Contemporary People’s Republic of China
Finally two trips to the ‘Middle Kingdom’ (of the Earth), a name coined by the Chinese emperors more than one thousand years ago.
And increasingly again, the Chinese, whilst their society is going through fundamental changes, consider themselves with growing assertion, as the people occupying the centre of the earth.
Ever since I was a student, the hard core communist Mao period (from the start of the Long March in 1934 until his death in 1976) had created an image whereby admiration, fear and general ignorance about ‘those Chinese’ was ever present.
From World War II until the early seventies hardly anyone traveled to mainland China. The Chinese, Russians and East Europeans were part of the communist-socialist block to be avoided.
Now Dutch citizens can travel visa-free and without being accompanied by bothersome official guides; therefore we (Koreans these days also enjoy a visa waiver) were able to travel as we pleased and determine the sights to visit, and freely interact with everybody we met.
I had not expected that the originally agricultural Yunnan province with its mild climate and kind of isolated location within China presented itself as a high tech, dynamic and generally bustling region. All the places we visited looked prosperous and with my experienced eyes I scanned for signs of chronic poverty….I could not find it!
Equally, the public infrastructure in terms of roads, official buildings and premises, markets even....have undergone a facelift including the quality of hygiene and cleanliness. Biya, in particular noticed such continously. and she does know since she visited China twice over long periods upto one year each in 2001 and 2011.
The digitalization is far ahead of Europe and even the elderly street hawkers do not handle cash but operate with a smartphone featuring ‘AliPay’ and ‘WeChat’, the two platforms that operate in China nationwide.
Factually, cash is only used in extreme situations and.. be prepared for this when you enter the country: at the airport you will have to scan QR codes and digitally inform the authorities where you go and where you stay. You have to download the payment platforms and link these to your bank account in your home country; only then can you start ‘a life’ in China. Fortunately Biya did this for us although for our very first taxi ride in the middle of the night, entering Kunming, ‘AliPay’ did not work yet and I had to visit an ATM and withdraw cash with my VISA card. All safe and clear.
Biya studied Chinese twice in 2001 and 2011 for upto a year in Beijing and recalled that she drove her bicycle every day to school.
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| Biya in Beijing 2001/ 43 years young |
True to the bone: bicycles are gone now. Everyone handles an E-scooter. In less than ten years the image of mobile China has changed fundamentally. E-scooters and electric cars only. Surprisingly I did not see any public loading stations (probably in the underground garages?). And even dense traffic is courteous and correct.
Although Mao these days is publicly ignored he still features prominently on the bank notes of the renminbi/yuan currency. He features dressed in his typical communist attire: the collarless overcoat and wide baggy pants. We hardly saw people dressed like this now. We only spotted a few elderly and probably die-hard communists with their blue workers clothes and typical blue cap. According to Biya, only 15 years ago streets were still full of these blue uniforms.
Then, lo and behold, the sanitary context for humans has now achieved a pole position.
Again some ten years ago, visiting a toilet in China was quite an experience in terms of unpleasant smells, a general filthy reception area and lack of privacy. Especially in the rural areas restrooms were kind of half open spaces where people stood or sat in rows and did their thing.
Biya still talks vividly about the lengthy conversations the Chinese used to have while peeing or pooping in the old-fashioned toilets. That's why these toilets were called 'Ni hao toilets'. 'Ni hao' means hello in Chinese.
Now, public restrooms are everywhere and reasonably clean (world standard #1 is of course Korea). Also the spitting for which the Chinese were notoriously known has been abolished by the authorities. Therefore no spittoons to be seen anywhere anymore, not even in remote rural settings.
For seniors like Biya and I, traveling around and knowing that always there is a clean facility close by, gives a valuable sense of comfort. For the Chinese it is one step toward civilization.
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| pee in the pot / take one step closer to civilization |
We were traveling during the winter-break time of the universities; everywhere we saw young couples, obviously amorous and sharing hotel rooms. Again some ten years ago it was impossible to book a room as a couple if you could not prove your married status. And then…would a young couple from let us say Harbin or Shanghai have the dough to travel all the way to Kunming as we did? Now they can and do so! And millions of Chinese now can afford to travel as a tourist inside their country. Clearly a sign of prosperity and more freedom.
And people do travel since the railways are a jewel. Wide carriages with large overhead racks for your luggage. Each bullet train we rode can accommodate some 1.500 passengers. Clean restrooms and available drinking water; always on time. What a difference with the trains in my country: narrow/noisy/filthy/limited space for luggage/expensive/often late/no permanent staff checking on travelers…..and I can go on.
