You are here:

China & Hong Kong/Broadening my horizons in China

Advertisement

Expert: - 4/29/2010


Question
Hi there, I am wondering, how would traveling to China broaden my cultural horizons, I am really interested in places like Shanghai, Hong Kong..etc

Answer

Tom Carter in Tibet
Hi Rachel,
The short answer to your question is China's 5,000 year history and vast geography is rich enough to broaden anyone's horizons, whether they intended for it or not. I myself am a prime example. I arrived in a China as a simple English teacher with the intention of staying just half a year, doing some backpacking, then moving on. But the 6-month plan turned in to 4 years, and before I knew it I had logged 56,000 kilometers of traveling across China, and published a photo book about it. I firmly believe that China is one of those cultures that really grows on you.
To make my answer longer, I don't think that just visiting Shanghai and Hong Kong are enough to achieve the "broadening" I mentioned above. Those cities have been severely westernized and modernized, and while integral to the country as a whole and fantastic places to visit, really don't demonstrate traditional Chinese culture per-se as other parts of China would.
Try including some provinces of West China such as Yunnan or Gansu if you have the time, and if possible even Heilongjiang in the north and Hainan in the south.
Having done that, I think your horizons will be sufficiently broadened.
Best,
Tom Carter
author, CHINA: Portrait of a People
http://www.amazon.com/CHINA-Portrait-People-Tom-Carter/dp/9889979942

Tom Carter ~ Travel China Expert

Expertise


I am an American photojournalist and travel correspondent based in Beijing and have traveled extensively to all 33 provinces in China. I specialize in budget travel and have a personal affection for remote villages, ethnic minority culture and uncharted locales.

Experience

I am also the author of CHINA: Portrait of a People, the most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author.

Education/Credentials
American University, Washington, D.C., BA Political Science, Communications, 1997

Interviews
To learn more about Tom Carter's ground-breaking travels across China - and be inspired to make some of your own - check out the following media coverage:
CNN interviews Tom Carter
Beijing Today interviews Tom Carter
ChinaTravel.Net interviews Tom Carter
Christian Science Monitor reviews CPOP
SF Chronicle reviews CPOP
China.Org reviews CPOP
China Daily reviews CPOP

Note
Help support Tom Carter by purchasing a copy of CHINA: Portrait of a People today.


Awards and Honors



Tom Carter Thomas Carter India China

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.