In the summer, I went back to China for my vacation. It was my first time returning since I was 9 months old, so I didn’t remember anything from that trip. Now, as an older child, I got to rediscover China and experience many new and amazing things.
My first stop was Hong Kong which is a large and well-known city. Right away, I noticed some differences from the U.S., starting with the airport. The bathrooms were much cleaner, the overall atmosphere felt nicer, and even the luggage carts were free. Unlike in America, where you must pay $6 to rent one. When we got to the subway, I found that the subways were much safer. In Hong Kong, there was a glass door covering the tracks until the train arrived, something I hadn’t seen before.
After a week in Hong Kong, we took a high-speed rail to Fuzhou, which was my hometown. When we got to my great-aunt’s house, I quickly noticed how much hotter it was in China compared to Virginia. Even in the morning, I could feel the heat as soon as I stepped outside- it was overwhelming. Despite the heat, I enjoyed exploring the local stores, which were much different from the ones back home. Almost everything was far cheaper, and there was such a wide variety of products. To get around, we mostly used a ride-hailing app called Didi, which was convenient and was similar to Uber .
Meanwhile, the traditional Chinese food was so delicious! I had orange chicken, and it was so sweet and salty at the same time! Some restaurants even offered unlimited ice cream, fruit and corn chips, and all of it was so much cheaper than fast food in the U.S. the public transportation was totally affordable, for example, the buses only cost yuan per person! It took you to multiple spots and the seats were reclinable. You could close the curtains and open them back up whenever you want!
My brother and I had an amazing time in China. The experience was both fun and unforgettable! We would love to go back someday. I will explore more about Chinese culture and history. But before that, I plan to work on learning more Mandarin and practicing how to write it.
