As gleaming modernity meets folk culture, modern-ancient China is a unique place, and full of these interesting juxtapositions!
One of the things I absolutely love about China is the clash of ancient and modern – complete, beautiful juxtapositions! On nearly every street you’ll find it, and I LOVE it! How perfectly they seem to weld together, so contrasting yet so perfectly in tune. It might look like one big oxymoron, but actually it’s more of a symbiotic relationship – the modern needs the ancient to make it work whilst retaining Chinese culture and history. Beautifully adorned, centuries-old temples with arching eaves, framed by towering glass towers. This is what works for China in the modern day and I am here for it! However, I didn’t get into photographing this contrast until the end of my time in China. Unfortunately I only have a few photos truly showcasing it from three cities.
China is a fascinating country, so alive with culture, language, and food! I haven’t been to many countries, but China is everything that I love about travelling. Over the course of five years, I gained so many insights into a country that is often misunderstood. I’m not going to go into other people’s opinions on China, or some of the arguments people have to NOT go there (some justified if I’m honest, and others simply borne of ignorance). Suffice it to say that for me personally, China holds significant importance. It is a place I am happy to have lived for much of my twenties.
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Visit underrated Baoding, the ancient defence city for Beijing!
The city in which I most recently resided. Southwest of Beijing, in the province of Hebei, Baoding is an ancient city, dating back before the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE). It was a place of strategic, military importance. At one point it served as a defence against attacks on Beijing from the south. A wall was built around the the military academy, barracks and government offices, and you can visit these places today. Initially I was unsure about Baoding, but the more I explored it, the more I came to love the city for its history, its people, and the fabulous noodles!
Take a trip to Xi’An, where ancient and modern China come together beautifully!
This famous city has it all. Food, ancient culture and modern everyday weave together perfectly and chaotically. Xi’An was by far my favourite place that I visited in China. Once the capital of China, Xi’An has long been an important place not only for housing emperors, but also as the terminal city on the Silk Road.
Something I particularly loved about Xi’An, is that it is the home of the army that are the Terracotta Warriors. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, ordered this army as protection in the afterlife. This is of interest to me personally, because for three years I lived in the city of Qinhuangdao in eastern Hebei province… the only city in China to be named after an emperor. It is thus named because Qin Shi Huang visited the area on his hunt for immortality. A temple was built on the coastline thereafter, named The Temple of Immortality.
The fourth picture below is just one example of snacks on offer on the so-called ‘Snack Street’ of Xi’An! If you find yourself in this amazing city, do load up on the delicious foods on offer because oh my goodness – it’s the best foodie experience I’ve ever had!
Modern and quirky TianJin meets ancient China in fascinating ways
I visited TianJin many times whilst in China. Situated just east of Beijing, it made a great day trip from both Qinhuangdao and Baoding. It is a fascinating city with perhaps the most colliding of ancient and modern of anywhere else I went. It was an important trading town, with close links to Beijing, and being a port town, meaning that there is a huge mishmash of architecture in the city. Ancient China meets Soviet-style 1950s buildings, meets Colonial Europe and Japanese style, and then elegant glass towers and multicoloured apartment blocks. It’s a fascinating mixture, and I would happily wander around the city, walking between the different areas, and enjoying the array of architectural styles. TianJin is truly a strange and wonderful city!
Final thoughts
I adore China. I spent 5 years living there, in different cities, and saw many stunning places, met wonderful people, and ate the best food (especially in Xi’An!). Highlights definitely include hiking various parts of the Great Wall of China, multiple times! Yet, for me, one of my favourite things about China is the way that the modern and the ancient perfectly compliment one another. It’s so interesting, and I love exploring new towns and cities in this amazing country and noticing these juxtapositions. These are just some of my best photos taken in my last year in China, and I will always love looking through them and marvelling at the beauty of these cities!
If you like photo diaries, do check out our other ones on the blog – The most Instagrammable photo spots in Three Cliffs Bay, Wales! and The most picturesque Instagrammable spots in Lisbon!
Chat with me!
I hope you enjoyed looking at some of my favourite photos from China! Have you been to China / would you like to go? Having lived there for so long, I have a special love for the country, and can’t wait to explore more of it in the future. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