Of course the great leaders are watching the man in the street. Prior to getting onto a train you have to show three times your identity: 1. when you buy your ticket in the hall; 2. when you enter the queue in the railway station itself, and 3 / lastly before you get onto the quai from where your train departs. And for foreigners there is a special gate where your passport is scanned! No problems for Anton and Biya. And the Chinese have the people to check: in the train unformed staff permanently moves about to collect garbage and clean up or dust up, to check tickets/identity and to make announcements.
Some fragments in history
As in many communist/socialist countries that have gone through a war/conflict and have retained a quasi one-party system (notably Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), most people are reluctant or not even interested to talk about the past. Especially the younger generation. Actually Biya and I on purpose never bring up the recent history. It is obviously OK to talk about the heroic past of the ‘Middle Kingdom’ with its important inventions that are still relevant even in our days (paper, compass, astronomy and more).
The legacy of Mao Ze Dong, the supreme Chinese leader who shaped the country (ruthlessly) in the second half of past century is now hardly visible. I spotted a few marble and granite statues that were surrounded by badly managed flowerbeds in side streets. And one only has to read two books that offer detailed insights of Mao’s period to understand the likely controversy in current Chinese politics: 1. The Wild Swans by Jung Chang from 1991 tracing the life of her family and the situation of women before and during the Cultural Revolution and 2. Mao, the Unknown Story by Jon Halliday from 2005, a critical biography proving the sufferings and death of millions of people during the Long March, the Korean War, the Great Leap forwards and the Cultural Revolution.
After Mao’s death in 1976 and soon after the arrest of his successors ‘the Gang of Four, including his wife’, the central organ of the Communist Party started to loosen the screws that Mao had turned on so severely on the population. First Hua Guofeng, then Deng Xiaoping in particular who launched major economic reforms and opened the door to the West; followed by Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and currently Xi Jinping who has now become the paramount leader and expected to stay on… until further notice.
During the past 20 years China has proven its governance stability, its economic progress, its increased importance in world politics, its military power, and it clearly retains support of its 1.4 billion population since welfare and wellbeing has leaped ahead. Whether this comes with heavy bills in the coming decades remains to be seen; environmental issues; huge, new (in part underpopulated) cities nobody likes but that provide a safe place for all; the neglect and subordination of authentic governance systems such as was the case with the more than 100 minorities before the Cultural Revolution.
China has surpassed Russia big time and presents itself as equal to the USA. Its current and future role in Asia is and will remain dominant.
A sore point is the ‘other China’: Taiwan. Factually Taiwan was never part of Communist China. It was part of the old feudal China / before 1949, that nobody talks about anymore. Then Xi Jinping has vowed to bring Taiwan back into mainland China….and I think that he will do this by attacking it militarily when he believes the timing is right. We have already seen how leaders with executive powers can do their thing!
We visited the ever green Yunnan province where now important numbers of minorities like Tibetans, Naxhis and Bhais live (who were the majority only 50 years ago)……it is a pity that the rich life and past of these cultures has been reduced to folklore, focussing on how people used to dress, lived in old fashioned wooden huts, and expressed themselves in songs mainly. The minorities village in Kunming was a big disappointment to me. Outdated.
Then, on the other hand we viewed twice shows by artists that highlighted the rich folklore and past customs of these minorities and this was done so professionally that it cut my breath. World class!!
The Yunnan cuisine
There wasn’t even one meal that I did not finish fully; frequently I licked my fingers off…wanted at times to lick the plates clean, if Biya had not forbidden it… Also the way the Chinese chefs prepare the rice, simple white rice / so delicious. And I never needed to add salt/pepper/or anything else to the meal.
And the noodles made out of 'Malang rice' by hand in many restaurants are gorgeous. Much better than the noodles made out of dough!
Yunnan province must be the largest producer of mushrooms the world over. In every eatery the main course can be sprinkled with a variety of boiled, roasted, smoked or baked mushrooms of different sorts; and many handpicked in the wild from the evergreen lush mountains.
As is the case in Korea, one can eat for a few bucks every 50 meters along any street. With always a slightly fragrant tea served for free on the side. That is what Anton boy likes! Definitely the Italian and Chinese cuisine are my favorites now. And how great it is not to have to think about the quality and the price of the food anywhere in China.
Nevertheless as a Dutchie from the South of the Netherlands I always have my eyes on the menu for potatoes in foreign lands. And while we were sitting in a taxi driving into the walled old city of Shangri-La I noticed by chance the words in English that made my mouth water ‘roasted potatoes’, just like that, painted on the entrance of a non-descriptive restaurant.
