Indian Youth Delegation to China 2018 - Report by Vishal Choudhari

DELEGATION REPORT
Ministry of Youth Aﬀairs and Sports
Government of India
INDIAN YOUTH DELEGATION TO CHINA
3rd
July 2018 - 10th
July 2018
By
VISHAL CHOUDHARI
Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad
July 22, 2018

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The pride and honour a person experiences when he represents his country abroad on an
international platform is unparalleled. I feel truly grateful to my institute IIT Palakkad for
nominating me and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India for bestowing
upon me this opportunity to represent my country India in the 200 membered Indian Youth
Delegation to China 2018 program.
I would like to thank the Government of India for bearing the necessary expenses of the trip
(travel visa and flight tickets) and for looking after my stay in Delhi prior to the departure.
I would also like to express my gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic
of China for ensuring luxurious accommodation in the cities of Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai
along with arrangements for abundant food and seamless local travel.
I respect and thank Shri Narasimhamoorthy Raja, Director (NSS), Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports, Government of India for heading the delegation and being an empowering
leader. I am extremely thankful to Smt. Rita Bhagat, State Director of NYKS for coordinating
and gracefully leading the A1 team.
I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the Chinese counterparts - the journalists, the
volunteers, the translators, the bus chauffeurs, the local hosts and the local guides for their
intense commitment and dedication to their roles and providing us a deeper insight into China,
its cities and its people.
I feel truly grateful to Prof. M C Valsakumar, Former Dean of Student Affairs, IIT Palakkad
for nominating me to this wonderful initiative by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,
Government of India and the All China Youth Federation, Government of the People’s Republic
of China.
- Vishal Choudhari

Indian Youth Delegation to China - 2018 Vishal Choudhari
Contents
1 Day -2: Arrival at Bharat Scouts and Guides National Headquarters 3
2 Day -1: Pre-Departure Orientation Program 3
3 Day 0: Heading to China 3
4 Day 1: Arrival at Beijing, Forbidden City 5
4.1 Beijing CBD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.2 The Palace Museum/The Forbidden City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.2.1 The Gold Floor Tiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5 Day 2: National Museum of China, Welcome Buﬀet 8
5.1 The Road of Rejuvenation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.1.1 The Founding Ceremony of the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.2 The Lecture by Dr. Liang Yabin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5.2.1 New Guiding Ideology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.2.2 New Principal Contradiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.2.3 New Development Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.3 The Welcome Banquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
6 Day 3: Visiting CRRC HQ, The Great Wall of China 12
6.1 CRRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6.2 The Great Wall of China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
6.3 Dinner at the Indian Embassy, Beijing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7 Day 4: Wuhan - Provincial Museum and East Lake 15
7.1 Hubei Provincial Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.1.1 Bianzhong Bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.1.2 Bell Chimes Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
7.2 Visit to the East Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
7.3 Chu River and Han Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
8 Day 5: Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Wuhan Sports University 19
8.1 Dongfeng Motor Corporation HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
8.2 Wuhan Citizens Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
8.2.1 Wuhan and its importance to China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
8.3 Wuhan Sports University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
8.3.1 Meeting the Chinese Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8.3.2 The Chinese Cultural Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
9 Day 6: Bullet Train Repair Base, Agricultural Farm, To Shanghai 24
9.1 Wuhan EMU Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
9.2 Weor Organic Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
9.3 To Tianhe Internation Airport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
10 Day 7: Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Oriental Pearl Tower 27
10.1 Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
10.2 Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
10.3 Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
10.4 Shanghai History Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
10.5 Farewell Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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11 Day 8: Shanghai Mass Art Centre, Yuyuan Business District 31
11.1 Shanghai Mass Art Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
11.2 Yuyuan Business District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
12 A few observations in China 34
12.1 Chinese People Always Drink Hot Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
12.2 Roads in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
12.2.1 Quiet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
12.2.2 Multi-layered Flyovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
12.2.3 New Car Regulation Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
12.2.4 Public Transport System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
12.2.5 Bicyle Sharing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
12.2.6 Electric Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
12.3 Tai Chi in Early Mornings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
12.4 Smoking in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
12.5 Usage of English Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
13 Conclusion 38
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1 Day -2: Arrival at Bharat Scouts and Guides National Headquarters
Date: 30th June 2018, Saturday
My journey began with me arriving at the Bharat Scouts and Guides, National Headquarters,
New Delhi on 30th June 2018 at nearly 01:45 PM. I was shown the dormitory and within the
first ten minutes, I immediately made new friends from various institutes of the country.
