Life and Travel in China

I don't know how true this story is, but in China anything is possible. Well, in Shanghai, the groom's parents wanted to give the apartment to their son. Only there the donation to the son is subject to tax. Quite a large amount (probably around 10%) and they decided to avoid it. How? In an interesting way. The bride and groom divorced, and the groom's parents also divorced. Later, the former father-in-law married his former daughter-in-law ;-). Of course, it was only about documents, both couples lived normally, as after their original wedding. After some time, the former father-in-law transferred the apartment to his former daughter-in-law (according to the documents, his current wife). When all this became final, the couples divorced again and after some time the groom's parents remarried and the young couple got married again. The family had to show a lot of trust, because what if the father decided to stay with his young daughter-in-law? I don't know if it's understandable, but it's definitely very funny. The law did not provide for such a circus and such rotations in one family. As you can see, the Chinese are a resourceful nation, we have a lot in common here - Poles can also bypass many regulations and restrictions. Especially when it comes to taxes and money.

I must admit that Chinese cities are increasingly focused on tourism. There are more and more facilities for foreigners, information in English, applications, translations, etc. In addition, many attractions are being created for Chinese and foreign tourists: zoos, safaris, water parks, amusement parks, theme parks, museums, restored temples, etc. Everything is built on a grand scale, often with an interesting idea, something distinctive. The prices of such attractions vary, in principle comparable to our entry tickets or sometimes even more expensive. Modern technology, 3D presentations, special cinemas, colorful lighting (even in caves), sound and animations play a major role. Buildings, skyscrapers, temples and their lighting and arrangement are an attraction in themselves. Here I recommend a walk around HuaCheng Square in the center of Guangzhou (TianHe District). An open square, a pleasant view of the Pearl River in the evening, and all surrounded by magnificent skyscrapers. In the western part there is also a lot of greenery, special footbridges and a pond stocked with fish. In the provinces, in the mountains, there are also more attractions in the form of glass bridges, special footbridges, mountain railways, etc. Unfortunately, the more popular the place, the longer the queues, especially on weekends and holidays.

A lot is changing in China. Modern technology improves the lives of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, but of course it also serves to surveil the entire society and each individual. One thing has definitely improved - taxis, taxi drivers and ride-hailing services. I remember almost 20 years ago, in the smaller town of YangJiang, when I was traveling in a taxi with a visible floor. In Shaoxing, the taxi driver had a completely damaged suspension and when we crossed bridges (and there were a lot of them there), his rear axle literally floated, as if on gelatin. Now most taxis are Chinese electric cars. You can use mini-bus services, order taxis for 6 passengers, with more space for luggage, etc. Interestingly, the prices of these services have not changed much over 15-20 years, and the quality has improved by 200%.

In the Middle Kingdom, digital television seems to be overproduced. As usual, hundreds of films and series about the civil war and the war with Japan. In addition, there are many films about modern, heroic soldiers. There is also a new fashion for sci-fi series, time travel and, of course, zombies. Original title in translation: "Walking dead zombie", of course the Chinese version. There are also some American and European films. Films carefully selected for political and historical correctness. There are also several newer productions available for free, such as "Blade Runner 2049". China offers digital TV and VOD on an incredible scale. Prime Video, HBO and Netflix are blocked here. Even if someone has access purchased outside China, these services are often unavailable even via VPN.

I like that traditional Chinese qipao dresses are slowly coming back into fashion. There are many such photos and outfits in my gallery. I have always been fascinated by shapely Chinese women in colorful, embroidered dresses. Motifs of dragons, phoenixes, floral motifs, well-selected color palettes, silky and airy fabrics or slightly heavier, more elegant dresses. A chain of stores from Shanghai selling such clothes has expanded its operations and they are available in many large cities in the Middle Kingdom. Moreover, in places that are tourist attractions you can rent such outfits, arrange makeup and a photographer. Many girls already have albums with such photos. I also have some new photography topics and I will be presenting them soon. Unfortunately, there is not enough time for everything, because the website should be changed and adapted to mobile devices. I keep this in mind and as soon as I have a few dozen free hours, I will work on new code.