Life Travel

Feeling crystal clear

If the gods have a holiday house on earth, they would have digs in the beautiful mountain valleys of Jiuzhaigou, in Sichuan province. This watery wonderland, teeming with lakes, waterfalls, ponds, streams, springs, rivers and rapids, has become one of China's must-see destinations.

At this altitude, the views are breathtaking

CUZCO, Peru: A final ascent and the last pass was crossed. At 3,100 m above sea level, the lost Incan city of Choquequirao came into view. The name means "Cradle of Gold" in Quechua, the Incan language.

Tea for two, and crabs too, in Jintan

My boyfriend at university used to say that when he kissed me he could smell Maoshan Qingfeng, a green tea from my hometown of Jintan, in Jiangsu province. Six years later, he became my husband.

Life Pulse

Recipe for success

James Ong considers himself not just a restaurant owner, but a promoter of all things Malaysian. "Malaysians are proud of their gourmet traditions," he says. "Many of my Malaysian friends working in Beijing take their colleagues to my restaurant to introduce them to Malaysian food and culture."

Time for teacher to stop and smell the roses

My friendship with Fei goes back to middle school, when I first noticed the sourness in her life. Born in the 1970s, Fei is the only daughter in her family. She always dressed brightly and scored the highest when the exam papers were handed back.

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Books

Life Pulse

Monkey magic man

There are thousands of versions of Journey to the West (Xi You Ji), but what is the Monkey King's interpretation of the book?

Playing chess a serious business at work

Xiao Ren, my girlfriend, was worried about her weight so she dragged me off to go skiing. As soon as she set foot on the slopes, however, she tripped and sprained her ankle. I visited her every day, but our conversation soon dried up and we started looking at each other, in silence. Then, one day, she announced: "Let me show you how to play go."

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Film