2 Day -1: Pre-Departure Orientation Program
Date: 1st July 2018, Sunday
The Pre-Departure Orientation Program on 1st July 2018, was commenced by Mr. Naveen
(MYAS), Mr. I B Lenka (MYAS), Mr. Karthick (Ministry of External Affairs), Mr. N. Raja
(MYAS), Mr. Mahalingam (Protocol Officer) along with the leaders/officials for Group A and
Group B. The officials insisted us on visiting China with zero preconceptions/stereotypes, like
a blank piece of paper and make our own impressions on it rather than perceiving the country
from the existing opinions of media/third parties. This was a very vital point elucidated and I
believe it applies to many situations in life whenever you need to make independent decisions.
We were also advised to be punctual throughout the trip and be cautious of saying anything
against the religious, political or cultural views of the Chinese. Being a vegetarian, I really
valued the suggestion of getting enough Ready to Eat Meals (MREs) and I firmly affirm that
carrying MREs has helped me survive this trip. We were also asked to be careful about our
passports, keep multiple photocopies of the visa, take the visiting cards of the hotel when
venturing out of the hotel, install Google Translate app beforehand, use VPNs judiciously and
travel in groups. I wish they had also spoken about DiDi (Uber of China), WeChat and Mobike
(bicycle sharing system).
We were later joined by Shri A K Dubey, Secretary of Youth Affairs. He in turn pointed
out that the 200 membered delegation consisted of a few doctors, students who studied and
spoke Chinese, and National Youth Award winners. Knowing that the delegation comprised of
people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and societies got me even more excited about the
entire program. Hats off to the selection committee for coming up with such a holistic and
multi-lingual group.
After the briefing ended, we were given our air tickets, lapel card, baggage tags, a trip guide and
a National Youth Policy 2014 pamphlet. The efforts put in by the officials for the Pre-Departure
Orientation Program were beyond my expectations!
3 Day 0: Heading to China
Date: 2nd July 2018, Monday
We arrived at the T3 terminal of IGIA, by 9:45 PM. The check in, security and the customs
were seamless and all of us happily boarded the Air China flight CA 948 which departed Delhi
at 02:50 AM on 3rd July 2018.
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Figure 1: At Indira Gandhi International Airport (T3) prior to departure
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4 Day 1: Arrival at Beijing, Forbidden City
Date: 3rd July 2018, Tuesday
After six hours of the flight, we finally arrived at PEK. Upon landing, we had to register
our fingerprints with the Chinese government, for which there were counters. PEK airport
was quite huge and a tram had to be taken from the emigration counter to the baggage claim
area. After exiting the airport, we were given new ID cards (with our names in Chinese) and a
tentative schedule of the trip.
We boarded our buses, grabbed take away lunch (from Subway) on the way, were shown
around the CBD (Central Business District) of Beijing and then made a stop at the Forbidden
City.
4.1 Beijing CBD
The name Beijing is made up of the Chinese characters (bei) meaning north and (jing) meaning
capital – thus Beijing means ”northern capital,” referring to the city’s location in the north of
China.
The Beijing Central Business District, or Beijing CBD is the primary area of finance, media, and
business services in Beijing, China. Beijing CBD occupies 3.99 km2 of the Chaoyang District
on the east side of the city. Geographically situated to the east of the city center, sandwiched
between the 3rd Ring Road and the 4th Ring Road, the Beijing CBD is currently undergoing
large-scale development.
One of the iconic buildings in the Beijing CBD area is the CMG HQ (China Media Group
Headquarters). It is a 234-metre (768 ft), 44-story skyscraper on East Third Ring Road,
Guanghua Road in the Beijing Central Business District (CBD).
Figure 2: CMG HQ
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4.2 The Palace Museum/The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is a palace complex in central Beijing, China. It served as the home
of emperors and their households as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese
government for almost 500 years. After being the home of 24 emperors – 14 of the Ming
dynasty and 10 of the Qing dynasty – the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of
China in 1912 with the abdication of Puyi, the last Emperor of China.
Figure 3: Vishal at the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City
The palace’s architecture and planning truly left me dumbstruck. It is no wonder that the
Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The Palace Museum is a rectangle,
with 961 metres (3,153 ft) from north to south and 753 metres (2,470 ft) from east to west. It
consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,886 bays of rooms.
4.2.1 The Gold Floor Tiles
The most fascinating things about the major palaces in the Forbidden City were the ﬂooring
tiles. The tiles underwent a two year process (from ﬁnding the right clay to baking and polishing)
before they could be installed at the palaces. Because of the rigorous process the tiles underwent,
the work and the time invested, each tile is worth its weight in gold and hence the name the
Gold Floor tiles!
