I know China is huge and every region is different, but I've been to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenyang, and honestly, none of them were particularly interesting to me.
The last place I visited was Shenyang. It's a city of around 10 million people, but locals would stare at us like we were zoo animals..
I know some people probably won't like me complaining about this, but even the hotel reception staff didn't speak English, so I had to rely on a translation app most of the time.
The food wasn't bad, but there was often a strong smell of meat and spices.
(I'm not saying it's bad food. I'm just saying that as someone who didn't grow up with those flavors and aromas, the smell was much stronger than what I'm used to, and it took away from my enjoyment of the meal. Just like some people find strong cheeses, fermented foods, or certain spices overwhelming, I felt the same way about some of the food I tried in China
I can enjoy things like hot pot, but authentic Chinese food was a bit difficult for me to get into.
The air pollution was terrible. I've traveled to more than 20 countries, and it was probably the worst air quality I've ever experienced.
I noticed that almost every car was covered in dust. At first, I wondered why nobody seemed to wash their cars, but then I realized they'd probably be dirty again within a day.
Everything felt a bit too processed and artificial to me. From the LED
lights wrapped around every tree to gardens filled with fake flowers, it all felt somewhat manufactured.
Instead of the natural landscapes and traiditional vibe I was expecting from China,
I got more of a chaotic overdevelopment vibe.
I wouldn't say it was awful, but it felt a bit bleak, and there just wasn't much for me to see or do.
Alipay was incredibly convenient, though.
Since we need a visa to visit China, I'm not sure I'd go back again.