WELL- I could write a book - long book- regards those questions. I started coming to China in 2006- but I can tell you that China has changed a whole lot since then.
EVERYONE who responds to Her post will write something different- I can assure you. So, by no means take what I say as the Only Truth! ha ha ha. Everyone has their own version.
WHAT TO SEE:
Well, like I said- I could write a book on that one question. Are you the type of person who is happy being herded around like a bunch of stupid sheep in a barely running hot bus- to all the usual tourist traps.
Or are you like me and have to go everywhere the tourists DO NOT go, as a rule. I like ANCIENT villages- and not the tourist fake villages they build with residents wearing all the latest fashion gear and an i-phone in each hand. I mean the remote villages where OX plow the rice paddies and basically nothing has changed in hundreds of years.
One time I was invited to Chongquing (largest city in the world) on business- and these people were showing me around all the fancy modern places and all the big restaurants and I was really getting bored, to say the least! I mean.... I have lived and worked in- and visited most of the countries of the world- and I LOVE 6 star hotel living--? so Chongquing was just another London or Paris to me. One of the business ladies on the 3 day, at breakfast, took me aside and said: "I can see that you are not happy, what is wrong, is it the hot food",,,, to which I replied without thinking - "NO- Everything is fine and the hotel buffet breakfast is fantastic - BUT I WANT TO SEE the real; China- not all this fake copied stuff that is rotting and falling apart (I am an engineer also) before they finish building it---- "? and before I could finish she quickly RAN OFF and came back with the 4 businessmen, who looked absolutely OFFENDED and shocked. She had obviously translated what I had said to them; and one man replied: "WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE OLD CHINA? Everyone is chasing the American Dream and wants money and a new villa and big car. Nobody cares about the OLD CHINA anymore- everyone is moving to the big cities"!? There was more discussion in Chinese- and the lady came back to me and said that one of the older gents came from a very small remote farming area and he was ashamed of his childhood and the area where he lived- and he was shocked that anyone- especially a foreigner - would want to see this old life. I SAID in reply--? I would love to go there and "I" will pay for everyone- to which they refused- of course!
The next morning I was waiting at the hotel doors with my hiking boots on and then I was surprised when a police car pulled up and told me to GET IN!? I was scared because I was alone there. But the men were government connected and they wanted me to feel special- so they sent the police car. Then we travelled 2 hours outside Chongquing city and soon the roads became dirt trails. Then we came to the end of the road LITERALLY- and the others were waiting there. Then we started walking and for 4.5 hours we went deeper into the mountains and there was just a trail; no one lived there? Then all of a sudden we came over this mountain and before me was a tapestry of beautiful rice paddies. Then we started walking another hour through the rice paddies on the skinny mud walls. Then we crossed over another small mountain and I saw all the ancient houses spotted all over the mountain sides. I did not know it but they had sent a person ahead to tell the farmers a foreigner was coming.
We went to the old guys GRANDFATHERS house- and his grandparents looked like they were 120 years old. We had fantastic pu-er tea and then I saw some young people chasing the ducks so I went out to help and look around. They caught 4 ducks and proceeded to kill them for lunch!!! There were about 20 ladies there now who had walked over from neighboring mountains. The farmers had HAND MADE CLOTHES and shoes-- and of course there was no electric or phones or anything there. The lady showed me one side of the mountain where all the tombs were- and she was explaining how old they were & who they were. Some were from the ancient Dynasty eras.
At lunch I heard most everyone's stories and they were fantastic. I estimated that at least 80% of the old people had been born there; grew up there- and had never been into the nearest village- let alone the big cities!? No TV of course- so they had no concept of the world outside. Some asked how I got to China- and was my home far away. They thought I came on a boat!
SUCH GENUINE PEOPLE- untouched by the fake modern world.
BUT WHAT HIT ME MOST-- was that they all seemed perfectly happy and contented. The elderly grandmothers complained that some of the young kids ran away to the big city and never came back. WHAT A SHAME.? I could live the rest of my days in a place like that! But Sadly- I had to "GET BACK TO WORK" and the life that I knew.
BACK TO REALITY! YES- you could literally live 20 years in China and go somewhere different EVERY WEEKEND and still, you would not even see half of China. China has 56 distinct cultures- so that means different foods- clothing- houses - dances- etc..... SO OF COURSE you must plan your visit to China.
STILL on my bucket list of things to do before I die is go live in a TUOLOU -- I know I spelled it wrong- but you know- the ROUND HOUSES wherein a 100 people live.? So Cool!
And I want to spend a week in a WATER VILLAGE. They are ancient towns built all of wood and they are usually located on a canal- and famous for tea houses- etc......
And I want to tour YUNNAN!
SO MUCH TO DO- so little time.
Now I live in shenzhen and I explore the beaches & the restaurants (WAGGAS restaurant of course!) and the city and the parks and without a doubt it is my favorite city. But every once in awhile I have to go see something ancient!
I lived in Renhe town in Guangzhou years ago and I used to walk out into the countryside and discover the ancient temples and houses- so cool!
As I said. You literally need to compile a BOOK with lots of photos - on every single area of China- BEFORE it is all gone and they build more ghost cities!