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Visit China Through A Camera Lens
There is never a best time to visit China, there is no best place to visit in China, it is all a matter of choice. To visit China in the summer months can be quite hot in the south. To visit China in the winter can be quite cold in the north. If you want all the creature comforts of the western world, visit China cities. If you are seeking more contact with the ordinary Chinese people, visit China towns in the countryside; make new friends and be happy!
Many thousands of people will pay a visit to China in 2008 for the Olympic Games in Beijing. Knowing something about the country before hand is a good idea, to make the most of such a visit. Our first visit to China was in 1987, in the early years of the tourist boom, when 'foreigners' were a rarity attracting much attention, and there were a limited number of 'open' towns and cities capable of dealing with the foreigner. Twenty years later a visit to China is as convenient as a visit to France from the UK, except that the travel time is much longer, and the visit is to a different time zone.
This page deals with visits to two cities in China and two country towns. Many changes have taken place in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai, that would make them unrecognizable to the visitor of earlier years. Ring roads, tower blocks, super stores, new hotels, increased road traffic, there is very little difference to any city in the western world. In the country towns of China, the developments have not been so rapid, and in many places life seems to continue without much change.
Click any Visit China link below for the relevant page which will open in a new window.
HUNAN CHINA TRAVEL
TONGMU
Road side market stalls had been set up by farmers and house holders. We had to pass the market stalls to visit Wen Wen and his parents. On arrival the Chinese hospitality immediately took over, and tea, sweets, fruit and small cakes were brought to a table for us. From the balcony we had a good view of the market stalls on the road below. There were also farmers market stalls on the nearby square. |
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EAST CHINA TRAVEL
SHANGHAI
There was no litter on the Bund Shanghai, and a notice in Chinese Characters, fixed to one of the trees, was easily understood. The dresses of two foreigners, strolling along the Bund Shanghai, contrasted sharply with the black and white clothes of the Chinese men, which seemed to be the norm in most of the places we visited. This would soon change, as they had more disposable income.
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WEST CHINA TRAVEL
XUIKOU
A harvest of black mountain berries, very sweet and juicy, brought over from Vietnam by women, representing hours of back breaking work, were much sort after by the Chinese people, who haggled over the price. In large city stores goods have price tags, but in the markets in China, the tourist must learn to haggle. Another option is to pay what you think it is worth to yourself !
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NORTH CHINA TRAVEL
BEIJING
No Temple Fair at a Chinese Spring Festival would be complete without different snacks to enjoy, and the people on this day had quite a number to choose from, provided by cooks from other provinces. From experience I have discovered that many of these tasty looking snacks are prepared with liberal portions of very hot chilies, much to the liking of most Chinese people.
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Visit China in a group tour can be ideal for a first visit. Visit China alone and you will have greater contact with the Chinese people. Visit China and make new friends; be happy!
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