China in my eyes

My trip to china

800-1500 word

Beijing

Hangzhou

Yiwu

Yunnan – Kunming City

Shanghai

Guangzhou

It all started in 2016, when I was nominated for a seminar in Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) in
AIBO, so I started doing my research online regarding China and specially the places where I will visit
as per the schedule in the offered seminar. In June 2016, I remember my official trip to China as it is
still fresh in my mind as if it was yesterday.

BEIJING

HANGZHOU

YIWU

YUNNAN – KUNMING City

Now I am learning Chinese at Beijing University of Technology. I have been studying Chinese for about six
months in Korea before coming to China. At the beginning, I felt that Chinese was very difficult. It was very
difficult for me to write Chinese characters, but the more I learned Chinese, the more interesting it was. And
Chinese culture, history or something, I want to know. So I am coming to Beijing. This is the second time to go
to Beijing. Because I came here to learn Chinese in Yanji. At that time I was an exchange student at the
University of Science and Technology. Last year, I traveled to Beijing on Labor Day.

Beijing in my eyes is very beautiful. I have been to the famous places such as the Great Wall,
Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. Last time I probably stayed in Beijing for a week or
so. I want to live in Beijing for a long time, but I have neither time nor money, so I have to go
back to Yanji. I hope to come to Beijing again, now I am coming again. This time I am not
traveling, I am studying abroad. I plan to study here for half a year. But by that time, I didn't
want to go back to China.
Although I have not been used to life here for two weeks in Beijing, I am quite satisfied. I
have already made several friends and I don't feel lonely.
Beijing is the capital of China. There are many people who want to see the famous places in
Beijing, and I am the same. I haven't been to a lot of places in Beijing. The traffic in Beijing
is very convenient. Because most of the tourists use public transportation cars, the subway is also
very good, cheap and convenient. The taxi is not bad. When I was taking a taxi, I talked to the
people who drove for a long time. He is very kind to me. I think others are the same. If someone
wants to know China's culture and history, etc., take a taxi. Although some people do not speak
Mandarin, it is a bit difficult to listen to, but you have the opportunity to practice the
conversation. A meter for each taxi. So you can receive the invoice. There is no such situation
in Korea.
Before I came here, I often heard that there are many bicycles in Beijing. In fact, I really
saw a lot of bicycles on the road. I think this is good, both physical and economic. I also want
to buy a bicycle.
There are many delicious dishes in China. The most famous is the Beijing Roast Duck. I haven't
eaten yet. But I want to eat.
The weather in my country is now very good. It is autumn. But Beijing autumn has not come
yet. So I want to see the red leaves of my country. I hope that it will be here soon. Maybe
China's autumn is so beautiful.
China is now preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games. China’s economic development is getting
faster every day. Beijing is the center of the Olympics. Perhaps the conference was very
successful. I tried to learn Chinese. At that time, I hope that Chinese is very good. I like China
and want to stay in China.

That was from the airport on my arrival. I judged them to be wonderful simply
because of the amount of time (about four hours) they waited at the airport for me
and the others invited. I know they were doing their jobs but it didn't actually seem so
because there was a genuine concern about my delays at immigration.

My second unforgettable experience followed when we arrived at our hotel and I

wondered if we won some sort of lottery.

The rooms were first class and room service home-like.

The next day we set out to the Beijing zoo, where among many other animals, I saw
the PANDA! I mean the great Chinese Panda. This was no longer on TV screens. I
came about five meters close to the lovely black-eyed animals. My phone camera
couldn't stop flashing.

From there we left for the Great Wall. Yes, I mean the Great Wall of China. We took
a cable car and arrived at an end where we took the walk amid slippery stairs to one
of the summits. I was exclaiming in excitement all through. I can't believe I climbed
the wall. One of the world's wonders. I never wondered again why it is one of the
world's wonders because it's almost mysterious imagining how people were able to
build such a structure in such an unforgiving terrain where we couldn't access most
of it without the cable cars. It's absolutely unbelievable.

I didn't mention that we had lunch after the zoo but we did and it was in a restaurant
where for the second time I saw and tested arrays of Chinese dishes. I tasted many
foods and I didn't know their names. Some were not well received by my taste buds
but many were quite tasty.

The next day took us to Tian'anmen Square. From there we headed to the Forbidden
City. Our guide, Amy, gave us a dose of lectures of when, why and who built each
structures. I got to learn about the dynasties and why the place got its name. That
was to be it for that day but it wasn't, because we headed to the hutong area. We
took rickshaws and toured the place. Our guide told us a lot about the people and
how much they have preserved their traditions, including having a public toilet, which
is not due to a lack of resources but to serve as a meeting point.

