FarWestChina Recommended Links

Every day my RSS Reader is filled with over 100 different blogs or news sources which I keep up with in some way or another.  I don't recommend every one of them, which is why I have the list below.  If you have any interest in China - for news or travel - these are the sites you should check out.  If you feel that your site should be added to this list, contact me and I'll check out your site.

China Aggregators

• HaoHaoReport - This is a Digg-like community website dedicated to promoting the best stories about China.  You'll find that I'm pretty active here.
  
  
  
• Chinalyst - Best known for the yearly China blog awards, this site also aggregates all blogs about China via RSS feeds. Fun by Fili from Fili's Nation.
  
  
  
• China.Alltop - Another automatic aggregator which allows you to pick which feeds you want to view.
  
  
  

China News - keeping you in the loop

• Danwei - part translator, part aggregator, this news source is one of the top English language blogs about China.  Several posts and links per day cover a wide spectrum of topics.
  
  
  
• Shanhaiist - the only city-based website I know of that appeals to readers all over China.  Also aggregates news and blogs.  They post quite often but sometimes feel more like a tabloid than a news source, unfortunately. 
  
  
  
• Wall Street Journal China - great write-ups and links to all the top news stories dealing with China.  I'm disappointed they stopped linking up to smaller blogs like this one, though.  Now they only mention major news sources.
  
  
  
• ESWN - Roland is apparently a very well-respected blogger and does a great job translating as well as aggregating all the best blogs in English and Chinese.
  
  
  

China Blogs - stories and news from the China blogosphere

• Image Thief - Will, a PR professional, tends to write things that make me laugh and then say to myself "I think he's right...wish I would have thought of that."  Well-known for his sarcastic humor.
  
  
  
• Bezdomny ex patria - A Kiwi living in Beijing who does a bit of translating when he has spare time.
  
  
  
• Sinosplice: Life - John Pasden, better known for his work with ChinesePod, doesn't blog as much as he used to and now tends to focus his writing on linguistic topics that I find fascinating.
  
  
  
• Waiguoren Critic of South China - Matt is married to a Chinese woman and used to live in Shenzhen as a teacher.
  
  
  
• This Ridiculous World - A tongue-in-cheek site which discusses the lighter, most crazy side of living in China.
  
  
  
• China Travel 2.0 - Winser is a guy writing about traveling in China.
  
  
  
• Fool's Mountain: Blogging for China - a collaborative blog that has a lively comment section and interesting topics.
  
  
  

China Expat Resources - These are a few services that I find useful as an expat living in China.

• Jajah or Skype - both are cheap ways that I keep in touch with my family.
  
  
  
• ChinesePod - my wife uses this and enjoys the daily lessons
  
  
  
• China Hotels - while I usually stick with hostels, Expedia is a good way to find a more "family is visiting"-friendly hotel
  
  
  
• The HostelBookers Blog - A budget travel blog targeted towards backpackers with guides to the best hostels in China.
  
  
  

Travel-Related Blogs - blogging about travel in Asia and around the world

• Darn Good Digs - user-submitted lodging that is nice AND cheap
  
  
  
• Ben's Backpacking Travel Blog - Ben shares his adventures from all over the world
  
  
• FlipNomad - A Filipino explores the beauty of southeast Asia, an interesting new blog
  
  
• PositiveWorldTravel - Two travelers walking the earth
  
  
• Global Grasshopper - Tips for travel and inspiration
  
  
• China Tour Guides - If you're looking for a guide while traveling in China, take a look at Synotrip.