Here is a quick tour of all the Christmas Holiday Decorations I’ve been seeing as I travel around in China and Taiwan this December 2018!
Traveling far from home in December isn’t my usual M.O. I love being home during the holiday season to enjoy all the music, decorations and deliciousness evident everywhere I go, from November through New Year’s Day.
This year I’ve been lucky enough to spend much of December in three great cities: Shanghai, Xi’an, and Taipei. What a delight to find sweet and festive reminders of the holiday season everywhere I traveled.
These snowy glowing scenes greeted us in our hotel in Shanghai:Â A big blue-and-silver Christmas tree, and gingerbread villages and choo-choo trains from the North Pole throughout the public areas of the hotel.
The cafes offered holiday baked goods for sharing, and many restaurants besides hotel-based ones advertised special menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.
This chic little crimson tree adorned our table at dinner on our first evening in Shanghai with our dear friend. Menu and detail of that feast coming soon…
This gentleman greeted us (with a soft sax soundtrack) at the entryway to our hotel in the ancient city of Xi’an, with his twin inside next to an enormous tree and a big wooden Santa cottage displaying decorative gingerbread houses available for purchase.
Holiday-themed signage was everywhere, including this golden-hued poster for a Wonder Festival, in which Darth Vader seems to have had a “Christmas Carol” experience and transformed into the Nutcracker Guy! Ho ho ho!
Starbucks went full-Christmas with oodles of holiday merch in red and green, and an array of Christmas-themed sweets to accompany their wintry-holiday drinks specials. The three in the center of this photo are holiday features, and a tiny Yule log iced with chocolate fudge “bark” was also on offer.
You know I couldn’t resist the fruitcake — it was very nice, spiced and tender, not too sweet, filled with all the dried fruits but no candied ones, hazelnuts especially featured.
Peace Hotel on the Bund in Shanghai won the Christmas Tree contest I was personally conducting, with this glorious creation reaching for the top of their gorgeous central public areas, handsomely tiled and fitted with decorative glasswork in art deco splendor, dating from the 1920’s.
The coffee shop at our Shanghai hotel kept it subtle but steady, with little trees on window tables where I made notes, read up, and savored the wintry city views.
Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport decked itself out with Christmas displays but added a subtle reminder that Lunar New Year is coming soon, and that it’s going to be the Year of the Pig!
Taoyuan International Airport went big with this super-life-sized snow globe, which may or may not put on a snow-show. It’s way too big to shake but still dazzling and delightful to my eyes.
Wherever you are, I hope there are bright lights, pretty places to rest your eyes, and plans to spend the next few days in comfort and joy!
I’m wishing you Holiday Happiness and Connection, all around the world!