For me, happiness comes from small things, the small ones which have a big impact
in our lives. And I have noticed that Chinese are particular about taking care of small
things. Since I landed in this country almost seven months back, I noticed the
Chinese love for cleanliness in day to day life.

Even after having such a huge population, one does not find garbage or littering in
the open. People like to keep clean areas around themselves, not only most of the
parks, areas around offices, houses are clean but roads too. No doubt the
government too has contributed a lot and has provided a large number of dustbins at
every nook and cranny to help the citizens dispose of their litter.

And even after major development across China, one can still find greenery all
around. There are trees, plants and flowers on roadsides,which not only makes
every city look beautiful but also helps the environment a lot.

So the natural beauty of the colorful flowers, the maple leaves, the tall trees make
my day.
I come from a country which is next to China in terms of population, but we have yet
to catch the habit of keeping our cities and areas around us, clean and green.

Then the second pleasing thing is to watch beautiful ladies of China because they
have complete freedom and independence. They are free to wear whatever they
want, move anywhere they wish to go at any given time. Their participation in large
numbers in the workforce is surely helping China's GDP.

India's society is not so tolerant to give such freedom to its women, and neither has
western culture, despite all its freedom, accommodated such a large number of
women in their workforce.

Wait, if you think that I have not mentioned much about development then let me tell
you that I have traveled on China's high speed train at least thrice and nothing can
give you better experience about the development China than the feeling of travelling
at a speed of over 300 kilometers per hour.

The airport like stations, plane-like facilities inside high speed trains amazed me
when I first traveled on it. My journey from Beijing to Wuxi was completed in 5 hours,
while it can take 15 hours in other countries.
I also liked the helpful nature of the locals. At least thrice when I asked the
addresses of my destinations, I have been left at my destinations by the strangers,
twice by scooters and once by car.

But there are two things, a Chinese should think seriously to improve- about leftover
children and wasting of food.

People should try to keep their child as well as parents with them wherever they
work. It is more about adjustment than keeping children and parents away citing
personal space.

And because several people still do not get a square meal every day, we should not
waste our food, which is a common sight in almost every restaurant and hotel in
China.

I am Siti from Malaysia and am currently in Xiamen as a visiting professor in the

School of Journalism and Communication. When I first told my colleagues that I was
going to live in China for two months, many offered different reactions. Some would
say, 'I hope you enjoy your life there', and some, 'I hope you will get clean neighbors'
while some others said, 'Surely you are counting the days to come back home'.
That feedback never scared me. To me, China is a very large country and it is wrong
to generalize the country into a single statement. Maybe it is true that some of them
might have had various experiences when visiting China, but I was very positive
about life in China at that time, and held tight to the principle that, 'If we are good to
others, people will treat us well'.

That concept works! When I first arrived Xiamen, despite the challenge in language
as I don't speak Chinese, I smiled at many people, and they responded by smiling
back, even though I wear a head scarf. The treatment from my landlady is also
incomparable. She always gives my two-year-old son food and toys, and when I
bump into her, she hugs my son and says, 'piau liang'(means beautiful in English)
repeatedly. This corresponds positively with my previous reading about Xiamen, that
the people are civilized and well-mannered. There was also a lady from another part
of China who gave my son a toy when he was playing with her five-year-old son at
the Bai Cheng beach. This can be the proof that generalizations about China are just
not right, and contradicted my colleagues' impressions.

Uncle Hong, a person who suddenly volunteered to give us a free tour at Gulangyu
Island after a short conversation on the bus, while we were on our way to the
international dock. Hong, 84 years old, likes my son so much that he decided to
cancel his meeting with his pals and went back home to get a camera and meet us in
front of a building in Gulangyu. He said he lived on Gulangyu Island for more than 10
years and now, as a retired civil servant, he fills his time by taking photos around his
community and has even won several local and national level awards.
He spent more than half of his day with us and guided me, my sister and my son to a
local garden. That was indeed a very touching experience, especially when he
shared the difficulties in his life, such as in the 1960s when he was exiled to the
remote countryside for almost 23 years.

