With just 10 hours in Beijing, we only had a few options with what we would be able to experience. Considering the time it takes to go through immigration, and getting back to the airport with enough time before our next international flight, we were left with only 5 hours. We both agreed that if we only had time to see one thing, The Great Wall of China should be it! Getting into the city of Beijing from the airport would be hectic, and we knew we wouldn’t be able to experience much. We thought if we could hire a driver to take us to The Great Wall and back, we could maximize our time. The section of The Great Wall that is near Beijing is called Mutianyu Great Wall, and it’s about one hour and fifteen minutes from Beijing Capital Airport. It’s one of the most beautiful sections of the wall and has been preserved and renovated to accommodate the many tourists that come to visit. You can hike up to it, or take a cable car or chair lift to the top. There are many beautiful look out points and the mountain views are stunning. To get down, it’s quite popular to take the toboggan! The Great Wall of China is the longest man made structure in the world, and it spans across the country. It’s considered one of the seven wonders of the world, and is truly an incredible sight. We are so grateful that we were able to see it on our layover in Beijing.

Depending on your citizenship, you may be able to enjoy visa free transit in China for up to 144 hours. With Canada being one of the approved countries, we didn’t need to send in our passports and apply for a visa before our trip, and could enter China on a temporary permit for our layover. After landing and before heading to immigration, we stood in line for the 24-144 hour transit visa, where we stated our intentions for our layover, and proved that we had an outgoing international flight. We were given temporary permits in our passports, and filled out arrival and departure cards to bring back before our next flight. After that, we headed through the regular foreigner line at immigration.

Before we landed, we hired a private driver and English speaking guide to take us to The Great Wall during our layover. They picked us up at Beijing Capital Airport, and returned us before our next flight. On the drive to Mutianyu Great Wall, our guide spoke about the history of China, and told us the story of The Great Wall. He was a young man, who has lived in China his entire life, and he told us about what life is like for young people in his country. He spoke a lot about wishing for freedom, and explained why so many Chinese people emigrate to countries like Canada because of that. He explained that deeply ingrained in Chinese culture are traditional views of family, and conservative social opinions. According to him, a lot of young people are rebelling against the traditional ideas of marriage and family, and they disagree with the way the government is run, and the ways in which it restricts their freedom. It was fascinating, and certainly opened our eyes to what life is like in China, and had us thinking about what our lives might look like if we lived there.

Before arriving in China, we discussed whether or not we felt comfortable being open as a couple during our visit. We typically don’t shy away from outing ourselves when we travel, and we like to hold hands and show affection in public as long as it’s safe to do so. Neither of us were sure what to expect, so we decided that we would see how we felt once we arrived in Beijing and would put our safety first. We spent the day with our guide, and he was around our age and seemed very open minded. When he asked if we were married, we explained that we were married to each other, and he didn’t seem at all phased. He helped us take some photos on The Great Wall, and seemed very comfortable with us holding hands and being ourselves. Because we were in such a popular tourist spot, we felt safe being open as a couple, and the other travellers that we met were all very kind and friendly to us. We’re not sure how we would have been received in the city of Beijing or other parts of China, but we had a great experience at The Great Wall. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to visit such an amazing sight, and it’s a day that we will forever remember in our travels.

Have you been to The Great Wall of China? Let us know in the comments!

The post Our Ten Hours in China appeared first on Lez See the World.

When we’re travelling to a new destination as a lesbian couple, there are a few things we take into consideration to figure out how lesbian friendly it is. We like to know what the LGBTQ+ laws are in that country, as well as what the social climate is. In some places the laws and the feelings of the local people don’t necessarily match. We also like to know if there are any “gaybourhoods” or areas that are especially lesbian friendly. This blog series is meant to inform other lesbian travellers about different destinations around the world, and help empower them to travel more openly when it is safe to do so. We will be sharing our experiences in each country as well as our recommendations, but as always we encourage everyone to do their own research. We can only speak to our own experiences, and everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to being out and open while travelling. The travel destinations that an LGBTQ+ person chooses, and the way in which they travel is a very personal decision, and we encourage everyone to only do what feels right to them.

Keep reading to find how out lesbian friendly Japan is!

LGBTQ+ Laws

The laws regarding LGBTQ+ people in Japan are quite progressive for an Asian country, and things are continuing to move forward. Same-sex sexual activity is legal and has been since 1880. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan, but Japanese citizens are allowed to marry same-sex partners in other countries. As well, seven cities in Japan along with two districts in Tokyo, offer partnership certificates to same-sex couples to help grant them housing and hospital visitation rights. This is a major step toward equal rights for LGBTQ+ people in Japan! As of 2018, there are no federal laws protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, but the city of Tokyo passed a law this year prohibiting any discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Last year, the Ministry of Education added sexual orientation and gender identity to their national anti-bullying policy, and cases of discrimination in Japan are quite uncommon. Overall, Japan’s laws are fairly progressive and hopefully they will continue to make strides in the coming years.

Social Climate

The public opinion in Japan, especially among younger generations of Japanese people, is in favour of the LGBTQ+ community. Recent polls show that more than half of the Japanese population support the idea of marriage equality, and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. There are several LGBTQ+ politicians serving openly, and Tokyo has been hosting a Pride celebration since 2012 that grows each year. Things are certainly moving in the right direction in Japan.

