Great Wall & Forbidden City to Shanghai's skyline. Xinjiang's Silk Road, Guilin's beauty, Beijing's energy. Diverse & vast!

Explore the uncharted beauty of China's far-west in Xinjiang - a region rich in Uyghur culture, cuisine, and stunning landscapes. Join us on a journey through snow-capped mountains, trilingual signage, and warm bread stuffed with lamb. Discover why Xinjiang is one of our favorite places on Earth.

A 10-Day Xinjiang Itinerary: Journey Through China's West

Discover Beijing through the eyes of an expat who arrived in the city in 2012. Overcoming grief and homesickness, he explored the city's vastness and culture shock. Read about his experiences and the chance encounter that changed his life in this heartwarming post.

Finding My Family on the Other Side of the World

Discover the best of Shanghai beyond tourist destinations! Wander through the European-styled French Concession, sing your heart out at KTV, take a surreal walk from Old Shanghai to The Bund and sip happy hour cocktails at the 91st floor of Park Hyatt Pudong. And for a truly unique experience, check out Goryeo, a North Korean restaurant where fake smiles and brainwashed conversations are the norm. Join us for some wild and memorable times in this ever-changing megapolis!

The Top Things to Do in Shanghai, China

The Fabryk

After spending a month in Laos, we took the China-Laos Railway...thanks to the suggestion of our Chinese friends...to cross the border into China! 

Our first stop? Jinghong (景红), the heart of Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province.

Yunnan is known as one of the most beautiful regions in China, famous for its diverse ethnic cultures and warm climate. While Ryan has lived in China before (and has fallen in love with Yunnan before), this is Fabio’s first time, so what will our first impressions be? 🤔

Join us on this vlog adventure as we explore Jinghong’s top attractions, including: The lively Gaozhuang Night Market, The stunning Manting Park and The golden Buddhist Dajin Pagoda Temple.

China is a whole new world for us, and we can’t wait to share this journey with you! 

Subscribe for more travel stories! 

Have you been to China? Let us know your favorite places in the comments!

CHAPTERS:
1:16 – Boten: The Last Stop in Laos Before China 🇨🇳
3:34 – Crossing into China: Passport Control 🛂
4:36 – Jinghong Railway Station: Train Experience 🚆
5:56 – Checking In: Our First Hotel in China 🏨
7:22 – Exploring Manting Park 🌳
8:14 – First Impressions of China 👀
13:00 – WeChat 101: The App You Can’t Live Without (in China) 📱
14:42 – Gaozhuang Night Market: A Feast for the Senses 🌙
19:10 – Las Vegas Vibes in China 🎰
20:02 – Our First Chinese Dinner 🥢
23:34 – Day 2: Getting a SIM Card in China 📅

Follow along for more travel adventures:🌍 
Website: https://thefabryk.com/destinations/china
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefabryk/

Support our channel through these affiliate links (at no extra cost to you):

🏡 Where we stayed in Jinghong:
HomeInn (highly recommended for a night or two): https://trip.tp.st/yvH2LRWF

📲 Our recommended eSim:
Get it from Trip.com, honestly Airalo did not work really well, but this one worked fantastically (and you don't need a VPN): https://trip.tp.st/XWyOpJYk

🏞️ Prebook Manting Park Tickets:
https://trip.tp.st/GvqEHMFX

✈️ Find your flights to China:
Skyscanner - https://bit.ly/3K1w9DfTrip.com - https://trip.tp.st/XcaGxagP

🩺 Travel Insurance: 
Genki - http://www.genki.world/with/thefabryk

🎵  Easy Video Editing:
CapCut Pro - https://www.capcut.com/capcut_pc_web/...

🎧 Music in this video: 
Epidemic Sound - https://share.epidemicsound.com/ao2ybc

#ChinaVlog #Xishuangbanna #Jinghong #Yunnan #ChinaTravel #BackpackingChina #TravelVlog #MantingPark #GaozhuangNightMarket #BuddhistTemple #SoutheastAsia #LaosToChina #ChinaLaosRailway #DigitalNomad #GayTravelVlog #HiddenGems #DajinPagoda #ZongfoTemple

The China We Never Expected in Xishuangbanna 🇨🇳

Our next stop on our Yunnan, China adventure was Jingmaishan (景迈山), a part of Pu’er in China and an area most famous for cultivating tea starting over 1,000 years ago (the oldest know tea cultivators, as a matter of fact). 

Tag along as we get invited into random guest houses and learn the local tea-making process, watch “sunrises” over the tea plantations, and go to some villages deep in the Jingmaishan area where we meet members of the Dai (傣族) and Blang (布朗族) ethnic minority Groups - the original cultivators of Pu Erh tea (普洱茶). 

