2014 Blogs by Western Women Who Love Chinese Men

12883535644_de771fcaaf_z
It’s March, with International Women’s Day coming up this weekend, and time to update to my list of blogs by Western women who love Chinese men!

This year, my list includes over 50 different blogs. I’ve still grouped the blogs loosely according to their focus, and tagged first timers on this list with *NEW* for your convenience.

One more thing — after coming across a handful of blogs that hadn’t been updated at all since 2010 (the first year I ever shared this list), I decided it’s time for some housekeeping and a new rule: blogs must have been updated within the past year to make this list.

So, without further ado…(insert drumroll of choice)…here are the blogs!

Authors/Books
Family and Kids
Food
Language
Personal Stories

Authors/Books

*NEW*Behind the Story. American writer Nicki Chen married her late Chinese husband in 1967, the same year that the US Supreme Court finally made interracial marriages legal in the US. She’s led a fascinating life indeed, so it’s no wonder that her blog has become a repository for many of the real-life stories that inspire her novels, including this quirky post titled Chinese Poetry comes to dinner (about her late husband cooking for her and some friends). Look out this year for her forthcoming book Tiger Tail Soup, sure to be loved by anyone into historical fiction on China, and also check out her guest post for this site about her marriage.

My Half of the Sky. Jana McBurney-Lin, who has a Chinese husband and children, penned the novel My Half of the Sky, which also is the namesake of her writing- and family-focused blog. But as a Tai Chi enthusiast, I loved this older post about trying out this venerable martial art.

Kylie Chan. This Australian author who married a Hong Kong national channeled her passion for Chinese mythology, culture and martial arts into writing novels, which you can learn more about at her site. She also blogs on her site, and her most post last fall titled The Accidental Sexist is spot on about how sexism, racism and discrimination really operates in society today. She’s also releasing a new book this year!

*NEW*Michelle Maisto. Pretty much anyone in a Chinese-Western cross-cultural relationship will invariably find themselves having an occasional disagreement about a simple question: “What should we eat for dinner?” That’s the subject of Michelle’s memoir titled The Gastronomy of Marriage, which explores how she and her Chinese-American husband managed to make room at the table for all of their different eating preferences. Her blog is loaded with lots of Chinese food porn (naturally!) but also stories about being a mom to their little girl (who she’s teaching Mandarin — yes!).

*NEW*Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang. A British woman truly ahead of her time, Rhiannon made her first sojourn to China in 1986 — what I wouldn’t give to experience that China through her eyes. She later met her husband, who is from Hong Kong, at Oxford; the two of them live with their family in the UK. Her first novel, The Woman Who Lost China, just came out in 2013 and will surely appeal to anyone fascinated with the country and its tumultuous past.

Susan Blumberg-Kason. Once upon a time, Susan was a yangxifu, spending time in Wuhan with her Chinese husband and first child. She’s since moved back to her Chicago roots, remarried and added two more children to her family, but is forever connected to China. She offers tidbits of everything from Jewish Asia to raising multicultural kids, as well as regular reviews on Hong Kong/Shanghai/China-related books. If you’re living in or near Chicago, or passing through, check out her book, All the Tea in Chicago. Susan, we all can’t wait to read your forthcoming memoir, Good Chinese Wife, which will hit the shelves in July 2014!

Sveta’s Book Review Blog. Sveta still searches for her true Asian love, but currently pours her passion into reading and sharing her latest reads on this blog. She reviews a variety of books, including AMWF reads that might interest followers of this blog, and now posts readings of selected books on Youtube.

Family and Kids

*NEW*A Broad Abroad. JQ, an American woman who lives in Qingdao with her Chinese husband and toddler, isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind about living in China, her family there and more  — from the follies of family visits during the new year to how her mother-in-law “renovated” her kitchen.

Beijing Mom. I met Jenny Lin many years ago when we were both on Candle For Love, working on green cards for our Chinese husbands (at a time when her twins were still in utero). Finding her blog was like rediscovering an old friend — one with a great sense of humor (see My Kids are Failing School (And I’m Proud of Them)). I can also totally relate to her posts last year about visiting her husband’s village in China. Glad to see you’re still out there writing, Jenny.

College Baby Bump. Samantha Liang met her future husband while at university and, as they say, the rest is history. Don’t miss her post on dating Chinese men from last year, nor her more recent rant about how people automatically assume she’s not the mother of her kids because she’s white and they’re half-Chinese. (P.S.: Also read her love story in my Double Happiness archives)

Corazón Asiático (en español). This Spanish woman named Selenia married her sweetheart from Shandong Province (their photo on this About page is one of the most romantic I’ve ever seen). Today she’s a full-time mom and writes about life, love and more en español.

