| China 21:39 - May 7 with 1739 views | Swansea_Blue |
Anyone else watching Race Across The World? It looks amazing. I’ve very briefly set foot there over the border from Pakistan, but never properly experienced the place. The journeys these guys are doing look out of this world. Anyone been? |  |
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| China on 21:52 - May 7 with 1684 views | RIPbobby |
Agree does look amazing. Doesn't seem to be the hell like place we are told it is. Not convinced I'd go to tianamen square though. Or however you spell it. Lol |  | | |
| China on 22:07 - May 7 with 1629 views | Plums |
I've been to Ningbo for work twice. Despite being quite an industrial city, it's still an amazing place with a beautiful mountain backdrop.
I first went there in 2017 and again in 2023, the pace of change is incredible. The city is so much quieter and cleaner - largely because of electric vehicles.
Credit/ bank cards are obsolete, it's all on the app or on very rare occasions in small kiosks, cash.
Most people have never heard of Ningbo; its population is higher than London's... [Post edited 7 May 22:09]
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| China on 22:12 - May 7 with 1606 views | ParisBlue |
Took advantage of the extra public holidays when William/Kate got married and did a whistlestop tour of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xi'an and Beijing. Was awesome, obviously loads to see but easy enough to get around. |  |
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| China on 22:19 - May 7 with 1571 views | Swansea_Blue |
| China on 21:52 - May 7 by RIPbobby |
Agree does look amazing. Doesn't seem to be the hell like place we are told it is. Not convinced I'd go to tianamen square though. Or however you spell it. Lol |
Yeah, it does quite fit what you’d expect from the media/social media. | |
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| China on 22:22 - May 7 with 1557 views | Swansea_Blue |
| China on 22:12 - May 7 by ParisBlue |
Took advantage of the extra public holidays when William/Kate got married and did a whistlestop tour of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xi'an and Beijing. Was awesome, obviously loads to see but easy enough to get around. |
It seems very easy to get around. It looks like bullet trains are fairly widespread (and cheap).
I’m still stuck in the mindset of it being restricted as it was 30 years ago. I need to change that and go and have a look. | |
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| China on 22:23 - May 7 with 1562 views | Lord_Lucan |
Since 2003 I've been over there at least once a year except for Covid lock downs. I'm next due to go in January nut may possibly have to go next month. |  |
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| China on 10:45 - May 8 with 1212 views | Priskinftw |
I went there in July last year for just over 2 weeks, we travelled all over the country and i definitely recommend it.
As someone else said, it's not what is portrayed in the media as some kind of totalitarian regime. The people are very friendly although it takes some time to get used to everyone staring or asking for a photo with you.
It's also incredibly cheap, you can have a 2 hour taxi journey cost about 10 pounds. A full 3 course meal for 6+ people cost 20 quid total.
The visa process is a pain for sure and the air quality isn't the best but if you want a completely different experience then go for it. |  |
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| China on 11:21 - May 8 with 1168 views | belgablue |
| China on 22:22 - May 7 by Swansea_Blue |
It seems very easy to get around. It looks like bullet trains are fairly widespread (and cheap).
I’m still stuck in the mindset of it being restricted as it was 30 years ago. I need to change that and go and have a look. |
Went for about three weeks about ten years ago.
Once I figured the visa out it was pretty straightforward to plan and go - got my hotels to book trains and internal flights once I arrived, which they were happy to do. Did Beijing (great wall from there), Shanghai, Xian (terracotta army) and also Yangshuo. Well worth a visit, with the bullet trains it's very easy now. [Post edited 8 May 11:21]
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| China on 13:17 - May 8 with 1069 views | Plums |
| China on 10:45 - May 8 by Priskinftw |
I went there in July last year for just over 2 weeks, we travelled all over the country and i definitely recommend it.
As someone else said, it's not what is portrayed in the media as some kind of totalitarian regime. The people are very friendly although it takes some time to get used to everyone staring or asking for a photo with you.
It's also incredibly cheap, you can have a 2 hour taxi journey cost about 10 pounds. A full 3 course meal for 6+ people cost 20 quid total.
