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.

In all honesty, there’s not a huge amount of “bad: when it comes to Wenzhou, but in the name of balance, honesty and integrity, we need to examine all aspects of the city for a fair, justified representation. So, here are some of the pros and cons of Wenzhou: the good and bad aspects and elements of the city.

Pro: Size

If like me you hail from a small country like the UK, you might find the size of Wenzhou rather comforting. By Chinese standards it’s a small city, yet is home to a similar population size as London. So in this author’s opinion, it’s huge. However, you can get anywhere on a bus in around an hour, you can cycle into the centre fro0m the outskirts in an hour to an hour and a half.

Con: The Weather

Having lived in Bangkok and visited Singapore, I understand what humidity feels like. Wenzhou is roasting! I find it unbearable most of the time. Move closer toward the foot of the mountains and I believe it feels more humid. From June to October, there’s little relief, other than staying huddled around one’s aircon units. Venturing outside spells wet clothing, sunburn and general suffering. Tip: Venture west into Wencheng and you can find mountain retreats at circa 1000 metres elevation. The temperature sits around the lower 30s and hotels don’t even have air conditioning, it’s that comfortable. More on this to come!

Pro: The Food

Wenzhounese food is a delight. It’s healthy because seafood is plentiful, and it’s light and easy. Expensive in the UK, but oysters are cheap here and served steamed or barbecued. Either way, they’re healthy and delicious. Fish head is also popular here too, served in a light, yet often hot soup. Although a waste product in the UK, the head holds a lot of soft, fatty meat, and the head is often accompanied by strips of the body. Watch out for bones, though! Crab season is a real treat. The extra cost is well worth it, though!

Con: The Local Dialect

I can’t say I wasn’t warned. People would tell me before I arrived in China that Wenzhou-Hua is the most difficult of Chinese dialects. My first encounter with it was walking home late one night. I overheard some guys who’d had a drink or two. I thought to myself: “Have I entered a Russian area? What are they speaking?” The speech patterns often bear little resemblance to Mandarin and the sounds “du” and “gu” are repeated, often only subtly differentiated. However, resist it as you might, you’ll pick up a few bits and pieces, such as “vagaynang”, which is “why guo ren”, or “foreigner”, which they have no hesitation to say to your face.

Pro: Tourist Attractions

There is so much to do in Wenzhou. Starting with the Oujiang River: Walk towards Qidu Island and you can enjoy the promenade. The residential area becomes expensive, and with it comes some higher-end restaurants. Turn back upriver, and the next island is Jiangxin Island. This pretty island offers delightful grassed areas to picnic on and is home to an exemplary Buddhist temple, as well as the beautifully-maintained ex-British Consulate building.

Jiushan Park boasts a stunning Pagoda, and Jingshan (Gold Mountain) Park will take you up the mountains for some wonderful sights. There are a number of other mountain spots. The whole of Zhejiang province is stunning. However, my favourite was the west of the city in Wencheng County. Yuelao Mountain had it all: stunning views, delightful trails, and the aforementioned cooler weather, thanks to its elevation.

If you’re wanting to experience the sea more, then venture east towards Dongtoa. The island chain is home to some 100,000-plus people, and it’s the main island where a lot of city folk like to pick up a second home or escape for a break.

Con: Personal Space

This is a cultural thing. In the UK, we guard our personal space. In fact, of all European countries, the British are possibly the most “standoffish”. In Wenzhou, people stand up close to you and walk in front of you, and this same relationship with personal space extends to the roads. There’s a feeling of “just in time” avoidance of accidents, rather than the general maintenance of distance n the UK.

Pro: Hospitality

Many countries are known for their treatment of guests, but being a travelled person, I’ve not experienced hospitality like Wenzhou hospitality. People go out of their way to ensure you feel welcome, and drinks and food will always be offered. You won’t physically be able to pay for a meal unless you learn the tricks the locals employ. Assuming you lose the first round of “let me get this”, then it’s sure that it will take you some time until you pick up on the “nipping to the toilet trick”, or the “I’m just going outside to take this call rouse”.

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Whether you’ve heard of the city of Ningbo or not, chances are you’d still be blissfully unaware of the tapestry of cultural and technological marvels that the city is brimming with.

Located just below Shanghai, at the northerly tip of Zhejiang province, Ningbo is home to one of the busiest ports in the world; one that handles hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo each year; a port that is likely carrying a product destined to a store, a company, or warehouse near you, right now! But the port and the organisations that feed into it are just the tip of the iceberg. Together with some of these key organisations, ‘we’ were invited to explore and experience some of the gems that Ningbo has to offer.

By ‘we’, I am in fact referring to myself and some 30+ other foreign experts whose educations and careers have led us to pursue a future in China; in the province of Zhejiang to be more precise. From PhD students to engineers, artists to teachers, as well as entrepreneurs, this diverse, compelling and complementary group of individuals hails from all corners of the globe. They all now reside in Zhejiang, and because of this, were invited to come and learn about, experience, observe, and relish what this progressive, spirited city has to offer.