And the relationship continues. We met again but at Bai Cheng beach and he gave
me a copy of the pictures through Diana, one of the senior journalism students at
Xiamen University who has been my 'lifeline' here in Xiamen. He touched my heart
again by travelling to Xiamen city to develop and print the pictures for us! Now, I am
in the state of generalizing, 'I love China' because the place and the people really
moved me!
" China " is both strange and familiar to me. " Unfamiliar " is
because I have not been to China. It is said that it is adjacent
to us across the sea and is a mysterious country with a long
history. “ Familiar ” is because I live in Xigang. In recent
years, I have poured in a lot of Chinese people, Chinese shops
everywhere in the streets, and I am studying in Chinese schools. I
see Chinese characters in my eyes, Chinese words in my ears. Let
me feel so close to China!

China in my eyes is a country with a long history. It is one of

the four ancient civilizations in the world and has a splendid
culture. " Great Wall, Yangtze River, Huangshan, Yellow
River " is the Chinese symbol in my eyes.Beijing, Xi'an, Hangzhou,
and Shenyang are the Chinese cities I yearn for.Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are Chinese cities that my
neighbors love to visit.

In my eyes, China has a strong and industrious nation. They have

built their country into a world power and let me admire! In
modern China for hundreds of years, foreign aggressors have
invaded again and again, slashing land and paying compensation,
and the people have been displaced, but they can unite and drive
away foreign aggressors and build a world power and stand in the
east of the world!

China in my eyes is a country with a developed civilization. It

is the world's most populous country. It has a vast area. It is
the world's second largest economic and trade body and the world's
most industrialized country. It leads the world in scientific and
technological development. The satellites are in the sky, the
dragons enter the sea, and its high-speed rail, The world's first
in infrastructure construction!

China in my eyes is a friendly country. It does not invade other

countries and it assists the world's poor countries. China's
development has also driven the common prosperity of neighboring
countries. In particular, China’s help to Cambodia is obvious to
all people in the country. Over the past 60 years since
the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and
China , it has received all-round help, from infrastructure
roads, railways, port construction to agricultural assistance,
from tourism development to education and health. China’s help
to Cambodia is real, bringing benefits to every Cambodian,
improving the people’s living environment and improving people’s
lives.

China in my eyes is the Chinese teacher in the school. They gave

up their comfortable domestic living conditions and came to
Cambodia. Their living conditions are difficult, but their faces
are full of affection and self-confidence. They are relaying one
after another every year, teaching us to learn culture and teach
us the skills to make a living. , take care of us in every
possible way. Their sunny smiles, strong body, and optimistic
personality are the souls of the school, affecting us and
infecting us. In them, I saw the shadow of China. I believe that
China will be stronger and stronger! I am even more convinced
that with the help of China, the country will be rich and the
people's lives will be better!

I also want to know what the "ordinary" Germans think about China. Because unfortunately, what
they hear through the media is not always positive. For myself, I only remember that when I was
a child, I was afraid to go to a Chinese restaurant. I think they would give us rats. In order to
avoid going there to eat, I screamed and rebelled. As for why this is the case, unfortunately I
have not remembered.

Later, I discovered by chance that if you have the ability to speak Chinese, many people in
Germany will admire you and think that you are very promising. So at the end of the 1980s, when
I was 16 years old, I decided to start learning Chinese. At the beginning, I only took some
evening classes. Later, I went to the Chinese Department of the University, and the more I
learned, the more I liked it. I think everything is very exotic and the Chinese characters are very
beautiful.
 However, very few people share with me the joy of learning Chinese. For many years, most
people thought that I was a strange person and even laughed at me. However, I ignore them and
continue to learn. I feel that China's ancient culture and knowledge are very valuable. I always
want to know more. For this reason, I have read many books about China.

When I first went to China in 1991, I went to Beijing. I think the city is very big. Looking at the
wide bike lanes and countless bike racks, as well as the parking attendants, I was
stupid. However, it is really fun to use a few Chinese words that I will speak to communicate with
others!

When I came to China for the second time, my Chinese was quite good. The plane I took
was landing at the Nanning airport. I worked hard with two Japanese young people to find a train
station. I had to explain the way to the taxi driver in Chinese. At that time, for the first time, I
realized the magical golden key that I have: how valuable communication tools are Chinese. In
the eyes of these foreigners, I discovered my magical language ability.

Since then, I have always been looking forward to and delighting to go to China - a country
with great land, many valuable natural scenery, ethnic customs, mouth-watering cuisine, and
incredible enthusiasm, fun, open people. . When I was there, I had a lot of conversations with
local friends. Our topic is in the north and there are plenty of food to choose from. We are full of
curiosity about each other and more laughter. At that moment, I sincerely hope that our
communication from two completely different worlds will never end.

