So you want to see the real China then? Well read on for a bit of decent advice into how to properly dip your toes into the world's largestcountry by population. One thing you need to know first is that visiting Shanghai and Beijing are not really visiting China. The reason is these places now have street signs in English, an influx of foreign workers and they are well connected with internet, telephone and all modern communications. To see the real China you need to avoid those two big cities and getoutinto the obscure countryside where China breathes the way it really lives.
For the basis of this article I'm talking about mainland China except Tibet. To me that is the real China. So just fornow let's leave Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan out of this. To all intensive purposes they are separate countries in their own right. Shanghai and Beijing are greatcities - don't getme wrong but they are justnot Chinese enough to get a real flavour for this country. The reason is they have street signs and maps written in English. They have Italian restaurants. They have American restaurants. For a start if you see a McDonalds then you are not in the real China. To see whatthis ancient country is all about you need to head way off the beaten track and out into the glorious countryside.
Unless you have visited a village with a name you can't pronounce and nobody has everheardof, eaten food you have neverseen or even have a clue what it is, find yourself miles from any city you have heardof, are the only foreigner in sight, and can only see Chinese writing, then basically you haven't yet seen China!
Leave behind the cities and head to obscure, unknown villages to see the real China. If you have experienced these things then you have seen the real China:
1. No-one is sightspeaks a word of English, some of them only speak a local dialectwhich isn't even Chinese Mandarin!
2. You get totally lost on a bus and end up stranded.
3. There are more chickens than there are cars in the place you are staying in.
4. There is absolutely no internetanywhere, nor computers, nor mobile phones!
5. You don't see any other language than Chinese written anywhere!
6. You eat food without ever knowing (or wanting to know) what is in it!
That's my take on how to really see China - you don't have to listen or take it all in and of course you might find what you need in Shanghai and Beijing. But honestly, if you really want to see China and Chinese culture which hasn't changed in generations, then head off the scent to places like Jin Ji Cun, Shaoguan and Kaiping. You'll be gasping for more of China once you've seen what it's really like!
For the basis of this article I'm talking about mainland China except Tibet. To me that is the real China. So just fornow let's leave Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan out of this. To all intensive purposes they are separate countries in their own right. Shanghai and Beijing are greatcities - don't getme wrong but they are justnot Chinese enough to get a real flavour for this country. The reason is they have street signs and maps written in English. They have Italian restaurants. They have American restaurants. For a start if you see a McDonalds then you are not in the real China. To see whatthis ancient country is all about you need to head way off the beaten track and out into the glorious countryside.
Unless you have visited a village with a name you can't pronounce and nobody has everheardof, eaten food you have neverseen or even have a clue what it is, find yourself miles from any city you have heardof, are the only foreigner in sight, and can only see Chinese writing, then basically you haven't yet seen China!
Leave behind the cities and head to obscure, unknown villages to see the real China. If you have experienced these things then you have seen the real China:
1. No-one is sightspeaks a word of English, some of them only speak a local dialectwhich isn't even Chinese Mandarin!
2. You get totally lost on a bus and end up stranded.
3. There are more chickens than there are cars in the place you are staying in.
4. There is absolutely no internetanywhere, nor computers, nor mobile phones!
5. You don't see any other language than Chinese written anywhere!
6. You eat food without ever knowing (or wanting to know) what is in it!
That's my take on how to really see China - you don't have to listen or take it all in and of course you might find what you need in Shanghai and Beijing. But honestly, if you really want to see China and Chinese culture which hasn't changed in generations, then head off the scent to places like Jin Ji Cun, Shaoguan and Kaiping. You'll be gasping for more of China once you've seen what it's really like!
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