus in Beijing’s Dashanzi Art Zone.  Also called “798,” the neighborhood is a virtual Disneyland of playful murals, outdoor sculptures and aromatheraputic galleries.

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