It’s March and we just celebrated International Women’s Day. That means it’s time to update to my list of blogs by Western women who love Chinese men!
This year, my list includes 69 70 different blogs — wow! I’ve still grouped the blogs loosely according to their focus, and tagged first timers on this list with *NEW* for your convenience.
Like last year, the same housekeeping rule applies — 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
Personal Stories
Authors/Books
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 Sketching Baguio, an Artist’s Favorite Holiday. Her debut novel Tiger Tail Soup hit the shelves in 2015 and it’s perfect for anyone who loves Pearl Buck’s wartime China stories. Check out my interview with Nicki from September 2014 to learn more about Tiger Tail Soup.
*NEW*Fiction Diversity. Em Liu, an American woman with a Chinese husband, has a passion for reading and promotes diversity in fiction through her blog, with posts such as #ReverseTheWhitewash and reviews of diverse books such as Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You.
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.
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!).
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. Last year she released her long-awaited memoir Good Chinese Wife – if you’re new to the book, check out my interview with her.
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. She’s also expecting a new baby this March with her Chinese beau – wishing her a smooth delivery!
Family and Kids
A Broad Abroad. JQ, an American woman who used to live Qingdao with her Chinese husband, toddler and new baby girl, isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind. She and the family have moved on over to the USA and are enjoying their new lives over there. Wishing them a wonderful time on the other side of “the pond”! 😉
AMBW Families and Relationships. This is one of the best sites spotlighting AMBW (Asian men, Black women) couples and their families, filled with beautiful photos and stories of real families out there. It’s run by a black woman married to a Chinese guy (they met and married each other in just three weeks, wow!) who have two kids. Definitely worth bookmarking!
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 and in 2014 she moved the whole family back with her to the US (but still files the occasional post about China, such as Top 5 Things I Can’t Understand About China). She’s now expecting a baby girl – wow!
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 Hebei, China – including a post last year with some cute family photos from Easter . She’s 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”. Also, if you’re in Beijing, you can meet her in person at the Beijing Bookworm Festival on March 13.
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 mom and writes about life, love and her interest in Japan/Korea en español.
Diaries of a Yangxifu. UK native Sarah met her husband during a marathon in Birmingham (a how-we-met story she generously shared with us all in her guest post on my site). She’s in China now with her husband and their new baby, writing about everything from what it’s like raising a new baby with her mother-in-law to her wedding experience last year (great photos!). And did I mention she’s also a vegan, just like me?
The Downtown Diner. American 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 divorce from her Chinese ex-husband and will always remain my unofficial twin (we really do look alike). She often writes about her two lovely biracial and bicultural children (love this post about taking a family photo) and filed a fascinating post about her amazing experience attending the White House Correspondents dinner last year. Thanks for keeping it real, Melanie.
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. Her blog has become required reading for pregnancy in China as well as navigating the visa issues of having kids with a Chinese national. Also, if you’re in Beijing, you can meet her in person at the Beijing Bookworm Festival on March 13.
Hong Kong Kisses. This blog is written Canadian woman with a Hong Kong husband, and they just had a baby girl last year! They’ve moved the family to Hong Kong – and she posts lots of cute photos her baby and the family.
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). Sara had an exciting time last year when she welcomed a new baby named Anna into the family. She’s also written about what it’s like to take her baby out and about in China.
Mighty Maggie. American 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. Also love this more recent post about how the kids learned Maggie blogged about them, and then wanted to hear the stories themselves!
Monkeys and Mooncakes. American Steph (who has a husband from Anhui, China) is a thirty-something mom to three lovely kids and she devotes her blog to helping children love Chinese language and culture at home. Parents will love her posts such as these 3 fun activities and games using flashcards in Mandarin learning and Mandarin adjective match it.