Near the end of the video, Fabio gives his HONEST first impressions of China after being in the country for a few days.

Come along with us as we experience the real China (the rural China that few Westerners get to see).

Sections
00:00 - Intro/How We Got to Jingmaishan
02:56 - Our “Loose” China Plans
04:46 - Touring a Tea Factory (which doubles as a guest house)
06:26 - Our First Tea Ceremony
08:55 - Heading to Watch the Sunrise
11:09 - Our First Local Breakfast
11:56 - Village 1 (A Dai Village) - 糯岗老寨
16:52 - Having a Local Lunch
17:59 - Village 2 (A Blang Village) - 翁基
21:14 - Fabio’s First HONEST China Impressions

Locations: 
The General Area - Jingmai Mountains 景迈山
Smaller Villages within Jingmaishan - 糯岗老寨 and 翁基

Follow along for more China and Travel adventures:🌍 
Website: https://thefabryk.com/destinations/china
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefabryk/

Support our channel through these links (at no extra cost to you):

🏡 The guest house we stayed in Jingmaishan: 
Lancang Tea Youxiaoju Inn - https://trip.tp.st/s12eWng5

✈️ Find your flights to China:
Skyscanner - https://bit.ly/3K1w9DfTrip.com - https://trip.tp.st/XcaGxagP

🩺 Travel Insurance: 
Genki - http://www.genki.world/with/thefabryk

🎵  Easy Video Editing:
CapCut Pro - https://www.capcut.com/capcut_pc_web/fission_receive?code=ypPpvj62681037&lng=en

🎧 Music in this video: 
Epidemic Sound - https://share.epidemicsound.com/ao2ybc

#chinaadventure
#yunnanchina
#jingmaishan
#puertea
#chinesetea
#teaculture
#travelchina
#offthebeatenpath
#teaexperience
#teaceremony
#daipeople
#blangpeople
#culturaltravel
#ruralchina
#chinavlog
#fabioandryan
#sustainabletravel
#authentictravel
#asiatravel
#chinatea
#travelseries
#yunnantravel
#mountainlife
#slowtravel
#teatour
#ecoexplorer
#teaplantation
#teatime
#chinastories
#traveldeep

We Visited the BIRTHPLACE of Tea in Yunnan, China 🇨🇳

GIVE US A LITTLE LOVE ☕️ Buy us a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/thefabryk

After surviving a bout of food poisoning, Fabio and Ryan took a friend’s advice and headed deep into the mountains of Yunnan...into Ximeng, the heart of Wa culture (佤族）.

But… who are the Wa people? And why do they worship ox skulls?

They’re one of China’s 55 ethnic minorities (中国少数民族), but beyond that, you won’t hear much about them. This video takes you to the borderlands of China and Myanmar, where life looks, sounds, and feels like another country entirely.

From traditional dress to mysterious rituals, we explore a culture that few outsiders have ever heard of....let alone visited.

🎥 Come with us to Ximeng, where the roads are winding and the culture runs deep.

Sections:
00:27 | Off to Ximeng – bus from Lancang 🚌  
01:28 | First look: what's with all the ox heads? 🐂  
04:24 | Lunch at a Wa restaurant 🍜  
06:28 | Who are the Wa people? 🎎  
08:52 | Exploring the eco-tourism zone 🌿  
10:04 | Hiking the ox head hills 🏞️  
13:46 | Stroll around Mengsuo Longtan Lake 🌊  
15:42 | Wa-style drinks – cheers! 🍶  
16:56 | Dinner round two – more Wa cuisine 🍲  
17:52 | Leaving Ximeng + eco travel talk ♻️  
20:28 | The truth behind the Wa & the ox heads 🔍  

Follow along for more China and Travel adventures:🌍 
Website: https://thefabryk.com/destinations/china
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefabryk/

Support our channel through these links (at no extra cost to you):

🏡 The hotel we stayed in Ximeng: 
Ximeng Hongshangjia Hotel - https://trip.tp.st/MrosAN4D

✈️ Find your flights to China:
Skyscanner - https://bit.ly/3K1w9DfTrip.com - https://trip.tp.st/XcaGxagP

🩺 Travel Insurance: 
Genki - http://www.genki.world/with/thefabryk

🎵  Easy Video Editing:
CapCut Pro - https://www.capcut.com/capcut_pc_web/fission_receive?code=ypPpvj62681037&lng=en

🎧 Music in this video: 
Epidemic Sound - https://share.epidemicsound.com/ao2ybc

#WaPeople #Ximeng #YunnanTravel #ChinaEthnicGroups #HiddenChina #CulturalExploration #IndigenousAsia #BorderlandsChina #ChinaVlog #TravelChina #OffTheBeatenPath #YunnanCulture #ChinaMinorities #EthnicChina #RemoteChina #UndiscoveredChina #WaCulture #AsianTribes #WaTraditions #BackpackingChina #WaCommunity #CulturalPreservation #WaEthnicGroup #ChinaUnseen #AsianBorderlands #WaFestival #WaTraditionalLife #ExploringYunnan #ChinaHiddenGems #LostTribes

China’s Most Mysterious Ethnic Group? Meet the Wa People 🇨🇳

On this part of our Yunnan, China (云南, 中国) journey, we make a short but unforgettable stop in the city of Pu’er (普洱市)...formerly known as Simao (思茅)...on our way to Kunming.

