Walking China, one lane at a time.

After more than 20 years of living in Shanghai and guiding travelers around China, I’ve come to love the places that are easy to miss.

Of course, China has its famous mountains, ancient temples, and grand landmarks. But some of the places I remember most are much simpler. A quiet lane behind a busy street. A small neighborhood temple. A teahouse around the corner. A local market in the morning. A public park where people dance, exercise, play cards, or simply sit and talk.

Sometimes it is a peaceful village, an old town, a path beside a canal, or a hidden spot in nature where everything suddenly feels far away from the noise.

These are the places that inspired China on Foot.

Most of our walks are in cities, because that is where so much of everyday life unfolds. But we also wander through old towns, quiet villages, and peaceful corners of the countryside. The idea is always the same. To slow down a little, look around, and discover places that you might otherwise walk straight past.

Every walk here is one we have walked ourselves. They take you through places we know, enjoy, and often return to. Along the way, you can listen to stories, history, and little details about what you are seeing, while the map shows you where to go and where you are.

You do not need to worry too much about getting lost, even when the signs are only in Chinese. Once you open a walk, the map is saved on your phone and can keep working even when the signal is weak or disappears altogether.

More than anything, we hope China on Foot helps you experience China at a gentler pace and notice the small things that give a place its character.

And if you have a question, discover something we missed, or have an idea for a walk we should add, we’d love to hear from you.