Back To The Future
I started this year in the future. No I didn’t develop some super power, nor did I do a Michael J. Fox and fly in a specially built supersonic transporter vehicle back to the future. All I did was buy a ticket and fly on a regular plane to China! Eh?!? You see, when I told a friend I was in China for the new year holidays he replied, “you are in the most futuristic country.” He isn’t the only person to have described China to me as the future. So what did I find in the future?
The good news is that I can still speak the language of the future! The bad news is that reading it is still a struggle. Not surprising as my Du Chinese app tells me that I can recognize just 1301 characters. As I mentioned before, my goal was to be able to read 1500 characters before my trip to China. But let’s not focus on the bad so back to the good news.
I walked into the arrivals lounge at Kunming airport when a man approached me to ask if I wanted a taxi. I sternly replied: ”不用了“. Just like that I was 金笛 (Jin Di, my Chinese name) again. She knows better than to get into a 黑车 (illegal taxi) at the airport. Instead she approached an airport security guard and asked where the official taxi rank was. She got into the taxi and instructed the driver to take her to her hotel. After she checked into the hotel, went and found a place to eat. At the restaurant, she didn’t hesitate to complain to the manager about other customers smoking at the table next to her. I watched her, surprised by how easily the words in Mandarin came to her as I hadn’t been to China for almost ten years. Yet I felt very comfortable and even confident in being my Jin Di self again. When I reconnected with old friends in Beijing, including my old Chinese teacher, they too expressed their surprise that I could still communicate as well as before when I lived in China. They asked how I managed it. I couldn’t say it was because I had 努力学习, been a diligent student, otherwise my character knowledge would be better. The honest answer is it was down to TV shows. Yep! The years of binge watching shows on 腾讯视屏 (Teng Xun Shi Ping) has paid off.
Re-Discovery
The next thing that burst out of me was my love for the food in China. Yeah, you can get some good Chinese food outside China but trust me it pales in comparison. When I looked at the menu at the first restaurant I went to I was confused that they didn’t have 木耳凉菜 (black fungus mushroom salad). I called the waitress over and asked her where it was. She said they didn’t have it. Up until that moment I didn’t know that I had to have mu’er (木耳). You see, it was one of my most loved discoveries I made while living in China. There is something about the perfect combination of jelly but crunchy texture tossed with finely chopped chilies, sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar garnished with coriander leaves that never fails to fill me with joy. Not one to give up easily, I asked her if they had any dish with mu’er. She pointed to one dish, and I ordered it. It wasn’t a cold dish and nor was mu’er the star but it would do for that night. When it came I quickly picked out all the mu’er and ate it. I told myself I must find it for my next meal. Sure enough, the next day I did, at a simple noodles shop and it was as good as I had remembered.
What I did find on my first day back in China was one of my other best discoveries, dragon fruit. There it was at the first supermarket I walked into, neatly displayed in a large pile, and it didn’t cost €14-17 per kilo! That is how much it cost when it was available in Europe so I only had it as a special treat. And they had it in the red, my preferred version. I quickly filled up my basket with dragon fruit (and mangosteen, another favourite). I promised myself that I was going to have dragon fruit every day I was in China. I did. The other thing I ate every day was rice! White rice! Sometimes twice a day. It was amazing! For years I had limited myself to eating rice once/twice per week because I was suffering from the delusion that it would make me fat and/or increase inflammation, blah, blah. Not only did I eat ALL the rice I wanted I also ate any 饼 (bing, pancake) I fancied too. I had forgotten about all the delicious and different types of bings you could find in China. I also very quickly got reacquainted with the best snacks in the world! Chicken feet, duck neck, wings and head, pig’s feet and perfectly crunchy pig’s ears cooked in spicy and non-spicy varieties. At the end of a day of walking around Kunming I joyfully munched my way through a bag of these snacks. Each time I would ask myself how could I have stayed away so long from all this deliciousness? With every meal I had I would marvel at the diversity and scrumptiousness of food in China. I could write several dissertations on the food in China so best to stop here.
