Whistle Stop Review Of Three Weeks In China

Three weeks is a pretty long while and China is a pretty big country (Even before you add on Hong Kong) so here's my attempt at an express review;

- It's been surprising.
Before I arrived in China I expected the worst from what I had heard from others. I thought that I would want to see The Great Wall and The Terracotta Army then get home but it has not been like that. China has actually been pretty nice!

- Forget Everything You Know About Chinese Food.
The food you buy from Chinese takeaways is nothing like the food you get in China, oddly. There isn't a battered prawn ball in sight and there's certainly no strangely red sauce that stains the carpet like no other substance on earth. Equally, it isn't all about turtle soups, shark tongues or boiled chicken feet either. Yes, those dishes exist but there is some amazing food in China too. From the popular Cantonese menus found in Hong Kong to the Middle-East inspired food of Northern China. If I could recommend one dish it would have to be pork steamed buns...delicious!

- It is old AND new at the same time.
China is an ancient country and therefore some fantasic history. Getting to see The Great Wall, The Terracotta Army and The Forbidden City up close was amazing but there are also so many new things too. The city of Xi'an is growing fast and a trip to Shanghai and Hong Kong will see you nestled in amongst shiny, modern skyscrapers towering over the streets. I just hope they keep working on the environment, the smog (A fog caused by pollution) is no fun to breathe in all day.

- There are some things that take more than 3 weeks to get used to.
Spitting. Well, not so much the spitting but the hocking. In China it is perfectly normal to spit out a wet, phlegmy spitball outdoors or indoors. Nothing has made me wince like a man or woman next to me hocking up what appears to be their attempt at a world-record sized spitball and then firing at the pavement/sink/floor of the train. Moon pants are also interesting, instead of nappies young children will wear no pants and trousers with the bum area cut out, this allows them to do a Number 1 (Or 2!) on the street. It is pretty good on saving plastic used to make nappies and I'm told it also means nearly every child is toilet trained by 2 years old but it still takes some getting used to seeing!

- The weather changes...like the weather.
Because China is such a huge country there is such a change in temperatures. When up in Beijing it was nice and just like a perfect British summer's day with blue skies and a breeze, Shanghai was a bit wet and smoggy when we were there and Hong Kong has been just like Mexico, pretty hot and sunny. On top of that are parts of China that are desert!

Overall, I have really enjoyed what China has had to offer and I can see myself coming back one day if I get the chance.

In The Photo: I spotted this for sale in Beijing. I'm actually pretty pleased to say I didn't try that creation.