The Downtown Diner. Melanie Gao has no pretensions about herself. Her blog is a homey, welcoming little slice of the yangxifu blogosphere, self-described as “Made famous in Beijing, now operating out of Nashville, Tennessee.” She has spoken out about her recent divorce from her Chinese ex-husband and will always remain my unofficial twin (we really do look alike). Thanks for keeping it real, Melanie.

Mighty Maggie. Maggie lives with her husband Phillip, the Devastatingly Handsome Chinese Man, in Seattle with three kids. She’s a stay-at-home mom who blogs about everything from religious issues to parenting. This is an older post, but she brings up an interesting dilemma when she writes about the problem of sending a child to Chinese language school, when she and her husband don’t speak the language well.

Wo Ai Ni. Rhiannon, an American woman who met and married her Chinese husband in the US, creates a whimsical collage of an intercultural family on her site. It’s a snapshot of daily family life — including two blonde-haired children from a previous marriage, and four young half-Chinese kids.

Food

Madame Huang’s Kitchen (Formerly Out to Lunch). Carolyn J. Phillips doesn’t just have a Chinese husband. She loves to eat too, and shares her passion with the world through some of the most authentic and mouth-watering recipes for Chinese food on the web. Don’t read on an empty stomach, and be on the lookout for her upcoming illustrated book on all of China’s great cuisines. Called All Under Heaven, it will be published by McSweeney’s in April 2015. She just came out with a fantastic downloadable Dim Sum Guide. To learn more about Carolyn and her work, check out my 2012 interview with her.

Rice and Pasta, Please. “‘Rice and Pasta.’ That’s what I tell people when they ask what we eat at home.” This blog is a fusion of two cultures, her husband’s Shanghai background and her American one, and covers everything from their family’s love to their love for food. Her 2013 post on  Anhui bing has me longing for my mother-in-law’s homemade bing!

Taiwan Xifu. The Taiwan Xifu dishes out posts on some of the best eats in Taiwan, with a dash of Chinese culture thrown in for good measure. She’s even got some fantastic recipes and has blogged extensively about foods for zuo yuezi.

Language

*NEW*An American Woman in China (in Chinese/English). Rosalie Zhao’s how-we-met story, which she shared last year on my blog, challenged stereotypes by introducing her future husband as “China’s answer to Arnold Schwarzenegger”! It still remains one of the most memorable posts I’ve run. Equally impressive is the fact that she writes in English and Chinese on her blog, including this Chinese language post on the challenges of Chinese-Western marriages.

Living A Dream in China. Finnish woman Sara Jaaksola writes with a lot of heart and soul as she works on her Mandarin Chinese. But what I really love about Sara is her support to the community — she started the Foreign Women in China discussion forum (any woman anywhere is welcome to join). We’re all thrilled about Sara’s recent marriage to her Chinese beau Alan and look forward to posts on her Chinese wedding ceremony in May!

Menglelan. American Menglelan (not her real name) is a teacher and, in my mind, a pioneer — the first blogger on this list who maintained a blog in traditional Chinese! She writes about eclectic topics (including the occasional post on guys!), but the Chinese-language nature of her blog makes it worthwhile reading for anyone studying the language.

Personal Stories

*NEW*AMWF Couple. She’s white and British, he’s from Hong Kong, and they’re  happily dating in the UK. You’ll enjoy her posts on how they met and how they started dating (his story versus her story).

Aorijia (en espaňol). Aorijia (also known as Olga) is a translator with a Chinese husband and a daughter who, as she describes, “has the good fortune of living in an intercultural family.” Aorijia, you had me when you recommended studying Mandarin Chinese through five Taiwanese soap operas (including my favorite Meteor Garden). She’s posted her own list of blogs by Western women who love Chinese men which includes a number of excellent Spanish-language bloggers.

Becky Ances. She teaches English in the outskirts of Hangzhou, and writes heavily about her travels around China. But many of you will appreciate her take on dating Chinese men.

Celestereille. This blog is another proud example of beautiful Blasian love in China, right down to this gorgeous photo of the author kissing her Chinese beau, and this lovely Valentine to him. She welcomed her lovely baby Connor into the world in 2013. Congrats!

*NEW*China Doll. She’s a Norwegian woman who went to China when she was 13 and has moved back to Norway for university. On her blog, she writes about everything from her past experiences in China to her current life, including what it’s like to be in an LDR with her Chinese boyfriend studying in Scotland.