What started as a simple overnight stay turned into something deeper. A friend had told us about a Red Panda Forest (小熊猫庄园) tucked away in the hills just outside the city, and that mission became our main goal. 🐼

But as we wandered the streets, shared tea with locals, and devoured smoky Chinese barbecue (烧烤), we discovered that Pu’er isn’t just about its famous tea...it’s full of warmth, flavor, and quiet wonder. The kind of place you wish you had more time to enjoy.

From the wisdom of tea masters to the peaceful forests where endangered red pandas still roam, this stopover left us with far more than we expected.
If you’re ever passing through Pu’er, maybe don’t pass through so quickly.

And yes… we did find the red pandas. ❤️

📍 Featured Location: 小熊猫庄园 (Red Panda Forest)
We recommend using DiDi to get there—it’s about a 45-minute ride from downtown.
Entry is ¥150 RMB per person, and includes the internal shuttle through the park.
You can also stay overnight in a forest lodge surrounded by red pandas:
➡️ https://trip.tp.st/6SXvRPXC

We also mentioned the Giant Panda Research Center in Chengdu...We did end up going here and will show it in a future video, but for more info, check it out here: https://trip.tp.st/Jsoxg9dc

────────────────

00:21 - Dropped in Pu’er: Where Exactly Are We?
01:13 - First Impressions of Pu’er (普洱) City
02:25 - A Tea Ceremony with Our “Ferry God-Mothers”
03:54 - Our First Real Chinese Barbecue (烧烤) Experience
05:07 - Entering the Red Panda Forest (小熊猫庄园)
11:28 - We FINALLY Found the Red Pandas ❤️🐼❤️
15:02 - Reflections & Farewell from Pu’er

────────────────

✨ We’re documenting every part of our Yunnan journey...and next stop: Kunming.

Follow along for more China & Travel adventures:
Website: https://thefabryk.com/destinations/china
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefabryk/

────────────────

GIVE US A LITTLE LOVE ☕️ Buy us a coffee - buymeacoffee.com/thefabryk

And support our channel through these links (at no extra cost to you):

🏡 The hotel we stayed in Pu’er:
Perting Luxury Art Hotel - https://trip.tp.st/jpMYnPgk

✈️ Find your flights to China:
Skyscanner - https://bit.ly/3K1w9Df
Trip.com - https://trip.tp.st/XcaGxagP

🩺 Travel Insurance:
Genki - http://www.genki.world/with/thefabryk

🎵 Easy Video Editing:
CapCut Pro - https://www.capcut.com/capcut_pc_web/fission_receive?code=ypPpvj62681037&lng=en

🎧 Music in this video:
Epidemic Sound - https://share.epidemicsound.com/ao2ybc

────────────────

#ChinaVlog #PuerTea #RedPandas #YunnanTravel #ChineseBarbecue #ChinaHiddenGems #WildlifeVlog #TravelChina #普洱 #小熊猫 #烧烤
#OffTheBeatenPath #ExploreChina #ChinaNature #TeaLovers #BackroadsChina #CulturalTravel #UndiscoveredChina #HiddenDestinations #TravelAsia #ChinaAdventures #NatureInChina #PandaVlog #ChineseStreetFood #SlowTravelChina #StoryDrivenTravel

We Came for Red Pandas… But Found So Much More in Pu’er 🇨🇳

When we first spotted the sketchy building after endless trekking up and down Chongqing, China’s massive hilly terrain, I was sure I had been catfished.

But after punching in the door code, swinging the door open, a little oasis of heaven emerged out of nowhere.

The true genius award goes to the person who can transform the truly vile into something tranquil and beautiful like this place.

Don’t judge a book by its cover; and maybe don’t judge a hotel by its hallway at first.

Have you ever been catfished by a hotel?

#hotelreviews
#travelchina
#chongqing
#travelmemories
#unexpectedfinds
#hiddenparadise
#dontjudgeabookbyitscover
#hotelvibes
#travelunexpected
#beautifulplaces
#offthebeatenpath
#travelblogger
#chinalove
#instatravel
#exploringtheworld

Did We Just Get Catfished by Our Hotel?

