Discover the Soul of Fujian in China Journal Spring 2025

In China Journal Spring 2025 – From Putian to Xiamen: A Memoir of Connection and Contrast, readers are invited on an intimate journey through one of China’s most dynamic regions. This evocative travel memoir blends personal narrative with rich cultural insights, offering a rare glimpse into the heart of Fujian Province.

A Tale of Two Cities

From the ancestral temples and slow-paced rhythms of Putian to the vibrant, fast-evolving streets of Xiamen, the author paints a striking portrait of a land where tradition and modernity coexist. Through vivid storytelling, the book explores:

• Authentic Encounters – Heartwarming interactions with locals, from tea farmers to urban entrepreneurs.
• Cultural Contrasts – The tension and harmony between old-world customs and rapid development.
• Sensory Adventures – The tastes, sounds, and textures of Fujian, from Putian’s home-style dishes to Xiamen’s seafood markets.

Why You’ll Love This Book

• For Travel Enthusiasts – A deep dive into off-the-beaten-path China, beyond the usual tourist spots.
• For Memoir Readers – A reflective, personal journey that resonates with universal themes of belonging and change.
• For Sinophiles – Fresh perspectives on contemporary Chinese life, culture, and regional identity.

Perfect For Fans Of:

• Peter Hessler’s River Town
• Rob Gifford’s China Road
• Personal travelogues with cultural depth

Get Your Copy Today and experience Fujian through the eyes of a keen observer—where every page reveals a new layer of connection and contrast.

 Available now on Amazon Kindle  Read the Book Here

The post China Journal Spring 2025 – From Putian to Xiamen: A Memoir of Connection and Contrast appeared first on British Panda.

The Journey Begins: Entering China During Zero-COVID

Defying the odds, Clive made it into China in 2021 when the country was virtually closed to the world. With no direct flights, mandatory COVID tests, and a gruelling quarantine, his arrival was just the beginning of a rollercoaster ride.

• Endless Tests and Health Codes: Weekly COVID tests and the infamous health code system became a part of daily life.
• Lockdowns and Isolation: A single positive case could trigger a lockdown, leaving Clive stranded on an island with no way out.

The Zero-COVID Madness

As the months rolled on, the Zero-COVID policies took their toll. Clive found himself trapped in a hotel, cut off from the world, as his patience wore thin. The constant uncertainty and restrictions tested his resolve, but he persevered.

The End of Zero-COVID and a New Challenge
When Zero-COVID finally ended in late 2023, the virus swept through China like wildfire. Streets emptied, and Clive caught COVID for the first time, leaving him bed-bound over Christmas.

• Juggling Illness and Responsibilities: Despite being unwell, Clive had to manage a mountain of exam prep, adding to his exhaustion.
• Family Troubles Back Home: With family issues in the UK weighing on his mind, Clive made the difficult decision to leave China.

A Bittersweet Farewell

Clive’s time in China was a saga of bureaucratic hurdles, cultural quirks, and unforgettable friendships. As he boarded a one-way flight out of the country, he knew this wasn’t just the end—it was the closing of a chapter that had tested, taught, and transformed his life.

Why You Should Read Clive’s Story

Clive’s journey is more than just a personal account; it’s a window into life in China during a historic period. His story is filled with:

• Cultural Insights: Discover the unique challenges and quirks of living in China.
• Resilience and Adaptability: Learn how Clive navigated one of the world’s strictest COVID regimes.
• Unforgettable Experiences: From lockdowns to friendships, his tale is both heartwarming and eye-opening.

Get the Book

Experience Clive’s incredible journey firsthand. His new Kindle book, Come to China, They Said, is now available on Amazon.

 Read the Book Here

The post Come to China, They Said: A Foreigner’s Journey Through Zero-COVID and Beyond appeared first on British Panda.

As travel becomes a reality once more, together with the new demands that COVID brings, the age-old challenge for foreigners visiting China remains. This is, of course, the language barrier. In this article, we’ll examine the diversity of the Chinese language, China’s English language ability, and how you can approach learning a functional level of Mandarin Chinese.

Chinese Language Diversity

Firstly, understanding the challenges of the Chinese language will enable you to better prepare. Or indeed, understanding the challenges of ‘languages’ in China might be a better phrase to start with. There are circa 300 living languages in China, a figure that varies depending on your definition of language and dialect. For the sake of time and to position this article as an introductory resource, we’ll save China’s minority languages for another time and focus on the Chinese language. The Chinese language spans 10 dialect groups. Many are related, some more so than others, but the dialect that most visitors to China will benefit from learning and using is Mandarin.

Mandarin Chinese is spoken by 920 million people worldwide and is the majority language throughout most of the Chinese-speaking world. Known as Putonghua, or the people’s language, it’s the country’s official language and the language the government is dedicated to promoting throughout education and the media.

Every major city and region has its own dialect, but apart from in the south of the country, there will usually be a strong Mandarin uptake. Incidentally, the country’s second most spoken language is Cantonese. Although Cantonese and Mandarin are not mutually intelligible, they do share the same written language. The only differences here are that Cantonese people tend to use traditional Hanzi (Chinese characters) and mainland Mandarin speakers use simplified Hanzi: a system that removes excessive, superfluous strokes from the characters. Both systems are generally mutually intelligible.

