• About

nubiaNomad

~ happenings & reflections

nubiaNomad

Tag Archives: Beijing

Lost in translation: China

16 Thursday May 2013

Posted by nubiaNomad in Travel

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Beijing, China, Ningxia, water

Since my last post, many trips, travels and transitions have passed. Unfortunately many of which went undocumented in this blog. A recent visit to China made me rethink to start updating once more.

I arrived in Beijing jet lagged and under what seemed to be hazy clouds. Only after getting a bit of shuteye did I realize that this haze was not a figment of my imagination as I had previously thought but a mainstay of Beijing landscape. A sepia-colored fog that loomed over the entire city, notorious visual of the city’s growing pollution challenges. I did not spend much time in Beijing as I quickly packed off to various locations across Northern China.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

First stop, Ningxia Autonomous region. Arriving in the Region’s capital, Yinchuan I was flabbergasted by my surrounding. It seemed that the entire city was constructed yesterday. Construction cranes protruding like giant tentacles, were a staple of the city’s skyline. Large avenues, neatly dotted with trees, bike lanes, public spaces. An urbanist dream design of a Chinese city….or at least on the surface. All this and relatively very few people. It seemed everything was in excess. Buildings were grotesquely large in what seemed to me an effort of one-upmanship; to convey development and prosperity.  It left me grappling with questions of how to define those terms and if development is measured by level of infrastructure in place.

Yinchuan is a stone’s throw away from ancient China’s most well-respected ancient civilizations. It is not as if Yinchuan happened over night. When I inquired about the origins of the old city, I was told it was mostly being dismantled in favor of this new Yinchauan that lies a little bit westward of its founding origins. Gaudiness aside, given that it’s highly bias to my subjective opinion, there was a sense of admiration and awe for the sense of effortlessness that filled the air. As if creating a city out of dust is just another day at the office.

Ningxia’s countryside was at times reminiscent of Sudan’s dusty savannahs and at times I could not help but compare. Hands down my favorite discovery was a visit to a museum dedicated to water resources. The region is home to  Qunitongxia irrigation scheme, a network of 39 ancient canals dating back more than 2000 years and a testament to successive dynasties that built and harnessed the Yellow River’s power.

My presence around these parts was a bit of an oddity, with many inquisitive looks. Curiosity aside, I was humbled by the generosity and hospitality of folks I encountered.

And the journey continued. Will try keep recounting reflections…

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 519 other followers

Top Posts

Better late than never
Lost in translation: China
Ecuador: trekking Paseo del Condor
zanzibar

Archives

Tags

Addis Ababa Agra Al Shamalia Argentina art Atbara River Augustamuni Bale Mountains Bariloche blogging Brazil Buenos Aires Chile culture Cuzco Danang Dehradun Delhi desert Egypt Eid El Bolsòn El Dalanj El Obied El Tayeb Salih Ethiopia food Gadarif glaciers Hanoi Harar hiking Himalayas ICC India Jaunsar Kadugli Kassala khartoum Lago Puelo Lapa London Manchu Picchu media Mendoza nomads Northern State North Kordofan Nubian Peru politics recycling Rio de Janiero River Nile State Ruta 40 Sacred Valley Sayid Hassan Mosque seperation Sikot souq South America South Sudan Sudan Taj Mahal thoughts trash travel trekking tribes Uruguay Uttrakhand Vietnam water water resources work

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • nubiaNomad
    • Join 519 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • nubiaNomad
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: