Mysterious China Blog

This attractive city was the home of the Italian Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci in the late 16th century, before he was summoned to Beijing by the Ming emperor, Wanli. Today, it is famous for the scenery at Qixing Yan ...

Shaoguan city has only a handful of sights such as the Fengcai Lou, a reconstruction of an ancient city gate, and the Dajian Chan Monastery founded in AD 660, but there are three worthwhile places of interest in the ...

The capital of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is an ancient and significant port. During the Tang Dynasty, the city’s trade links throughout Asia gave it a sizable Muslim community. Later, Western merchants made their first contact with China through this port. Today, Guangzhou is an affluent, bustling city, with a handful ...

Foshan has been known since the Song Dynasty for its fine ceramics, particularly figurines with a pale blue glaze. Visits to factories can be arranged through the tourist office. To view the city’s other crafts, it is worth visiting ...

Shenzhen was one of the first cities to become a Special Economic Zone as part of Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms of the late 1980s. Special Economic Zone status transformed this small village bordering Hong Kong into a booming metropolis ...

This city was originally a fishing village, whose strategic location on the Han Jiang estuary. Once known as Swatow, it soon became a major center for trade. In 1980, it was declared a Special Economic Zone and today it ...

This ancient city was the seat of a highly cultured civilization during the Ming Dynasty. Today, the remains of the 7 m high Ming City Walls run along the banks of the Han Jiang, defining the eastern boundary of ...