Nama Mama. This was one of the most exciting blogs I discovered in 2014 – it’s not often you come across an American woman married to a Tibetan guy living in Xining, Qinghai (with their baby daughter). Kimberly has since moved the family to Jiangsu Province, where she’s now teaching English. But her heart is still in Qinghai, as anyone who reads her post remiscing about the New Year traditions can tell. Be sure to read her guest post here about how she met her husband (who seems like a super-sweet and extra-special guy).
Olivia’s Choice. If the community had a magazine, chances are Olivia Lau could easily be the covergirl. This beautiful and stylish woman from Spain was living in Hong Kong, where she met and married a local man and also ran her own online fashion store. They’ve moved back to Barcelona to work in Olivia’s family store, but still make regular trips back to Asia (such as these dispatches from Tokyo and Hong Kong). In 2014, they welcomed baby Liam into their lives – he’s the star of their Xmas pictures from 2015.
Rosie in Beijing. American Rosalie Zhao’s how-we-met story, which she shared in 2013 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. She’s a stepmom to her husband’s daughter from another marriage and had a baby in 2014; trying to bring her son over to the US on a Chinese passport led to a really interesting post for anyone considering having kids in China. She’s since moved the family to the US – looking forward to hearing more about their adventures there.
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 August 2016. She also came out with a fantastic downloadable Dim Sum Guide. To learn more about Carolyn and her work, check out my 2012 interview with her.
Taiwan Xifu. The Taiwan Xifu dishes out delicious recipes with a dash of Chinese culture thrown in for good measure (including her posts about foods for zuo yuezi). In 2014 she moved back to Australia, where she divorced her husband, and last year bravely shared her post-divorce identity issues in an incredible guest post for this blog. Here’s wishing Serina the best as she moves forward with her new life in Australia!
Personal Stories
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), as well as this 2014 post asking why so many AMWF couples end up living in Asia?
Becky Ances. She teaches English in lovely Xiamen and writes frequently about traveling, her students, and expat life (love her recent post about how to take good pics of yourself while traveling by yourself). But many of you will appreciate her take on dating Chinese men. You can also follow her at her new blog Badminton Becky!
*NEW*Betty Has a Panda. Betty is an Austrian woman in her 20s in an intercultural relationship with a Hong Konger in Vienna. She shares all of the funny, frustrating, interesting and strange stories on her blog. Betty shared one of the biggest frustrations about her relationship in a guest post for me titled Why We Are Not Married (Yet) – and as it turns out, the Panda proposed to her in late 2015. Congratulations on their engagement!
*NEW*Our Chinese Wedding. A blog by Laura, a German woman who just married her Chinese beau last year, sharing all of the ups and downs in the process of getting married in China (from the issues with bureaucracy to bridesmaid dress horrors to even setting wedding dates). Don’t miss her budding bride guide. They’ve moved up to Beijing together – wishing them great happiness in their new life together!
Chocolate Chick in China. This African-American blogger is an English teacher based in Wuxi, 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.” Love that she took the time to bake her students Christmas cookies.
Dreaming of Taipei. This Italian girl has long harbored dreams of Taiwan’s great metropolis because that’s where her sweetheart lives – and now they are finally together in Taiwan. Hooray!
*NEW*East West Love Story. Karen is a native Californian who moved to Singapore to marry Jeremy. You’ll find posts about travel, living in Singapore, recipes and even their relationship (such as a recent wedding anniversary they just celebrated). Wishing them a wonderful year of the monkey!
Foreign Sanctuary. Constance is a Canadian married to a Taiwanese man who currently calls Taiwan home — and shares gorgeous photos as well as stories from her life. She’s now expecting a baby! Enjoy her guest post on my site about how she believes everything happens for a reason (even how she ended up finding love and a new life in Taiwan).
Greece Meets Taiwan. This is the love story of a Greek girl and a Taiwanese guy living in South Africa (they just celebrated their two-year anniversary). You’ll love her posts about famous AMWF couples and the advantages of being mixed race.
My Hong Kong Husband. Lina, who hails from Poland, lives in Ireland 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 a survival guide for dealing with mothers-in-law (she calls hers “Momzilla”) to her take on the “princess syndrome”. Wishing her and Sing the best as they move forward together in Ireland!
