Shanghai, China
My journey to China left me with new friendships and a strong desire to return. While on a flight to Shanghai, I was seated next to a retired philosophy teacher who kindly helped me practice my Chinese. The following day, she invited me to lunch, and her entire family came to my hotel to accompany me to a local restaurant, Xinbailu. It was a heartwarming experience—someone I had known for less than 24 hours welcomed me with such generosity and introduced me to the beauty of Shanghai.
I was struck by how clean and cosmopolitan Shanghai appeared. Some streets even reminded me of European cities, which I later learned is due to the city's colonial past, whose architectural legacy still endures. It was astonishing to realize that many of the modern buildings and skyscrapers that define Shanghai's skyline were constructed in just the past 25 years—transforming the city from a modest fishing village into a global metropolis.
The main reason for my visit was a wedding invitation from a close friend I met during graduate school. I was honored to be the only Westerner in attendance and to witness a traditional Chinese wedding. The ceremony took place at the historic Peace Hotel in downtown Shanghai. I had the opportunity to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine and learn about the customs and rituals surrounding a Chinese wedding. It was also a great chance to practice my Chinese—and I felt like a celebrity, as many guests wanted to take photos with the only foreigner at the event.
After the wedding, I traveled to Beijing by high-speed train, which was another remarkable experience. It was the fastest train I had ever been on, further highlighting the rapid and impressive advancements China has made in recent years.
Beijing felt like a very different city compared to Shanghai. It had a more formal atmosphere, with numerous government buildings—many of which reminded me of the architecture I had seen in Eastern Europe from the communist era. Visiting historic landmarks such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square was a remarkable experience. During a guided tour, I met fellow Europeans, and we ended up spending the rest of our time in Beijing together, exploring the city and sampling local cuisine, including the famous Peking duck.
Climbing the Great Wall of China was a particularly eye-opening experience, as it marked the third wonder of the world I’ve visited—following the Pyramids of Giza and the Colosseum in Rome. As I ascended the wall, I reflected on the immense difficulty of constructing such a massive structure across mountainous terrain, especially with the limited technology available at the time. Its vastness was awe-inspiring, stretching beyond the horizon and reinforcing the scale of China's historical achievements. The views from the wall offered a breathtaking perspective on both the natural landscape and the human effort behind it.
After returning to Shanghai, I purchased souvenirs and a variety of teas to bring home. Visiting China was an unforgettable experience, filled with cultural richness, historical depth, and personal connections—certainly a place I hope to return to in the future.
