Journey Through China's Cities - Urban Travel Documentary

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China is one of the world’s most fascinating and complicated countries, and its cities seem to get bigger every year. Considered a rural society just a few decades ago, China today is home to the world’s largest urban population.

In this travel documentary, I take you on a journey through some of the country’s most interesting cities. While many city centers are filled with modern skyscrapers, we also search for more traditional neighborhoods, historic sites, tranquil parks, special events, and cultural activities. We look at the rapid changes China is undergoing in its urbanization process, and mention some of the challenges the country is facing.

From the modern megacities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou we travel to the ancient centers of Beijing and Xian. We visit the popular Summer holiday beaches of coastal Qingdao, and the exciting Winter festivals of Harbin. From the streets of fusion cities like Hong Kong and Macau we continue our journey to Tibetan Lhasa, located on the Rooftop of the World. We also take a look at the disappearing alleys of old Kashgar, in the controversial Xinjiang region, and the empty streets of Ordos, China’s best known ghost town. And we explore the expanding urban centers along the Yangtze river, including Wuhan and Chongqing, all the way to the fast paced metropolis of Shanghai.

I traveled through China independently for more than a decade, on several occasions. The footage in this video was shot between 2010 and 2019, and is accompanied by background information. For more in-depth information on each place, I recommend to read, watch, and listen to as many different sources as you can.

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Copyright of all footage: Hoffer Media

Here’s a brief overview of the content in this video:

We begin our journey in Shanghai, one of China’s most remarkable cities. Its skyline has become a symbol for the country’s economic growth. While we look at the modern face of Shanghai, I also visit some more traditional neighborhoods, even though they are disappearing fast.

We travel onwards to Harbin, in the North of China, to visit a spectacular Winter festival, with sculptures and palaces made from ice and snow, which draws millions of tourists every year. Beijing, the nation’s capital, is our next destination. This is the political heart of China, but also brims with culture and creativity.

In Chongqing, located on the mighty Yangtze river, we witness some of the urbanization process, while in Lhasa we look at the traditions and customs of the Tibetan people. We travel onwards to Xian, where we walk on the ancient city walls, eat some delicious food in the Muslim neighborhood, and visit the magnificent Terracotta Army.

After Xian, we travel to Ordos, China’s best known ‘ghost town’. After which we continue our way to Kashgar, in the now controversial Xinjiang region, where the faith of the Uyghur people hangs in the balance. Qingdao is our next destination, one of China’s most beautiful coastal cities, where we also explore some of the suburbs.

Hong Kong is perhaps the perfect mix between East and West. A short ferry ride away, Macau retains some of its Portuguese history, but is also known as the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’ with its many casinos. Just across the ‘border’ from both, Shenzhen has grown into one of China’s largest and wealthiest cities, while it was just a small fishing village 40 years ago.

The last two cities we visit are Wuhan and Guangzhou, which have their own distinct character. I visited Wuhan before the pandemic broke out, and found a sprawling city. Guangzhou is also a vast metropolis, and is known for its Cantonese culture and cuisine.

Timestamps / video chapters:

0:00 Introduction
2:20 Shanghai
6:53 Harbin
9:31 Beijing
13:48 Message from sponsor
15:39 Chongqing
18:25 Lhasa
23:08 Xian
26:50 Ordos
29:04 Kashgar
34:01 Qingdao
38:41 Hong Kong
44:05 Macau
46:16 Shenzhen
50:34 Transport
51:59 Wuhan
56:09 Guangzhou
59:32 End