Christmas in China

Christmas in China is a breath of fresh air compared to the over commercialised western business. It goes off much more quietly, but not silently. They have all the usual Christams trees, lights and tinsel. However, where as in the west, these items start appearing in October, in China, it is constrained to just the week or two before the big day. The picture above shows how Chinese tradition has merged with western. Wooden wish tokens from traditional Chinese religions are used to decorate a western style Christmas tree.

Climbing to the top of Hong Kong (and an interview on NPR) by Stuck in Customs via Flickr and Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike License.

This has to be one of my favourite locations on earth. It is certainly my favourite view in my favourite city. This is Hong Kong in the late afternoon viewed form The Peak on Victoria Mountain. I've been there four times and I always long to go back again and again. (If anyone can get me a job in Hong Kong, would be most appreciated.)

The Wormhole in Shanghai

The Wormhole by Stuck in Customs via Flickr and Creative Commons Atribution, Non Commercial, Share Alike Liciense

The Tourist Tunnel is part of Shanghai's subway network which links the old west side with the new east side of the city. Running under the Huangpu River between Pudong and Puxi districts, the Tourist Tunnel is a unique experience. The line uses specially modified trains with bubble windows allowing travelers to see the varied illuminations on the tunnel walls as they pass though.

Shanghai Urban Urban Urban

Shanghai Rollercoaster by Jakob Montrasio via Flickr and Creative Commons Attribution License.

The new Lupu bridge in Shanghai is the worlds longest arched bridged. While most traffic travels along the bottom, level, part of the bridge, there is a walk way that goes over the top of the arch and is open to tourists. This affords some excellent views of the Shanghai city, the Huang Pu river and the myriad of skyscrapers surround this location. The soon to close Shanghai Expo site can be seen from here, though not in this shot. To make this image, Jakob Montrasio has used a HDR technique. While many people over do HDR and create photo disasters, on this shot is has worked perfectly. The HDR has emphasized the texture of the city creating the perfect urban jungle look.