Introduction
I spent two weeks preparing for a six-day business trip to China, handling work transitions and collaborating with local colleagues.
This article will focus on the insights and reflections I gathered during this brief trip. The content is subjective and based solely on my personal experience, which may not reflect the broader or objective reality.
I hope that through this short trip, I can offer some interesting perspectives and reflections.
Impressions
The society feels open, but there’s still an underlying atmosphere of repression.
The phenomenon of “involution” is prevalent. People continuously overwork themselves, fostering an unhealthy work culture where staying late at the office is considered normal.
Many middle-aged people are still bound by traditional views, believing that young people should get married by the age of 22 or 23 (I encountered two different people who held this belief).
Many parents are overly permissive with their children. For example, I frequently saw kids climbing the handrails in the subway or running around inside places like McDonald’s or shopping malls.
In Taiwan, we often say “thank you,” and in China, people typically respond with “no need to thank me.”
Both sides of the escalators allow people to stand, which I found great. Although there are reminders to hold the handrail and stand still, in places like Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong, people tend to stand on one side, leaving the other side for walking.
The smell of smoke is everywhere, which is really frustrating. Even though smoking is prohibited on high-speed trains, people still light up.
Taking taxis is incredibly cheap, and with Alipay or WeChat Pay, you can travel virtually anywhere in mainland China.
Their navigation systems are very advanced. For instance, the system can inform you about traffic lights or accidents ahead by analyzing massive traffic data without needing to be integrated into urban infrastructure. It even provides green light notifications, accident warnings, and reports your average speed after passing a speed-check zone.
McDonald’s prices aren’t standardized. For example, eating at McDonald’s in Shanghai is more expensive. I’m unsure if Starbucks operates the same way.
Mid-range hotels seem not to provide fabric fresheners (like Febreze) by default, similar to Taiwan. In Japan, nearly every hotel offers them.
When going through security, it is recommended to use the Taiwan Compatriot Permit in the manual line (priority lane), as using the regular lane often results in recognition failures.
Some people are less friendly. For instance, cutting in line for the subway happens frequently. Therefore, encountering especially friendly people is something to appreciate.
Most tourist attractions are classified by grades, such as 4A or 5A, and typically require an entrance fee. They often envy how many of our attractions, like Sun Moon Lake, are free of charge.
For map navigation in China, Amap (Gaode Map) is essential, and since Apple Maps also uses Amap’s data, using Apple Maps works just fine. However, Google Maps is practically unusable because the map data in China is mostly empty.
That said, Amap’s subway information isn’t integrated with the 12306 metro system, so some data can be inaccurate. For accurate metro information, you can only find it on Alipay. This makes it somewhat inconvenient, as you have to switch between apps.
After using their navigation systems, returning to Google Maps feels like there’s a lot of room for improvement. For example, iPhones don’t support real-time dynamic notifications, whereas their navigation systems have all these features, making them much more convenient to use.
Security checks in China are very strict, and it seems you can only bring back two power banks. If you need to purchase additional ones, it’s better to use a forwarding warehouse service.
Their toilet paper cannot be flushed down the toilet, and most people use tissues instead. On this point, they could learn a thing or two from Japan.
There are many officially licensed IP products here, such as Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Minions, and Donald Duck-themed merchandise and blind boxes. These can be purchased for around NT$100–200, making them affordable and easy to collect. Since many items sold in other countries are manufactured in China anyway, it’s much more cost-effective to buy them directly at the source.
Their smartphone repair industry is highly developed, and as long as you have the money, you can pretty much repair anything. For example, you can upgrade an iPhone’s storage from 128GB to 1TB.
The camera repair industry is also thriving. In Taiwan, the camera streets have long been in decline, but here you can find many specialized stores offering all kinds of lenses and equipment. Imagine an entire floor of Guanghua Market filled with camera lenses—it’s an impressive sight.
Their education philosophy emphasizes unity, hard work, practicality, and competition, which explains why there’s such a rush in everything. You’ll also see “civilized” slogans everywhere, but as you can imagine, the reality doesn’t always match. Even in no-smoking areas, people will casually light up.
The competition among beverage shops is intense. In a single department store floor, you might find 10 to 20 drink shops. Also, in a FamilyMart in Shanghai, an Americano costs NT$75, whereas in Taiwan, you could get an Americano and bread combo for NT$49. I’m not sure if this is just a Shanghai exception. I ended up buying other foods like kebabs and chicken legs. Milk here is also much cheaper than in Taiwan.
Roads don’t prioritize pedestrians, and electric scooters often drive in the wrong direction or ride on sidewalks.
結論
This business trip reminded me of my experience 10 years ago hiking Huangshan in Anhui Province. Back then, China’s beautiful landscapes left a deep impression on me, and once again, I experienced the direct and candid nature of the Chinese people.
Overall, the trip went well, and I also visited many stores frequently featured on YouTube, such as Mixue Bingcheng, Luckin Coffee, Hema Fresh, and Chagee.
In my opinion, China is a great destination for travel, offering stunning natural scenery and authentic Chinese cuisine.
As for work, since I was dealing with people lacking a technical background and interacting with external departments, it’s best to avoid such exchanges if possible.