First Driving Experience in China: From Excitement to a State of Shock
This is a draft from Chapter 4 of my second book (Cross China Road Trip). I am open to any suggestions including editorial ones. Illustrations will be omitted when the […]
Author Archives
Andy Smart
Andy Smart quit the UK ten years ago and now lives in Beijing. So far he has visited half of China’s provinces recording each journey in his own unique streetwise style. He has also been a teacher since 1991 developing his own successful TEFL package for spoken English in the PRC.
Chinese Medicine: Donkey skin, red dates and sesame!
Some parts have been translated. Round the corner, the local ‘yaodian’ is far more than any old pharmacy. It provides traditional Chinese medicine as well as modern drugs, consultations and […]
Beijing Red Alert Pollution Warning: Praying for Blue Skies
Yes it’s official. The authorities have issued a ‘red warning’ to Beijing that pollution levels are going to reach dangerous levels. For once the kindergarten opposite is quiet. All schools […]
Writing While Holding a Job Down at the Same Time: Maintaining That Second Heartbeat
It amazes me how much I’ve achieved when it comes to writing all considering. I mean how one is supposed to maintain a steady flow of thought transference these days […]
Chaonei No.81, Beyond Chinese Superstition – Beijing’s Haunted House
I hold my hands up. I’m a total geek when it comes to urban exploration and worse when it comes to the paranormal. If you can combine the two together […]
Oddments & Unusual Observations on the Beijing Subway
The subway is a fascinating place. A concentrated microcosm of Beijing. The amount of information your senses experience on a single subway journey across Beijing can send you into overload […]
Rubbish & Recycling: China’s attitude to litter throwing: Xiamen, Fujian Province, SE China
It’s the first day of my holiday in Xiamen. Set on the East Coast of the Fujian Province, this coastal city is a well-known holiday resort having a steady influx […]
TOURISM & PHOTOGRAPHY: ARE YOU A TWAF ?
Definition: /twæf/ Noun (countable): abbr ‘taking without asking first’. A twaf, some twafs: meaning someone who takes photos of another without asking for permission or consent. Normally used as a […]
Don’t Stand Next to the River-Side Tower: Nantong, Jiangsu Province, SE China
In June, now going up the wall for something interesting to do or for going somewhere, I hit the road again to the city of Nantong in the Jiangsu province. […]
A Hard Graft for Mr Ding & Mr Huang
Fruit & Veg in Beijing: January 2013 Some text has been translated. Although there are plenty of supermarkets in the big cities in China, most people still buy their groceries […]
Chinglish
Hello and welcome to the amazing world of Chinglish; the laughably bad Chinese – English translations you find all over China. There are also many examples in neighbouring countries but […]
Living in the Shadows of Beijing
After years having the countryside on my doorstep in the UK I can’t believe the level of feeling I have for this place now but I do. I feel utterly […]
Looking for Furniture with Officer Zhang: Yangshuo: Guangxi Autonomous Region, S China
10am and the phone rings “Andy, its Jason. I am outside and we have a bed for you. Are you still asleep?” Mercy! I mean I hit the sack in […]
Chinese Hospitality
One of the first things you notice when setting foot on Chinese soil for the first time is the incredible hospitality that you will be shown from the word go. […]
An Interview with Professor Su: Memories of Mao & Hardship
One of the great things about teaching in China is that your students can be so interesting. If you are based in one of the big cities you’ll find that […]
Just Turn Left 
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