https://www.scmp.com/rss/323401/feed Juli Min is editor-in-chief of the literary magazine The Shanghai Literary Review, and writes a column about expat life in Shanghai for Chinese newspaper The Global Times. She is a lecturer in writing at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. www.julimin.work en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com What is it? Aquaphobics take note: one wrong step when ambling along the quaint paths and raised walkways that criss-cross Xixi Resort, in Hangzhou, and you’ll find yourself knee deep in wetlands that have been home to fishermen and silkworm farmers for millennia. Opened in 2014, the resort is in the southwestern corner of the Xixi Wetlands, which cover 1,100 hectares and form a nationally protected and interconnected system of waterways. Built with the intention of “bringing the natural and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2117202/water-water-everywhere-expansive-and-restful-hangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2117202/water-water-everywhere-expansive-and-restful-hangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2017 03:00:35 +0000 To get to China’s first Cordon Bleu campus, in the Pudong district of Shanghai, ask your taxi driver to stop at the address on Pudong South Road, where you’ll see a large blue sign posted near the entrance of a vacant hotel lobby. Though the sign on the wall says Le Cordon Bleu, the dusty glass doors next to it will be chained shut, nary a piece of furniture in sight. If you’re lucky, the security guard loitering inside will point you to the small side street to your left. Saveur cookbook on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2106078/le-cordon-bleu-shanghai-chinas-only-branch-french-food-school?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2106078/le-cordon-bleu-shanghai-chinas-only-branch-french-food-school?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Aug 2017 23:15:30 +0000 I have to admit, some of my delight upon entering Cha’s was the result of finding a clean, well lit sanctuary from the torrential Shanghai summer rain. But that was just one small part of the transformation that took place after setting foot inside the Cantonese diner. Through an entrance so innocuous that I had to double back to find it, I left the bustling Shanghai street to find myself transported into what looked like a classic cha chaan teng in mid-century Hong Kong. From the red italic... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2100214/shanghais-four-best-restaurants-homesick-hongkongers-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2100214/shanghais-four-best-restaurants-homesick-hongkongers-think?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jun 2017 04:32:51 +0000 Few of the South Korean expats I know in Shanghai are interested in trying one of the city’s 11 Pyongyang Goryeo restaurants. The consensus among them is that the food is bad, especially compared to the many South Korean options in the metropolis. Some even believe it is morally wrong to pay money that goes to support the North Korean regime. But many locals and tourists visiting China see a trip to a Pyongyang restaurant as an opportunity to glimpse the culture, the food and the all-female... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2094673/north-korean-restaurant-shanghai-fake-flowers-fake-smiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2094673/north-korean-restaurant-shanghai-fake-flowers-fake-smiles?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 May 2017 00:16:39 +0000 Since the first McDonald’s in China opened to much fanfare in Beijing in 1992, there’s been remarkable growth in international cuisine options across the country, especially in the largest cities. High-end Western dining options, in particular, have increased during the past quarter century to meet demand among the nation’s increasingly affluent and cosmopolitan population. As a result, last year saw the launch of the inaugural Michelin guide to dining in China, with coveted stars presented to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2071065/challenges-running-western-fine-dining-restaurant-china-where?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2071065/challenges-running-western-fine-dining-restaurant-china-where?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2017 22:03:21 +0000 For a culinary treat in Xian, home of China’s Terracotta Warriors, look no further than the western city’s Beiyuanmen Muslim Market. Walk among the tourists in the tangle of streets just north of the ancient Chinese capital’s Drum Tower and roughly one in 10 is wielding a kebab skewer jammed with chunks of lamb or beef. Hot steam floats up from the giant woks and vats of boiling broth lining the streets. Cool mist rises from the piles of bright pink sliced pomegranate displayed atop boxes of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2050066/where-find-best-food-xian-chinas-ancient-capital-pancakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2050066/where-find-best-food-xian-chinas-ancient-capital-pancakes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Dec 2016 09:00:00 +0000 Over the past weeks, the topic of racism towards Asians has gained national attention in the US. Brought to the fore by an insensitive report by Fox News’ Jesse Watters, and then separately by Michael Luo’s “An Open Letter to the Woman Who Told My Family to Go Back to China” in The New York Times, the issue has reached a new level of visibility. Many readers shared comments about personal experiences with racism. Protesters stood outside Fox studios holding signs with the hashtag #notfunnyfox.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2038921/post-it-tweet-it-broadcast-it-how-counter-racism-age-social?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2038921/post-it-tweet-it-broadcast-it-how-counter-racism-age-social?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2016 03:24:21 +0000 I remember my first day in a New Jersey middle school. I was an introverted 11-year-old, and my new school had five times more students than my primary school. That first day, I lost my way several times moving from class to class and, as I looked out into the sea of faces in the hallway, I despaired at the sheer number of strangers. How would I ever find friends? American educators tout the benefits of moving students between classes, including regular exercise, flexible scheduling and the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2024860/how-fixed-classroom-structure-can-help-children-navigate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2024860/how-fixed-classroom-structure-can-help-children-navigate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2016 04:23:54 +0000