Fresh Eyes
On my return, another friend of mine asked me about my trip to China. When I shared my impression he said I sounded like a Chelsea football club supporter like he was, that saw everything the club did as the best. I reflected on his comment, because I generally shy away from joining or supporting any form of club. More importantly in this case, I was away from China for almost 10 years which I believe meant I could see it with fresh eyes. I decided to start my return to China in Kunming, a place I hadn’t been before because I wanted to see the country without nostalgia.
Nevertheless, the first thing that struck me about Kunming driving from the airport to the centre of the city was how familiar it looked. The same mish-mash of ugly to bland tall buildings that I used to see in Beijing. It was clear that the buildings were built purely for utilitarian purposes and not to also be aesthetically pleasing. I saw sign posts of familiar global brands– Starbucks, McDonalds, Lululemon, Muji, etc., mixed with Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Bank of China and Luckin Coffee. The one thing that struck me very quickly as new was the number of Chinese car brands I saw mingling with e-bikes. I didn’t see anyone on a push bike (and the entire time I was there). And local car brands dominated foreign car brands. This was surprising to me as I hadn’t realized that there were so many Chinese car brands. and that were electric and hybrid models, hence the charging infrastructure that could be seen all over the city. I was curious to see if my perception of what I saw on the streets of Kunming (and later in Beijing) reflected reality–sales data. According to China Association of Automobile Association (CAAM) in 2024 the percentage of foreign car brands sold in 2024 was 34.8%. And has been decreasing, it was 60.8% in 2019. Not surprisingly judging by the number of times I saw the “Build Your Dreams” slogan on car back bumpers, BYD was the best selling car brand last year. Electric vehicles accounted for nearly half–47.9% sold. In Europe last year only 22.6% of the cars sold were electric.
I expected the airports in Beijing to be good, and the new Daxing airport to be impressive (it was!) but I was stunned to see that the airport in Kunming was better than any I’ve used in recent years in the US and in Europe (with the exception perhaps Heathrow airport). What is striking about this is that it is an airport in a second-tier city and in one of the least developed regions in China. It is better not just in terms of the actual building but also in terms of the services. There were many different types of restaurants and ones that had food I could actually eat. I struggle to find food that I consider both healthy and appetizing at airports in Europe and the US so I always travel with my own food. The other thing I always carry with me is a water bottle to fill up at the “free” water fountains at airports. I’ve often been put off by the dirty state of the fountains, if they are even available. Not only could I easily find water fountains in Kunming airport but they were super clean with options for cold, room temperature and hot water. Unfortunately, the airport still had all the typical luxury retail brands that populate all major airports. I pay special attention to the airports of any country I visit because I believe that you can tell a lot about a country by the state of its airport. It will tell you how they perceive themselves and visitors.
Going back home
I arrived at Daxing, Beijing’s newest airport, both excited and anxious. I was excited to be back in the city that was my home for 8 years and to be reunited with old friends and places I used to frequent. I was nervous that I might not recognize anything. From the back of the taxi as we drove to my hotel, I tentatively looked out of the window. I was struck by how I didn’t recognize any of the roads, buildings, shopping centers, or names of metro stations we passed. I wondered if any of the old Beijing I knew still existed? This went on for about 40 minutes until we drove past Panjiayuan station which I recognized and even some of the streets around it. A sign of relief came over me. As we drove onto the second ring road past the Guangqumen, Jianguomen, and then Chaoyangmen districts, and past buildings such as the Soho Galaxy building and Poly Theatre, I became more and more excited and less nervous. When we turned onto Gongti North Road , I saw that my favourite clothes shop in Beijing was still there right next to the old post office just as I left it. I was ecstatic. The Beijing I knew was still around! As soon as I checked and dropped my bags I rushed to the store.
