China Elevator Stories

by Ruth Silbermayr

voices

“These conversations are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always well-written and indicative of what living in China is truly like. This is social and cultural commentary in its purest form.”

China City Links

“Here’s a blogger whose point of view differs from other bloggers, because she doesn’t just limit herself to words. Ruth’s China is as a colorful mosaic of illustrations, drawings, pictures and words; a joyful voyage combining art, technology and the one-of-a-kind approach of a very talented young lady, who made China her home. China Elevator Stories is one of the most unique blogs about China.”

Chinese Tools

China

Travel

Whether trekking through Yunnan’s highlands or crossing the wide plains of the Northeast, discovering China offers a journey that’s as seamless as it is unforgettable.

Ulan Hot, Inner Mongolia - Ruth Silbermayr
rice terraces guangxi - Ruth Silbermayr
Tagong Monastery, Sichuan Province - Ruth Silbermayr

“If You Take a Boat, You Can Step Onto the Shore in North Korea”

I chat with a cab driver in Dandong, Liaoning Province, at the Chinese–North Korean border.

Dandong, Liaoning Province: China’s Border City with North Korea (China Travel)

I visited Dandong, which is located on the Chinese–North Korean border in Northeast China, in September 2025.

Fascism Doesn’t Always Wear a Uniform

According to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, there are 14 early warning signs of fascism.

“what are you harvesting?”

I come across a woman working in the rice paddies at Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces.

Baotu Spring in Jinan, Shandong (China Travel)
Baotu Spring in Jinan, Shandong (China Travel)
Baotu Spring in Jinan, Shandong (China Travel)

Knocked Up Abroad Again: Baby bumps, twists, and turns around the globe (anthology by Lisa ferland)

Knocked Up Abroad Again (book by Lisa Ferland)

Twenty-five women experience both love and heartbreak as they bring their babies into this crazy beautiful world.

Imagine receiving a kit in the mail with everything you’ll need for your Dutch midwife to safely deliver your baby at home. Imagine overhearing the nurses in China talking bluntly about your medical status because they don’t think you understand Chinese. Imagine giving birth to your three children in three different countries, each with unique approaches, superstitions, and medical practices.

My story is featured in chapter 10: You should have a baby boy (by Ruth Silbermayr-Song)