Life and Travel in China

"The Chinese are holding strong!" - I confirm this sentence from Wyspia

The film "Avatar" defeated "Titanic" and became the highest-grossing film in the world. It is worth mentioning that in China this film was also very popular, and cinemas were simply crowded. I have the impression that if we did not include the Middle Kingdom in the popularity ranking of this film, it would probably not beat "Titanic". In China, cinema is experiencing a real revival, in cities and towns, sitting at the cinema or in a caf

The Chinese authorities are excellent at prevention and counteracting terrorist attacks. Luggage is scanned at every bus or train station. Now, during the Chinese New Year, the controls are even more stringent. Even when entering the subway in Shanghai, your luggage is scanned, and any larger packages must be shown to the police. Maybe it's annoying, but it doesn't bother me at all. This is certainly better reasoning than the solutions used in the USA. It was only after the fact that the services became interested in the safety and control of passengers and packages... It is worth mentioning that now there are soldiers at all major railway and bus stations. Privates keep order and help people lost in the crowd. While at the train station in Hangzhou, I was shocked by the number of passengers (still 2 weeks until the Chinese holiday). There were about 30 ticket counters open at the station and each had a queue of 10-15 people. There is a soldier between each turn, and there are also policemen in the station hall. You can feel safer! Of course, someone else may feel the pressure of the communist state, the police state, but it doesn't bother me, not at this time and not in this aspect.

February 14 will mark the beginning of the Year of the Tiger in China. Most companies have holidays this week, until February 20-22. All bus stations and railway stations are besieged with crowds of travelers. Chinese railways run thousands of additional trains. People who migrate from large cities where they work return to their hometowns to celebrate the New Year within 10-20 days. Traditional dinners, vigil, card game, snacks, fireworks. This is one of the largest migrations in the world, and it all takes place within a few days. Train tickets are purchased several months in advance, flights are two or even three times more expensive (although all tickets are sold out), buses are overcrowded, and some people even travel by boat or ferry. On a global scale, this is an incredible movement of such a mass of people. Of course, I have already documented it in photos, which I will try to add tomorrow. The night of February 13-14 will resemble our Christmas Eve, the trains will be empty, because everyone will sit down to a gala dinner!

Crowds of people in stores and hypermarkets! Last day to shop before Chinese New Year. Tomorrow there will be a big cooking and gala dinner. The next days were similar, lunches, dinners, meetings with family and friends, visiting others. The last moments before the most important holiday in the Middle Kingdom.