I spent an amazing week in China with a few friends, visiting Beijing, Guangzhou, Macau, and Hong Kong. Being an American-born Chinese, I didn’t know what to expect on my first trip to the “Motherland.”
Beijing is an amazing city with a unique juxtaposition of ancient artifacts and traditions with booming industrialism and Westernization. Moreover, Beijing was amazingly large – I was mesmerized by the sheer enormity of their streets and buildings, in addition to such landmarks as the Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square. We traveled to the Great Wall and climbed the thousands of steps while entranced by the beautiful, rolling hills which surrounded us. With so much to do and see, we barely scratched the surface of the Beijing area during our stay.
After a few days, we journey south to Guangzhou by taking a twenty-three hour ride in a cramped train from Beijing. Surprisingly, it became one of my fondest memories during that trip because it offered a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself with locals and strike up conversations – even with my broken Chinese, people were quite receptive and happy to chat. And I shit you not: in the photo on the left, those gentlemen were watching a Los Angeles Lakers game.
Although we only spent twenty-four hours in Guangzhou, the city made a fantastic impression on all of us. Some of that could be because it offered a break from subzero temperatures to its lovely, seventy-plus degree warmth – but aside from the weather, we all thought the city was beautiful and had a lot of culture.
Afterward, we ventured to Macau, the world’s densest city and Asia’s premier gambling destination. I was amazed at how vibrant the city was as well as its fascinating mixture of Chinese and Western influences.
Just walking through the echoing streets, surrounded with high-rise apartments, we stumbled upon many old Portuguese churches and forts – it was a gorgeous scene. Moreover, the wealthy gambling areas boasted multi-billion-dollar casinos that resembled the lavishness of Las Vegas.
We spent most of the night playing blackjack at random casinos, and I ended up winning enough money to pay for the TubroJet ferry ticket to Hong Kong and a few nights of our stay there. Not bad for a beginner.
While on the TurboJet ferry, we were entranced by the sheer magnificence of Hong Kong – every which way, towers spiraled up toward the sky. After alighting, we excitedly analyzed the architecture and cityscape that made the city so unique.
Some of the best photos I took in China:
