China : A journey through a country that leaves you speechless

More than telling a country, a first moving glance - inevitably on the surface - over fifteen days spent between Beijing, Pingyao, Xi’an, Yangshuo, and Shanghai.

Naively, I expected something “communist”: hammer and sickle here and there, discreet like the postman’s tiny pin, a few houses with Mao posters.

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A tourist asks: “What do you believe in?” The guide replies: “In ourselves.” Impressive, I think.

In a temple, same question: “In money.” And she laughs, prayers get straight to the point: work, exams, money. I look at the Buddha: fat, laughing, banknotes on his legs. Right.

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Outside: neon lights, goods, gadgets, food everywhere, in abundance.

Cities like movie sets, glittering, slightly kitsch: true Eastern Las Vegases. People go out, visit, love karaoke, love having fun.

Then luxury cars. Western brands. Shanghai: more Starbucks than New York.

“Consumunism”? The second country in the world by number of billionaires, somewhere between consumerism and communism.

But individual wealth must not be flaunted: too much is too much, and on Chinese social media, showing off gets you banned. Everyone must progress - or at least seem to - together.

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Still. Clean sidewalks. Silent streets. Electric cars and scooters gliding by noiselessly.

Lively squares: elderly people - and not only - dancing, playing, exercising.

Safe, reassuring public spaces. Courtesy everywhere. High quality of life.

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The flip side: everyone on their phone. Couples and groups at restaurants, bent over screens, each in their own bubble.

You pay everywhere with QR codes. No cash.

Technology makes everything seamless: from Beijing to Shanghai - metro, trains, flights, restaurants - everything booked and paid with a beep and a metallic voice that notifies you that the transaction has been completed.

I hold my phone to a beggar’s QR code. Robots do room service. A technological universe.

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Still, China is one of those places that leave you speechless. You leave wanting to come back. Immediately.

Like Brazil - where I once settled - and Cuba: cultures and people that get under your skin.

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And then walls, palaces, pagodas, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army… So much history, so much culture. And breathtaking landscapes.

Colorful temples where worshippers move from altar to altar to perform rituals - sometimes express.

Tradition also explodes visually: girls in traditional gorgeous dress crossing cities. Deep-rooted past or a fleeting present of photogenic poses for Douyin and Red Note, the local social medias? The truth lies somewhere in between.

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In the end, China - which controls, plans, destroys, and builds - seems to project itself forward with solid values, where social cohesion outweighs freedom.

A sharp contrast with our nations, often rigid and increasingly fragmented.

Praise for China? Not exactly.

I seek freedom AND cohesion. Am I asking too much?

The Asian giant is an invitation to look elsewhere and maybe to learn.

Night scene with illuminated traditional Chinese-style buildings, colorful lanterns, and decorative art installations, under a bright moon.
Street scene in China featuring a red storefront with 'TEAM CHINA' signage and Chinese flags, three women dressed in traditional Chinese clothing walking on the sidewalk.
A large, golden, smiling laughing Buddha statue holding a handful of dollar bills in front of his lap, with more money scattered over his body. The statue is set against a backdrop of traditional Asian paintings and decorations, including porcelain vases with floral and landscape motifs.
Two young women dressed in pastel, lace, and furry clothing standing on a city sidewalk, looking at a mobile phone and smiling. They are carrying shopping bags and standing near a crosswalk with traffic and modern buildings in the background.
A person standing on rocky terrain at a high vantage point overlooking a river and a valley with mountains, wearing sunglasses, a red headwrap, and dark pants, with one arm raised and gesturing with fingers.
A woman dressed in traditional Vietnamese attire standing on a bamboo boat on a river, with two cormorants perched on the boat's side, and a mountainous landscape in the background.
Tourists sightseeing by a river with limestone karst mountains in the background, some boats with large red sails on the water, and a pagoda temple with lanterns and flowers on a dock.
A person in a black jacket sitting on a small stool with their head bowed, in front of the Chinese Forbidden City. Several other people are walking and taking pictures in the background.
A woman standing behind a counter in a small shop, smiling at the camera. The shop sells various cigarettes and lottery tickets. Shelves filled with cigarette packs and advertisements are visible in the background.
Two women dressed in traditional Chinese costumes and headdresses standing outside a Starbucks store, making peace signs.
Two women in traditional Chinese costumes sitting at a wooden table, enjoying a meal with bowls of noodles and bottles of soda.
An intricate wooden sculpture of a multi-armed deity, likely a Buddhist figure, surrounded by smaller sculptures of other figures, with candy and snacks at the base.