Although Xian was the imperial capital for a thousand years, the actual location of the capital differed. For example, the Qin and Han capitals was northwest of the present city, the Zhou capital was due west. During the Tang dynasty, the city of Chang'an was the largest city in the world...

Ascending from Hauptwache station is the edge of the old town, Altstadt. The guardhouse dates from 1730 and is 6m away from its original location. The Galeria shopping centre marks the beginning of a pedestrianized shopping street. The Protestant St. Catherine's...

Xian's bustling Muslim quarter consists of several streets of markets selling everything from noodles to souvenirs. "Mo" is a local delicacy consisting of bread dunk into a soupy mixture.

The Yellow River is the cradle of Chinese civilization. Xian served as the imperial capital for over a thousand years, and was the end of the Silk Road. Overshadowed by Beijing today, its past is nevertheless glorious and some of it is now accessible to visitors. The full set is on my...

Dubai is a cheap free flight redemption from Hong Kong, although it is a bit misleading with a huge tax and surcharge slapped on top. Winter is the best time to visit, with mornings and evenings being cool enough to wear a light jacket. The sun never seems to be covered up, and the blue skies...

1. Shanghai is merely a 2-hour flight from Hong Kong, so it's a great destination for a short trip. Opting for a luxurious treat, I choise the Ritz Carlton Shanghai Pudong, a new hotel with 285 rooms occupying the top of one of the IFC towers. With such a prime location, the views did not...

Akureyri is located at the head of Iceland's longest fjord and is the largest fishing port in the north. The approach from Myvatn passed through these marshmallows, presumably bagged hay. The city comes into full view at an observation point on the other side of the fjord. To reach...

A few of my friends wanted an exotic holiday and a break in the flight from Hong Kong to Canada, so we picked a week-long break in Iceland. After an overnight flight from Canada, the early morning drizzle gave way to a peek of sunrise in Reykjavik's outskirts. Reykjavik's...

I don't have many street-level photos of the newer areas : I've got a lot more for the older parts of the city though :

That was from only one tiny part of one exhibit at the museum. 53. Back on ground level, the smog seemed to have disappeared and the skyscrapers are clearly visible across the Pearl River. 59. A new APM line has opened, connecting the tower with the rest of the new CBD...

Seoul is a regular destination for me by now, and like other cities, I tend to enjoy walking the markets to get a feel of the city's vibrancy. Eating outdoors is quite popular, and there are measures in place to protect against the elements. I arrived a little too late...

I'm a regular visitor to Taipei and by now, I'm a bit tired of the typical tourist sites. So on this trip, I tried to venture out to seek exotic new places that may be of interest to locals rather than the average foreign visitor. Located one stop away from Taipei main station on the high-speed...

1. Guangzhou's new TV Tower glimmers in all sorts of colours at night. It's not a static display - the colours change constantly. 4. By day, it's a long wait to get up to the top. Unfortunately, a smog problem persists in this part of southern China. 9...

Join a local tour from Delhi. It's a painful ride down to Agra on a slow road with lots of overloaded trucks. But it's worth it in the end!

Although the Taj Mahal charges steep admission for foreigners, it's well worth a visit. Nearby, the Red Fort also deserves an hour or two of your time. Once past the hawkers at the entrance, it's actually quite serene inside. The grass is greener on the other side of the...

I chose early December for my vacation to Egypt to enjoy the cooler weather and to avoid the high season. In retrospect, it was a very wise choice given the political events that happened weeks later which would otherwise delay my visit indefinitely. 1. Soon after passing the Red Sea, with...

Tokyo After a long absence, I made it back to Tokyo thanks to mileage redemption. The cherry blossoms were at full bloom and the city was abuzz with parties under the trees. Tokyo has many observation decks. Although I tried quite a lot of them, I passed on this one...

Weekend getaways are always fun, and I had the desire to explore. Too bad I arrived in New Delhi during the monsoon season though. It rained and rained and rained, although it was still worth it to see this place. In fact, it was far more green and tranquil than my other Indian adventure in...

I visited Shanghai in September to see what the fuss about the Expo was all about. The trip was my most last-minute ever, with booking the flight and flying out happening on the same day. It wasn't hard to secure tickets at all as there are agents in Hong Kong that readily sell them beforehand...

Yebisu is named after a brewry of the same name. It's now a museum and shopping complex, and restaurants line the top floor of the main skyscraper. Like many Tokyo skyscrapers, there is an open area with a view that visitors can visit.