*NEW*Jess Meider. American Jess Meider is a Beijing-based singer-songwriter who has been named one of China’s best jazz vocalists. She’s also married to composer and bassist Gao Fang. Jess and I were on CCTV together last year; she also did an interview for my blog. You can check out her blog, where she posts about her upcoming gigs, press coverage, and her interest in traditional Chinese medicine.
Judith in China (in Dutch). This Dutch woman used to live in Beijing with her local boyfriend but has since moved with him to Wuhan. She blogs about life in China, including the things she encounters every day in the country, such as odd things her neighbors do. Her guest post titled “He Feels Horrible About Me Being The Breadwinner” got a lot of you talking.
Karma’s World Tour. Written by AMWF couple Kara and Mark, this blog chronicles their travels around the world (in gorgeous photos that will have you wishing they had taken you along for the ride).
*NEW*Lena Around. Lena is a 20-something Danish girl who is currently working on a bachelor degree in Communication, English and Chinese while traveling in Asia and writing about those travels, China (her favorite place) and love. She’s written about everything from getting into uni in China to being single on Valentine’s day in China. Have a look at her guest posts for this blog, How Asian Will My Future Husband Be? and I Shouldn’t Be Dating in My Own Country.
Linda Goes East (formerly Linda Living in China). Originally from Germany, Linda followed her heart and passion all the way to China, never expecting that along the way she would end up falling in love with a man from Korea. Now based in Korea, she blogs about everything from life in Korea to AMWF. Don’t miss her recent guest post for this blog about four things that helped her adapt to life in South Korea.
Life Behind the Wall. The first blog on this list by an African-American woman with a Chinese beau. Jo Gan isn’t your usual expat teaching English in China. An entrepreneur and dreamer, she has become a partner in a bar, started her own band, dated some fascinating fellows (before meeting her sweetheart Jet Liu), and has decided to start her own fashion company. Impressive! Check out her interview for this blog, where she talks about some of her entrepreneurial endeavors.
Lost Panda. Anna was born in Russia and raised in Germany, but she ultimately discovered her love and future in China. In 2014 she dazzled us with her personal stories at The Mandarin Duck, and now she’s doing it again with the Lost Panda, a blog especially dedicated to living in rural China. Some of her cool recent posts include how to stay warm in China without central heating and a love hate relationship with rural China.
The Love Blender. Italian Marghini, who is dating Mr. B (she describes him as a “a Hong Kong-New Zealand-British boy with funny hair and kind eyes”), writes about one of my favorite subjects: cross-cultural dating (or, as she calls it in her tagline, “dating out of the box”). Readers will love her posts on intercultural relationships, including one about 10 reasons why Asian men are sexy. By the way, she also shared her love story here for Double Happiness — check it out here! Wish them the best as they settle into life in London!
Malatang. American Amanda loves China and she loves to eat (including the tantalizingly spicy dish that is the namesake of her blog, subtitled “A Vermonter’s Adventure in China.” She’s blogged about her life (and delectable meals) in some of the most beautiful corners of China, including Lijiang and the wilderness of Sichuan. She has also loved a Lijiang local along the way (which she blogged about in this insightful post titled Dating in China: Cultural Differences).
Mandarin Reflections. Nathalie describes herself as deeply “in love with the most wonderful Chinese man” – and the two of them made it official by getting married! You’ll enjoy her classic posts on signs that you’re dating a Chinese man and On Dating Chinese Men: All Men Are Different.
Mandarin Stories. Orange rain’s blog originally had a dramatic backstory — even though she was already married to a Chinese man, her family didn’t know about it. Turns out, when she finally revealed her secret marriage to the family, there wasn’t any drama over it at all (nor much reaction, according to her). She does a lot of posts w/ photos from their trips – such as Scandinavia — so this is a great blog for all you armchair travelers! Last year she and the hubby had their official wedding ceremony in Shanghai (which her two brothers and Aunt even attended, their first-ever trip to China) and she posted her gorgeous pre-wedding photos (including pics in a stunning red dress). Congrats to them!
