Well I just got back from a trip to China. I went with my mother for a week. Overall, it was a good trip, although there were some rough patches. We visited three cities: Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai.
Beijing was not a nice city. It was a noisy, dirty, urban landscape devoid of trees and green space. Beijing is a city that serves its functional purpose as the capital of China. There is no attempt to make it a pleasant living area. I can only imagine the chaos come Olympics time. One thing I liked about Beijing was a certain vegetarian restaurant. It was called "Green Tianshi Vegetarian Restaurant." The food was superb, some of the best vegetarian dishes I've ever tasted.
We took an overnight train from Beijing to Xian. I liked Xian a little more than Beijing. The city landscape was nicer, especially when viewed from up on the city wall. However, the Terracotta Warriors were a big let-down. I was expecting an army of terracotta warriors, fully excavated. This is not the case. Only a small portion of the statues have been excavated, and most of them are in pieces. A few figures have been reconstructed but most remain as fragments in the dirt.
Next we took another overnight train from Xian to Shanghai. This is a LONG train ride (about 15 hours) and not recommended. A flight is much easier. Shanghai was the only city I truly liked or would consider living in. It is ultra-modern, with spectacular skyscrapers and breathtaking views. More importantly, this is a clean city with plenty of parks and trees. There are also some great shopping opportunities.
What I liked most about China was the history and culture. What I liked least was the spitting. For some reason, many of the men would spit freely on the street. It was so gross. Everywhere we went, there were men spitting. Even inside the airport, I saw a Chinese man spit on the floor. It was relief to return to Japan after the China trip. I love Japan. The more countries I visit, the more I realize how great Japan really is.