After the tour of the Forbidden City, we checked in to our hotel: China Hall of Science and
Technology.
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Figure 4: China Hall of Science and Technology
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5 Day 2: National Museum of China, Welcome Buffet
Date: 4th July 2018, Wednesday
After breakfast, we were on our way to the National Museum of China. We were taken to
the Road of Rejuvenation exhibition. I would’ve been happier if the National Museum of China
had taken some effort to have the explanations on all the artefacts in English also, so that
foreign tourists could easily get acquainted with the history of China, without the need of a
translator.
5.1 The Road of Rejuvenation
The Road of Rejuvenation is one of the museum’s permanent exhibitions that reflects the Opium
War of 1840 onward, the consequent downfall into an abyss of semi-imperial and semi-feudal
society, the protests of people of all social strata who had suffered, and the many attempts
at national rejuvenation - particularly the Communist Party of China’s fight for the liberation
and independence of people of every ethnicity. The exhibition demonstrates the glorious but
long course of achieving national happiness and prosperity and fully reveals how the people
chose Marxism, the Communist Party of China, socialism, and the reform and opening-up
policy. It attests to the Chinese priority of holding high the unswerving banner of socialism
with Chinese characteristics,and of remaining firmly committed to the Chinese socialist road
and theory.
It was in this museum, I realised that there were many similarities between the Chinese and
Indian civilizations. In their long history, both China and India were frequently invaded by alien
tribes, but despite repeated foreign cultural onslaught, the backbone of the two ancient cultures,
namely Confucianism in China and Hinduism in India, vigorously sustained. The vitality and
continuity of both Chinese and Indian civilizations are remarkably exceptional.
In modern times, both countries lagged behind the West in economic and social development,
and suffered tremendously from the invasion of Western powers.
Coincidently, once again almost at the same time, China and India were reborn. In 1949,
after the liberation war, new China was established, while in 1947, India won its independence.
Afterwards, although different in political system, China and India took similar paths of planned
economy.
Today, the similarities between China and India have become even more striking. Both countries
have been pursuing policies of reform and opening-up, and both are now the fastest growing
economies in the world, drawing great universal attention. Indeed, development of China and
India over the next few decades will have a humongous impact on the rest of the world.
5.1.1 The Founding Ceremony of the Nation
The Founding Ceremony of the Nation is a 1953 oil painting by Chinese artist Dong Xiwen. It
depicts Mao Zedong and other Communist officials inaugurating the People’s Republic of China
at Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949. A prominent example of socialist realism, it is one
of the most celebrated works of official Chinese art. The painting was repeatedly revised, and
a replica painting made to accommodate further changes, as the leaders it depicted fell from
power and later were rehabilitated.
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After the Communists took control of China, they sought to memorialise their achievements
through artworks. Dong was commissioned to create a visual representation of the October
1 ceremony, which he had attended. He felt, the painting had to show both the people and
their leaders. After working for three months, he completed the oil painting in a folk art style,
drawing upon Chinese art history for the contemporary subject. The success of the painting
was assured when Mao viewed it and liked it, and it was reproduced in large numbers for display
in the home.
Figure 5: Vishal with the oil painting and the artefacts of the October 1, 1949 ceremony
After the visit to the National Museum of China, we went to China Youth Center for International
Exchange. After the lunch there, we attended a lecture themed on a community of shared
future for mankind and China - India cooperation by Dr. Liang Yabin.
5.2 The Lecture by Dr. Liang Yabin
Dr. Liang Yabin is currently an associate professor at the Institute for International Strategic
Studies, Party School of the Central Committee of the C.P.C. The lecture started with Dr.
Liang introducing himself and welcoming all of us to China.
He spoke about the dawn of new era in China which had three important aspects to it:
1. New Guiding Ideology
2. New Principal Contradiction
3. New Development Path
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(a) Prof. Liang Yabin during his talk (b) Halfway through the lecture
Figure 6: Lecture on China - India cooperation
5.2.1 New Guiding Ideology
Under this section, the professor explained how the CPC implements the principles of Marxism,
Leninism and Mao Zedong’s ideologies. The CPC is successful in uniting the 56 ethnic groups
of China and acts as a binding medium between the masses and the political functions of the
party.
5.2.2 New Principal Contradiction
In 1981, the CPC had its assessment of the principal contradiction as ‘‘the ever-growing
material and cultural needs of the people versus backward social production,” a
historic policy shift that was at the heart of reform and opening up. Developing the economy,
mainly through growth, was thus endorsed by the CPC as the “central task”. Market economic
reforms, seen at the time as a magic bullet to transform production, were unleashed on an
unprecedented scale. The rest is a history we all know. The Chinese economy grew to the
second largest in the world, expanding by about 10 percent each year for more than three
decades. China became the world’s factory floor.
