Makes me want to go to Suzhou.

Wow, this story begins a few days back.

• During the break between classes, a Taiwanese classmate came up to me and started talking. We discussed our graduation papers with each other.
• She told me she was researching how Taiwan is tackling sexual harassment issues. Listening to her talk about Taiwan's efforts over the past decade-and-a-half, I sensed an air of humility in her words as if saying "we're still not doing enough."
• However, I told her, "You guys are actually amazing! I've seen so much already!"

Seriously, my solo trip to Taiwan in February was a profound experience:

• Increased Travel Security!

  • On a Kaohsiung bus, I even found a "Help铃Button" (Emergency Assistance Bell) for dealing with harassment!
  • Even in girls' faves stores like Poya (pharmaceutical store chain in Taiwan), there were warnings on its windows promoting sexual harassment prevention.
  • In the guesthouses, harassment complaint procedures were clearly specified by the elevator, where to report when something bad happens.

• Maxed Out Social Inclusiveness!

  • At Tainan’s Jurisdiction Museum (a place that introduces legal systems and history), I checked out concepts of “Equal Rights” and “Marriage Freedom” under Taiwanese law.
  • Talking to the museum sales staff, we exchanged thoughts on Wild Lily student movement (a landmark movement which pushed through democratization of Taiwan).
  • The hostel also had a “LGBT Friendly” sign displayed at the reception.

• Humanitarian Concerns Available Everywhere!

  • In Taipei, I passed by 明启小学 (school for visually impaired children) and 聪启小学 (school for hearing impaired children) multiple times.
  • Random volunteers engaged with me on the street about helping teenagers with emotional issues.
  • A “Women’s Bookstore” also caught my eye - I perused books alongside numerous girls. When headed downstairs, I saw Azalea flowers of Taipei University blooming, but I couldn’t stop myself wondering about those nice activities announced earlier in the bookstore.

I didn't tell my Taiwanese classmate these experiences in detail, only mentioning how these 8-9 day journey brought me so many unique treasures and made lasting impressions on me.

• Upon hearing my praise, the classmate smiled shyly, shrugged and said, "It has been two decades, some progress is expected."

So you see, no matter what human beings are different from one another, under joint efforts, all can be treated fairly, living freely and happily welcoming every new day. #Diary #KindnessinDailyLife #AmazingThingsAroundUs #Taiwan

I've also been spoiled by life in mainland China. Cheap and readily available taxis are just one aspect. You should experience Taobao and Meituan! Every year before I go to the mainland, I start shopping on Taobao and have items delivered to my hotel. There, I can try everything on, make returns or exchanges, and then buy even more. If Taobao can't deliver in time during my last couple of days, I switch to Meituan for anything I need urgently. For example, once it was raining and I desperately needed rain boots to go out. I used Meituan, and they were delivered within half an hour – my makeup wasn't even finished when the boots arrived!

@生吃夜猫 @呱唧呱唧 I support Shenzhen people evolving to fly.

Last December, I visited Hong Kong and needed to transfer in Shenzhen, a large Chinese city right next to Hong Kong. It was midnight when my flight arrived at the airport. After taking a shuttle bus from the airport, I intended to wait for a taxi at a nearby bus stop near my hotel.

• At that time, I got off the shuttle bus alone and planned to use my phone to call a ride-hailing service (similar to Uber or Grab in Southeast Asia).

• Not far away, several taxis were parked idly at the bus stop. I thought how tough it must be for these drivers to still be on duty at such late hours waiting for customers.

• But since I was cautious about safety, my mind immediately flashed with the following thoughts: Late at night + few people around + just one girl + newcomer from out of town, all these negatives combined into quite a challenging situation. I urgently pulled out my phone to order a car.

• And then! The exciting incident happened!

  • A couple of taxi drivers stepped down from their cars and stared directly at me. An alarm bell rang in my mind, urging me to put on an assertive face.
  • However, to no avail! One particular driver approached straight ahead and shot a particularly oily and repulsive smile, asking whether I needed his taxi service.
  • I responded, "No, thanks, I've ordered a ride." But he was far from giving up and pursued further conversations with me, questioning my destination, arguing further that there wouldn't be any other rides due to the late timing.
  • Moreover, he brazenly tried to grab onto my suitcase placed on the floor, attempting to persuade me into considering his taxi service.

• I kept politely declining, but in truth, I had yet to successfully arrange a ride at that point.

• He persisted, standing by my side with keen scrutiny over my smartphone screen.

• It wasn't until he realized my persistence and the fact that a ride-hailing car responded to my order that he grew visibly irritated and slunk towards his partners.

• My guess is that he presumed I wouldn't understand Cantonese - the local dialect - considering I was a passerby. He began cursing at me in that specific dialect that I know will involve some heavily censored words once translated. Afterward, he called me “poor” who couldn’t afford a taxi ride, though another line remained unclear, but the meaning clearly wasn't positive.

