(Kulangsu) is a district of Xiamen, between southeast coast of China and strait of Taiwan.  The island is an UNESCO world Culture Heritage Site with about 2 km square in size and 20,000 residents.  Gulangyu is one of the popular tourist destinations in China.  Visitors can reach it by a few minutes by ferry from Xiamen.  The island of Gulangyu is pedestrians-only island, no cars … Continue reading Gulangyu (Kulangsu) – Island of Piano

The beautiful ancient city Kyoto, former imperial capital of Japan founded in 794, has over 1600 temples, more than 400 shrines, and 17 UNESCO world heritage sites.  During our short visit, we only can visit several places, and cannot wait to go to another visit. Nijo-jo Castle Nijo-jo castle is one of my favorite places in Kyoto.  Unlike other overcrowded historical site, it is a large … Continue reading Kyoto Travel

Tokyo, Japan’s capital city, mixes of modern and tradition.  Before 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo.  From 1603, Tokugawa leyasu made Edo from a small castle town into a political center.  With the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the emperor and the capital city moved from Kyoto to Edo.  Edo was renamed as Tokyo. Meiji Jingu Meiji Jingu is the shrine dedicated to the deified spirits … Continue reading Tokyo Travel

Although Japan has efficient public transportation system, foreign travelers still can be confused when facing a new system.   JR (The Japan Rail Pass) Pass The JR tickets are only eligible to foreign travelers.  The JR pass gives you unlimited access to all JR national trains and local JR bus services. The JR pass is valid for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days.  Is it … Continue reading Public Transportation in Japan