China

My China travel summary:

Visited: August 1999

Duration of visit: 60 days

Capital city: Beijing

Population: 1,253 million (1999)

China travel blog reading time: 9 minutes

• Walking the Great Wall with a group of Chinese tourists.
• Beijing with its landmarks: Tiananmen Square, Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, Forbidden City and Lama Buddhist Temple.
• Awaiting the sunrise on the top of sacred mountain Emei Shan.
• Spinning sacred wheels around Labrang Monastery in Xiahe.
• Three days trip with horses to the countryside above Songpan.
• Fresh vegetarian options in the most rundown restaurants.
• Visiting Hong Kong shortly after its incorporation into China.

China was part of the Asian Big Tour from Australia, through Southeast Asia to India. During this 15-months long trip I visited most of the countries in the region and spent two months travelling around China.

My impressions of China can be summed up as honest and friendly people for whom ideas of communism, equality, and social sacrifice feel outdated.

The country boasts diverse nature, modern cities and some innovations that make travelling easier for the visitors. I was especially impressed by the varied diet and challenged by difficult communication.

In this article write about the following topics in China: a country of superlatives, short history, travelling tips, Chinese cuisine, the rule of one child and what to do when only Chinese is spoken.

More articles about my China travel adventures are available here:

Although China ranks as the fourth largest nation in the world, it maintains only one time zone. It is fascinating to note that one in five people globally is Chinese. I find it particularly interesting that table tennis is considered the national sport of China, despite the multitude of sports that exist.

Recently, China has been known for copying many products, but historically it is recognized for great inventions such as paper, gunpowder, block printing, and the compass. It also faces challenges, including pollution from industry and rapid urban growth.

Alongside Cuba and North Korea, China in 1999 was still seen as a stronghold of communism, with difficult travel conditions and a largely self-sufficient population.

During my visit, it was also beginning to abandon the practice of charging foreigners much higher prices than locals. Furthermore, China features an exceptional traditional cuisine, sacred mountains and more and more.

For me, no country has ever felt like such a puzzle, with so many conflicting opinions and sources.

Among the many dynasties that ruled China and expanded its territories, a special place goes to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).

After the proclamation of the Republic and the civil war between Communists and Chiang Kai-shek’s army, Mao Zedong officially announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949. The early communist system supported rapid progress, but Mao’s mistakes and the Cultural Revolution (1966–70) led to recession.

Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms pushed China into an economic boom in the 1980s and 1990s, while the political system has remained unchanged.

Due to difficulty buying train tickets and a good road network, I often found buses the most suitable transport. Bus stations were usually less chaotic, tickets were always available, and people were more willing to help.

For longer distances, buses are equipped with real beds built into two floors for passenger comfort.

Although beds were short for my size, they were very cozy compared to even the most comfortable seats. Drivers and assistants were often proud to transport foreigners and gave them special attention.

Despite modern petroleum-powered transport, during my China travel adventure the bicycle remained a symbol. I often saw large parking areas filled with bikes, from old black ones to modern mountain bikes with shock absorbers. Renting a bike was especially useful in Yangzhou, where city buses were difficult to navigate.

Centuries of tradition have shaped Chinese cuisine to a real art, enriched with exotic meats, spices and flavors. Without fancy menus or tablecloths, skilled chefs cook in lively street food markets and simple makeshift eateries.

It usually only takes a few minutes to prepare fried vegetables, roasted chicken or soup with noodles in a wok. Indispensable tea without sugar, soy sauce, and clumsy use of chopsticks made every meal a special event.

To experience a more authentic atmosphere, I mixed with locals, noticing loud conversations, discarded food, and exotic dishes.

The biggest difference between China and other countries is that even small villages have simple restaurants serving vegetarian food. The only challenge is the complex menus written in unfamiliar Chinese characters.

My usual tactic was to go into the kitchen and choose vegetables and ingredients myself. Within minutes, I received delicious dishes with rice on the table.

I started using this tactic after an unsuccessful attempt to order directly from the waiter without understanding the menu. I showed my notes with vegetables in Chinese characters and asked for a mixed plate with rice.

Since Chinese cuisine usually serves vegetables separately, I received individual dishes and realized I could not finish them all. This experience was both amusing and educational.

By the late 20^th century, China introduced strict population control measures due to rapid growth. Urban families were generally limited to one child, while rural families sometimes had exceptions if the first child was a girl, with violations punished severely.

These policies, combined with sex-selective practices, led to a gender imbalance and long-term concerns about aging populations and labor shortages. Later, the policy was eventually abandoned and replaced with more flexible population regulations.

There are few countries where knowledge of English helped me as little as in China in 1999. Outside Yangzhou and Beijing, English-speaking places were rare. Additionally, English speakers sometimes expected payment for their services.

I learned a few basic words, wrote them on paper, and showed them to staff in restaurants, stations, and hotels. I tried many times to pronounce simple phrases, but was usually understood only when I presented Chinese characters.

Menus were too long and complex, so I made my own ingredient list in a notebook to order dishes.

Even common words like restaurant, bus, hotel, and Coca-Cola are completely different in Chinese.

China is defined by scale: over a billion people, vast territory, large rail network, huge stations, and rich history. In 1999, I experienced China as unique compared to all my previous travels. I rarely found such direct access to rural communities and traditional lifestyles elsewhere in Asia.

China’s extensive history, vast landscapes, and varied culture present a distinctive combination that truly astonished me.

Engaging with China requires a different approach; especially because language barrier can often represent the biggest challenge.

For me, China is among the Top 3 destinations in Asia.