Wanghong hell

Wanghong hell at floor 52 (out of 128).

Taitai really wants to see this bookstore, but the reservation spots (all free) were already gone. So we pick a date next week, take a screenshot, and in Photoshop change the date to today, and mess a bit with the QR code so it’s unreadable.

The guard scans it, gets an error so she checks the date on the screenshot. I pretend to only speak English “Is it ok?”, she lifts her shoulders and waves us to enter. Ok, not ethical. I feel like such a hacker.

Latest

Chinese New Year shopping in Majin

Chinese New Year shopping in Majin

We’re in Majin Village (马金镇) in Zhejiang, a day before the Chinese New Year starts. Everyone’s busy doing some final shopping or getting a haircut before the festival — and the weather reaching 22 °C in February helps bring people outside. Meat, spices, offerings, flowers, yoghurt, cookies, barbeque, trinkets, posters, vegetables, soap, new shoes — […]
February 17, 2026
Dutch Signs in Xixinan

Dutch Signs in Xixinan

It’s a foggy morning in Xixinan Village 西溪南村, a village near Huangshan. I’m tired of sleepless nights with a 5-month old baby, but I equally want to take this opportunity to take some photos, so I’m outside the door at 06:30. Watertowns like this are usually crowded during the day, but deserted this early. Xinanxi […]
February 16, 2026
A Dam in Yuliang

A Dam in Yuliang

After Zaotai Village, we’re driving around the Huangshan (黄山) area, which is surrounded by dozens of historical towns, and we’re trying to pick the least touristified ones. Today we’re in Yuliang (渔梁村), a village dating back to the Sui Dynasty (1500 years ago). What was a mere settlement started to become really wealthy around 600 […]
February 14, 2026
The Last Road To Zaotai

The Last Road To Zaotai

The road becomes too small for cars to drive on, so we park, pack our bags, and continue on foot. Two donkeys are waiting where the path starts, and they — like us, are going to the abandoned village of Zaotai (皂汰村). We departed in the morning from our hostel in Sanyang (三阳镇), a village […]
February 13, 2026