Gaybourhoods

The best gay area in Japan is called the Ni-chome district in Shinjuku, Tokyo. This gaybourhood is lively and out in the open, and is full of bars for every subculture you could imagine. The main lesbian bar is Goldfinger, along with other lesbian establishments such as Dorobune, and Adezakura. If you’re looking for gay nightlife in Japan, the best LGBTQ+ scene is definitely Ni-chome!

Our Experience

We loved our visit to Japan! We spent our time in Tokyo, and found the city to be quite lesbian friendly. Tokyo feels very safe, and we were comfortable being there as a lesbian couple. Japanese people are extremely polite, and we felt welcomed by everyone we met. We stayed in a hotel in Shinjuku and the hotel staff made no comment that we booked a small room with only one bed. We held hands and showed some affection to one another while we were out, although PDA is not a common practice in Japanese culture, so we remained respectful of that. We didn’t receive any unwanted attention from men, and we didn’t feel like anyone took real notice of us as a couple. We only had positive interactions with the local people, and when we mentioned that we were married, everyone responded kindly. We spent a night out in the Ni-chome district of Tokyo, and went to a lesbian karaoke bar. We were the only non-Japanese people there, and it was amazing to see the local LGBTQ+ scene. We highly recommend Japan as a lesbian friendly country in Asia, and especially Tokyo!

Have you been to Japan? Share your experience in the comments below!

View our library of How Lesbian Friendly Is… articles here!

The post How Lesbian Friendly Is Japan appeared first on Lez See the World.

When we’re travelling to a new destination as a lesbian couple, there are a few things we take into consideration to figure out how lesbian friendly it is. We like to know what the LGBTQ+ laws are in that country, as well as what the social climate is. In some places the laws and the feelings of the local people don’t necessarily match. We also like to know if there are any “gaybourhoods” or areas that are especially lesbian friendly. This blog series is meant to inform other lesbian travellers about different destinations around the world, and help empower them to travel more openly when it is safe to do so. We will be sharing our experiences in each country as well as our recommendations, but as always we encourage everyone to do their own research. We can only speak to our own experiences, and everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to being out and open while travelling. The travel destinations that an LGBTQ+ person chooses, and the way in which they travel is a very personal decision, and we encourage everyone to only do what feels right to them.

Keep reading to find out how lesbian friendly Taiwan is!

LGBTQ+ Laws 

On May 24th, 2019, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legally recognize same-sex marriage! They have always had some of the most progressive LGBTQ+ laws in Asia, and are often regarded as one of the most liberal countries on the continent. But passing marriage equality is a huge step for Taiwan and for Asia! It indicates just how much things are changing around the globe, and moving towards equality for our community. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Taiwan, and always has been, and same-sex couples now have nearly all of the same rights as heterosexual married couples. At this time, same-sex couples are only allowed to adopt children that are genetically related to one of them, and they do not have access to “assisted reproductive technologies”. Hopefully now that marriage equality has passed, equal access to adoption and family planning will follow. There are currently anti-discrimination laws in place for LGBTQ+ people in employment, education, and all other areas, and everyone is protected under the constitution regardless of their orientation. Overall, Taiwan is a leader in LGBTQ+ rights in Asia. They are taking huge steps toward the full inclusion and acceptance of our community, and we can only hope that other countries will start to follow suit.

Social Climate

The public opinion in Taiwan is in favour of the LGBTQ+ community, with the majority of the population finding same sex relations to be acceptable, and being in favour of equal rights. The social climate continues to improve as laws change! With Taiwan passing marriage equality this year, this should help to further improve the public opinion of LGBTQ+ people. Pride parades have taken place in Taiwan since 2003 in the capital city of Taipei as well as in smaller cities around the country, and they have grown in numbers each year. Taipei’s parade in 2018 saw 137,000 people in attendance. The country has made great strides in the past decade in terms of acceptance for LGBTQ+ people, and will hopefully continue to move forward. Taiwan is also home to the world’s only religious shrine for homosexuals. Located in New Taipei City, the temple was founded for Tu’er Shen, the God of homosexual love. Approximately 9000 gay pilgrims visit the temple each year to pray for a partner.

Gaybourhoods

In the country of Taiwan, the most prominent LGBTQ+ community can be found in the capital city of Taipei. There is a famous gay district in Taipei called Ximending, often referred to as the “Harajuku of Taipei”. This area is home to gay bars and nightclubs, as well as restaurants, shops, and hotels. There is also a lesbian nightclub in Ximending called Taboo, as well as regular lesbian parties that happen at other nightclubs. A smaller gaybourhood is also taking shape on Yanji Street, with some more laid back gay friendly venues. If you’re looking for the LGBTQ+ scene in Taiwan, it’s definitely in Taipei!

Our Experience

We had a really amazing visit to Taiwan, and definitely felt very safe and comfortable there. We spent our time in the capital city of Taipei, and had no problems being open as a married lesbian couple. We stayed in a hotel in the city centre, and the hotel staff made no notice of us booking a small room with only one bed. We walked the streets holding hands, and received no negative attention from the locals. It felt like a very safe city, and we weren’t nervous about being open and showing some PDA. We were really comfortable and at ease, and had a great time exploring the city. We would love to go back and spend more time, and especially experience the gay nightlife in Ximending! We definitely recommend Taipei to other lesbian travellers as the most LGBTQ+ friendly destination in Asia!

Have you been to to Taiwan? Share your experience in the comments below!

View our library of How Lesbian Friendly Is… articles here!

The post How Lesbian Friendly is Taiwan appeared first on Lez See the World.