移步换景: the view changes as you move.
Try it in a Suzhou garden. Pause at a lattice window, then shift your viewpoint. Notice which rocks, plants or patches of water it reveals and hides.
Give the garden time to surprise you.
Put the Forbidden City in your calendar twice: once to visit, once to book.
Booking opens 7 days before your visit at 8 p.m. Beijing time. Set the reminder in that time zone, even while you're still abroad.
Official rules: https://t.co/HdsnVNC2eo
Would you rent robot legs to explore Xi’an?
The City Wall offers exoskeleton rentals: wearable robots that assist walking. Ask staff about fit, price and rental time before trying one.
“Those incredible noodles somewhere in Chengdu” is a terrible search query.
When a dish wins you over on your China trip, photograph its name on the menu and note the restaurant + city. Give yourself enough clues to find it again.
Shanghai afternoon: Bund walk → Dongjin ferry → Pudong waterfront.
The ferry from East Jinling Rd to Dongchang Rd costs 2 yuan per pedestrian, with views of Lujiazui’s skyline. Daytime service only; check current hours.
Official guide: https://t.co/6mWYa4b0ri
Touring China by train? Double-check the full station name before you leave. Beijing Railway Station, Beijing South and Beijing West are separate hubs. Save the station’s Chinese name and map pin from your booking, then use that exact destination for your ride.
Four signs worth learning before touring China:
入口 = entrance
出口 = exit
洗手间 = restroom
地铁 = subway
Screenshot this. Recognizing these four can make stations, malls and scenic areas much easier to navigate.
This is how the anti-China propaganda machine works... and ultimately fails.
A colleague of mine recently booked a 2 week trip to China. We started chatting about my experiences there, apps to use and any questions he had.
The first question: "Is it safe?"
Heres why this was the first question and how the cycle of fear to reality works 👇
📢 Manufacturing fear
Negative stories about China are pushed to audiences through social media, legacy mainstream media, think tanks, NGOs, "expert" networks and government channels. Even documentaries and movies aren't spared.
Stories about Chinese "aggression", safety, human rights, Xinjiang, Taiwan or COVID generate high engagement, while positive stories about China's successes or the complexities behind these issues are rarely communicated, and never mass-propagated.
You'll see the same stories everywhere.
Repetition reinforces.
🚫 Skepticism and omission
Chinese sources or independent media that challenge the narrative are treated with far greater skepticism and are more likely to be attacked and invalidated.
Valid points or context that could change the tone of a piece will be omitted or buried at the bottom of an article with negative wording or presentation.
🤯 Ideological persuasion
An underlying worldview casts China as an authoritarian, communist threat.
This amplifies negative stories, downplays context or Western parallels, and treats Chinese motives as inherently expansionist while Western actions are framed as defensive or worthwhile.
There's always a greater good that explains away acts of aggression and its consequences.
You're being told how to think, not what to think of.
✅ The break out
Challenge everything you read, take it with a grain of salt, do your own research and come to your own conclusions. That works for both sides.
But the best thing you can do — Go to China. See it for yourself.
The lies and propaganda fall away very quickly.
--
Remember my colleague who asked "Is it safe?"
He came back a few weeks ago and is already planning his second trip.
I agree. Each city has its own charm with different cultural sites to see. Buildings and streets are clean and in good repair. Also, people are polite, hard-working, and respectful. I feel safe, so enjoy going to China.
@alvinfoo I am from China, studied in the US, and now work here. I'd say I know both cultures pretty well. Please let me know if I can help with ANY(I mean anything!) barriers before or during your trip to China!
@elonmusk@ARKInvest I am from China, studied in the US, and now work here. I'd say I know both cultures pretty well. Please let me know if I can help with ANY(I mean anything!) barriers before or during your trip to China!