In this post I discuss a 10 day solo trip that I took to China back in 2013. I had people ask me “Why China?”, my response was “Why Not?” I randomly decided I wanted to visit China and set about doing my research to get my trip underway. I honestly can’t say that I had any specific reason to go to China, but it seemed like an interesting place to see. I wanted to go to China, so I went. I am a firm believer in doing as I please. Also Chinese is my favorite international cuisine so I figured if nothing else I would at least eat good. St. Louis, Missouri has its own style of Chinese Food and I have never been able to find any that comes close to the taste in any city throughout the United States. The fried rice in St. Louis has its own flavor. We are also known for the St. Paul Sandwich which is an Egg Foo Young Patty on bread, with your choice of meat. So I didn’t really know how the actual Authentic Chinese Food would compare but I enjoyed every meal especially the Dim Sum and the Mongolian BBQ. I tend to be a Foodie (Greedy)…so I will admit I overindulged but hey I have to make the best out of every opportunity, right? Our Chinese Tour Guide even educated us on the type of dog meat that is eaten. Now I know Yall heard that they eat cats and dogs in China right? I never knew if it were true or not but he gave us a very thorough description on the type of dog meat consumed and indicated that this particular dog is bred specifically for consumption and is not typically raised as a pet. He even offered up information on where the dog meal could be purchased but nobody in the tour group decided to follow through on having a taste. I know many may pass judgment on those that partake in this delicacy but I’m really neutral to the matter. I didn’t choose to sample this dish but have no issue with someone that does. I am open to embracing and learning about other cultures and customs.
The food was great and overall the trip was very educational and insightful for me. I will give a brief overview of the highlights. First I will give you a little information on the preparation for the trip. For this particular trip I actually took the recommended Yellow Fever vaccination as a precaution and I packed a bunch a extra insect repellent. To be honest I don’t remember why I was so hypervigilant about the possibility of getting Yellow Fever 🤣. However, I do recall someone that I met on a previous trip telling me that she found China to be “dirty” when she visited so maybe that played into what I expected. I actually did not experience anything that I felt was “dirty” and had a great time. In addition to getting any recommended or required vaccinations you should always make sure that your routine vaccinations are up to date. I think you should make sure that your Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Typhoid vaccines are current. I also had to secure a Visa to travel to China. I had the Visa processed through a company online and it was mailed to me prior to my trip. I paid approximately $300 for the Visa. I secured foreign currency from my bank prior to departure as I do on most of my international trips. I like to have money on hand when I reach my destination. You can always exchange currency at the airport but I don’t need that hassle. I like to arrive prepared.
If I remember correctly there were about 20-30 people in the tour group. I was the only solo traveler in the group. There were three other African-American travelers in the group. Overall the group was very friendly and I had a nice time meeting and interacting with everyone. The tour took us to three different cities each with its own unique culture and vibe. The hotels and accommodations in each city were nice. In Beijing we stayed in the Tiantan Hotel, in Xian we stayed at the Grand New World Hotel and Shanghai at the Longment Hollyear Hotel.
One of the things that struck me about China was the fact that many people did not speak English or at least didn’t speak it to us. This is one country where it was very imperative to stay with the group and the English speaking tour guide because I had difficulty attempting to communicate on my own. Our tour guide had a Chinese name but rather than try to teach us to pronounce it he told us to call him “Jack”. This was the theme with other tour guides at different excursions. They all used simple English names like “Jack” or “Sam”. I found it to be quite comical but they were trying to make things easier for us tourists.
Another thing that caused a culture shock to me in China was the paid public “toilets” that were really just a shallow opening in the floor with no toilet seat. Be prepared to pay for toilet paper if you don’t bring your own. I had done my research ahead of time and knew to bring my own toilet paper so I bought some from a sporting goods/camping store and packed it with my other supplies. Now us ladies are used to squatting to use public restrooms, but this was a whole other category of “squat” cause there was no seat, so essentially you are squatting low to the floor or standing up, whichever you want to take your chances with. So it was quite the experience. There is a funny story about the public toilet, well maybe not so funny to the person involved but the group made a stop at a public toilet. The group separated as women and men went to the designated facilities. As the group gathered outside to head to the next destination, one of the gentlemen in the group explained that his wallet had fallen into the “toilet” and eventually he had to fish it out. He told it with humor but I believe there was a moment of panic for him trying to decide what to do. He needed his money so of course he had to retrieve it.
One of the other highlights of my experience in China is that I was treated as somewhat of a celebrity. It appeared that many of the Chinese people had not been exposed to black people. At every destination they would stare at me, as if in awe. There would be whispers, points and giggles. Many of them tried to touch my hair (which I was wearing in natural two strand twists at the time) and they all wanted pictures with me. They would point to their camera, as a way to ask for permission to take a picture. I would shake my head yes and they they would have someone take their picture with me. There was also a fair skin, natural blond haired Caucasian woman in the group and they zoomed in on her as well. There was something about her blond hair that fascinated them. Apparently black people and blonds are an oddity or source of curiosity in China. There was an incident that I remember vividly with a lady that wanted her toddler son to take a picture with me. She kept putting him next to me for a picture and he would look at me and start crying and run. She tried this a few times but he was having none of it. He was like Nope😂. She eventually gave up on his photo op with a black woman.
I was able to see and experience so much on my 10 day adventure. I have hundreds of pictures. I am not able to detail everything here so I will touch on some of the main attractions I saw in each city.
Beijing
In Beijing I was able to do some sightseeing throughout the city to view some of the most popular landmarks. I also visited the Beijing Zoo which is famous for it’s Panda Bears. Another stop was at The Olympic Stadium which was designed for the 2008 Summer Olympic games and I was able to climb the Great Wall of China. I warn you not to try this if you are not in good physical shape or you are in poor health. This may also be a challenge if you have breathing issues or get winded easily. I was determined to go all the way to the top. I consider myself to be in fairly good shape. I made it but it was quite the feat.
Xian
The city of Xian was a small quaint town where the main attraction was the Terra Cotta Army. Which is a collection of Terra Cotta sculptures that depict the army of the first Emperor of China. I also visited Xingqing Park, where we were able to watch a parade and participate in morning exercise and dance with the locals. I also attend a Chinese Dinner Show at The Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant. The show was amazing and so was the Roasted Duck that they served for dinner.
Shanghai
The last city on the tour was Shanghai which had more of a modern feel to it than the other cities. I would describe it as a “big city” in China with Sky Scraper buildings and many businesses. I was able to take a dinner boat cruise around the city at night which was really nice. We visited a Buddhist Temple which was an awesome experience and I was able to see the “Laughing Buddha” as well.
From Shanghai we visited the nearby city of Suzhou, which is also a modern city and would be considered a suburb of Shanghai. We saw some amazing tranquil views and I was able to take a boat ride tour.
