Mention cricket and most people think of the sport. But in China this is a different kind of cricket altogether. Once the sport of the emperors, cricket fighting is an age-old tradition and a popular pastime. Cricket owners cherish their insects and caring for them is far from cheap.

The hutong alleyways are the best place to see and feel Beijing’s authentic culture. These narrow lanes also hide many hidden treasures waiting to be discovered.

Beijing started life as a provincial backwater before becoming a junction for traders and travellers journeying between Manchuria and Mongolia. As China’s capital city, these days it attracts people from all over the world.

The Tang Empire of China was a dynasty that ruled from 618 – 907 A.D. and is regarded as a golden age of Chinese arts and culture, reform and advancement.

When mingling with the Chinese on a more sustainable level is what’s on your agenda, then there is no need to look further than Xi’an.

Day and night, Beijing moves. It is one of these perfect Asian examples where ancient history and a progressive move towards the future are woven into the capital’s transportation network.

Keen adventurers hardly need an introduction to what Yangshuo has to offer. Within easy reach of big brother Guilin via the Li River, this quaint mountain town has slowly climbed up the ladder as a basecamp for exploration of some of China’s most charismatic landscapes.

A city that has carved its importance in the history books during the times of ruling emperors, dynasties and the development of trading routes, Suzhou’s alluring sites are only a short drive away from the metropolis Shanghai.

Having grown at an exponential rate towards an ever-growing population, the skyline of modern Beijing has taken over from what used to be the capital of the Jin Dynasty.

From navigating the streets of Shanghai to looking across calmer waters is merely a short driveway. Water towns embalm a China of a bygone era where local trade moved slowly from one side to the other,