After Beijing, or next production stop was Changsha (which is in south central China). Changsha proved to be a very interesting city, mostly because it does not get many foreigners. In Beijing I got a few funny looks, in Changsha I got a ton! Changsha is also defined by its spicy (and oily) food and extreme summer time heat. Although the food was some of the best I had on my trip, after a few days it had my stomach totally torn up!
We were only in Changsha for 3 days. I really wish I had more time to shoot photos here. After spending a week in Beijing, it was visually refreshing to see some grit and grime. Compared to Beijing, Changsha was even busier, with lots of little narrow alleyways which would have been fun to explore.
While its not a popular tourist spot, I'm really happy I got to see Changsha. By the end of my trip, Changsha felt like the only "real" city i visited. If you ever travel to China, you should try picking some random large city to visit. (China does have something like 49 cities with over a million people, while the US only has 9). Visiting a random city vs Beijing or Shanghai will most likely give you a totally different experience... but be warned, english menus are not as easy to find!
Changsha had a very interesting night life. Lots of KTVs and other "clubs."
After nearly 10 days in China, this was the first that there was anything remotely close to "magic hour." Great end of the day light does not exist in Beijing.
The best part about having someone with you who speaks Chinese, is being able to eat in small back alley restaurants.
I had some of the best Tofu in China. I've been a vegetarian for over 12 years, so i know my tofu!