The future awaits you in Shanghai, where the Pudí skyscrapers kiss the clouds. Cross the Bund at dusk, with the Huangpu River glowing like a neon dragon, and lose your senses in the spicy flavors of Zhapu Street. The city that never sleeps welcomes you with its hypnotic lights and the murmur of a thousand stories to discover.

Wake up to the ancient soul of Shanghai: stroll through Yuyuan Gardens, mazes of curved bridges and dragon pavilions, where time freezes between lotus ponds. Then, lose yourself in the sacred bustle of the Jade Buddha Temple, where incense weaves dreams in the air. As night falls, discover the art of tangbao (soups that explode in your mouth) in a hutong lit by red lanterns.

We leave the frenzy of Shanghai behind to immerse ourselves in the living poetry of Suzhou, the ‘Venice of the East’. Cruise along canals embroidered with weeping willows, where stone bridges whisper legends of the Silk Road. Explore classic gardens like the Humble Administrator, where every rock and pond is a haiku carved from jade. At dusk, sip Biluo Chun (spring tea) alongside a local master, as the last of the golden lights dance across the curved roofs of the pavilions.

Xitang emerges from the morning fog like a Chinese ink dream: a thousand years frozen in mirror canals, where houses with red columns are reflected in still waters. Stroll through black-tiled corridors, savor freshly steamed zongzi from barges, and let the distant chiming of a pipa (Chinese lute) guide you to arched bridges that hold secrets of forgotten dynasties. At dusk, when the red lanterns light up the water maze, you will feel like you are walking inside an ancient scroll come to life.

We wake up to hints of fog in Huangshān, where twisted pine trees greet the gods. First, Tunxi Old Street welcomes us with its centuries-old tea houses and the aroma of dried ink from Xuan brushes. Then, Hongcun—a World Heritage town—unfolds its semicircular lagoon mirror, reflecting Ming dynasty architecture like a living painting. As evening falls, the Tiger and Dragon bamboo forest whispers legends with every breeze, as we walk among stems that sway like ancient verses.

We wake up to hints of fog in Huangshān, where twisted pine trees greet the gods. First, Tunxi Old Street welcomes us with its centuries-old tea houses and the aroma of dried ink from Xuan brushes. Then, Hongcun—a World Heritage town—unfolds its semicircular lagoon mirror, reflecting Ming dynasty architecture like a living painting. As evening falls, the Tiger and Dragon bamboo forest whispers legends with every breeze, as we walk among stems that sway like ancient verses.

Wuyishan welcomes us with its red sandstone hills emerging from the mist like sleeping dragons. We paddle bamboo along the Nine Bends River, where cliffs sculpted by time reflect their impossible shapes in waters so green they look like liquid jade. Among Da Hong Pao tea plantations – whose roots drink from sacred rocks – we learn the ancient ritual of serving gongfu cha, while the breeze carries aromas of orchids and moist earth. At sunset, the Tianyou Peak trail gives us a breathtaking view: an ocean of peaks waving towards infinity.

Arrival at our hotel facing the sea. We explored Nanputuo Temple, where we prayed among golden Buddha statues and lotus gardens. We walked through Xiàmén University, with its colonial architecture and views of the ocean. As evening falls, Zhongshan Road envelops us with its tǔdòu sī (spiced potato) stalls and qiánlóu (hybrid Chinese-European) style buildings. The day culminates at Riyuegu Hot Springs, soaking in thermal pools under the stars, surrounded by bamboo.

All day in Gulangyu: we walked through Shuzhuang Garden (gardens with coral labyrinths) and the Piano Museum, where Chopin plays behind ebony display cases. We had háozi jiàn (fried oysters) for lunch at the Longtou Road market. In the afternoon, we discover Zengcuoan, a fishing village converted into a street art gallery, and we end at Pearl Beach, where the sunset turns the facades of abandoned villas pink. Last bath in the Riyuegu Hot Springs, with sulfur waters that rejuvenate skin and soul.

Last morning in Xiàmén with a spectacular buffet breakfast at the Hotel: freshly steamed dim sum, lychee juice and the famous congee (porridge) with a thousand ingredients. Transfer to the airport to fly to Osaka, the neon city that inspired Ridley Scott for Blade Runner. Upon landing, the contrast is brutal: from Chinese serenity to the frenzy of Dōtonbori, where gigantic neon crabs and mirror skyscrapers announce that the Japanese adventure has just begun.

