Hangzhou China - Mike's Road Trip

Auspicious Things to Do in Hangzhou

Mike Shubic August 11th, 2016 2 Comments

Last year I had an opportunity to visit Hangzhou, the capital of the Zhejiang province known to be the happiest city in all of China. Hangzhou has become a popular tourist destination for westerners in the past decade, but has been revered by emperors and other Chinese travelers for centuries....

Hangzhou Global Tour highlights

Mike Shubic January 27th, 2016 Comments Off

This past summer I was fortunate enough to be selected as a storyteller for the 2015 Hangzhou Global tour. This was a cultural immersion campaign by the Hangzhou Tourism Commission (HTC) in which ambassadors from the U.S. and China were selected , along with two storytellers to travel around the...

The Essence of Tea in Hangzhou

Mike Shubic October 29th, 2015 Comments Off

If you look just beyond the majestic West Lake in Hangzhou, China, you'll see a mountainous silhouette casting a shadow on the horizon....this is where the famed Longjing Tea (aka Dragon Well) is grown. Longjing Tea is the best-of-the-best when it comes to green tea, this is due in part...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day three

Mike Shubic July 25th, 2015 Comments Off

My third day in Hangzhou started off with a tour of a popular market where many merchants sell handcrafted items. One highlight included two gentleman pounding sesame seeds with large wooden mallets while humming a rhythmic tune in order to stay in sync with one another. The malleable form was...

BIG NEWS! Hint: Marco. Polo.

Mike Shubic July 8th, 2015 20 Comments

Whoa, do I have some BIG NEWS to share! Those of you who know and follow me are aware of my thirst for adventure and exploration. A couple months ago I entered a storytelling/writing contest. Of course I had no expectations of winning. A week ago, I learned that I...