I convinced Biya to go and try it out. She wasn’t very enthusiastic and once we had ordered we had to wait fairly long to the annoyance of Biya as we were in some hurry to see the famous 20 meters large prayer wheel in the old city. I was also surprised it took a lot of time. Biya had started to push the manager to hurry up but got just a few confirmative words back. This went on and on until Biya burst out in a rattle of staccato Chinese that I never had expected. She started to talk loudly, nearly shouting in fluid, possible flawless Chinese telling the female manager to hurry up otherwise she could stick her potatoes in her big nose (or wherever).
Customers present were greatly surprised and followed the interaction with interest. Even people passing the restaurant looked inside to find out what this hullabaloo was all about. Biya even wanted to change the order for a dish that was ready to serve and threatened not to pay anyway because of the bad service.
What a show just to have roasted potatoes…and then they arrived: they were beautifully prepared, cooked like at home; served in a buttery sauce and plenty of them.
It was worth having waited that long. The manager and Biya never came to terms but I once again had my stomach full of the good old stuff!
We were walking along the street in the walled city of Kunming and there they were: fried and shiny, lacquered cockroaches on their back, belly and legs up; and also large black scorpions prepared in a similar manner. Non merci. I rather have fried rice with mushrooms!
Visiting the Sights
Yunnan is a famous region connecting the Chinese and Tibetans with the people from the South; mainly the hilly areas and ‘hill tribes’ on the other side of this 3.500 meters high mountain range in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Travel and trade has been going on for centuries although China never ruled over these countries. Since one year there is a bullet train that links Kunming with Vientiane in Laos: two hours drive across the mountains. Certainly on the bucket list for any trainride fanatic!
From French Indochina the missionaries crossed these mountains late 19th century and were able to establish the catholic faith in places like Dali, Lijiang and surrounding villages. We went to church in Dali and attended a very sober mass with only some 25 believers under the surveillance of officials outside. Religious freedom remains unknown of in China.
Kunming was never occupied by the Japanese during World War II though they came very close. The city acted as a ‘nid d’espionage’ from where attacks were made against the Japanese by the resistance fighters who were supplied with US arms. Meanwhile the Japanese had crossed the mountain range and used military slave labour to build the notorious Burma railroad and had advanced further into Thailand (see the famous movie ‘The bridge over the river Kwai’).
Now Kunming is a high tech center and a huge city of over ten million people. Not interesting to see except for the walled city where we stayed and the ’stone forest’ at Shilin, some 85km. away by train and bus. This huge ‘Karst landscape’, shaped by the dissolution of limestone by the rains ,and featuring caves, rocky spires, and underground rivers is the largest of its kind worldwide. We spent a good four hours wandering around, enjoying this weird natural landscape crafted by freaky weather over tens of thousands of years. A must see when visiting Kunming.
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| Surrounded by the spires of the Karst landscape at Shilin, the 'stone forest' |
Our travel basically was moving from Kunming to Dali, onwards to Lijiang, and up North to Shangri-La. Then return by train to Kunming and a direct flight back to Seoul. I found the old walled cities always worth visiting. It is here where the heart of China bobs. Just imagine that the ‘FreeMarkets/Vrijmarkt’ in the Netherlands which exists only on the King’s birthday on April 27 would be permanent all year round. Such is the atmosphere inside the walled cities. You can buy and see anything, anytime during most of the day and there is always somewhere a night market, so typical for this part of Asia.
Most of the time we stayed in small pleasant hotels inside the walled cities. Always someone at the reception (I love that!) and a place to eat and drink within half a minute walk. The Yunnan cities attract a lot of Chinese and foreign visitors so no stares at us. People always friendly and helpful. Taxis all on the meter and payment by ‘AliPay’ so no hanky-panky; and tipping like in Korea remains discouraged. Definitely unusual to give a ‘pourboire’.
We were kind of surprised to find more than often that the Chinese youth did not speak English. Probably their smartphones that can translate quickly what you say are the culprit. The young receptionist at the Gonxili hotel in Kunming kind of simply stated that learning English proved too much of an effort. His smartphone would translate on the spot.
Obviously all of China now is addicted to smartphones (and social media). I mentioned to Biya that if a boy dates a girl here you get the smartphone with it. And probably vice versa. People entering a restaurant, practically all they do first is take out their smartphone and look at the latest messages or whatever. Grrrragh!!! What desolate behavior in the eyes of seniors like us.