• As they found no chance for business from me, those taxi drivers finally drove off. Having boarded my previously booked ride-hailing car, I breathed a sigh of relief at last.

• Noted recently in the news were incidents that might relate to mine, revealing situations potentially more disastrous than mine. Thankfully, I only ended up getting cursed instead of actual physical confrontations.

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Ladies, especially those traveling alone, please be aware of the following important precautions:

• Avoid being alone in deserted spots during late night transfers.
  • Why? Because you might encounter persistent taxi drivers with intentions to harass or forcibly engage with you.
  • Solutions? Order a ride within the airport or station where people are gathering. If transfer is inevitable, choose well-lit areas that are slightly busier. Research routes beforehand and communicate your location to your family or loved ones.
• Be calm but firm against intrusive taxi drivers.
  • Why? Because individuals tend to become more pushy seeing weakness in others.
  • Solutions? Deny their insistence unambiguously. Protect personal items such as luggage and cash to avoid easy grabs. If uneasy, pretend calling someone close and loudly speaking locations and circumstances or proceed to crowded spots. Remembering license numbers could help report any complaints if necessary.
• Don’t instantly believe the argument that ride-hailing services aren't available so late.
  • Why? These are techniques often employed by such drivers.
  • Solutions? Persist a bit more, switching to another app if needed. In big cities, ride-hailing services are generally reliable.

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Other than that, I hope this unpleasant experience serves as awareness to potential risks for travelers, especially for friends visiting China.

#Shenzhen #WomenSafety #TravelExperience #SomethingsRealllyDoFeelHelpless

I really want to ask Shenzhen's leaders: when you eventually leave, will you take all these e-scooters with you?

Northerners really love Dameisha Beach.

Sure! Here's the revised version of the post for foreign readers, while preserving its original tone and style:

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Today, I moved from Chimelong Resort in Zhuhai to Chimelong Resort in Guangzhou.

Before leaving, I called the hotel and asked how to get there. They said that there was only one direct bus ride available. The tickets were booked through a mobile app named "Xiongfeng Bus" (a small application embedded in WeChat, a popular social media and instant messaging platform in China), which is widely used across China for booking different services. It took about two hours for the bus to arrive.

Once I arrived in Guangzhou, I checked into Panda Hotel.

My room reservation was made using the "Chimelong Tourism" mobile app. At first, I saw some attractive deals and reserved a three-day package room for adults and one child which came at a lower price with an entry ticket included. The receipt I posted at the end of this post. However, after checking-in, I found out that what they referred as a price "saving" was full of tricks!

Caution!: Travel tips & trick-avoiding guide:

• They advertised a deal that allows "one ticket for multiple parks" (one ticket can be used for various amusement parks) which sounds great, but honestly, you'll have difficulty even playing in a single park in one day.
• For instance, a family of two adults and one child would have spent a significantly less amount of money if purchasing separate tickets for each park, probably no more than CNY 700.
• More over, my reserved room package doesn't include breakfast! Also something we must pay attention to.

Now let me talk some negative points about the room:
The design of the room is quite standard and basic like that of a regular chain hotel, which is usually economical and budget-friendly in China, with limited facilities;
It's similar to the Penguin Hotel I previously stayed at in Chimelong Resort, just with replaced wallpapers;
The size of the room is just around 36 square meters. If you choose a "twin bed room", then you will find your space limited by two beds already.
By the last night, I book a room named "Cool Room" through "Ctrip" – a famous Chinese travel app, which costs CNY 1298 per night and breakfast not included again!

Honestly, I cannot see any reason why this is so expensive, compared with other hotels around here, maybe aside from a slightly-outdated decoration.

That's it! Next time I visit the Chimelong, Panda Hotel is definitely off my radar.

#GuangzhouChimelongPandaHotel #GuangzhouChimelong #Chimelong #SummerVacationIdeas #FamilyTrip

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How's it looking? Your sentiments are intact and clear now, right?

Whoa! I just got to Guangzhou too!

Just offer three sincere bows, and that's what truly matters.

I'd love to visit the museum.

I think it's quite fun.

Southerners wouldn't know how to appreciate it anyway.

I just had my interview in Shanghai, answered three questions, and passed.

I have no idea how long the ship will be docked either.

Most of the commenters here seem to be Suzhou locals who don't mind the hassle. How many people actually use that national all-in-one card anyway? You have to pre-load money onto it. What if you rarely use public transport or can't be bothered to top it up? Can't we even complain? It's genuinely a pain for visitors! In this day and age, still having to buy a ticket beforehand? The sight of a crowd queuing to buy tickets at the gates proves my point!

Don't subway stations usually have exits labeled 1, 2, 3, 4?

Everything's just so sweet, which really doesn't suit our Hubei palate.

Exactly! We shouldn't tolerate such behavior!!!

And I bet housing in Hangzhou wasn't as expensive back then either, haha.