China’s English Ability

China is undoubtedly developing at a fast pace. It’s making its mark on the global economy and rapidly becoming a major world player. As an example, there are close to 180,000 Chinese students in the UK alone, and countless Chinese manufacturing and export hubs liaise with western clients every day. However, assuming that the English language is widely used throughout China is a misconception and one that you should take into consideration before planning your China trip.

English is taught in schools throughout China from roughly the age of eight upwards. As with many school subjects, if they are not learned as a passion, they will probably not be pursued and mastered. Therefore, just because English is taught doesn’t mean it’s spoken well. Also, it’s often taught by English teachers who learned their English in China and who have never been to an English-speaking county.

The extent of English language usage in China tends to correlate with the Chinese city tier structure. China’s tier 1 cities comprise Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing. These cities welcome western business people, foreign students and they are even home to international schools. The English language is relatively common. However, visit lesser-known peripheral cities and you may not see another foreigner, nor experience a local who is proficient in English all day.

Recommended Learning

As well as demonstrating respect to your country hosts, learning some basic Mandarin will serve you extremely well. There’s a vast array of Mandarin learning resources online, from websites to videos, podcasts to apps. Some resources are completely free, some feature additional charges, and some are subscription-based.

Everybody’s learning style is different, though, so undertaking some Google searches should help you locate some initial resources to trial.

Translation Restrictions

In this smartphone age, we rely on our devices more and more, and language translation is no exception. However, if you intend to entrust Google Translate, although it’s an undeniably powerful translation resource, bear in mind that it won’t work in mainland China unless you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) app on your devices.

Google services, along with an increasing majority of western web pages and internet services are blocked in mainland China. The app will simply not load and definitely won’t be able to connect and produce any translation. If you do want to use Google Translate, before entering mainland China you must download and subscribe to a VPN app service. These connect your devices to a server in another country, effectively tunneling through what is referred to as ‘The Great Firewall of China’.

Alternatively, download another Chinese dictionary, like Pleco, which will provide you with word translation both on and offline.

Your Chinese Language Options

Knowing the limited extent of the English language in China and the challenges facing those needing to tackle the Chinese language in mainland China will enable you to plan ahead.

If you currently possess no Mandarin ability and intend on visiting tier 3 Chinese cities, consider traveling with an interpreter, or liaising with a competent Mandarin speaker on arrival, be that a Chinese colleague, supplier, or someone from a Chinese agency.

Learning some basic Mandarin prior to your trip is highly recommended and the more you learn, the better. Depending on your location and timescales, you could opt for Chinese classes or even 1-2-1 teaching. Simple Google searches should enable you to locate these resources.

For more information on Chinese travel, Chinese language resources, and Chinese translation services, make sure you subscribe to this blog now!

[mc4wp_form id=”9151″]

The post Your Chinese Trip: Language and Translation Recommendations appeared first on British Panda.

What is a VPN?

A VPN app connects you to a secure VPN server. Your internet traffic goes through an encrypted tunnel that nobody else can see into, thus protecting you from government bodies, hackers and your internet service provider. This keeps your online activity private and because you can change your IP location to ensure access to sites and services that might be restricted in countries like China.
When you open your VPN app or program, you can select a preferred country. The VPN server within your chosen country allows you to change the IP address that identifies your new location, therefore allowing you to access online services that might be restricted to just that region.

What Sites Do Not Work in China?

The list is non-exhaustive and ever-expanding, but common services that you might use day-to-day and that fall behind what is referred to as “The Great Firewall of China” include:

Social Media

• Facebook (and Messenger)
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Hootsuite
• Pinterest
• Snapchat
• WhatsApp

Productivity Services

• Gmail
• Google Suite (Docs, Sheets and Pages)
• Google Search
• OneDrive
• Spotify
• Twitch

Websites

• BBC
• CNN
• New York Times
• Reuters
• Reddit
• Slack
• Wall Street Journal
• Wikipedia
• YouTube
• Which VPN to Use?

Which VPN Works in China?

There are a good number of VPNs available. This author is writing this using ExpressVPN from Wenzhou in China in late July 2001. Before arriving in China I did undertake research. There are a number of VPN apps that seem to be reliable and that gain higher ratings on comparison and review sites. These include NordVPN, Astrill and of course, ExpressVPN.

I opted for ExpressVPN because it was recommended by a travel ‘influencer’ who I imagined had a reputation that would be tarnished through online comments if they were not being truthful about the reliability of ExpressVPN. Their report on Express VPN was indeed truthful and reliable.

Obvious comment: Make sure you subscribe and download your VPN prior to entering mainland China. I subscribed the week before my flight and have been using ExpressVPN on my iPhone, iPad and Macbook Pro. It has allowed me access to all services that I use in the UK, and I especially rely on the Google Suite of products, all of which work perfectly for me. The connection is reliable and the speeds seem fast.

ExpressVPN: Recommended

The post VPN: Accessing The Web Content You Want in China appeared first on British Panda.