I entered like a kid walking into a sweet shop on the day she receives her week’s allowance. The two storey building had been modernized. It had a sort of Brutalist vibe to it, solid, distinctive yet subtle and timeless, just like their clothes. As soon as I walked into the store I recognized the layout, it had changed little. I burst out to the shop assistant that greeted me that I was so glad to be back. I showed her the black wool cardigan I was wearing that I had purchased there 11 years ago. Another staff member came over to join us. We both immediately recognized each other. She commented that I hadn’t been in for a while. I replied yes, that it’s been too long. She let me know that they just celebrated their 30th anniversary. I congratulated her and the store. This store represents one of my most treasured memories about Beijing and China. Their designs are very much rooted in traditional Chinese clothing, but modernized in their unique style. Every single item I’ve bought from them starting from the first one in 2008 (when I discovered it) has not only lasted but is still in great condition. I let her take a picture of my cardigan. I wasted no time in trying on new items and promptly purchased a blue and grey wool jacket that I have worn every day since then except when I was in Singapore and it was in the wash.
The next day I discovered other known and loved sites. The massage place on Chunxiu Road, was at the exact location where the Daifus (doctors as they are called since they are trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine) healed my aches and tensions for years. To my extra delight one of the Daifus from the old days was there and he remembered me! He treated me quietly and swiftly rubbed away all the knots I had been carrying since I was last there. I was on a roll! I had no problem finding my way around the neighborhoods of Dongzhimen, Sanlitun, Liufang and Wudaokou as they had changed very little. This is because the major transformation of these areas had already taken place, a part of which I was fortunate to witness from my first visit to Beijing in 2003 and during the time I lived there. In my 10 year absence the major changes could be seen from the fourth ring road (Beijing is divided into ring six roads with the first ring at the center of the city, from Fobbiden City) and beyond, and more so in the outer neighborhoods and suburbs of Beijing. Hence why everything I saw from Daxing airport, in the south fifth ring road till when I got to the edge of the south third ring road in Panjiayuan seemed new. When I went out to Shunyi on the north sixth ring road it was exactly the same. Shunyi was an area I frequented often and it was a place to use a Chinese idiom where “birds don’t defecate and hens don’t lay eggs”, basically it was remote and desolate. Now it is a thriving metropolis. It was remarkable to see.
Back to the future again
I’ve pondered what it is that makes China futuristic. Last month, I had a conversation with an American business executive who has lived in China for a long time and he too said that “China was the future.” I asked him what he meant by that and he replied because it was leading in green and new energy. I’ve heard this response many times before. I think it is too simplistic. In my opinion what makes China futuristic or the future, (but I think the right adjective should be formidable) is that it has a very long-term vision and is able to take necessary steps to realize its vision with clear and measurable outcomes. The vision is enshrined in its 5-year plans (that have been in practice since 1953) . And it can do this regardless of whether it is to eliminate poverty or pollution or to develop its own chip technology. Let’s go back to the plethora of Chinese NEV (new energy vehicles, which include hybrids, battery powered, and fully electric) brands I recently saw on the streets of Kunming and Beijing as an example. In the opinion of authors Feng Kaidong and Chen Junting, this is the result of government policies implemented from 2009 with initiatives such as the ‘Ten Cities, A Thousand Vehicles’ NEV demonstration and many pilot projects, with active participation from both local and central governments to ensure that a supply chain for NEVs was created. Between 2010 and 2020, the central government provided over RMB¥150 billion in subsidies for NEV purchases, attracting industry participants in the early stages of development. Most of today’s active domestic parts suppliers in the NEV sector were established during this time. This enabled China to meet its target of having 500,000 NEVs in 2015, about 1% of total car sales. By 2022, it had reached 25.6%, meaning that China achieved the 20% target that it had set for 2025 three years ahead of the schedule. I would argue that it started even before 2009 if you look at China’s 11th 5-year plan for 2006-2011 which was formulated during the 10th 5-year plan (2001-2005) period. In the 11th 5-year plan strong emphasis was placed on moving to high-value and low carbon technology development, energy conservation and emissions reduction. If you look at details of the plan you will see that it includes specific objectives for the automobile industry: “Reinforce the independent innovation ability in the automobile industry and accelerate the development of automobile engine, automobile electronics, key assemblies and parts and components with independent intellectual property rights. Exert the function of backbone enterprises and improve the market share of passenger cars of independent brands. Encourage the development and use of energy saving and environmental protection and new type fuel automobiles” (Guidelines of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, pg13).
