Thoughts and pictures after a month in China

 

How ironic! China is the world's biggest polluter, 8 of the 10 most polluted cities in the world are in China and Xian sometimes has black snowflakes.

 

Here are a few shots from China > you'll definately see how polluted it is.

 

BEIJING

A picture taken from Tianmen Square with a few on the Forbidden city.

 

 

A sunny day at the Summer palace

 

 

A view of the Forbidden city. Not so clear...

 

 

During my travels in China, I realised that the sky is not blue in big cities. But in Beijing, red is not dead.

 

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Beijing is the first Chinse city where I felt such a strong communist environnement.

Soldiers marching around town. Red flags proudly floating on official building and waved by tourists' Kids.

 

Summer palace was my favorite historical site in beijing.

 

 

 

The way to the Wall was quite physical but I wanted to walk it up!

 

 

Yes, in retrospect, it was worth it!

 

 

 

I spend 5 days and 4 busy nights with Brett and his girlfriend Jianze. Brett is a 28 year-old New-yorker that has been living in Beijing for the past 5 years. He works in P.R and speaks pretty good Mandarin.

Even if he does have some rough days at work, with his maid or noisy security guards, he still can't see himself leaving Beijing.

Learned a lot about life in China, unwritten Chinese customs and expat life with him.

Here is a picture of Brett on my/his couch.

 

 

He even introducted me to a Nigerian "expat", Larry. Funny guy.

 

 

 

Travelling is about new places with new people. But it's also about getting to see the people you know or you've met in new places. here is Anne, my university mate I met in Chengdu. She came to hang out with me for two days.

 

 

We still have a pending invitation to go and swim at this guy's place.

 

 

Anne and I went for some Beijing Duck then wandered around 798, the artistic district : it's basically former factories turned into artistic lofts and art gallery. Great experience that gives you quite another idea of this megalopolis. It's one of the only places in Beijing you'll see street grafitis.

 

Another place you can see them is the Hutong, Beijing's traditional old town. Blocks of narrow streets form another time.

 

 

 

 

I have to say thanks to both Brett and Anne for making my stay in Beijing so fun and instructive.

 

 

 

XIAN FLASHBACK

 

Before Beijing, I went to Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. Some travellers believe it's a rip off but to me, it was quite interesting to see this massive archeological site.

 

 

The most interesting part of Xian to me was its Muslim quarter and Muslim population.

Xian has the biggest mosque in China.

 

 

 

 

Muslim Chinese grow their beards, some women were a veil. It's quite interesting to see.

 

 

Who took this picture?

 

Well Eric, the Canadian guy I spend my birthday with two weeks early. I met him at night in the Muslim area , near the Bell Tower. He couldnt make it to Tibet... Chinese is a huge country but it is still a small world.

 

 

Xian? Hum, delicious food!

 

 

Chinese people say in a life time , you have to see in China the BIG 4 : Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin and Xian...

 

 

DONE

 

 

Next week, HK and Japan.