Chinese Potpourri. This blog offers a mish-mash of postings from Charlotte an American woman with a Chinese husband and two small children, living in a small town in China. Check out her cute family photos and the more recent shots of their kids during Chinese New Year. In my Double Happiness Archives, you’ll also find her love story — which has one of the most surprising titles: “I Want To Be Your Slave For The Rest of My Life”.

Chocolate Chick in China. This African-American blogger is an English teacher based in Nanchang, and you’ve got to love a woman who writes this in her About page: “I have  always been fascinated by the 5000 year old culture and also all the handsome single Chinese men that may never find love due to the fact that they overpopulate the women. so off I go to China to find a different way of life and  maybe a husband too.”

Ember Swift. This Canadian woman is a singer-songwriter, musician, writer and blogger who writes some of the most fascinating and powerful posts on this list about her life (from her marriage to a Chinese guy to raising their kids). Don’t miss the interviews (one and two) with her that I posted up in 2013 just before Chinese New Year. Congratulations to Ember on the birth of her son in December!

*NEW*Foreign Sanctuary. Constance is a Canadian married to a Taiwanese man who currently calls Taiwan home — and shares stories from her life there, including very cool Chinese New Year traditions. Congrats to her on winning 3rd place in the Canadian Expat Blog Awards!

Hello China! elo China! (in French) Elodie is married to a man from Nanjing, and has the only blog on this list written in French. She covers everything from student life at Nanjing University (where she reached HSK level 7) to travels around China. Love her header photo on top, where she is wrapped in China’s national flag.

*NEW*My Hong Kong Husband. Lina, who hails from Poland, lives in Northern California with the eponymous husband that inspired her blog — one that has fast become a popular read in the AMWF community. And it’s no wonder, with her funny posts about everything from why Chinese would date white girls to bizarre Chinese medicine. If you’re a fan of Asian clothing, check out her new series where she reviews online purchases.

*NEW*The Inner Mongolian/内蒙古人. Susanna, who is from Scotland, discovered her husband and a new life in Inner Mongolia — but I’m certain she’s always had a flair for telling hilarious stories (especially her post on how to take a taxi in Inner Mongolia). This interview with her husband is just precious.

Jew Knew (Formerly My Neon Sign Lullaby). Eileen’s blog is so lovely and touching, like her pictures of smiling, long-haired women in dazzling rainbow colors. She is married to a man from Taiwan and now writes about her life with him in Asia as well as the experience of reconnecting with her Jewish heritage. Eileen shared her story with me for Double Happiness.

*NEW*Judith in China (in Dutch). This Dutch woman lives in Beijing with her local boyfriend and blogs about life in China, including the special things she encounters every day in the country — from temple festivals to wearing long johns.

*NEW*Jules in 中国. American Jules had a banner year in 2013. She and her Chinese beau finally tied the knot in China with all of the pomp and circumstance you’d expect (photos, ceremony, the works), and now she’s pregnant and they’re back in the US. Hence, Jules is thinking her blog might need a name change.

*NEW*可爱老(Ke’ai Laowai). After falling madly in love with a Chinese guy she met on the Internet, this Canadian woman packed everything up and moved to China. It’s an epic backstory that could easily become a book or movie. She blogs about her life in China, including the occasional post on being in an AMWF relationship.

*NEW*Linda Living in China. Originally from Germany, Linda followed her passion to China (where she met her boyfriend Fu Geng Huang). Though she’s currently studying in the US, she blogs about everything China — including Western women and Chinese men in love. Don’t miss the ultimate AMWF survey on her site, which she put together with R from China Elevator Stories.

Life Behind the Wall. The first blog on this list by an African-American woman with a Chinese husband (they’ve recently divorced). Jo Gan, who teaches Business and Communication at an International College in Hangzhou, is one extraordinary woman, and her writing provides insight into a life rarely chronicled in China. Those new to her will enjoy her post on dating Chinese men and her latest forays into the dating world.

*NEW*The Mandarin Duck. Anna was born in Russia and raised in Germany, but she ultimately discovered her love and future in China. Married to Jin, who hails from the Anhui countryside, she has written some of the most fascinating reports about life in her husband’s hometown — from water issues in the winter to their traditional Chinese New Year. She’s preparing to move back to Shanghai in April after finishing her master’s degree in China and International Politics, and I’m looking forward to her future adventures in China.

Mandarin Reflections. Nathalie describes herself as deeply “in love with the most wonderful Chinese man” and it shows. She shares so much of her relationship with the world, from meeting her Chinese boyfriend to meeting his family. Love her post on signs that you’re dating a Chinese man and a more recent one titled On Dating Chinese Men: All Men Are Different.

