THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL COUNTRY I’VE EVER VISITED

I travel because of curiosity and recently I was really craving one of those trips that put you out of your comfort zone, the ones that make you question all of your country’s customs. So I thought that unlocking Asia would be the perfect way to end 2024. My boyfriend and I spent the past Christmas/New Year’s break in China, exploring both Shanghai and Beijing, but also some inland areas near Zhangjiajie National Forest Park; and I can finally say that my itch has been scratched. 

Let’s start from the end: would I travel to China again? Yes! But not right away. Amongst all Asian countries, I chose China for a few reasons: it was cheap, it didn’t require a VISA and its history had always intrigued me. That said, now that I have been there, I would definitely prefer exploring other parts of the continent before going back: the culture shock was very big… And in a very uncomfortable way. What many westerners describe as “rude behavior”, I saw more as a basic cultural difference: Chinese people seemed to simply not care, about personal space, about privacy and hygiene, as well as basic empathy. They talked loudly (unless they were in the metro), they pushed each other, spat and smoked wherever and seemed very impersonal sometimes. Of course this wasn’t everyone and the reason why I don’t think that “rude” is an adequate word, is because they were fundamentally very nice towards us. They didn’t speak a single word of English, but they would still try to help, and they were always curious and welcoming of us. Maybe it’s caused by the country’s large population, I don’t know, but this difference in the attitude towards one another was very obvious to me. 

The second biggest shock was probably the security level of the country. Both China and Denmark can be described as “safe countries” but there is a fundamental difference between the two: China’s abundance of cameras and their facial recognition system. To be honest, it comes in handy sometimes: your face is scanned as soon as you cross the border and it’s connected to your passport, making all ticket purchases directly linked to your ID. The camera recognized you within seconds, saving you some time. Also, the chinese metro was the best I have ever taken: not a single pickpocket, no drunks on the train, which meant no throw up/pee smell and in general, a sense of safety that I have never thought possible. On the other hand, there is the privacy matter. Do you want the government to know where you are at all times? Is that lack of freedom? I absolutely hated finding cameras on the hiking paths in Zhangjiajie. It ruined the whole hiking experience for me, as I felt like I couldn’t be alone with myself in the wilderness. But again: can you keep 1.4 billion people in line without a system that is so efficient? I don’t want to answer that question. 

Finally, the good things. Chinese food was extremely cheap and always delicious. We fell for a tourist scam once, but 20 m away we tried the best fried dumplings of the trip. The Great Wall of China was breathtaking and I suggest taking this word literally. We went on a tour to the Jinshanling section and it was the best decision we ever made: we were basically the only ones there and our guide provided us with a bunch of interesting facts. I could’ve hiked on it all day, despite how steep it was. The Wall was definitely one of those “once in a lifetime” experiences that I will never forget. In general, Shanghai had more to offer but it was definitely very clear how modern of a city it is… Instead, Beijing’s city centre felt more traditional and that’s where I found the history I was looking for. Bubble tea became my favorite thing, but I kind of missed avocado and traditional american breakfast. Coffee was amazing pretty much everywhere we went, while we managed to try the worst beer of our lives in Beijing. In conclusion, it was a roller coaster of emotions but I got back home with a camera full of pics and no storage space left… That’s how you know that the trip was special.