The sun peeks through the neon lights of Dōtonbori, where the river reflects sushi and takoyaki posters like a mirror of lights. We start at Kuromon Ichiba, the market where the screams of fishermen mix with the aroma of freshly cut tuna and grilled oysters. Later, Osaka Castle unfolds its golden roofs over cherry orchards, guardian of samurai and forgotten battles. At noon, Shinsekai awaits us with its Tsutenkaku tower—a 1960s lighthouse—and its kushikatsu bars where oil boils in copper pans. For sunset, we climb the Umeda Sky Building: from its floating observation deck, the city becomes a sea of lights that pulses to the rhythm of the jazz of Namba’s speakeasies.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. The air smells like damp earth and toasted caramel—fried maple leaves rustling under Minoh’s autumn sky. You follow a mossy stone path, flanked by 1,200 trees that burn into impossible reds in November. At the end, the 33-meter waterfall falls like a silver curtain, surrounded by macaques playing in the natural hot springs. It’s not just a walk: it’s a shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) where time stops. On the way back, at the Katsuo-ji temple, thousands of darumas (lucky dolls) look at you with their empty eyes… Do you dare to paint one?

Under your feet, an imperial tomb larger than the pyramid of Giza: the Daisenryo Kofun, a 1,600-year-old mystery. Sakai is not a city, it is a tessen (steel fan): on the one hand, forges where the best sushi knives in the world are molded; on the other, streets where the ghosts of 16th century merchants sell tea in the shadows. At the Takahama workshop, a blacksmith shows you how iron is turned into art with 100 hammer blows. As evening falls, the tea museum reveals a secret: the cast iron teapot was born here. Have it with a moon-shaped wagashi (sweet).

Stepping on cobblestones worn by 400 years of history, you enter Jinaimachi, a neighborhood designed as a trap for invaders. The kura (white warehouses) hide workshops where artisans mold ceramics with techniques prohibited during the shogunate. At the Shuzan Mint, the furnace still smells of molten bronze. Turning a corner, you discover a shrine hidden behind bamboos: the oldest ema (wishing tablets) hang on its walls, some written by desperate samurai. To finish, a cup of kudzu cha (root tea) in a tea house that was a secret prison.

Gango-ji is not a temple, it is a portal to the year 593 AD. Upon entering, the smell of ancient incense hits you: here monks still pray in front of statues carved when Japan didn’t even have a name. In the backyard, twelve types of moss cover sacred stones like green velvet. Five minutes away, Naramachi awaits you with its machiya (market houses): on one corner, the Harushika sake factory serves tastings in gold cups; in another, a former samurai prison is now a literary café.

Choshaku-ji is a living haiku: every corner of the moss garden seems composed of Bashō. Following the sound of water, you reach the tea room where monks have practiced chado (tea ceremony) since 1271. On the Uji River, fishermen cast their nets like ukiyo-e silhouettes. Don’t leave without trying the matcha from Tsuen Tea, the oldest shop in the world (since 1160), served with warabi mochi that melts like snow.

The Miyagawacho neighborhood still maintains the slow rhythm of the shamisen. Here, among alleys where streetlights are shaped like Edo lamps, a geisha may cross your path on the way to her next appointment. At Kennin-ji Temple, the dragon painted on the ceiling appears to move in the breeze. For dinner, Giro Giro Hitoshina restaurant offers kaiseki in a secret dining room behind a bamboo curtain. End the night with a walk along the Shirakawa River, illuminated by lanterns that draw bridges in the water.

Adashino Nenbutsu-ji is the best-kept secret: 8,000 stone statues line up under a bamboo forest that no one photographs. Walk to Otagi Temple, where 1,200 rakan (Buddha disciples) make funny faces. For lunch, Shojin Ryori Bon Temple’s shojin ryori (Buddhist food) uses ingredients gathered from the bush. End the day at the Kurama onsen, with waters gushing at 52°C between volcanic rocks.

Okunoin at dusk is a liquid dream: the tombs of samurai and poets line up under 800-year-old cedars, illuminated by lanterns that never go out. At 5 AM, Eko-in monks perform the Goma ritual, burning aromatic woods while chanting sutras. Eat shojin ryori for breakfast with lotus roots and shiitake mushrooms grown at the temple.

From the Nojima viewpoint, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge becomes a steel colossus that swallows the sunset. At Ohama Beach, collect sea-polished glass shells (fishermen call them “mermaid tears”). For dinner, the Matsu no Hama ryokan serves river eel caught that morning.

The ruins of the Meiji military base emerge among vines like cement bones. On the north beach, the water is so clear that you see puffer fish swimming between your feet. Eat a smoked eel bento under the abandoned lighthouse.

The Izushi clock tower is still powered by stone weights, as in the Meiji era. Sample soba served on 20 mini blue ceramic plates while looking out over the castle ruins. Before you leave, write a wish on washi paper and tie it to the cherry tree at the shrine.