Go on a Theme Trip

I always like to give myself a reason to travel, like picking a theme for the journey. Why does it matter? Traveling with a theme makes me want to explore the city more thoroughly. I would pay more attention on things related to my theme. It might be sounding like the procedure of doing a research paper, but I promise you it's not boring as it sounds. Take my experience for example, I wanted to learn more about ancient Chinese history, so last summer I made a trip to Xi'an (capital of many dynasties in Chinese history) and Beijing (capital of China and political center for the past seven centuries). I visited the Banpo archeology site and saw the life style of people in the beginning of civilization.

King of the Qin State

 

After that, I went to the palace of the King of the Qin State and his cemetery. The city and its architectures made me feel like I was back to his time. When I arrived in Beijing, I visited the Forbidden City, palace of kings for the last Dynasty in the Chinese history.

The Forbidden City

 

 

So plan your trip with a theme that you are interested in can really help you understand the city/country more. You will easily remember what you have seen and experienced. So I have came up with another theme that I want to explore, which is cities with best street arts.

 



       Museums and art galleries are often on travelers' top visiting list. Art reflects culture of the city. besides art galleries, street art is also an interesting form of expressing feelings and showing creativities. Looking at still life oil-on-canvases isn't for everyone. But the good news is that some of the coolest art in the world isn't locked away in stuffy art galleries or museums; there are plenty of creative paintings and murals on the sides of buildings, along fences and across public walls. Here are 5 cities with the best street art in the world.

Valparaiso, Chile

  

This city located close to the Chilean capital is famous for the colorful houses and murals, which line its steeply hilled streets. Graffiti took off in this city back in the '70s as a way to protest the Pinochet regime and was initially frowned upon but as the years progressed, the city decided to let the street art flourish. As a visitor to Valparaiso, you cannot only wander the colorful laneways, you can get your hands dirty too. The city runs tours where you can actually hit the streets and create some graffiti with the aid of local artists who help you design your own unique stencils.

 

London, England

 

 

 

London might be home to some of the most celebrated art galleries in the world, but the city is quickly making a name for itself as a street art hub as well. Parts of the city that were once rundown and off the tourist radar have now been regenerated and have become prime places to view colorful murals. East End is one of the off-the-beaten-track neighborhoods where many street artists have flocked.

 

Berlin, Germany

 

 

 Berlin is a street art lover's paradise with both historical graffiti and a thriving present-day art scene to take in. Graffiti really took off here in the '80s with those on the west side of the Berlin Wall expressing their beliefs and frustrations with the aid of spray cans. After the fall of the wall, graffiti spread throughout Berlin, and although large chunks of the wall are now gone, you can still see many murals left over from times past.

 

Melbourne, Australia

 

  

Melbourne has long been Australia's artistic capital and there's as much to see out on the streets as there is in the galleries. Graffiti got its start here in the '70s and '80s and there has always been a heavy focus on what's known as "stencil art."

In more recent years, the street art has evolved to include other techniques, including street installations, wood blocking and reverse graffiti – a method, which involves carving an image out of dirt (like you might do on a car window). Over the past decade, Melbourne has also held a number of stencil festivals where the public can watch live demonstrations, listen to debate about graffiti, take part in workshops and more.

 

Philadelphia, USA

 

Lastly, don't forget the city so close to us, Philly. The Association for Public Art estimates the city has thousands of public artworks; the Smithsonian lists more than 700. Since 1959 nearly 400 works of public art have been created as part of the city's Percent for Art program, the first such program in the U.S. Depending on my financial situation, but if I can't make it to those cities above, I can still drive down to Philly to get the feeling of good street arts!

There are many themes you can chose from, and the best way to do this is to find out what you are interested in. Like I mentioned in another blog post, How to Plan for a Interesting Vacation, it is important to go with what you enjoy doing. I love art and I want to experience different forms of art works and that's why I chose the theme of "Cities with Good Street Arts." But if you have zero interest in art, then go for something else! You can be a fan of opera and visit Italy for the experience of the best opera festival, or you may love Lord of the Rings and go to New Zealand to see the where it was filmed. Any theme can be fun! You just need to do your research before going.

Summer is only few months away, so start planning your trip for the summer now and you will have an amazing experience!