China: High-Tech Cities and Stunning Nature

My trip to China started with a private wedding, took me to political Beijing, the economic powerhouse of Shanghai, and the breathtaking Yellow Mountains. But what stayed with me the most were the vast, newly built cities, planned by the government—modern, efficient, yet strangely soulless. Restaurants looked identical, streets were wide but quiet, and many buildings remained empty, waiting for residents who had not yet arrived (instead of photos, I kept the images of these places only in my memory, more vivid than any picture.) At the same time, each of those cities had a huge high-speed train station - so impressive impressively well-organized, and a sign of China’s rapid development.