Mandarin Stories. Orange rain’s blog has a dramatic backstory — even though she’s already married to a Chinese man, her family doesn’t know yet. She does a lot of posts w/ photos from their trips — such as Paris — so this is a great blog for all you armchair travelers! They’re planning on moving from Finland to Shanghai after she finishes her studies, so stay tuned.

*NEW*Marta lives in China. …in Suzhou, to be exact and with her Chinese boyfriend. She’s a Spaniard who works for a manufacturer in the city. I love this post comparing Spain and China, not to mention her “spot the foreigner” photo in this post. You can also follow her en espaňol on her Spanish-language blog Infinity Plus One.

Michelle Guo. Michelle Chu got married in 2012 to her Chinese beau from Henan and became Michelle Guo. While her blog topics remain eclectic, she has shared much about her marriage (such as being helpless in love with her Chinese husband) and the experience of staying in her husband’s hometown.

Mingbai. A Dutch woman with a Chinese husband runs a China consulting and travel business, and maintains a blog written in Dutch mainly about travel destinations in this great country.

*NEW*Olivia’s Choice. If the community had a magazine, chances are Olivia Lau could easily be the covergirl. This beautiful and stylish woman from Australia was living in Hong Kong, where she met and married a local man and also ran her own online fashion store. After their epic proposal, pre-wedding photos, and the big event itself, they’ve moved back to Barcelona to work in Olivia’s family store. Wishing this couple the best in 2014!

*NEW*Pausa Monk. Laura, who comes from Spain and is engaged to a Chinese guy she calls Tony, “lives in a changing China and loves it.” Her blog is a hodge-podge of whatever happens to be on her mind — I’ve found her posts on China misconceptions and spending Ramadan in Shanghai fascinating. Check out her how-we-met story titled He Calls Me “Guapa” in the Double Happiness archives.

*NEW*People Mountain, People Sea. Ashley is not your average American teaching English in Taiwan, thanks to her marriage to a Taiwanese guy (which included a period of time when she lived in the family home). You’ll find her posts on relationships and dating interesting, including this post on what it takes to make a cross-cultural relationship work.

*NEW*Pocket Full of Dreams (in Polish). Aldona hails from Poland and she’s currently dating a lovely Chinese man, with plans to marry him this year. We’re looking forward to following her wedding preparations in 2014!

Selly’s Little World. Sarah Heintze is a German gal residing in Wuhan, China — and her heart belongs to “the fish,” her sweet Chinese boyfriend she often writes of in her blog (including this recent post about celebrating his birthday). She’s been housebound these days due to a severe burn on her leg — wishing her a speedy recovery!

Shandongxifu. Ericka, who used to live in Qingdao with her Shandong husband, was known by many of us through her posts at the Lost Laowai blog — where she confidently reminded us that Laowai Girls Love Asian Boys. I share her passion for Jay Chou and, yes, Meteor Garden (quiet sigh). Now in the US, she’s expecting her first baby, a boy!

Tales from Hebei. Canadian Kelly Sandor has taken her marriage to a Chinese husband, and turned it into one of the funniest blogs on this list (her recent post on strange things about English definitely made me smile). Kelly’s blog is highly addictive and relatable, but also includes some practical advice (don’t miss her FAQs part one and part two on buying a home in China).

*NEW*That AMWF Couple: Sam and Kerry. She’s a white British woman and he’s a British-born Chinese; they both pour their hearts into this lovely little blog about their blissful relationship in London, England. Check out their posts on AMWF relationships!

Wrapped in a Chinese Leaf. Sarah is an Irish woman studying for her master’s in international business, but she also knows a thing or two about international relations, thanks to her Chinese boyfriend. She loves telling stories through words, and you’ve got to love this post about a Chinese feast, including her confession that she was clumsy with the chopsticks (been there!).

*NEW*Xi’ananigans. This American woman who teaches English in Xi’an has had quite an exciting year. Her sweetheart in Xi’an proposed to her, they registered their marriage, then almost a month ago held their wedding ceremony (complete with the most brilliant red wedding gown I’ve ever seen). My best wishes to this couple!

Yin-yang Jin Feng. Jin Feng (not her real name) discovered a passion for Shaolin martial arts, and after a trip to China, also discovered love for a certain Chinese man. Now based in Beijing, she writes about Buddhism, spirituality and martial arts, and even on dating Chinese men.

What do you think? What blogs did I miss?