K-Drama life
After I left Beijing I flew to Seoul. My intention for visiting it was to immerse myself in real life with the streets, people and food I had been seeing all these years in K-Drama. Walk around Itaewon (as in the show Itaewon Class), check! Share a table at a food stall with locals, and eat Tkeokbokki, check! Bonus, the locals shared their rice wine with me. Eat barbecue with generous banchan as opposed to the stingy ones you get in Europe, check! What I didn’t expect from my time in Seoul was that it would show me how remarkable the changes I had just witnessed on my return to China were. I had been to Seoul a couple of times before. The first time I visited was in 2010 while I was living in Beijing. I remember that I was so impressed by what I saw then–the buildings, environment, shops, art galleries, and how well put together people were, that at one point, I said to myself that “Seoul was like 37 years ahead of Beijing.” Since I was last in Seoul, 13 years have passed. This time round, I was shocked to see that not only has Beijing caught up with Seoul but in some aspects surpassed it. Back then Seoul’s streets were full of its home grown car brands, Beijing wasn’t. Now Beijing too has plenty of Chinese car brands taking up space. People in Seoul were no longer more fashionable and well put together than people in Beijing. This can also be seen in the shops. I actually found the clothes shops in Beijing more interesting than the ones in Seoul.
For me the most striking change is perhaps in the air quality. Back in 2010 (and until I left China) the air quality in Beijing was regularly hazardous so it was nice to be in clean air Seoul. The entire time I was in Beijing, 8 days, the air quality was excellent, with clear skies every day and this was in winter. In the past winter was the most polluted time of the year due to the running of the heating system. This time round in Seoul the air quality was visibly inferior to Beijing’s. In fact, a day before I was due to fly to Seoul I was a bit worried because when I looked at the weather app its AQI (air quality index) was classified as ‘unhealthy’. The other noticeable difference is in the infrastructure. Beijing now has two superior airports. Beijing’s metro system has surpassed Seoul’s. In 2010 Beijing had just seven metro lines, now it has 29 compared to Seoul’s 23. The one area where I think Seoul still has the edge over Beijing is environmental aesthetics. I don’t know of one neighborhood in Beijing that I think is pretty or beautiful. Though I don’t know Seoul as well as I know Beijing, I can easily name three neighborhoods that are pretty to look at: Itaewon, Bukchon Village and Gangnam.
Comparing Beijing and Seoul made me remember a comment a Chinese client once made about 13 years ago. He was explaining to me why he chose to buy a Japanese made humidifier instead of one made in China: “When I travel to the US and Europe, I think yeah we can catch up with these guys. And even beat them. But when I go to Japan, I think not.” He laughed. I haven’t been to Japan in 11 years so I’m looking forward to what I will discover on my next trip there and how it compares to China.
In the meantime, I’m more motivated to continue learning Chinese characters because it is pretty hard to be illiterate in China. It is now a very digitalized society, and everything is linked to an app and to WeChat. Even breathing is linked to WeChat. Joke. Seriously, not being able to comfortably read text in these apps was limiting. And not all apps have in-built translators and/or text scanners. I felt illiterate many times when I was trying to order a service on WeChat. My old Chinese teacher said that instead of the 15 minutes I spend daily studying characters, I ought to do 30 minutes. I replied: “慢慢来 (man, man, lai), bit by bit”. I don’t like to set unrealistic goals but I know for sure I will continue. 我会加油 (wo hui jia you)！