I have been to Suzhou, Xiamen, Changsha, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Zhangzhou, Kunming,

Great Wall, many small towns and remote rural areas. It is inexplicable that in all places I feel as
if at home, Chinese people are curious and I am straightforward. Humor makes every place I go
to full of laughter. On several occasions, the strangers on the street insisted on helping me pay
for the food, forcing me to smoke their cigarettes, and even asked me to choose a piece of land
to stay, just to thank me for my efforts in learning Chinese.

Now, I have studied Chinese for more than 20 years. When I think of China today, I will first
think of going to Beijing once. I am fortunate to meet with the Minister of Science and Technology
of the People’s Republic of China, Wan Gang. His German is very professional and Fluent, at the
end of this very interesting and cordial meeting, I said to him: "Mr. Wan, I want to tell you one
thing: I have heard many Chinese speak German, but I have never heard anyone say It’s better
than you - it’s great!”

Then he replied unexpectedly: "I have heard many foreigners speak Chinese, but I have
never seen a foreigner say that Chinese is better than you."

I was surprised to answer: "Mr. Wan, thank you for your compliment - just now your words
made me feel that today is the most memorable day!"

I also want to know what we think about China. Because unfortunately, what they hear through
the media is not always positive. For myself, I only remember that when I was a child, I was
afraid to go to a Chinese restaurant. I think they would give us rats or even dogs. In order to
avoid going there to eat, I screamed and rebelled. As for why this is the case, unfortunately I
have not remembered.
Later, I discovered by chance that if you have the ability to speak Chinese, many people in
Germany will admire you and think that you are very promising. So at the end of the 1980s,
when I was 16 years old, I decided to start learning Chinese. At the beginning, I only took some
evening classes. Later, I went to the Chinese Department of the University, and the more I
learned, the more I liked it. I think everything is very exotic and the Chinese characters are
very beautiful.
However, very few people share with me the joy of learning Chinese. For many years, most
people thought that I was a strange person and even laughed at me. However, I ignore them
and continue to learn. I feel that China's ancient culture and knowledge are very valuable. I
always want to know more. For this reason, I have read many books about China.
When I first went to China in 1991, I went to Beijing. I think the city is very big. Looking at
the wide bike lanes and countless bike racks, as well as the parking attendants, I was stupid.
However, it is really fun to use a few Chinese words that I will speak to communicate with
others!
When I came to China for the second time, my Chinese was quite good. The plane I took was
landing at the Nanning airport. I worked hard with two Japanese young people to find a train
station. I had to explain the way to the taxi driver in Chinese. At that time, for the first time, I
realized the magical golden key that I have: how valuable communication tools are Chinese.
In the eyes of these foreigners, I discovered my magical language ability.
Since then, I have always been looking forward to and delighting to go to China - a country
with great land, many valuable natural scenery, ethnic customs, mouth-watering cuisine, and
incredible enthusiasm, fun, open people. . When I was there, I had a lot of conversations with
local friends. Our topic is in the north and there are plenty of food to choose from. We are full
of curiosity about each other and more laughter. At that moment, I sincerely hope that our
communication from two completely different worlds will never end.
I have been to Suzhou, Xiamen, Changsha, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Zhangzhou, Kunming, Great
Wall, many small towns and remote rural areas. It is inexplicable that in all places I feel as if
at home, Chinese people are curious and I am straightforward. Humour makes every place I go
to full of laughter. On several occasions, the strangers on the street insisted on helping me pay
for the food, forcing me to smoke their cigarettes, and even asked me to choose a piece of land
to stay, just to thank me for my efforts in learning Chinese.
Now, I have studied Chinese for more than 20 years. When I think of China today, I will first
think of going to Beijing once. I am fortunate to meet with the Minister of Science and
Technology of the People’s Republic of China, Wan Gang. His German is very professional
and Fluent, at the end of this very interesting and cordial meeting, I said to him: "Mr. Wan, I
want to tell you one thing: I have heard many Chinese speak German, but I have never heard
anyone say It’s better than you - it’s great!”
Then he replied unexpectedly: "I have heard many foreigners speak Chinese, but I have never
seen a foreigner say that Chinese is better than you."
I was surprised to answer: "Mr. Wan, thank you for your compliment - just now your words
made me feel that today is the most memorable day!"