48 Replies to “2014 Blogs by Western Women Who Love Chinese Men”

  1. you do so much for AMWF community! 🙂 thank you for that.
    also thank you for making that list and even more thanks for putting me there as well, I feel so proud and appreciated 🙂

  2. Thanks for your support, Jocelyn! You are like the glue that holds us together! 😉
    I have to check all these blogs, there are a lot I don’t know yet!

  3. I feel so honored to be on this list. And to be part of
    a Chinese family, through marriage and divorce. I need to blog about this but will tell you for now that my ex-husband’s family still considers me part of the family. I even got hong bao this year at Chinese New Year (yeah, I know, just like a kid! 🙂 ). Being a yangxifu has been and is one of the best experiences of my life. I’m proud to be part of this club with you, Jocelyn.

    1. That’s so awesome, Melanie! How nice that his family still treats you like one of their own — that has to make everything a lot easier. I think it’s great you’re speaking out about your experiences b/c you’re not alone — and you’re a wonderful “spokesperson” (as you wrote so thoughtfully in your blog).

  4. Thanks so much for adding me to the list, Jocelyn! Unfortunately, since becoming pregnant, I haven’t been writing much in Chinese. It might be awhile before I resume posting on my sina blog, though I’ve recently started writing on my old blog (in English) at rosieinbj.blogspot.com

    Look forward to checking out some of the new blogs you’ve added to your list!

  5. Thanks for including me on this fabulous list. It’ll be one of my go-tos for online reading material. Keep up the great work, Jocelyn! You provide an unmatched bounty of resources for the amwf community.
    It’s so awesome!
    Ashley

  6. Thanks for mentioning my blog! I love these lists and checking out all the other great blogs out there…thanks for all you do to help us women with Chinese loves unite! 🙂

  7. Oh it’s gonna be long hours for me checking out all those blogs! Thank you for that list! everything is sort out so neatly 🙂
    I’m also in relationship with Chinese man, although my blog is in polish and it’s fairly new, so I didn’t write much about my relationship yet. But it will change soon as we are preparing our weddings (yes, weddings 😉 one in Poland and one in China) and I will be surely updating our story.

    1. Hey Aldona, thanks for the comment and how cool you have a blog! I’ll add it to the list above shortly. I’m sure a lot of people (me included) will love to follow your wedding preparations!

  8. Thank you so much for including me on this amazing list, Jocelyn! It’s such an honor! Thank you also for putting me in touch, through past lists and Facebook posts, with others on this list. It’s so important to have a community like this, whether someone is starting out on a cross-cultural relationship, wants to be in one, is in one, or has been in one. I love being in this family!!

  9. I enjoyed most I have read so far but the latest one added? I have a wise ass sense of humour and sharp tongue but this one surely crosses the line to mean spirited? I have often been frustrated with my MIL when younger, with some maturity I can see the humour in the situations and the original good intent in her actions. But I guess it is an honest and heartfelt opinion and that I can appreciate the blogger’s generosity in sharing. Just not one that I would ever choose to read again

  10. Hi ,

    Not sure if you guys know of a solution…I’m having problems opening up some of these blogs? There are a handful I can open with out any problems but the majority of the above blogs I can’t get access to.

    Thanks

    I live in China so I’m presuming there are some issues with the connections?

    1. Hi Mira, are you possibly hitting the firewall? You probably already know this but wordpress, blogspot and tumblr are all blocked in China and many of the blogs on this list use those services. So if you’re not using a VPN, you won’t be able to access them.

      But if you already know all of this and you’re still having problems accessing them, then I’ll try to suggest other options!

    1. Hi Kalvinator!

      Thank you for linking my blog on other blogs~ (especially on Speaking of China, which I really love).
      Unfortunately, my boyfriend is Japanese, not Chinese. So I don’t know if it’s really suitable on this post!

      But I guess it would be alright on the post “Saluting Other Blogs by Non-Asian Women Who Love Asian Men”

      Thanks anyway 😀

  11. Hi Jasmine,

    I think it dosen’t matter whether your boyfriend is Japanese or not as long as he’s asian.

    Your blog can be added under “other AM/WF blogs” section in the “blogs I like” link above.

    But yeah, you’re right, maybe, it’ not suitable for this particular post but it just about to notice it to Jocelyn. I hope that she will see it. Maybe, I should email this to her.

    By the way, it is said that Speaking of China is “A blog about love, family and relationships in China, including AMWF (Asian male/Western female) love.” 😉

    1. Thanks Kalvinator! I did see the links and have already added them to my list of blogs! I always appreciate you (or anyone) letting me know about new blogs! Nama-Mama and Jasmine’s blog are both really lovely blogs.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.