The China Teaching Web

I was fortunate enough to have had an ancient wall within walking distance of my apartment during my first year of teaching in China. There were also numerous temples, museums, and ancient structures within striking distance. Since the area that I lived in was once a major part of the ancient Three Kingdoms, walking through my town was like walking through ancient history.

While you may not be fortunate enough to live in a city that has such great historical value, you should definitely research your area and do some exploring. And don’t trust the Chinese locals to tell you where the scenic or historical spots are. It never ceases to amaze me how little people know about their own city. You should also realize that often some of the most delightful places to visit in China are well hidden from the eyes of foreigners.  If you want to locate some of these hotspots in your city, here are some helpful tips:

• –Do a search on Google or Yahoo! for your city and read what other tourists are saying about places to see or visit.
• –Spend some time on your days off riding around the city on a bicycle or on a local bus(usually very cheap).
• –Ask the staff at your place of employment if they know of any interesting places to visit in the area.
• –Ask around about the oldest area in town.
• –Find a local tourist agency and pick up some brochures about local attractions.

I have spent hours walking around cities that I have lived in around the world. I have always found places of interests such as markets, temples, ancient towers, and fascinating archaeological sites. Some of these sites were nowhere to be found on the internet or in China guide books. So don’t just sit around on your days off; get out there and do some exploring. You never know what cultural gems you might find hidden in your city.