First Impressions of China

2024-10-07

by David Xicotencatl Méndez Dorantes

Journalist of Club Primera Plana, Mexico

The first image of the country impacts both the visitor and the communication professional, since the vitality and impressive development that China has developed in the last 50 years as well as the preservation of its ancient culture are clear, but above all, its permanent position in favor of peace, understanding and mutual understanding; It is clear that its achievements and advances are shared with the rest of the world in a desire for permanent collaboration, in accordance with the policy established by President Xi Jinping.

First, I am infinitely grateful to the “All China Journalists Association” (ACJA) for their invitation to the Primera Plana Journalists Club, -in accordance with the agreement they have established for approximately 45 years ago – for a group of communicators to visit China and some of the most representative places in the country.

On my exciting trip to China in November 2019, I was able to realize the great technological advance that the country has had: Beijing is one of the most impressive cities in the world. Its ancient history joins an overwhelming architectural development where the intimidating Forbidden City, temples, traditional spaces and historic alleys contrast with large skyscrapers, cutting-edge technology companies and impressive modern complexes.

The visit to the Zhongguancun exhibition center, the first high-tech park that will bring together nearly 20,000 high and new technology companies, 40 universities and colleges and more than 200 scientific institutions. Around the Zhongguancun International Innovation Center, Haidian District will transform the Changchunyuan area into a cultural and technological cluster called “Changchun New Park”, which will reflect the spirit of Zhongguancun in the new era, so as to provide an important support for Beijing as a political, cultural, international exchange and scientific and technological innovation center.

The trip to Kaifeng in Henan province was an unforgettable experience traveling for the first time aboard the bullet train. In Kaifeng, we had the honor of meeting Mr. Jin Zhiyi, Secretary of the Henan Journalists Association.

The visits to Longting Park (Dragon Pavilion) and Millennium Park were wonderful.

The structure of the Dragon Pavilion is mainly made of wood and shows the meticulous care in all the details that make up this ancient imperial building. It is one of the main points of interest in Kaifeng, but it can be said that it is one of the most interesting buildings in a city that still breathes royal air today.

The construction of the Millennium City Park, located in the city of Kaifeng, Henan province, was inspired by the famous ancient Chinese painting “Along the River during the Qingming Festival”, which portrays life during the Song Dynasty of the North (960-1127). Opened to the public in 1998, it covers more than 40 hectares and has places of great scenic beauty, such as the Rainbow Bridge, one of the ten most famous ancient bridges in China.

Also notable is a Qingming Festival mural, as well as the charming Kissing Cloud Pavilion and other attractions.

The opportunity to visit the city of Zhengzhou in the province of Henan also allowed us to visualize, once again, the great technological advance of China when visiting the assembly company YUTONG Bus Group, manufacturer of commercial vehicles, especially electric buses. YUTONG company has become one of the largest bus suppliers in the world with a share of more than 15% in the global market.

We confirm the high level of technology that Yutong adds to its different models of electric buses, with a highly specialized production line, with several simultaneous assembly lines from which an average of 450 buses leave every day, with significant investment in research and development, in a plant where more than 5,000 people work 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

We observe different models of microbuses, electric buses for urban transport, trolleybuses, vehicles for school transport, for emergency services, coaches for the transport of long-distance passengers, tourists, a model of hydrogen bus and all the electric trucks that Yutong produces in its factories.

In the testing laboratory, the buses are subjected to performance tests in an environment of extreme cold of -30º, and fast-spreading flames of up to 900º centigrade. Yutong is present in more than 100 countries in Europe, Africa, America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

During a visit to the O2O Shopping Center, we see how China is consolidating itself in the world of electronic commerce, emphasizing the cases of Mexico and China, countries that have implemented a series of actions, strategies, programs and even plans to encourage the use of electronic and digital means in the transactions of economic agents. It is found that China has become a leading country in the use of electronic commerce, thanks to the clear vision it has, particularly in the 21st century, while Mexico presents less progress. It is concluded that both countries must intensify their electronic commerce. to definitively move to the online shopping economy.

Another major tourist attraction is the Shaolin temple in a small rural town called Dengfeng in China’s Henan province, right at the base of the sacred Mount Song Shan. Currently, the Shaolin temple is an important tourist center but in addition to tourists it also attracts numerous martial arts students, since the temple continues to train monks in the secrets of wushu.

The Beijing Imperial Palace or Forbidden City – a group of imperial palaces in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, one of the largest and best preserved ancient wooden structure buildings in the world. Beijing’s Forbidden City ranks first among the five largest palaces in the world, along with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, the White House in the United States and the Kremlin in Russia. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Great experience was visiting The Great Wall, a fortification built between the 5th centuries BC and XVII AD in northern China, in order to contain the invasions of nomadic tribes coming mainly from Mongolia. It is the largest engineering work developed in history. UNESCO named the Great Wall a World Heritage Site in 1987. Thirty years later, in 2007, the Wall won the public competition for the New Seven Wonders of the World. However, today only about a third of what was once the Great Wall remains standing.

*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.