So what went down? Well, it went something like this…

Day 1: Old and New in Harmony

No, the title doesn’t refer to the delegates of this marvellous trip! On arriving at the rather plush Landison Plaza Hotel, we said our “hellos”, freshened up, explored the hotel facilities, enjoyed a buffet lunch, and then embarked on our first Ningbo expedition.

This was to Ningbo Museum, which, right from the start, impressed us with its striking architecture: Designed by an acclaimed Architect and the first Chinese winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, Professor Wang Shu, the building’s outer walls marry modern materials with reclaimed tiles and bricks from all significant eras of Ningbo’s history, therefore, laying the foundations of a theme that continued throughout the week.

The day culminated in a formal dinner. Local delicacies were complemented by wine, broken by speeches, toasts, and short presentations. Overall, the celebrations were meaningful, genuine, and relished by all parties.

Side note: Throughout the entire week, politics were not mentioned a single time.

Day 2: “Ay Up Me Duck”

If you hail from Nottingham or the surrounding area in the UK, you’ll know that this title is “Nottingham Hua”, translating roughly to “hello my friend”. Yes, throughout England’s East Midlands, we call each other “duck”. Therefore, the trip to Nottingham University Ningbo was of particular significance to this author. Having begun learning Mandarin Chinese through the University of Nottingham several years ago, the morning’s outing was somewhat of a pilgrimage.

Reminiscent of Nottingham’s Jubilee Campus, the Ningbo Campus, not only echoed a similar architectural design ethic, but also a similar commitment to educational merit, plus, an adherence to the British university education system. Lunch there was pretty good too.

Next stop: Tianyi Pavilion. Built during the Ming Dynasty, i.e., having some 400 years of history, it’s a nationally significant site. It’s the oldest existing library in China, set across grounds boasting exquisite traditional buildings and gardens. Despite the “good old British” taking a few thousand key volumes with them after the Second Opium War (being British, you come across a lot of this type of thing on your world travels), thanks to donations by private collectors, the collection has recovered to circa 30,000 volumes. Comprising mostly rare antique Ming dynasty printed and hand-copied volumes, visitors can learn how the books were made and can observe them in storage. Side note: It was rather hot that day. Even the more equatorial of us felt the strain.

As darkness descended and the heat receded, a little, we moved toward Ningbo’s Bund. Although one naturally thinks of Shanghai with the utterance of the term ‘Bund’, Ningbo’s Bund is no less enjoyable. Granted, it’s on a far smaller scale, but it provides a similarly exhilarating array of lavishly-lit buildings, river breezes, and water-bound excitement.

The nearby Tianyi Square provides visitors with an urban concept presenting 22 buildings following European style. A musical fountain sits beside a water screen where visitors can enjoy movies. It’s little wonder Tianyi Square won a prize for the best public art construction after being completed in 2003 under the watchful eye of its designer, Architect Qingyun Ma.

Day 3: Ahoy There!

The Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan is mammoth, and something that becomes more apparent when you ascend to the viewing deck of the visitors’ building. To cope with the ever-increasing demands of an open and expanding China, in 2006, the Port of Ningbo merged with its neighbour, the Port of Zhoushan, with the newly-amalgamated entity going on to outperform its nearby rival, Shanghai, in terms of cargo tonnage.

Thinking back atop the viewing platform, containers are stacked as far as the eye can see. A coach ride amidst the 311 productive berths, alongside super-size ships taking on their cargo, puts China’s growth and its reputation as the “factory of the world” into perspective.

After an exceedingly delicious buffet lunch, music was in the air. Piano music in this case. Established in 2002, Hailun Piano Co., Ltd manufactures pianos under its own moniker, as well as for overseas brands including Cline, Cunningham, and Emerson. Multiple stories of the company’s main building show the various, meticulously orchestrated stages of the manufacturing of the various models, with a grand piano taking up to two months from start to completion. Our tour of the building included an insightful overview of the company’s origins and growth, a presentation of the entire piano range, as well as an arousing performance by a musical maestro on a Hailun grand piano.

After, we went to board our bus, and on bidding our farewells to staff, we were gifted charming miniature glass pianos. Containing a music box-type mechanism, they play an emotional tune evoking memories of what had been a delightful afternoon.

Day 4: Peace and Love

Well, that was pretty much the vibration felt at all of the locations we visited, but particularly so at namesake Peacebird. Since its foundation in 1997, this future-facing clothing brand has evolved into one synonymous with quality and style, and the ‘go-to’ fashion brand for China’s urban females. Simply search either of China’s main retail sites and you’ll see that they are awash with a multitude of Peacebird designs. The Peacebird brand has also successfully extended to satisfy the demands of male and younger fashion consumers, and the company’s growth and success are more than evident at its breathtakingly-modern headquarters.

Evocative of creative and team-led organisations like Apple or Google, Peacebird’s space-station-like central building features open workspaces for enhanced team interactions, sweeping wooden staircases, cool break-out spaces, and if that wasn’t enough, carp swimming above your head in a bottomless tank! Look towards the centre of the building, and the outside space offers more spectacular koi carp, and the centrepiece is a catwalk leading to a stage emblazoned with the company’s modern, meaningful logo.

