I am surprised by the level of openness that China Chinese have. You see them being overly physically intimate in public, and I wonder whether that is necessary. Where did they get such values from? I really think that the Cultural Revolution eradicated a lot of the traditional/conservative values of the China society. Many of the values that China has today does not resemble values that I hold.


China cannot be defined just by 1 tour or visit to a certain place in China. Hong Kong and Macau are not part of the China culture. Going to those places ain't counted as going to the real China. Even if you go for tours there, esp to large touristy cities, you wouldn't have seen everything about China.

You'd be surprise at the level of equality of men and women that they have in China. More than I thought there was. When I was there, China just gave me the feeling that there were equal opportunities for men and women in terms of jobs. That's what I feel, I don't know what's the reality though.

One way where you can experience China in a short time is going there during Chinese New Year, taking a train. The queues are crazy, people are everywhere. People pushing and shoving. The odour of people not bathing. Ah...I don't know whether they still climb through windows just to get into the train. Now that, is the real China of today.

China culture can't be defined by referring to China as a whole. There are so many different places in China, each places having their culture of their own. You go to Guangzhou, and you see big, tall buildings. People are more open minded and more informed about the world. But going further into the streets, you see factories. You go to Shanghai, and you feel civilised, nicer than Singapore. You go to Beijing and you feel like it's an authoritarian place, austerity of the administration can be felt. But you go to Wuhan, and it's a whole different story. A mash pot of old and new development. High rise and scum places. How can China be defined as one? Each place is a city to its own.

I did not venture into the countryside though, which is a sad thing. They definitely would have their own story to tell.

I feel sad for the people in China, so many of them have just stayed in China. Not venturing out to other countries. They don't know the rest of the world. Some haven't even ventured out of their own towns/cities in China, till they are of a certain age. I have been blessed with a passport, and opportunities to see the world. Access to information about other places. Living in a multi-cultural society. China is largely just Han Chinese culture.

Anyway, on another note, China is a great place to travel. :) It doesn't matter whether you speak Chinese well. And you don't need to be scared you will be bullied cus the people there are rougher. Once you are in the situation there, you'll find a way out eventually. :D


中国古镇-西塘