We have just returned from China, after a two weeks adventure in which we traveled over 4,000 kilometers from North to South, explored cities of 20 million people or picturesque villages lost in rice, we went with all possible means of transport , bicycle, scooter, boat, cable car or high-speed trains.
We were surprised to find a country not only immense in size and population, but also an organized and modern nation, from infrastructure to education. We believe that the 21st century will indeed be the century of China.
China is, after all, the only great civilization to carry on continuously its traditions and cultural heritage for more than 4000 years.
China’s huge territory and rich culture leaves a lot to discover and come up with. Be it natural beauty, food, architecture or civilization.
We tried to discover as much as possible in our 15 day touring China.
Below we will show you our tour.
- Beijing
This is the “engine” of the country, with huge factories and halls that seemed to be endless. When it comes to touristic places, the Great Wall and Forbidden City make Beijing a city that does not need any marketing. In the same way, Hutongs reflect the culture of the common people and an important landmark of Beijing. To walk through these districts hundreds of years old are impressive. More about it Here
- Shanghai
is the world’s largest city, “the world’s most happening city,” a vibrant, cosmopolitan, futuristic, exhibitionist city without any measure. Here, over 24 million people spend their day in the hustle and bustle of the streets or behind the glass walls of skyscrapers, and in the evening at skybars, night markets or shopping, one of Shanghai’s favorite activities.
Shanghai became one of the most important financial driving force in the world. More things about it Here
- Hangzhou
What do Alibaba.com and Marco Polo have in common? Both have seen the potential of Hangzhou. With its West Lake, the city is not just China’s Silicon Valley, it is also a town with fairy-tale landscapes, being a successful example of a happy co-existence between nature and urban. In fact, it is said to be the one of the cities with the most bicycles in the world, so we did not miss the opportunity to go cycling near West Lake to green tea plantations, plantations that made Hangzhou the capital of tea in China. More about it Here
- Zhangjiajie
Then we ventured further into the heart of China, in the legendary Zhangjiajie Mountains, which they look like SF movies. Not accidentally, the landscape here served as inspiration for Avatar. We did not have the best of luck in here due to the fog, but the few scraps of scenery that we manage to see seemed from the other planet and they deserved all the effort. More about it Here.
- Guilin
The Li River, Yangshuo and the surrounding villages have shown us that behind China’s industrialized power, there is still that country where peasants care for their rice fields, like their ancestors thousands years ago. As we move away from major port cities to the islands (over 90% of China’s population is crammed around the coast), we felt that China and its uninterrupted culture have its place in the mainland. In the islands other cultures are well impregnated. More things about it Here.
- Hong Kong
is a successful mix between capitalism and exoticism, the place where the East meets the West! The city with the most skyscrapers in the world was developed by the English colonists almost from scratch in just 150 years on the site of a former fishing village. Today it is one of the financial and commercial centers of the world, but what really makes it special is the strange mixture of traditional Chinese culture and urban scenery. More about it Here.
- Macau
Macau, a short ferry-boat ride from Hong Kong, was the last colony of Europe in Asia. The Portuguese, through their characteristic diplomacy, have managed to control the little land of palm trees for more than 450 years. Although in 1999 it was ceded to China, we had the impression of walking through the small streets of a European city.
Macau has been transformed over the past few years into the gaming paradise and has even surpassed Las Vegas, being the playground of the Chinese and Asian with much money. More about it Here.
And because we are talking about China, everything here is in the recordings: the longest wall in the world (the Great Wall, which is not seen from the moon), the fastest lift in the world, the longest cable car, the longest and highest glass bridge in the world to Zhangjiajie and so on.
What seemed most interesting to us in our China trip is the fact that we felt we visited several countries, and every day we felt the enthusiasm you have when you see a new place: from Beijing to Hong Kong everything is changing from the cuisine, cities even langue is changing.
Yet, the 1.4 billion Chinese are united by some common values that make China the 21st century world power.
