China: François’ Travel Reflections

THE HAIRY GIRAFFE… IN CHINA

After a month in China, including 15 days in Yunnan, it’s time to reflect. How did we experience this journey? What were our joys, disappointments, questions, doubts, and discoveries? This is not merely an assessment of a country but rather of a trip—how we perceived it individually and subjectively.

François’ Travel Reflections

Benjamin was the one who wanted to go to China. I wasn’t really (or not at all) excited about the idea of including it in our world tour, let alone spending more than three weeks there. I’ve never had a strong inclination towards China. My past experiences with Chinese people have never been particularly interesting. In high school, the many Chinese-origin youths there used to stick together and not talk to others. While traveling, Chinese tourists are known for moving in huge groups and taking up a lot of space. After India and the emotions I experienced there, I must admit that I wasn’t necessarily eager to find myself engulfed by a noisy human tide in a dirty setting. Dirty, because for me, China was like the Chinatowns I had visited in Montreal, Toronto, or New York.

From neighborhoods with buildings weathered by time, often noisy, with strange smells and dead ducks in restaurant windows. These areas are often dirty, and it’s not uncommon to see a cockroach or a rodent strolling down the street or simply coming out of a restaurant. Not very appetizing. Why would I want to spend a month in such a place? For the Great Wall and the Forbidden City? That’s not enough. There’s the Taj Mahal in India, and the journey is no less horrible. The downside of traveling with your husband who knows you well is that he knows how to use the right arguments to convince you. Benjamin only had to mention that we could spend a day watching pandas to weaken my defense. The final blow came when he announced that we could then go to Japan, where my inner geek would be fulfilled. I was down for the count. Okay, let’s make China the seventh destination of our world tour (and let’s go see pandas!)

Is China really that bad?

I must admit I was shocked when I arrived in Kunming. Not the kind of shock that makes you want to plug your nose or gouge your eyes out, as I’ve experienced before. It was a different kind of shock. The kind that leaves you standing there, mouth agape, while making you feel completely stupid. Stupid for ever thinking for a second that China could be rotten.

On several points, Chinese modernity is on par with Korea’s. The subways are modern, the trains are fast. The streets are clean (very clean, in fact; I’ve rarely seen so many cleaning staff working diligently), and there are no rats running around.

It’s amazing how, in the West, we have no real idea of what can happen in China. There’s such opacity that we end up thinking all sorts of crazy things about the country. My prejudices of a run-down and non-modern China are shared by others. While surfing the net, you can find even worse ones than mine, like the idea that young children all have a hole in the back of their pants to facilitate certain natural needs… In reality, there’s none of that (maybe in remote areas, if at all). China is comfortable and pleasant. The Chinese are generally kind and welcoming and don’t see Western tourists as enemies of the nation. On the contrary, they try their best to understand them and don’t hesitate to ask for a photo with them. However, prejudices against China can have their benefits: Western tourists are few and far between. Apart from Beijing and, to a lesser extent, Xi’an, non-Chinese tourists are rare. Several times in Yunnan, we didn’t come across any Westerners during an entire day. This makes immersion easier and completely changes the travel experience.

Everything seems beautiful and wonderful in the Middle Kingdom. But in fact, no. There’s a big (even huge) issue: the omnipresent surveillance coupled with state censorship. Cameras are everywhere in China. In the streets, aboard trains, in elevators. They film everyone’s comings and goings. In addition to this, there’s top-notch facial recognition technology worthy of a science fiction movie. For a Chinese person, it’s possible to withdraw money or pay for a metro ticket by simply placing their face in front of the camera. To enter a tourist site, take a bus, or buy a metro ticket in Beijing (yes, just a metro ticket), the average individual is required to show their ID. I’ve never shown my passport as often as I did during my stay in China. In China, it’s totally impossible to go unnoticed. Convenient and secure, undoubtedly. Invasion of privacy, definitely. It’s also a plethora of personal data being collected, stored, and potentially usable. While the Chinese don’t seem to be bothered by this, it shocked me as much as it frightened me. It’s scary to constantly feel watched, even though I know I’m not necessarily very interesting to the higher-ups. It’s also frustrating not to be able to move freely, constantly having to show your passport here and there, and feeling like you’re being spied on. Sorry, but a passport is not just any document. Ultimately, it’s oppressive to navigate within a system where privacy is a utopia. I may be completely paranoid, but being treated like a lab rat is not my thing.

Is China Worth Visiting?

China deserves to be known. As much as I resisted spending several weeks there, looking back, I don’t regret it at all. I saw beautiful landscapes ranging from snowy mountains to cherry blossoms (probably as splendid as in Japan). I discovered a country with a rich history and a genuine ancient culture. I ate very good food there, even if sometimes I felt like I was breathing fire. I met generally kind and pleasant people, especially in Yunnan. Just for all that, China is worth the trip.

Will I go back to China? Yes, very likely. I had a good time. Plus, the country is vast and I’ve only seen a part of it.

Would I settle in China? The question arises since both of us enjoyed the country. After all, we asked ourselves the same question after our trips to French Polynesia and South Korea. Without any hesitation this time, the answer is no. It’s hard to ignore the Big Brother aspect that can be chilling at times. It reminds us how fortunate we are to live in a country that respects individual freedoms and allows freedom of expression. I refuse to settle in a place where I cannot think freely and where I would fear being expelled or imprisoned for saying something that goes against the government-imposed doctrine.

And what about the pandas?

Our day at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was simply incredible. We saw over forty giant pandas in full activity. It’s true that a giant panda doesn’t run like a cheetah. However, they climb trees, play, and eat an incredible amount of bamboo. Seeing these rare animals up close was a privileged experience that I will remember for a long time. Just for the pandas, the trip to China was worth it. Everything else was a bonus.