China Travel Podcast with Wei Chen

This podcast follows one resident's attempt to know China by moving through it slowly, city by city, season by season. Travelling here means negotiating a country where the tropical south and the subarctic north are linked by high plateaus, deserts, and dense eastern river plains. Across episodes, he moves from the hutongs and government buildings of Beijing to the high-altitude grasslands of Qinghai, from the karst hills around Guilin to the port cranes of Shenzhen. The route also pauses in places like Tianjin, where the patterns of daily life differ from the more famous nearby capital. The show unfolds over time: one region is learned, then the next, often connected by a river, a railway line, or one of China's regional languages. Seasons return to the same streets and wet markets, so a first impression is tested against a later one. That slow accumulation is the point of knowing a place as large and varied as China. Wei Chen lives in China and stays for two years, moving between cities, coastlines and smaller towns on a route that follows the seasons. Not a week-long visit — Wei is there in every kind of weather, working out where to eat on an ordinary Tuesday, which train to take, what a festival actually feels like from the pavement. A new episode arrives every day. Each one is short and specific: one neighbourhood, one journey, one meal, one museum worth the detour — with the practical detail that matters. What it costs. When it closes. Whether the queue is worth it. What to do when it rains. Every episode carries a full transcript and chapter markers. ☕ Enjoying the show? These episodes are free and stay that way because listeners chip in — if a coffee's worth it, support the journey: buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Part of Paris2Tokyo — one show for each of the world's hundred most-visited countries. Made for travelers, wherever you are going next. #China #ChinaTravel #EastAsia #Beijing #TravelPodcast #Travel #Paris2Tokyo https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/china/

  1. Oct 7

    Harbin's Golden Autumn and the Songhua River

    Wei Chen arrives in Harbin after a long journey from Wuchang, exploring the city’s unique Russian-Chinese heritage along Central Street and Saint Sophia Cathedral. He navigates the practicalities of settling in, enjoys local Northeast cuisine, and reflects on the golden autumn season before winter arrives. ☕ Enjoying the show? Help keep every episode free — buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Plan your trip to China: eSIM & data · Tours & tickets · Airport transfers · Car rental · Travel insurance · Hotels & full China guide → Some links are affiliate links. Episode 68 of China Travel Podcast with Wei Chen. Wei Chen is in Harbin, China. Places in this episode: Wuchang, Daoli District, Saint Sophia Cathedral, Central Street, Luyu Coffee, Daowai District, Laochujia, Flood Control Memorial Tower. Covered: Harbin Arrival and Settlement, Central Street Architecture, Northeast Cuisine, Foreigner Registration Logistics, Autumn Foliage and Nature, Metro Transit Tips. Chapters:00:00 Wuchang02:08 Saint Sophia Cathedral03:59 Central Street06:28 Harbin08:37 Binzhou Railway Bridge10:10 Xiangfang District A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps. #HarbinTravel #ChinaLife #Heilongjiang #AutumnInChina #ExpatLife #CentralStreet #SaintSophiaCathedral #NortheastCuisine #GuoBaoRou #SonghuaRiver #HarbinMetro #VisaFreeChina #ResidenceRegistration #CityWalk #TravelTips #WeiChenPodcast #ChinaRailway #HarbinFood https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/china/

    Harbin's Golden Autumn and the Songhua River

About

This podcast follows one resident's attempt to know China by moving through it slowly, city by city, season by season. Travelling here means negotiating a country where the tropical south and the subarctic north are linked by high plateaus, deserts, and dense eastern river plains. Across episodes, he moves from the hutongs and government buildings of Beijing to the high-altitude grasslands of Qinghai, from the karst hills around Guilin to the port cranes of Shenzhen. The route also pauses in places like Tianjin, where the patterns of daily life differ from the more famous nearby capital. The show unfolds over time: one region is learned, then the next, often connected by a river, a railway line, or one of China's regional languages. Seasons return to the same streets and wet markets, so a first impression is tested against a later one. That slow accumulation is the point of knowing a place as large and varied as China. Wei Chen lives in China and stays for two years, moving between cities, coastlines and smaller towns on a route that follows the seasons. Not a week-long visit — Wei is there in every kind of weather, working out where to eat on an ordinary Tuesday, which train to take, what a festival actually feels like from the pavement. A new episode arrives every day. Each one is short and specific: one neighbourhood, one journey, one meal, one museum worth the detour — with the practical detail that matters. What it costs. When it closes. Whether the queue is worth it. What to do when it rains. Every episode carries a full transcript and chapter markers. ☕ Enjoying the show? These episodes are free and stay that way because listeners chip in — if a coffee's worth it, support the journey: buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Part of Paris2Tokyo — one show for each of the world's hundred most-visited countries. Made for travelers, wherever you are going next. #China #ChinaTravel #EastAsia #Beijing #TravelPodcast #Travel #Paris2Tokyo https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/china/

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