Mid-Autumn Festival & Tofu with Salty Egg Yolks
Wherever you are, look out for tonight’s full moon – it’s supposedly the largest, roundest moon of the year, celebrated across China by the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon’s perfect circle […]
Author Archives: Joanna James
Travelling Light Redux
Earlier this summer I attempted to travel light on a six-week trip to Northwest China. On the day I left Hong Kong, my backpack weighed 9kg (20lb), and my camera […]
Chinese Drinking Rules
Another week, another wedding-related hiatus here on Little Yak. (Mr Yak and I celebrated our wedding for the second and final time with a Chinese banquet on Cheung Chau last […]
How to say ‘Hello’ in Uyghur
China ebbs away as you travel west through Xinjiang, until at some point you discover yourself on a dusty street in Kashgar, roast lamb scenting the air and the Muezzin’s […]
A Short Break
Dear Readers, Exciting (non-China-related) news! Mr Little Yak and I are getting married later on today, and then heading off on a little honeymoon – to Switzerland, not China – […]
Great Markets of Northwest China 3: Muddy Jade
Deep within the Kunlun mountains (昆仑山 Kūnlún shān) lie enormous reserves of jade. Thick veins of nephrite – from opaque, milky-white stone to the more typical deep green type – […]
Great Markets of Northwest China 2: Fat-Bottomed Sheep
As she walks past, her bottom jiggling with each step, the men’s heads turn and their eyebrows rise appreciatively. A wolf whistle would not be out of place, although nobody […]
Great Markets of Northwest China 1: Caterpillar Fungus
Hui Muslim traders gather in small groups to make deals and haggle over prices. Tibetan ladies sit on low stools, vigorously brushing dirt off their wares with wire wool. Middlemen […]
Photographic Evidence, Days 19-40
You may have already seen the photos from the first half of my trip across Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang – here’s the second batch, for your viewing pleasure. These latest […]
How to keep cool in Xinjiang
You’re 3,000 miles away from the nearest coast, it’s 10am and 38°C outside, and it’s a Muslim region so cold beer and short shorts are not an option. How on […]
A State of Suspicion
I’ve never had my bags inspected as much as I have in Xinjiang. Each bus and train station has a luggage scanner and a body scanner, and you need generally […]
The Accidental Tomb Raider
I arrived in Cherchen in the middle of a dust storm. It had been gathering since I left Golmud the previous morning, gradually erasing the mountains and blotting out the […]
The Taxi Driver’s Tale
“You don’t need to worry, I’ll still be here,” said the driver, a sinewy but attractive Han Chinese lady. I left my bags – all of them – in the […]
The Road to Golmud
As I sat on Bird Island waiting for the bus, it was just as well I didn’t know what was coming up next en route to Golmud. The journey – […]
Photographic Evidence, Days 1-18
Time for some photos, I think. Here’s a whirlwind look through my route so far – from Lanzhou to Khotan. Enjoy!
Little Yak 