Hi friends, after a year, I’m finally writing again.
It feels different this time. There’s so much I want to pour into this blog, but oh well… I’ll save some of it for later. Hahah!
I never thought this year I’d unlock two new countries: Vietnam and China. I mean… WOW. But bear with me and let me walk you through my China trip first, because this one is means a lot to my friends and me.
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| 5am light warms my soul |
It all started from a casual chat about traveling. Then we voted on which country to go to, and fast forward suddenly we were ready to gooooo. Four of us chose Shanghai, China, instead of Korea or Japan lol. Okay… maybe next time!
Before I talk more about the trip, let me introduce you to my friends. We’ve been friends since junior high (so about 15 years now), and I even featured them on my blog years ago, before we were separated by different universities. Now, three of us have moved and are glued to another city together.
As someone who’s very picky about who I travel with, I just knew this trip would be a hit—no drama, just fun. And yes, we absolutely crushed it.
Back to the trip. The length was perfect: 8 days exploring Shanghai, Suzhou, and Zhujiajiao. The weather? Chef’s kiss. Around 8–17°C, perfect for layering but not overdoing it. You know what I mean? Lol.
Now, let’s talk about food... because how can we not? We knew we’d love any Chinese foods even if we picked places randomly. And we were right.
One time in Zhujiajiao, we were just casually walking around with zero intention of finding food. Suddenly, we smelled something savoury and irresistible. All four of us stopped at the exact same time, trying to figure out where the smell came from. Oh my goodness, it was hilarious. Within five minutes, we found the store and walked straight in without hesitation. And the food? BOOM. So comforting like mom’s cooking. No wonder the place was packed with locals.
Of course, we also had a food wishlists. We tried Xie San Bao (蟹叁宝) for crab roe noodles and dumplings. I’d rate it 8.5/10—tasty, but honestly, similar to other crab roe dishes we had at less popular places. In contrast, Fei Da Chu (费大厨) is a must. I totally get the hype. The dishes are classic Chinese food, but the flavours? Hands down.
Okay, enough food talk before I start drooling again. Let me take you through some of the places we visited.
The Oriental Pearl Tower looks stunning both day and night. Seeing it up close was breathtaking. It’s huge. Even though it was raining that night, it didn’t stop us from taking photos before heading to the pier and hopping on a ferry, since we stayed on the opposite side near The Bund.
Talking about The Bund, did I mention where we stayed?
We stayed at Ji Hotel (Shanghai North Bund Waibaidu Bridge), and I highly recommend it. Honestly, Ji Hotels are generally great, but this branch has an especially good location—lots of restaurants nearby, a Lawson, and only about a 10 minutes walk to the train station.
Both Suzhou and Zhujiajiao completely stole my heart. Friendly people, good food, peaceful cities, and I noticed there are more elderly people around, which somehow made the places feel even warmer.
In Suzhou and Zhujiajiao, we spent most of our time visiting gardens. KeZhi Garden is an absolute must-visit. It’s incredibly peaceful and beautiful at the same time. I’m not sure if it was because I visited on a weekday or what, but I loved it so, so much.
All four of us agreed that as we get older, we’ve become… less ambitious lol. Why? Because instead of chasing nightlife, we spent most of our time in gardens (read: quiet places), just talking and enjoying the breeze. A jazz bar sounds nice, but again… we’re old now. Back to the hotel by 10 pm max it is!
Well, besides going to gardens, we also went to Shanghai Disneyland to channel our younger selves. It was amazing (especially the TRON ride!), and now it’s safe to say I’ve unlocked 3/6 Disneylands. Woohoo, more Disneylands to gooooo!
I’ll close this blog post with one lasting impression: China is truly beautiful. No wonder my grandma kept telling me to visit China whenever I planned a trip abroad. Alright China I see you, I’ll be back soon.
See you (hopefully) soon. Bye xx
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