Marta lives in China. She’s a Spaniard who met her Chinese boyfriend in Suzhou, where she used to work for a manufacturer in the city. After working in Shanghai for a year, she’s back in Suzhou freelancing. You’ll love her post on how she met her sweetheart C as well as her many humorous posts (such as this one on cursing in Chinese). You can also follow her en espaňol on her Spanish-language blog Infinity Plus One.
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*Ni Hao Cassandra (in Spanish). Cassandra is a 24-year-old Chilean who studied for a year Mandarin Chinese in Kaifeng, Henan, China. She has long been passionate about Chinese culture, and also has a Chinese boyfriend (who she posts about on the blog). Check out this cute post about some habits she has acquired from her boyfriend.
*NEW*My Oriental Life. Ava Ming was born in England to Jamaican parents and is currently living in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China where she writes and teaches English. Some interesting posts of hers cover whether she was brave or stupid to move to China, and her impressions of Chinese food. Ava’s guest post for my site – Larry – a Short Tale of Ignorance or Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding – generated a lot of discussion, so do have a read!
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. Recently, she’s posted about what an incredible cook her husband is (sounds like a keeper to me!).
The Ruby Ronin. American Mary (who has a white dad and an Asian mom) has long had a love affair with Asia, spending two years in Japan (and learning Japanese), and then four years in China. She’s now living in Los Angeles with her Chinese boyfriend, but has plans to return to graduate school (and will visit Asia this summer). Love this cute recent post about her first and only blind date in Japan.
PINK✿PEACH✿BLOSSOMS. This twenty-something woman in Germany (who has a Chinese husband) is crazy about Korean beauty products, K-Pop, manga and more, and is currently studying Mandarin Chinese. Check out her reviews of Korean beauty products and other posts about what’s going on in her life (including her bunny).
Selly’s Little World. Sarah Heintze is a German gal residing in Wuhan, China who describes herself as a “Music lover with a weakness for 王力宏 Wang Leehom. Quirky. Cheeky. A butterfly flitting between ideas. In love with exercising, 小笼包 (xiaolongbao) & 热干面 (hot dry noodles)。” She posts on what’s on her mind and what she’s doing — I enjoyed her post on her trip to Shenzhen!
Sincerely, Shalom (Formerly Jew Knew). 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 after living with him in Shanghai and Taiwan, they’re back in the US. She had a wonderful 2015 – wishing her an equally wonderful 2016!
*NEW*Talking of Chinese. Chi, an Australian woman who has a Chinese fiancee, blogs about the process of learning Mandarin Chinese (Why a tutor in China is WAY better than university) as well as lovely posts about her relationship (such as Funny/awkward things about travelling as an AMWF couple). As a side note, I’m touched that her blog’s name was inspired by Speaking of China!
When West Dates East. Autumn — who lives in LA with her Chinese American boyfriend – writes: “Some swear it’s a myth: ‘You’ll find a unicorn before you find a white chick who dates Asian dudes.’ Welcome to my blog on unicorns.” She offers a funny and self-deprecating look into her relationship with posts such as When Lions Eat Lettuce and What My Chinese Father-in-Law Said. Don’t miss her guest post for this site titled A “Little” Something Red for My Chinese-American Groom.
Xi’ananigans. Marissa, an American woman from New Jersey, met her hubby ZJ while teaching English in Xi’an (she married him in China in the most brilliant red gown I’ve ever seen) and in 2014 moved with him back to the States. They’ve navigated the challenges of building a new life for themselves in the US (which has its pluses too) and now are based in North Dakota, where Marissa works for a local paper (congrats to her!) Don’t miss her guest post on my site all about how she met and fell in love with ZJ, or the Q&A I did for her blog.
What do you think? What blogs did I miss?
