Culture Shock China

As mentioned in the title, China was the biggest culture shock for me compared to everything else. It is just so different from everything we know and are used to in Europe, from language to behaviors to culture, etc. I had many strange encounters and made observations and impressions. But I have to say that I was only in Shanghai and Beijing, and megacities are different from other regions.

Honestly, it was not always easy for me here. In certain situations, I had to remind myself that I am the guest here and that my 'European' behavior may seem strange to others. Even though I found many things very strange, I had to adapt as a foreign tourist. From their perspective, I am probably the 'over-sensitive European'...

I don't want to go into details here in this public blog. You can imagine why.

In the end, I was able to take it all with humor, otherwise I would have been constantly annoyed 😂. But I will never be able to get used to spitting, loudly cleaning the respiratory tract, and 'other sounds' in public! 🙈😳

Eating was also not easy for me in China. Hardly any vegetarian options and overall too greasy and sweet for my taste. It's actually about the same as the 'Chinese' food we know in Vienna. 😉

Imagine this: a white Westerner enters a restaurant, surrounded by only Chinese people. That alone attracts attention. No one speaks English. And then she wants something vegetarian and asks questions on 'Google Translate'! Let me tell you, you get looks. It's like being an alien! 👽

Shanghai

After struggling with my heavy backpack in the crowded metro, on the first day I met Michi (whom I know from Thailand), who was on a business trip to Shanghai 😀. It was so nice to see a familiar face. We walked together along Nanjing Road and the 'Bund' and had dinner together. Unfortunately, Michi had to go back to the airport. The time together was short but nice! 😊

In Shanghai, I explored the different neighborhoods and classic sightseeing spots. I also spontaneously went to the cinema (Green Book), which was a funny experience. Until the start of the movie, I couldn't figure out if the film was in Chinese with English subtitles or vice versa. Thankfully, it was in its original language 😉. I was so happy that I could laugh with a group of people again. Apparently, I missed that a lot...

In a restaurant, I met a lovely waitress who took a walk with me in her lunch break in Sculpture Park, where, funnily enough, sculptures by Erwin Wurm were exhibited.

In Tianzifang, I got new glasses made because my old ones unfortunately got scratched. For me, glasses are like handbags or shoes for others 😎.

You can see on the photos where else I have been.

A particularly beautiful experience was a concert at the Shanghai Symphony Hall (Schubert Piano Sonatas). It was quite something to hear Austrian music in China...

Beijing

I traveled from Shanghai to Beijing in just 4.5 hours on the high-speed train. The train travels at 350km/h!

In Beijing, unfortunately, I stayed at the dirtiest and shabbiest hostel I have ever been to, but at least they could speak English at the reception, which was a hit in China! The previous communication was anything but easy 😳.

My sightseeing in Beijing:

• Summer Palace of the emperor

I spent my first day in Beijing with lots of sun and fresh cool air in the emperor's summer residence. A huge area around Kunming Lake with so many small pagodas and halls that carry very pompous names (Hall of Buddhist Fragrance, Hall for Dispersing Clouds, Hall of Kindness and Longevity...). The emperor and his family had it quite nice here!

• Hiking on the Great Wall of China

My absolute highlight in China: a 10km hike on the wall, Jinshanling section. Sophie gave me the valuable tip to visit this part of the wall because the others are too touristy. It was definitely worth it! There were ten of us in the group with guide Chan. There were hardly any other people around, the weather was perfect, the view was breathtaking, and the silence with the birdsong was delightful!

I vaguely remembered the movie "The Last Emperor" and tried to capture that feeling here. It was a bit difficult with the crowds, but it was still impressive. The city of the emperor was built from 1406 onwards in the Ming Dynasty by a total of about 1 million (!) slaves and 100,000 craftsmen, and legend has it that it consists of 9999 1/2 rooms. A palace complex with 10,000 rooms can only exist in heaven. They actually counted and there are indeed 8886 rooms in the 720,000m2 complex. ("It's huge!" 😂)

I took half a day to explore the entire grounds.

Until 1911, the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived here. The last emperor, Puyi, didn't leave until 12 years after his abdication, and the palace was opened to the public in 1924.

It was not easy to catch glimpses of the rooms because there were crowds in front of the doors. What one could see were relics from another world in the past... From the outside, the buildings had a rather kitschy touch because they had been renovated and the colors looked artificially new. The old almost looked "too new," if you know what I mean.

Afterwards, I took the fast and dizzying train back to Shanghai.

Lastly, I want to share some of my personal thoughts about my time in China.

I actually had my first real "travel low" here. It was due to several factors: my environment, where travel is much more exhausting than before, the crowds, the anonymity of the big city, my personal exhaustion from it all, and, most importantly, my growing longing for Nico. I know, I know, first-world problems! But anyone who thinks that traveling is happy and carefree every day is mistaken. Just like how one doesn't always feel good at home or on vacation, the same goes for traveling. And in China, it is really exhausting! A very esoteric traveler I met in Thailand once told me that China had a 'negative energy' on her. Now I understand a bit of what she meant.

I hope that Japan will lift me out of this low! I am really looking forward to it. Ever since school, I have wanted to be there during cherry blossom season 😊 🌸!