The Understory — DispatchesChina beneath the surface. Essays and field notes for Western travelers — with a deeper focus on Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.https://www.fromunderstory.com/en-usWhy Guizhou Puts Hotpot in a Cavehttps://www.fromunderstory.com/dinner-under-limestone/https://www.fromunderstory.com/dinner-under-limestone/Guizhou cave hotpot is not mystical stone poetry. Karst caves stay cool year-round; putting a boiling pot inside is climate logic, tourism invention, and a bet on feeling — once every ordinary dining room already feels familiar.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTchina travelguizhousouthwest chinaexperiencesfoodcave hotpotTengchong Beneath the Surfacehttps://www.fromunderstory.com/tengchong-beneath-the-surface/https://www.fromunderstory.com/tengchong-beneath-the-surface/A slower way into Yunnan: Tengchong's volcanic ground, hot-spring rhythm, and border-town patience open a different door to Southwest China.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTchina travelyunnantengchongsouthwest chinaIs China Safe? The Answer Depends on Which Question You're Actually Askinghttps://www.fromunderstory.com/is-china-safe-western-travelers/https://www.fromunderstory.com/is-china-safe-western-travelers/The question gets asked constantly and answered badly. Here's why — and what the honest answer actually is.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTchina travelsafetywestern travelersThe Light in Yunnan at 6amhttps://www.fromunderstory.com/yunnan-light-6am/https://www.fromunderstory.com/yunnan-light-6am/Not a guide to Yunnan. Just a description of one particular morning, and what it made me think about.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTchina travelyunnandalitravel writingYou Probably Don't Need to Set Up Alipayhttps://www.fromunderstory.com/china-payment-foreigners-guide/https://www.fromunderstory.com/china-payment-foreigners-guide/Foreigners in China: when you need Alipay or WeChat Pay — and when you don't. What most setup guides skip.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTchina travelalipaywechat paypaymentpractical guideThe China That Travel Headlines Keep Getting Wronghttps://www.fromunderstory.com/china-travel-headlines-getting-wrong/https://www.fromunderstory.com/china-travel-headlines-getting-wrong/Western news covers China constantly. Almost none of it is useful if you're actually thinking about going.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTchina travelperspectivemedia