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A China Lover's Travel Journal: Shanghai, Inner Mongolia and Beijing
I've just returned from 2 weeks in China — a trip that is now very easy to organise for French travellers, who no longer need a visa for stays of less than 15 days!
I spent the first week in Shanghai, staying at the JinJiang Hotel on Maoming Road, an Art Deco building that truly transports you to 1930s Shanghai (the interior décor is somewhat less atmospheric, but very comfortable!).
In this city, I never tire of wandering — on foot or by bike — because everything is a source of inspiration: the decorations for the Year of the Dragon, the workers' uniforms, the beautiful 1920s houses, the new trendy boutiques, the traditional dresses ("qipao"), the new Suzhou Creek art district, the flea markets of course… And layered over all of this are my memories at every street corner of the former French Concession, where I lived for so long.
Art deco building in shanghai Art deco architecture in Shanghai Voyageuses Paris Dragon jumpsuit in Shanghai Shanghai street Chinese dresses in shanghai Shanghai apartment Shanghai life shanghai trendy store Fotographiska shanghai shanghai vintage style shanghai vintage style shanghai food
I then headed north, flying to Hohhot (quite a name, isn't it?!), the capital of Inner Mongolia, right on the border with Mongolia. Like so many Chinese cities, it is impressive in its scale — towers stretching as far as the eye can see, with the Mongolian mountains visible in the distance, somewhere I hope to visit next time. The purpose of this trip was to meet the team behind a cashmere brand I work with and to visit their workshops — this region being the heartland of cashmere producers, as well as yak and camel wool. A wonderful discovery: fascinating people, beautiful craftsmanship, and a culture and gastronomy deeply shaped by Mongolian influence.
inner mongolia Hohhot airport China foof Inner mongolia China workshop china beads Felicie from Voyageuses Paris in China china colors Felicie in China fabrics Hohhot restaurant Knitwear workshop in China Knitting China streets Felicie and softheart team in Beijing
We finished with a day in Beijing — a city so different from Shanghai that I've always struggled to love it — to visit the studio of artist Ma Shengzhe, who creates his works from images of computer programme glitches. And the results are quite beautiful! Then back to Shanghai.
One piece of advice: plan a trip to China for your next holiday — there is so much to discover! Though I should admit, it's a true China lover speaking to you here ;)
See you soon!
Félicie
