Ahkang @ Large
Places that I had set my footprints on:
China
You won't believe it but the only place that I had visited in China solely for tourism purpose is Suzhou, on October 1-3, 1991. But I have lived in the following very different cities before I left China in 1995. I always believe the best way you can get to know a place and its people is by living in it. Here are the four cities in China where I had spent part of my life in:
Longhai (1973-1989)
It's my forever hometown, a small city in Fujian Province of Southern China. It used to be a county of Zhangzhou Citybut now it's an new city after the rapid economic development in coastal Fujian.
I visited Xiamen (Amoy), a nearby port city and Fuzhou , the capital of Fujian and my wife Ling's hometown, frequently mainly to took part in some competition exams and visit bookstores there. (I was such a model student back then. :)) I left Longhai for Beijing on Feb 14 of 1989 when I was 15.
From then on Longhai is a place that I can only go back during vacations or in my dream.
Beijing (1989-1990)
The capital of China. I went there for a special class in Chemistry sponsored by the Department of Educaiton of China in the Affiliated High School of Beijing University. The most dramatic experience there was not Chemistry though, it's the student movement in the summer of 1989.
Dalian (1990-1991)
As a result of that student movement, all freshmen inrolled in Beijing University and Fudan University in Shanghai were required to fulfil one year of military training in one of four major military acadmies in China, before they could actually begin their study in these two universities. So I had to wear that green uniform and be trained as a cadet in that beautiful city of Dalian. I barely had any impression of the city though because we were basically locked inside the walls of the military acadmy. But we did managed to enjoy some beer at the stony beach of Dalian.
Shanghai (1991-1995)
I used to loathe Shanghai before I went there for college (possibly because it always rained miserably whenever I went past Shanghai on my trip between Beijing/Dalian and Fujian). But after four years I did leave with good memories about Shanghai. It's the Big Apple of China, a city that is always full with excitement.
May 1-June 4, 1999
My second return trip to China. My girlfriend Ling came back with me and met my family for the first time. We got engaged.
May 9-May 31, 2001
My third return trip to China. Ling and I got married in our hometown.
United States of America
April 16-18, 1999
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Nov 17-18, 1999
San Diego
Dec 2-4, 1999
Boston
April 13-19, 2000
Florida
April 30, 2000
Smoky Mountains
July 9-12, 2000
San Jose, San Francisco
Nov 10-12, 2000
Durham
Jan 5-14, 2000
Denver , Corolado; Arches National Park, Utah; Monument Valley; Bryce Canyon NP, UT; Las Vegas, Nevada; Hover Dam, Nevada; Grand Canyon NP,Petrified Forest NP, AZ; National Atomic Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Taos,NM; Houston, Texas
Oct 12-15, 2001
Revisit Michigan, UM, MSU, fall foliage in upper Michigan, cross border to Canada. Our first flight after Sept, 11th and first usage of digital photography (Nikon coolpix 995). See Trip Photos
Nov 29-Oct 2, 2001
Homecoming to Durham
Sept 16-26, 2003
Visit Las Vegas, Zion NP,
Bryce Canyon NP, Arches NP,
Monument Valley, Grand Canyon NP, San Diego, Los Angeles, Women's World Cup 2003 (China vs, Ghana), Sequoia and King's Canyon NP, San Francisco, Yosemite NP, Death Valley NP with my father. See Trip Photos
Oct 18-25, 2003
Acadia NP and Jackson Lab, Bar Harbor, Maine
Europe
June 6-19, 1997
Germany, France, Netherlands and Belgium, see my Europe tour 97 page for details.
June 21-28, 1999
Great Britain, see my UK travel page for details.
April 4-16, 2002
France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, see my Trip Photos page for details.
November, 2002
Spain. see my Trip Photos page for details.
Top Ten Places that I Want to Visit:
Useful Travel Links:
Last Modified:Sept 17th, 2002
Please send your comment to Ahkang or