In Dali a long walk through the walled city onto the three pagodas proved to be a perfect outing for most of one day. These pagodas, beautifully decorated with golden paint were built in the 10th century and the tallest rises up to 77 meters. I do not think that anywhere in Europe at that time the technical knowledge was available to achieve this height.
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| The large gilded pagodas in Dali / a national treasure |
As usual in China around landmarks like these that attract thousands of visitors every day you can find plenty of food stalls and souvenir shops. A bit over the top for me but this is the Chinese way to go somewhere from your apartment and eat/snack at ease around these special historical sites. Then there is Lake Ergai for a long stroll, and the Cangshan mountain ridge to visit with a cable car.
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| On the shores of Lake Ergai / Chinese tourists dress up in tribal festive costumes |
Lijiang is kind of similar to Dali though smaller. Lots of tourists again but once you wander a bit towards the hills people seem to disappear and only a few teahouses dot the original mule trail that starts here towards Tibet. One of the teahouses features pictures of how, only 100 years ago the Naxhis that live here traveled nearly barefoot through the snow with heavy loads on the mules and on their backs…for weeks on end direction Lhasa.
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| Hauling tea into Tibet / this pic was taken around 1925 |
We spent one day walking to the Naxhi village of Yuhu (now fully touristicated!). Nevertheless Lake Yuhu proved worthwhile with a beautiful view on the Snow/Dragon mountains. Visitors come to ride horses and enjoy the fresh wind that passes through the green valley.
Two Special Locations: the town of Shangri-La and Jayden Lodge in Lijiang
Most people have in their lifetime heard something about Shangri-La. About mythical places like El Dorado (South America and about gold), and Atlantis (probably off the coast of Portugal/Spain and about a lost civilization) books, movies and songs have been written. And also Shangri-La belongs to the concept of some kind of paradise that everybody wants to see or live in (including to achieve spiritual enlightenment).
Only the case of Shangri-La is quite different I found out. The American anthropologist James Hilton while traveling in 1929-1933 in what is now Northern Pakistan stayed in what he calls a ‘paradise valley’ and called it Shangri-La. Those readers who have visited the NorthWest frontier areas in Pakistan can easily confirm the existence of seemingly hidden fertile valleys surrounded by high mountain ranges where many tribes lived either in peace or continued conflict with their neighbors. Even until now these fierce tribes retain a special status to protect their independence/life style from the central government. James wrote a book about it in 1933 ‘Lost Horizon’. Worth reading!
Then the story was picked up by the Yunnan government in the late nineties. Until 2001 there was a town called Gyellang; nicely located with a centuries old Tibetan temple complex on the top of a hill, housing hundreds of monks. This ‘potalla’ was and remains decorated with so much gold paint that one can see it glitter from miles away.
The Chinese government formally decided to rename this town and baptize it ’Shangri-La’ simply to attract visitors. And it worked! Tens of thousand of people arrive daily to walk up the steps of the potalla and admire the decorations and prayer areas of the large temple. So did we. A special bullet train station was built and now the place has become a ‘must visit / bucket list’ item for many. We enjoyed it tremendously even if the whole thing about Shangri-La is a scam.
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| The huge prayer wheel in the walled city of Shangri-La |
Biya had booked a simple authentic lodge in a cobblestone side street in Lijiang/Shuhe old town. Hidden behind a tall wall this place proved to be a gem.
It is run by two ‘Aussteiger’ with a very positive mind: one from Singapore (Carol a yoga and meditation teacher) and Johnson (a Chinese guide from Fujian who settled in Yunnan many years ago). They have an admirable young son called Jayden whom I liked a lot because he reads books and appeared to like hiking with his father.
The lodge they run is kind of a hodge pot of different rooms, surrounded by plants and a central eating place outside in the courtyard. We immediately felt at home. Carol and Johnson came across as a nice understanding couple and were always available to answer questions and to advise what to do and where to go. While Carol is in the business of teaching yoga and the secrets of meditation / she has definitely a lot of zen in her attitude, Johnson acts as a one-man travel agency and he takes people up into Tibet as far as Lhasa on weeklong trips (walking, on horseback, by car…all is feasible).
If ever I had a second life and a plan to visit Tibet we would seriously consider approaching Johnson to join him on one of his trekking tours all the way to Lhasa.
Their WhatsApp/WeChat number is +86 182 1310 2429…..and I believe Jayden Lodge is on Facebook. Recommended!
