Life and Travel in China

/"If you are not a criminal, what bothers you about surveillance?" - this is how a Chinese man once answered me when I asked him if he was not irritated by cameras on the streets, in offices, shops, and stations? Indeed, the Chinese do not perceive the constant invasion of their privacy as a threat. On the contrary, they praise safety and peace. We look at it all differently, what matters to us is freedom and privacy. In the Middle Kingdom, such constant surveillance may actually disturb criminals, thieves and possibly husbands who meet their lovers in various places and circumstances. While recently staying at a hotel in Guangzhou, I even wondered for a moment whether there was a camera above me in the bathroom. A bit paranoid, but there are actually a lot of these cameras. Some people probably remember the game Metal Gear Solid, here in China Snake would not have it easy. Looking at the ceiling of the railway station, I have the impression that one camera is being watched by four other cameras, so if someone wanted to get here anonymously, or rather move a few meters, they would have to deactivate five cameras at the same time. Probably impossible. There are a lot of videos on the Internet about pointing people, issuing tickets automatically, etc. Sure, it is like that in some places, but my Chinese friends and I were passing through a red light at the Guangzhou Dong railway station and no one got a ticket and no points were deducted from us. You can get used to these problems, but you can't get rid of them. However, constantly thinking about them, the feeling of constant observation and lack of privacy can lead some people to madness.

I don't know how true this story is, but in China anything is possible. Well, in Shanghai, the groom's parents wanted to give the apartment to their son. Only there the donation to the son is subject to tax. Quite a large amount (probably around 10%) and they decided to avoid it. How? In an interesting way. The bride and groom divorced, and the groom's parents also divorced. Later, the former father-in-law married his former daughter-in-law ;-). Of course, it was only about documents, both couples lived normally, as after their original wedding. After some time, the former father-in-law transferred the apartment to his former daughter-in-law (according to the documents, his current wife). When all this became final, the couples divorced again and after some time the groom's parents remarried and the young couple got married again. The family had to show a lot of trust, because what if the father decided to stay with his young daughter-in-law? I don't know if it's understandable, but it's definitely very funny. The law did not provide for such a circus and such rotations in one family. As you can see, the Chinese are a resourceful nation, we have a lot in common here - Poles can also bypass many regulations and restrictions. Especially when it comes to taxes and money.

I must admit that Chinese cities are increasingly focused on tourism. There are more and more facilities for foreigners, information in English, applications, translations, etc. In addition, many attractions are being created for Chinese and foreign tourists: zoos, safaris, water parks, amusement parks, theme parks, museums, restored temples, etc. Everything is built on a grand scale, often with an interesting idea, something distinctive. The prices of such attractions vary, in principle comparable to our entry tickets or sometimes even more expensive. Modern technology, 3D presentations, special cinemas, colorful lighting (even in caves), sound and animations play a major role. Buildings, skyscrapers, temples and their lighting and arrangement are an attraction in themselves. Here I recommend a walk around HuaCheng Square in the center of Guangzhou (TianHe District). An open square, a pleasant view of the Pearl River in the evening, and all surrounded by magnificent skyscrapers. In the western part there is also a lot of greenery, special footbridges and a pond stocked with fish. In the provinces, in the mountains, there are also more attractions in the form of glass bridges, special footbridges, mountain railways, etc. Unfortunately, the more popular the place, the longer the queues, especially on weekends and holidays.

A lot is changing in China. Modern technology improves the lives of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, but of course it also serves to surveil the entire society and each individual. One thing has definitely improved - taxis, taxi drivers and ride-hailing services. I remember almost 20 years ago, in the smaller town of YangJiang, when I was traveling in a taxi with a visible floor. In Shaoxing, the taxi driver had a completely damaged suspension and when we crossed bridges (and there were a lot of them there), his rear axle literally floated, as if on gelatin. Now most taxis are Chinese electric cars. You can use mini-bus services, order taxis for 6 passengers, with more space for luggage, etc. Interestingly, the prices of these services have not changed much over 15-20 years, and the quality has improved by 200%.

In the Middle Kingdom, digital television seems to be overproduced. As usual, hundreds of films and series about the civil war and the war with Japan. In addition, there are many films about modern, heroic soldiers. There is also a new fashion for sci-fi series, time travel and, of course, zombies. Original title in translation: "Walking dead zombie", of course the Chinese version. There are also some American and European films. Films carefully selected for political and historical correctness. There are also several newer productions available for free, such as "Blade Runner 2049". China offers digital TV and VOD on an incredible scale. Prime Video, HBO and Netflix are blocked here. Even if someone has access purchased outside China, these services are often unavailable even via VPN.