Is just such a shock from being in China. Just got harassed and essentially threatened for being a socialist. They searched my bags and commented on my China flag and my little red books and my copy of Blackshirts and Reds. Fucking police state. The security in China is strict, but they don’t give a fuck about your thoughts, whereas this guy was very aggressive about “consequences” for being a socialist.
The rural areas are still quite bad (compared to the big cities that are amazing), unlike Western Europe where even backwaters are pleasant (the US is halfway between both though).
I didn't make it to too rural of an area, but I’ve heard similar. I did go to the town my wife grew up in, which is technically a village, and they had better walk ability and more accessible grocery and hospital than my city in the US, but it’s pretty clear that is a recent development from all the cranes and new buildings around. I saw some of the more truly rural areas from the window of the high speed train, and there were definitely some really ancient looking villages that were just a row of houses and farmland.