The Second Trip to HongKong, Shenzhen and Macau; with family members Kun-Onni and Chul-Rhee
We only went for 4 days in February and it was my first ever organized ‘group tour’, and definitely it was worth it! Biya and I were accompanied by her eldest sister Kun-Onni with her husband Chul-Rhee. We simply shared a good and interesting time!
We joined some 20 other Koreans upon the arrival at HongKong airport. Up and go! All the time. These Korean guides really know how to keep moving and explaining. Permanently during the bus rides between HongKong-Shenzhen and Macau they endlessly explained and answered patiently questions from the group. Admirable.
Because of the well planned organization and scheduled travel we were able to do/see a lot more than if Biya and I had been by ourselves. A great advantage. On the other hand one is dead tired in the evening.
We saw all the major sights in HongKong such as the Peak by cable car and the Kowloon harbour. I even got a glimpse of the famous Peninsula Hotel where I stayed one night, a week before Christmas in 1974….prior to my travel back to London after my ‘hippie trail’ through Asia. At that time my flight with Dan Air was cancelled and the airline put me up in the Peninsula, #1 hotel in British HongKong.
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| One of the many 'mural streets' in the district of Sai Ying Pun, Central old Hong Kong. From left to right: Chul Rhee, Kun Onni, Biya and Anton |
Now HK is governed by the Chinese just like Macau, under the agreement one country two systems meaning that both HK and Macau continue a strong capitalist entrepreneurial system and strategy until respectively 2047 and 2049 when both entities shall become fully integrated into the Chinese political set-up. But for now in particular Macau continues to expand and develop into the world’s leading shopping and gambling spot.
Obviously Las Vegas is a bigger city with more hotels and casinos but the size and imagery of the Galaxy casino mall in Macau is something I never saw before. The ‘Torre de Macau’, the Lisboa hotel and the Galaxy area have become stellar attractions next to walking the ancient streets of Macau with its distinct Portuguese flavour. Glad I saw this once in my life!
We were taken to a theatre where we saw one of the best acts available: traditional dances by artists in beautiful attire; if the Chinese did this to impress people like me, well they succeeded. A fascinating show that lasted more than one hour with a light show, and artists jumping and dancing about like athletes.
The combination of HK-Shenzhen and Macau definitely was a success: nice people in the group / all courteous, with professional guides / visiting all prominent sites and good hotels and restaurants.
Thank you Kun-Onni and Chul-Rhee for having organized this for Biya and I.
Post-Scriptum
MUSIC…..
The Kinks in 1969 produced a song titled ’Shangri-la’ that was a bitter sweet critique about the idea that a nice house, car and job would give each person his/her Shangri-La (paradise).
The Electric Light Orchestra in 1974 produced the song ‘El Dorado’ describing an escape through fantasy and dreams.
Donovan in 1968 wrote the song ‘Atlantis’ about a forgotten and lost civilization of love, wisdom and peace.
The girls group from New York called the Shangri-Las were famous in the mid-sixties and had a big hit in the Netherlands titled ‘Leader of the pack’. A song about a teenage drama.
Somewhere in Lijiang we came across a notice in English ‘don’t doodle’, meaning ‘do not linger’…..that reminded me of the song ’Wang dang doodle’ by Howlin’ Wolf in 1961 and by Willie Dixon/Koko Taylor in 1964. A great blues song indeed!
MY HEART…..
We flew from Incheon via Jinan to Kunming…..elevation 1900 meters. After a good meal and I believe one beer at night I got the heart rhythm hiccups that I am used to. Only this time it lasted and Biya had to massage my chest for more than one hour. Wow, was I scared.
During the whole China trip no alcohol…I thought that may have caused the problem.
Then only later during the trip I thought about the sudden change in elevation. Actually my heart rhythm remained ok. Then we had decided once back in the NL to consult my cardiologist. And he agreed. ‘Possibly, yes the sudden change in elevation may have caused this’. We shall never know the full truth but possibly, probably yes: a sudden elevation change and a full meal in the stomach is not a good combination.
Now, while writing this blog in May 2026, all seems to be OK.
PUER TEA from YUNNAN…..
Is famous as it is rolled in a compact way in round packages. This special tea can be enjoyed even after 20 years of storage. The bonus of this kind of semi-bitter tea
Is that you keep pouring hot water for about seven times after finishing your first cup.
WISDOM from a poet in the SEOUL SUBWAY….
Three things you cannot get back:
- The time that has passed
- The lost opportunity
- The spoken word
END of Blog / hope you liked it.
