Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones

Digging for the Deeper Story in Yunnan's "Tibet Disneyland"

I’ve recently returned from an 11-day trip around northern Yunnan, flying into Lijiang and doing a big loop north to Shangri-la, north to Dêqên County…

Oct 21 • 

David Fishman

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September 2025

What's The Weirdest Way to Say "River" in China?

Concerning a Rectification of (River) Names

Sep 18 • 

David Fishman

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Ordos City - The World's Most Famous "Ghost City" (That Isn't)

As soon as I knew I was going to be visiting Ordos City, Inner Mongolia in July 2025, I knew I was going to have to write an essay about “ghost cities…

Sep 10 • 

David Fishman

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August 2025

Maintaining Tibetan Language and Identity in Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan

This essay continues retracing my October 2024 travels through western China’s Gansu and Sichuan provinces.

Aug 31 • 

David Fishman

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Gansu Travelogue 4: Leaving Gansu for Sichuan (Over the Hills and Far Away)

En route to Jiuzhaigou...

Aug 26 • 

David Fishman

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Gansu Travelogue 3: Temples, Horses, and more Temples in Tibetan Gansu

This is Part 3 of my Gansu-Sichuan travel series, retracing my 11-day trip in September 2024 traveling overland from Lanzhou, Gansu to Chengdu, Sichuan.

Aug 13 • 

David Fishman

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July 2025

Gansu Travelogue 2: Off the Beaten Track in Linxia City

My vist time visiting the "Little Mecca" of China

Jul 21 • 

David Fishman

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Gansu Travelogue 1: Tracing Back the Vicious Yellow River

My first meeting with China's mother river in Gansu

Jul 7 • 

David Fishman

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June 2025

Understanding Chinese City Tiers 2/2: Who's The Best? What's "Average?"

Actually we can learn a lot from Yicai's annual rankings of Chinese city tiers...

Jun 24 • 

David Fishman

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Understanding Chinese City Tiers 1/2: What's a Tier Anyway?

3rd Tier? 5th Tier? New 1st Tier? What does it all mean?

Jun 13 • 

David Fishman

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March 2025

Where Mists meet Dreams: A Father’s Resolve in Rural China

This is a repost of a essay first posted to Twitter on May 16, 2024.

Mar 18 • 

David Fishman

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February 2025