China: every mile a memory

[snoop1130]

China: every mile a memory

by Arlene Rafiq

 

 

It is during this time of the pandemic that I thought of writing about China as I remembered. So many negative stories have been in the news about China that I feel it is going out of hand. I worked for the Chinese for 21 years in my youth and I have the most memorable time with them. Whatever I know in business administration came from my previous employers and not from the four years of college education. It is to their credit what I have become today whether in the field of business, entertainment and even writing skill. So it is not surprising why I chose to visit China for the first time.

 

My China trip gave me an opportunity to explore one of the oldest civilizations and one of the greatest travel destinations in the world. The humongous population of over a billion inhabitants invites culturally curious visitors like me with so much enthusiasm. The spring (April-May) and Autumn (September-October) are indeed beautiful times of the year to visit China. While there are a thousand images that come to mind those images often include sunshine, people in the park doing tai-chi, blue skies or just people sitting outside watching others or looking to kill time.

 

Our first stop was Shanghai. Everything around me is impressive. There are so many wonderful things to see in Shanghai, an extremely walkable city. It is modern and can be likened to Paris or New York in terms of modernity and impressive skylines. It’s a perfect place to stroll and explore some of the historic remnants of the city or just watch the world go by as you sit in one of the parks. Shanghai is truly one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world. I especially enjoyed the waterfront promenade lined with colonial era buildings. Looking at the futuristic skyline, it’s hard to believe that just about a little over thirty years ago, this place used to be all farmland. I was like a child in fairyland enjoying the fantastic lightshow at sunset and the amazing tower illuminated with “I heart Shanghai” messages. 

 

On our second day, we explored Shanghai’s famed Nanjing Road. It is the main shopping road in Shanghai and the busiest. Walking this packed pedestrian only road is like total madness. It is a huge place with everything and anything. It’s like Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market in terms of size and crowd but uncovered. There are hundreds of businesses on the road offering superior quality products and new fashions. Traditional stores and specialty shops selling silk goods, jade, embroidered slippers, wool and even hardware products. Looking around, they also have a variety of snacks like wantons, traditional cakes like meat filled mooncakes, sticky sweet rice dessert. There is something for everyone whether food, clothes, knick-knacks or whatever you fancy. Truly a shoppers’ paradise.

 

It was past noon when we decided to take a bite and we thought what better way to see the real culture but to go where the locals eat. We found this hole in a wall restaurant that had all the food that I am familiar with. We sat and ordered food and that is when confusion started. Everything of course is written in Chinese so we relied on pointing out the food pictured on the menu. It wasn’t bad at all… we actually thoroughly enjoyed our lunch.

 

There is an abundance of parks and squares to discover in Shanghai. Many of which you will stumble upon when trying to find something else. If you are a first timer in Shanghai and still trying to figure out, keep an eye on Yuyuan Garden. A place not to be missed. It has an interesting ambiance of typical pagoda structures, bright red lanterns, beautiful landscape and a Dynasty teahouse. YuYuan Garden means Garden of Happiness and it is easy to see why. It is a must see attraction in Huangpu district. This exquisite garden with a beautiful layout and stunning scenery made it one of the highlights of my visit. The location has a wonderful mix of things to make you happy. We also visited Jing’an Si Temple which means tranquil and peaceful temple. Apparently, this is one of the most famous temples in Shanghai. Jing’an Temple is a holy place for both Buddhism and Taoism, boasting the largest jade Buddha in China. If you want to see a glimpse of China during the olden times, this is the place to be.

 

Five days is really not enough when visiting China. You will hardly scratch the surface. We had to make the most of our visit because you will never know when the next one would be or if indeed there is going to be any future visits.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/featured/china-every-mile-a-memory/

 

-- © Copyright Expat Life in Thailand 2020-09-15

 

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[Puchaiyank]

The world in general was a nicer place to visit and work when you were younger.  Don't make the mistake of underestimating China's government's world dominance ambitions...

[Orton Rd]

Five days visiting China is 5 days too many, it's not the people it's the CCP. Don't go and support these communist imperialists. Good to see the Indians giving the so called people's liberation army a thrashing.

[steven100]

You can shove china where the sun don't shine. I hope the world hits them harder and harder.

The only lasting memory of china is the filthy wet markets that exposed the corona virus and cost billions of innocent their meager wealth and possessions.

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by steven100

[NCC1701A]

 

[RocketDog]

That was then and this is now. 

You're living in a fool's paradise. 

 

Whether intentional or not their virus has thrown the globe into chaos. 

 

China is a existential threat to the entire world and is quite happy to declare itself so. 

 

When some country with china's resources tells you they intend to subsume you it's wise to listen. 

 

I for one don't care to hear any more of your reminiscences. 

[DJ54]

I lived/worked traveled APAC based in China (Xiamen) 12 years before coming here 4 plus years ago.... nice places to go and most people are

good natured..  

 

Now Thailand... thinking I’ll wait until they bring that box around and 2

x 5th bottles of gasoline...