• Home
  • Destinations
    • Asia
      • China
    • Europe
      • Scotland
      • England
      • Iceland
    • South America
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
  • Food
  • About Mimi
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

Postcards From Mimi

Travel Differently: Food, History, Culture

6th October 2024

How to Visit the Forbidden City in Beijing

View of a pavilion in the Forbidden City with doorway on left

In this Forbidden City guide, we’ll cover how to book Forbidden City tickets online, how to plan your visit, and practical tips for first-time visitors. The Forbidden City is an iconic Chinese landmark and an absolute must-see attraction in Beijing….

Read More

5th September 2024

China to Vietnam Crossing By Land

Traditional Chinese gate structure with red lanterns and Chinese inscription reading 'you yi guan'

Read about my experience of crossing from China to Vietnam by land, as well as practical information on planning your Vietnam border crossing. We were two travellers: one with a British passport and one with an EU passport. We crossed…

Read More

19th March 2024

Visiting Detian Waterfall: Asia’s Largest Transnational Waterfall

Detian Waterfall viewed from afar

The spectacular Ban Gioc-Detian Falls spans two countries, and is the largest transnational waterfall in Asia. On the Chinese side the waterfall is called Detian Waterfall (dé tiān pù bù 德天瀑布) and on the Vietnamese it’s called Bản Giốc Waterfall…

Read More

4th March 2024

Getting a SIM Card for China

Close-up of mobile phone with SIM card and SIM card tray alongside it

In this guide, we will discuss the best ways to get a SIM card for China, including getting an eSIM for China. Internet connectivity is essential for travel in China. You’ll need it for paying, navigating, communicating… it all makes…

Read More

4th March 2024

6 Essential Apps for Travelling China

Hand holding mobile phone taking photo of lanterns

Here is a list of the essential apps you need for China. I guarantee that downloading these apps will make your trip to China go much more smoothly. China does things differently in many ways, so you’ll have to make…

Read More

18th February 2024

How to Get Around in China: A Comprehensive Guide to Transportation

Red bridge over river in Chonqging

In this guide we’ll cover the best way to travel between cities in China, as well as how to get around once you arrive. I’ve also included recommendations for the best navigation apps to use in China. China is a…

Read More

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 5
  • Next →

About Mimi

Hi, I’m Mimi – a British-Chinese traveller and doctor. I’m passionate about history, food, and languages. I’ve explored over 40 countries across 6 continents, and hope to visit them all one day.

I'm currently on a career break. Follow me on Instagram for the latest updates on my travels!

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • X

Recent Posts

  • How to Visit the Forbidden City in Beijing
  • China to Vietnam Crossing By Land
  • Visiting Detian Waterfall: Asia’s Largest Transnational Waterfall
  • Getting a SIM Card for China
  • 6 Essential Apps for Travelling China

Buy Me a Coffee

Mimi Li

postcardsfrommimi

The northern lights really are spectacular this ye The northern lights really are spectacular this year. They’re so strong that you can even see them as far south as London, which is almost unheard of.

Why is the sky putting on such a show right now? It’s because we’re at the peak of the sun’s 11-year cycle, when its magnetic poles flip. This leads to increased geomagnetic activity and our luminous aurora displays.

Thursday’s aurora was particularly strong in England… but I missed it! cue major FOMO 😭 I still haven’t seen northern lights in the UK… so enjoy this video (shot on my iPhone!) from a few weeks ago in the Westfjords in Iceland.

#northernlights #auroraborealis #northernlightsiceland 

Did you catch the northern lights?
I drank a lot of coffee in Vietnam… so here’s I drank a lot of coffee in Vietnam… so here’s a round-up of the best types of Vietnamese coffee you should try.

☕️ Black coffee
☕️ Milk coffee
☕️ Iced coffee
☕️ Coconut coffee - Cong Ca Phe (all over Vietnam)
☕️ Salt coffee - Café Muoi in Hue
☕️ Egg coffee - Café Giang or Café Dinh in Hanoi

#vietnam #vietnamtravel #vietnamesecoffee #visitvietnam
This is the largest annual human migration in the This is the largest annual human migration in the world. It’s known as Chunyun (春运), or the Spring Festival travel rush. It happens every year in China around Chinese New Year, as millions of people head home to spend the holiday period with their families.

Pictured: Shenzhen train station 1 week before Chinese New Year.

#chinesenewyear #lunarnewyear #china #人山人海 #traintravel
Street food in China: part 1 Glutinous rice balls Street food in China: part 1

Glutinous rice balls from Chongqing called ciba

#streetfoodchina #streetfood #chinatravel #chinatravels #chongqinginsta #chongqingfood #chongqing #foodietravel
We got up at 5am to watch the sunrise over a sea o We got up at 5am to watch the sunrise over a sea of clouds. A beautiful experience, and one of my favourites in China so far. But not sure if I’ll be getting up that early again for a sunrise anytime soon!

📷 Shot on Fujifilm X-T4

📍 银厂上寨 (Yinchang Shangzhai), Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

#xishuangbanna #yunnan #yunnanprovince #sunrisephotography #sunrise #sunriseview #seaofclouds #visityunnan #chinatravel
Taking the high-speed bullet train in China - inst Taking the high-speed bullet train in China - instant noodles and hot water included!

#chinatravel #visitchina #bullettrain
💭 Life is like a hotpot, you get out what you p 💭 Life is like a hotpot, you get out what you put in…

After a period of burnout last year, I decided to shake things up and take a year-long career break (we’re in month 3 of 12).

Here’s what I’ve been up to so far:

🫒 1 month in Croatia - olive harvesting and chilling

🌏 China - holy moly I’ve been here for almost 2 months now. So far: Beijing, Yantai (family visit), Xi’an, Zhangjiajie (Avatar mountains), Chongqing, Christmas in Chengdu.

➡️ Next stop - I’m heading to the south of China for some warm weather to celebrate the new year. I’ll also be heading to Southeast Asia later on.

🦪 Excited to see what the future holds!

#chongqing #chongqinghotpot #hotpot #visitchongqing #chinatravel
Watching the sunset over the Forbidden City in Bei Watching the sunset over the Forbidden City in Beijing 💛🌅

✨ Jingshan Park (景山公园) has the best panoramic views of the Forbidden City

✨ There’s a relatively short climb up the hill (70m) via steps to get to the top

✨ Entry to the park is ¥2 (free for children)

✨ It gets quite crowded around sunset (don’t expect zen vibes here), but people usually take their photos and leave, so you can get a good spot if you’re patient.

📌 Save for your China trip!

#visitchina #chinatravels #visitbeijing #travelinchina #timelapse #sunsettimelapse #forbiddencity
Load More Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 Postcards From Mimi · Theme by 17th Avenue