Memories from China

I'm back in Stockholm after an incredible journey through wonderful China. A little exhausted after traveling intensive for 17 days, but most of all I am filled with memories and pictures that I will remember many years to come....

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My journey started in the beginning of August with ten other friends. As we stood in Arlanda airport in Stockholm, we all were anxious to begin our journey towards the most populous state in the world. After only an eight hour flight we touched the grounds of Beijing.

As we started to explore Beijing through tourist attractions as the Forbidden City, The Drum Tower and Summer Palace I became very aware of the emerging middle class in China and increasing domestic tourism. The upper middle class was not only traveling it seems they were also consuming largely. Large shopping malls in Beijing packed with all the international clothing brands were filled with Chinese youth and professionals. They were sipping starbucks and driving one of numerous BMWs or Audis with tainted windows that more or less filled the highly trafficked highways at rush hour. China's transition from a planned economy to a one with an increasingly open market environment became very clear to me as I strolled down very hip area of Sanlitun Village also called Beijings "Soho". But visits to sights as Great Wall at Badaling, Ming tombs, Hutongs, Tian'anmen Square and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall quickly gave me perspective over China' s great and long history.

As we took the night train from Beijing to Xi'an, the area was experiencing one of the worst heat waves in years with temperatures rising to 40 degrees Celsius. At the same time in Gansu province in northwestern China, heavy rain resulted in landslides that took lives of more than 1,200 people. It was hard not to realize the upcoming challenges regarding climate change, consumption and China. What I will remember from our short visit to Xi'an isn' t the great Terracotta Army or the fact that the ancient Silk Road originated from Xi'an. It is the sight of a local cycling race on the Xi'an city wall during the heat wave. The race was a event to highlight the theme of World Expo 2010 "Better City, Better Life"  and to promote usage of bicycling in effort to reduce exhaust emissions in Xi'an.

Our next stop was Guilin in southern China. The city located on the west bank of Li river was surrounded by rural landscape and nature. The width of Guilin's landscape was introduced to us by a climb to Fubo mountain and then a visit to the red flute cave to enjoy spectacular underground landscape. As I thought the scenery couldn't get better, we took a four-hour boat trip to Yangshuo through Li river, passing thousands of limestone hills standing in different poses and with different expressions. I became even more spellbounded by beautiful Yangshuo in the evening as the hills transformed to natural stage for the Opera and light show Impression of Liu Sanjie.

A two-hour flight from Guilin and we had left the unexploited land of Guilin and Yangshuo to Shanghai, one of world' s metropolitans. The presence of World Expo 2010 in Shanghai was obvious. There were special Expo taxi, Expo gift shops and Expo volunteers in every street corner. I was impressed to hear that Shanghai with the Expo theme "Better City Better Life" had attracted 190 countries and 50 organizations to World Expo 2010. Instead of Chinese traveling out to the world, the world has come to China.

As I entered the Expo area I became very aware of the fact that this was the largest World's Fair site ever with its 5.28 square km. After visiting various pavilions including Swedish, I left the Fair feeling pleased over participating in a historical event. With a quick visit to upcoming city of Suzhou in outskirts of Shanghai, I was not yet ready to fly back home to Sweden. But as I came to conclusion that I had only seen a little percentage of what China has to offer, I realized that my journeys in China just had begun....