To the sea, at last!

Trip Start Oct 19, 2007
1
16
70
Trip End Ongoing


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of China  , Shandong,
Friday, September 26, 2008

I meant to go to Qingdao as soon as I got to Jinan. It's because I miss the sea. Living in Wuhan was crappy in this respect. I grew up next to the ocean and find it comforting to know it is nearby, even if I can't see it. In Wuhan the nearest coast is 12 hours by train. Coming to Shandong was a relief. Getting to Qingdao felt like a weight being let off my shoulders. That is the effect the sight of the sea had on me.

I think Qingdao is a beautiful city. Beautiful European architecture by the sea. We didn't do much other than walk around by the seaside, but that was enough to give me a really positive impression of the place and make me pretty certain that I would be happy living there.

Two observations... firstly, Qingdao was an Olympic city and this is obvious in the way it has been cleaned up, but not in the behaviour of the people Shining water
Shining water
 . The people stared in Qingdao a lot more than is generally the case in Jinan. One would think they hadn't seen foreigners before. I was surprised.

Secondly, the train trip to Qingdao upset me. So much land covered in concrete and bitchumen, garbage, buildings and gactories everywhere, dirty air and sluggish brown rivers. Is this the price of 'development', of 'progress'? It is too high. Much too high. Poor China. Poor earth. Poor people. How has it come to this?

When I shut my eyes, I can picture the blaze of Perth's sharp blue skies in my mind, white sand, surf and the crisp scent of gum trees that is my home. Clean. Unpoisoned. I think of the ordinary people in the middle of Shandong who have no experience of this kind of land, never will and did not create this pollution through which they must wade. Nor will they reap the benefits, which will most likely go to some big shot who lives elsewhere.

China is beautiful, but in too many places, it has been overburdened and poisoned. To be frank, I think the problem is so serious that it cannot be fixed. Chinese people love their country with a passion that is sometimes scary, but they have very nearly killed it. That is more than enough reason to feel sad.

Some of the photos (the wedding shots) were taken in spring 2009, not winter 2008.
Slideshow Print this entry Qingdao hotels