I'm a Canadian who has been living and working in Beijing for the past 7 years, and traveling to other parts of Asia from here is incredibly cheap. Believe it or not, my favorite vacation place is Pyongyang, capital of DPR Korea (North Korea). I'm about to depart for my third extended visit in four years, and really looking forward to it. Pyongyang is gorgeous, with tons of green space and totally free of air pollution. The citizens are reserved but friendly, and getting around the city is remarkably easy on the modern subway system (built by the Czech Republic) and free buses. No internet or social media, and minimal news from the outside world comes via China Central Television ... but it's a fascinating place to relax for a couple of weeks.
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