Cross China Road Trip 05: Ningxia Autonomous Region, Shapotou: Camping on a Basketball Court
Really great being out of the big city. From the madness of Gao Miao Si and its dungeon from Hell, a few hours down the road is the presently empty […]
Cross China Road Trip 04: Ningxia Autonomous Region, Zhongwei. Stunning Gao Miao Si Temple
A couple of hours south of Yinchuan is the city of Zhongwei and its amazing Buddhist temple Gao Miao Si. Entering the courtyard any stresses you may have will immediately […]
Cross China Road Trip 03: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan. Stress, Stress & the GPS
Yinchuan: A city of two million, it has a distinctly laid back feeling to with wide open boulevards. It is also home to the Hui Muslims after the region separated […]
Cross China Road Trip 02: Beijing > Hebei > Inner Mongolia: Maximum Freedom & Genghis Khan
So after nine and a half hours I make it to my first target Ulansu Lake in Inner Mongolia with just enough time to find somewhere to park up before […]
Cross China Road Trip 01: Beijing > Hebei > Inner Mongolia: Maximum Freedom & Genghis Khan
All the years of dreaming, slow build-up and preparation and it’s finally happening. Just incredible to be able to look back and reflect on that part of the journey now; […]
Cross China Road Trip: 10,000 Miles Ahead & One Tent Peg
Well it’s taken long enough but at long last all that needs to be done is move the massive amount of gear from the apartment down into the back of […]
10 Reasons Why Travelling is a Terrible Idea: Tormented by the Negative Voices from My Subconscious
Before we go on an adventure we all have our demons. So with the countdown clock ticking to D-Day one would naturally expect a certain level of excitement to be […]
WeChat Has Taken Over China: Please Stop Looking at Your Phone While I’m Talking to You
The mindlessness of mobile phone overuse is a well-worn topic these days. It is however, something that has in recent years, accelerated in China to the point of being a […]
Three Months in Swindon: A Chinese Adventure in the UK
So I’m chatting to my friend Zhen Lei Wei aka Eric, when he mentions that he’s been over to the UK. “Oh really,” I reply with interest “Where did you […]
Dear Amazing Followers: Surrounded by Piles of Notes & Living the Dream
It’s been a month since I last posted anything but hey, I still have exactly the same number of followers as back then. Absolutely no one has unfollowed me. Fantastic! […]
Ten Seconds of Mayhem: Wudaokou Railway Crossing, Beijing China
The distinct shrill of the warning siren from the railway crossing resonates throughout the area so dropping a couple of gears I stand on the pedals and cycle as fast […]
New Featured Sunset Header for May 2016
Originally posted on Before Sundown:
Mongolian Sunset by Andy Smart https://justturnleft.com “Andy Smart quit the UK ten years ago and now lives in Beijing. So far he has visited half…
Visiting the In-Laws: Beisujiagoucun 北苏家沟村 in Lulong County, Hebei Province, China
So we’re packing our things the day before the trip. Our inventory is an interesting one. We have bags of dried hawthorn, mango and dates, two whole roast ducks for […]
Nu Qiang Ren and Shen Nu: Power Women and Leftover Woman in China
Names have been changed in this article and dialogue has been translated into English. A recent advert by the cosmetics company SK-II telling the story of China’s ‘sheng nu’ or […]
Book Trailer: Warm someone’s spirit with this three year life-changing travel yarn
Just Turn Left at the Mountain – Trials & Tribulations Meandering Across Chinese Borders by Andy Smart With zero Chinese speaking ability and minimal planning, Andy’s story starts with […]
Just Turn Left 
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