Next stop: Dongqian Lake. As hard as it is not to reference Hangzhou’s West Lake, Dongqian Lake is 4 times larger but also boasts an abundance of natural beauty. Zhejiang’s aesthetic charm draws on the juxtaposition of its mountains and expanses of water. Dongqian Lake’s beauty was there for us all to savour up close, thanks to us having our very own boat trip. In the words of Chinese Author and Poet, Mr Guo Moruo: Dongtian Lake offers “the scenery of West Lake, the spirit of Taihu Lake”.

Back aboard the coach, we sped across Ningbo to the far west side of the city, as tomorrow, we’re examining how the city holds up on the technological and manufacturing fronts.

Day 5: Top Gear

Hugging the Hangzhou Bay area of Ningbo, an array of business locations develop the technology, and manufacture the various parts for the car brands forming the Geely Auto portfolio. Founded in 1986 by business magnate, Li Shufu, Geely now sells cars under its own brand name, as well as Lynk & Co, Proton, Lotus, Volvo, and more. With 2020 net income topping CN¥6.44 billion, the Geely group comfortably achieved 1.328m sales throughout 2021.

Positioned at the cutting edge of the electric vehicle market, we were treated to a guided tour of where the engines are developed and tested.

Following a high-quality lunch at the nearby Ningbo Empark Grand Hotel, it was sadly time to return home.

The Takeaways

The first takeaway is that Ningbo is on fire! The pace and level of development are astounding. It’s brimming with creative energy, drive and direction, and it’s a city on the rise.

The second takeaway from the trip is that the message from Zhejiang is along the lines of “look where we came from, see what we’ve achieved, and now imagine where we can go next? Why not be part of it?”

However, you can draw your own conclusions. If you’re in any doubt, why not book a trip? I’m confident that Ningbo will welcome you! Find out more about Ningbo here.

The post Ningbo Foreign Experts Science and Technology Bureau Trip 2022 appeared first on British Panda.

In July 2021, I finally flew from London Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, of course, leaving a country that had seemingly moved on from COVID restrictions. This article doesn’t consider the author’s opinions on COVID and COVID restrictions, it purely conveys a first-hand experience of both the UK and China, back-to-back.

Organising my flight to China was my introductory lesson into the workings of China’s zero-COVID policy. As virus variants emerged, China restricted flights from their hotspots and origins, with the UK falling under this remit as the Delta variant swept around the world. Direct flights were, therefore, unavailable, and one of the only routes into China for Travellers originating from the UK was from London Heathrow to Frankfurt, then to Nanjing.

Two days before flying, though, all travellers must have both a nucleic acid test and an IgM blood test at a Chinese government-approved testing organisation. Negative test data must then be shared with the Chinese government via a website, which then issues a green health code, valid for just 48 hours, that must be produced in order to be allowed to fly. Then, once again in Frankfurt, the same test, results and health code procedures must be undertaken for travellers to be allowed onwards to China.

On landing in China, the very first thing travellers are asked to do is to have a nucleic acid test administered, and then they are ushered onto coaches and taken to a pre-determined quarantine hotel where they must stay for 14-days before quarantining again under the supervision and testing of their local community.

What Zero COVID means

Day-to-day life in China leaves no room for COVID, and the local government reacts very rapidly to any reported cases. Cases are picked up on quickly, as testing is widespread. Staff members at medical facilities are widely tested twice weekly, and government and education staff receive regular tests.

Test data is fed through WeChat, China’s main social media app, and the app features a health code mini program, namely “Wenzhou (or relevant city name) Epidemic Prevention Code” (see right) that demonstrates the user’s health, and therefore, their freedom to access any place, from a university campus to a shop, a hotel to a restaurant. This health feature also conveys the user’s test time and results, their vaccination status, as well as an itinerary of where they have recently travelled. A current, local update is required to acquire a green health code certificate, allowing the holder into any restaurant, cafe, shopping centre and so forth.

As was the case in the spring of 2022, cases were on the rise in Shanghai. Despite the importance of Shanghai to China’s economy, the city of 26m people was put under strict lockdown for circa 2 months. Similar lockdowns threaten any city with ongoing positive COVID-19 cases.

Experience in Wenzhou

A tier 2 city, throughout the spring of 2022, Wenzhou periodically reported low numbers of COVID cases. In response, public events were cancelled. There were periods when classes at universities were rescheduled, and university campuses were cordoned-off for weeks and months at a time.

As part of my contract with a local university, as of June 2022, I am required every day to message my boss through WeChat, stating that I have not left the city.

Every Monday and Friday, I must take a screengrab of my travel itinerary (see left). This is part of the AliPay payment app which states where and when one has travelled. It also conveys your latest COVID-19 test status.

Also, every Tuesday, I must have a free-of-charge COVID-19 test at a testing station within the local university campus. To do so, I show them the screen of my “Wenzhou Epidemic Prevention Code” WeChat mini-program (top right). This is the aforementioned mini-program that enables one to board transport and enter eating, social, and retail establishments. The testing team scans the QR code on the screen, which identifies me, and then I receive my test.  My test results, and COVID status show within my apps shortly after.

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