This might be the weirdest spa in the world…or the best. You decide!

Ever soaked in a steaming hotpot? In Kunming, China, you can literally bathe in a giant soup bowl, chill in a teacup, and even find a bathroom shaped like a boot.  

In addition, they have lots of “normal” pools with different scents and benefits (we loved the rose and milk pool).

The place:
📍金方森林温泉 (JinFang SenLin WenQuan) in Anning (west of Kunming)

Would you try this? Let me know in the comments!

#chinaadventures #kunmingtravel #hotpotspa #weirdplaces #uniquespas #thermalbaths #visitchina #travelasia #offbeattravel #unusualdestinations #spaexperience #hotpotlife #quirkytravel #bucketlistadventures #relaxationgoals #explorechina #soakingspa #funtravelspots #thingstodoinchina #hiddenchina

Soaking in a Giant Hotpot?! This Spa Is INSANE! 🇨🇳

Have you ever encountered something in another culture that completely contradicted what it might mean or symbolize in yours?

In the forests of Yunnan, China, archaeologists found something shocking…over 3,000 ox heads buried beneath the earth.

It looked disturbing at first (and the misty grey weather didn’t help the ambiance)… but it had nothing to do with violence. It was devotion. These offerings were left by the Wa people, an ethnic minority who live in the mountains along the China-Myanmar border.

To the Wa, oxen symbolize wealth, strength, and spiritual power. Sacrificing them was a way to communicate with the divine, honor ancestors, and protect their communities.

The Wa are known for their vibrant festivals, drumming rituals, and a deep connection to the land.

What looks like a mass grave to outsiders… is actually a sacred tradition.
What seems eerie in one culture… might be holy in another.
Respect starts with understanding.

#wapeople
#ancientchina
#hiddenhistory
#culturefacts
#yunnanchina
#chineseculture
#oxsymbolism
#sacredrituals
#forestfinds
#archeologicaldiscovery
#weirdhistory
#ethnicminority
#ritualsaroundtheworld
#culturalperspective
#shockingscene
#spiritualtraditions
#buriedsecrets
#whatwouldyoudo
#understandingcultures
#sacrificeorceremony

Why Are Ox Skull So Sacred to This Chinese Tribe? 🇨🇳

Private video

Planning a trip through Yunnan in China? don’t skip Pu’er (普洱市). 🐼🍵

what started as a simple stopover turned into one of our favorite memories. just 45 minutes outside the city, you’ll find 小熊猫庄园 (red panda forest)…a quiet park nestled in the hills, home to some of the world’s last wild red pandas.

Getting there:
Use didi (china’s version of uber) from pu’er city…rides take ~45 mins.
🎟️ entry: ¥150 RMB per person (includes internal park transport)
🏡 tip: there’s a forest lodge where you can stay overnight surrounded by bamboo and pandas (yes, really):
➡️ https://trip.tp.st/6SXvRPXC

A few red panda facts:
- they’re not actually related to giant pandas
- there are fewer than 10,000 left in the wild
- they live in the eastern himalayas and parts of southwest china, including yunnan
- they’re mostly active at dawn and dusk…quiet, solitary, and very photogenic

📌 Save this for your next trip through southern china.
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#redpandas #chinaadventures #puer #yunnantravel #wildlifetravel #chinatips #hiddenchina #travelchina #slowtravel #backroadschina #chinatravelguide #teaculture #natureescape #chinawildlife #animalencounters #savethistrip

Where to Find Red Pandas in China 🇨🇳

Welcome to the gayest city in China…Chengdu! 🏳️‍🌈✨

Save these spots for your night out in Chengdu:

📍 Pose – We went on K-Pop Wednesday and it was poppin'. Pro tip: download the Meituan (美团) app—we scored 12 beers, snacks, and a standing table for just 39.9 RMB (under €5!).
📍 Hunk – Right next door to Pose, this weekend-only bar has more of an intimate, cozy vibe. We didn’t make it in, but it looks like a nice contrast to the club scene.
📍 The Butterfly – A bit more upscale, with two dance floors. Even on a Wednesday, it was packed.

Chengdu (and China) nightlife tips: – No cover charges when we went
– Dress code is chill; we rolled up in tank tops and had zero issues
– While table reservations are common in China, all three spots were fine without one

Oh, and don’t skip the Chengdu Dan Dan Noodles (担担面). A spicy bowl makes for the perfect mid-club recharge. 🌶️🍜

#chengdu
#china
#gaytravel
#gayasia
#gayinchina
#lgbtqtravel
#gaychengdu
#gaynightlife
#queerasia
#meituan
#gayparty
#kpopnight
#travelchina
#gaybar
#queertravel
#clubnight
#gayexplorers
#nightlifechina
#lgbtqinchina

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