CHINA

LAND OF GARDENS & DRAGONS (pt.1)

“Hello, I speak English first, German and Russian second.” This kind voice of friendship truly summed up the way in which we were greeted by many Chinese on my first trip into China. The lovely old man greeted us with his hail as we strolled along Shanghai park near our hotel in the older quarter of the city. He chatted to us about his family and the early history of his city Shanghai.

Around us people were doing their morning Tai Chi, the art of fan dancing, ballroom dancing and other forms of exercise. The park was filled with mostly older Chinese taking the morning air, talking, drinking tea and practising movement exercise. This was a scene we found repeated all over China in the early mornings and sometimes evenings as well.

We had arrived in China two nights previously flying in after a ten hour trip from Sydney. Coming from a cool September Australian morning we had touched down at a hot and sticky Shanghai sunset. It had been raining earlier contributing to the stickiness greeting us as we loaded into a taxi for the 40 minute trip into the city centre.

Shanghai is a big, modern and very commercial city. Lots of building activity befitting its business importance. This is the city where the Chinese show off their commercial prowess. Everyone has their mobile phone and the neat, snappy dresser on the way to the office was evident each morning as we took our walks.

BACK <> NEXT