Tiananmen Square's flag lowering ceremony

It's not everyday you get to see the national flag lowering ceremony (unless you stay nearby). We took the opportunity to observe China flag lowering ceremony at Tiananmen Square. We couldn't make it for the raising flag ceremony. It was too early (need to be there by 4:30am during summer). Here are the three short videos of the ceremony.

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Kumano Kodo - Day 1

Just came back from Osaka last week. It was my personal and solo trip of the year. There were only two main focuses of the trip — the Kumano Kodo and the Expo 2025 Osaka. Let me share my experience from the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage. Well, it felt more like a hike in my local hills. I chose a 4-day, 3-night walk with a boat trip included. This route was the simplest, covering only about 7 km of walking (though I added some extra distance for personal exploration). It was Route 3 of the Nakahechi route. By collecting 10 stamps along this route (at designated stamping points), I should be eligible for the Dual Pilgrim certificate if I complete the last 100 km on foot of the Camino de Santiago in Portugal. All my accommodations and packed lunches were arranged through the official Kumano Travel website. Although the booking response was a bit slow, I managed to receive confirmation about 2 or 3 weeks before my flight. To get to the Kumano area, I took a train (Kuroshio limited express) ...

Kumano Kodo - Day 3

Based on the model itinerary on the Kumano Kodo official website, my trip was supposed to last until Day 4, with a visit to Nachi Falls and its surrounding area on that final day. However, due to some schedule changes with my friend, I needed to return to Osaka by 6 pm on the last day. So, after much thought, I decided to squeeze the Day 4 itinerary into the afternoon of Day 3. As it turned out, the route I took could actually be completed in three days. That meant I could leave for Osaka via an early train from Kii-Katsuura on Day 4. Let’s continue with Day 3. After breakfast, I boarded a bus heading to Shingu and got off at the Michi-no-Eki Kumanogawa bus stop, which is exactly the departure point for the traditional boat ride to Shingu. If river cruising isn’t your thing, you can simply stay on the bus until it reaches Shingu. Along the river, there are a few waterfalls. About halfway through the ride, we made a brief stop at a riverside spot with a white rock believed to be the rem...

Expo 2025 Osaka

Some photos to share from Expo 2025 Osaka (the country pavilions that I managed to visit). There were lots of people, and some pavilions required queuing for hours. The weather was unforgiving too—one day was hot and another day was rainy (I bought a two-day pass for the visit). I only manages to visit eleven country pavilions. Overall, it was fun but tiring. Photos taken with iPhone 14.

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