The visa process is a pain for sure and the air quality isn't the best but if you want a completely different experience then go for it. |
That's a noticeable difference from what's seen on Race Across the World - nobody is openly filming the western people walking about which is definitely not my experience! It takes some getting used to.
Whilst it doesn't necessarily feel like an authoritarian regime, it most definitely is and you don't need to scratch far below the surface to find it. Party officials on company boards, cameras constantly flashing on roads - not for speed but surveillance and there's no doubt hotel rooms are 'visited' when you're out. Not to mention everybody needs to have a Bank of China account.
Fascinating place. | |
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| China on 20:36 - May 8 with 925 views | NewcyBlue |
| China on 22:07 - May 7 by Plums |
I've been to Ningbo for work twice. Despite being quite an industrial city, it's still an amazing place with a beautiful mountain backdrop.
I first went there in 2017 and again in 2023, the pace of change is incredible. The city is so much quieter and cleaner - largely because of electric vehicles.
Credit/ bank cards are obsolete, it's all on the app or on very rare occasions in small kiosks, cash.
Most people have never heard of Ningbo; its population is higher than London's... [Post edited 7 May 22:09]
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Nottingham University? |  |
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| China on 20:41 - May 8 with 919 views | NewcyBlue |
I’ve been ashore in Dalian, Tianjin, Ningbo, Zhousan, Nanjing, I’m sure there’s other places too.
Joined in Ningbo, quite liked it.
We are dry docking just outside Ningbo next month at Zhousan. | |
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| China on 23:42 - May 8 with 814 views | Plums |
| China on 20:36 - May 8 by NewcyBlue |
Nottingham University? |
Yes, The university has a campus there and the city of Nottingham is twinned with Ningbo. | |
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| China on 02:13 - May 9 with 763 views | NewcyBlue |
| China on 23:42 - May 8 by Plums |
Yes, The university has a campus there and the city of Nottingham is twinned with Ningbo. |
Yeah I was very surprised when I saw a Nottingham University sign in Ningbo.
Think I will probably be coming home from Ningbo this time. | |
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| China on 04:27 - May 9 with 721 views | geg1992 |
I’m in China now and have been 4 times now, visiting 17 different cities.
It always amazes me every time I visit. Going to Japan recently, I always assumed there was high tech, but China are way ahead of Japan with their technology. Bullet trains everywhere, ultra convenient, clean, safe etc etc.
Incredibly affordable. The hotel rooms you can get for £20 a night is insane. Almost all cars in the cities are EV. Completely different to what we’re told.
I’ve just been in Lijiang which is an incredibly beautiful place. |  |
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| China on 09:47 - May 9 with 581 views | mellowblue |
| China on 04:27 - May 9 by geg1992 |
I’m in China now and have been 4 times now, visiting 17 different cities.
It always amazes me every time I visit. Going to Japan recently, I always assumed there was high tech, but China are way ahead of Japan with their technology. Bullet trains everywhere, ultra convenient, clean, safe etc etc.
Incredibly affordable. The hotel rooms you can get for £20 a night is insane. Almost all cars in the cities are EV. Completely different to what we’re told.
I’ve just been in Lijiang which is an incredibly beautiful place. |
what is incredible is the time scale taken to build the HSR network. It is taken us forever just to roll out 140 miles of HS2. The Chinese expect to have built 43,000 miles of HSR by 2035. They get stuff done. |  | | |
| China on 09:53 - May 9 with 563 views | Lord_Lucan |
| China on 09:47 - May 9 by mellowblue |
what is incredible is the time scale taken to build the HSR network. It is taken us forever just to roll out 140 miles of HS2. The Chinese expect to have built 43,000 miles of HSR by 2035. They get stuff done. |
It's incredible and the train stations are like airports, absolutely massive.
One route I travel has 124 trains in 24 hours
Aas you say, they get things done - but if there is a village of peasants in the way of a trin line then they will get driven 100 miles away and "Relocated", I'm not sure of the exact death rate in the construction process.
They also have a train system which is magnetised and the trains don't touch the tracks. | |
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