I knew just by looking at the title this post would have a bunch of dunk-worthy replies, low and behold this was the top lmao.

  • buckykat [none/use name]
    ·
    8 months ago

    I've been to China and this is all lies and skill issues.

    cities I visited were surprisingly plain, uninteresting and sterile

    Chinese cities are much more interesting and much more beautiful than American ones, there's actually some creativity to the architecture. My favorite was Chengdu.

    language barrier

    Skill issue, lots of Chinese people speak some English and I got by just fine with a couple years of highschool Chinese and google translate. Many signs and menus, especially in big cities, are bilingual in Chinese and English.

    the great firewall (which is a nightmare, VPN or not)

    Absolute skill issue, I had zero trouble with the great firewall using a China Unicom SIM in my phone and my usual basic privacy VPN.

    difficulty with the simplest transactions

    Skill issue again, probably related to the language skill issue.

    the ridiculous levels of control for mundane things (like taking a train or strolling around Beijing)

    Just lies. I went strolling around various cities with absolutely no control and had a great time, just walked out the front door of the hotel and wandered around. One woman I was traveling with said she felt much safer on a Chinese street at night than an American one. The intercity high speed rail (which is fantastic by the way, super smooth, super fast, super comfortable and the 4g never drops) had much less intrusive control than an American airport.

    • inasaba@lemmy.ml
      ·
      8 months ago

      "I went to another country and they didn't speak my language! There must be something wrong with them!"

      I... what?

    • DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      8 months ago

      That first point feels like code for "I couldn't actually find anything bad about the cities, I was hoping there would be lots of trash and homelessness like the US so I could complain about it."

    • RyanGosling [none/use name]
      ·
      8 months ago

      The Chinese are traumatized because they don’t have billboards advertising burgers, lawyers, and handbags (even though they do)

  • Crowtee_Robot [he/him]
    ·
    8 months ago

    I'm now in Taiwan and this is all I hoped China would be.

    Lol of course OP prefers America Presents: China!™ to the mainland. Probably thinks it's a shame the Br*tish lost Hong Kong too.

    • ShimmeringKoi [comrade/them]
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Taiwan was alright when I visited (America is not a high bar to clear) but I still definitely got that whiff of evil in the air. They still put Chaing Kai Shek on their money. Notes and coins.

      Well, i say alright, but I can only speak to the turisti experience. I definitely saw a good bit of poverty around the margins and behind all the nice tile and glass

  • PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml
    ·
    8 months ago

    No more warlords, no more foot bindings, no more illiteracy, no more famines, no more landlords, no more opium, no more colonizers. Barbarism. Or maybe it's the other thing, i will ask Rosa.

  • darkmode [comrade/them]
    ·
    8 months ago

    i guess the silver lining is there are enough comments contradicting the ignorant ones with actual facts and logic berdly-smug