The Made-in-China list today grows even longer, its products even more sophisticated. From
finger nail-sized computer chips to jumbo jets and high-speed trains, the world’s factory is now
the world’s laboratory and marketplace. Giant Internet companies have emerged, with booming
consumer demand satisfied through the most advanced mobile technology. The era of “backward
social production” is well and truly over. In a recent event, President Xi said, ‘‘What we now
face is the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the
people’s ever-growing needs for a better life”.
5.2.3 New Development Path
The country now follows a path of peaceful development and intends to build a shared future
for mankind. The reasons for this are fairly simple:
1. To reduce nuclear tension owing to MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction).
2. To promote economic globalization.
3. To reap benefits from free and unrestricted trade.
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The lecture ended with the professor emphasising how India and China have beneﬁted from
each other in the past and what can be done to improve the bilateral relations between the two
countries.
5.3 The Welcome Banquet
After the lecture we were taken to the Beijing International Hall for our extravagant welcome
banquet. The banquet commenced with the dignitaries of All China Youth Federation welcoming
us. After gifts were exchanged, the banquet was declared open for everyone to begin their
feast.
Figure 7: Before the commencement of the Welcome Banquet
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6 Day 3: Visiting CRRC HQ, The Great Wall of China
Date: 5th July 2018, Thursday
6.1 CRRC
We had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with the top management officials and technical
team members of CRRC at their headquarters in Beijing. The meeting was chaired by Zhan
Yuzhou (DGM), Zhang Xin (Head, India Operations), Su Xu, Wei Linjing and Liu Jia.
We learnt that CRRC is a Chinese publicly traded rolling stock manufacturer, formed on 1
June 2015 with the merging of CNR (China Northern Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry
Corp.) and CSR (China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corp.). Rationals behind the
merger were increased efficiency, and the ability to better compete internationally with combined
resources.
(a) Vishal at the CRRC HQ lobby (b) During the meeting
Figure 8: At CRRC HQ, Beijing
CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC) has 46 wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries
and over 180,000 employees. CRRC is the world’s largest supplier of rail transit equipment. Its
main businesses cover the RnD, design, manufacture, repair, sale, lease and technical services
for rolling stock, urban rail transit vehicles and environmental protection equipment.
I was really pleased to know that CRRC had already started their operations in India in the
cities of Mumbai, Noida, Gurgaon, Nagpur and Kolkata. What’s really fascinating is that
CRRC is also the first foreign company to set up assembly line of rail transportation equipment
in India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled his ambitious ”Make in India” campaign
in 2014.
After our visit to CRRC, we were taken to a local restaurant for lunch and then to the Great
Wall of China, which was nearly an hour’s drive.
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6.2 The Great Wall of China
No visit to China or Beijing is complete without climbing the Great Wall. We were taken to the
Juyongguan Pass which is one of the three most famous passes along the Great Wall of China,
together with Jiayuguan and Shanhaiguan. Besides the ancient wall, many old buildings, like
towers and temples, can be seen here.
The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood,
and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern
borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of
the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were being built as early as
the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are collectively
referred to as the Great Wall. Most famous is the wall built in 220–206 BC by Qin Shi Huang,
the first Emperor of China. Little of that wall remains. The Great Wall has been rebuilt,
maintained, and enhanced over various dynasties; the majority of the existing wall is from the
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
(a) Vishal at Juyongguan Pass (b) A candid picture at the Great Wall
Figure 9: At The Great Wall of China, Beijing
What inspired me about the Great Wall of China was the amount of work, time and human
resources invested in building and maintaining this wonder. It’s over 21,000 kilometres long and
6 to 7 metres high. Lots of construction and repair work were conducted after Western Zhou
Dynasty, especially in Qin Dynasty and Ming Dynasty. To repair the and construct the Great
Wall, Emperor Ying Zheng summoned nearly one million labour force to the border area. The
Great Wall was built with huge stones. All the stones were carried and lifted by manpower, as
there were no machines then to help the workers. As the primary purpose of the Great Wall has
always been military strength and defence, it is no surprise to learn that the human sacrifice in
building the wall was tremendous. It is estimated that over one million people lost their lives to
the construction of The Great Wall. Knowing that so many people were willing to sacrifice their
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lives for the protection of their homeland, really makes me grow in respect for the monument
and the people of China.
After the descent, all of us bought souvenirs from the souvenir shop near the parking lot.
6.3 Dinner at the Indian Embassy, Beijing
At the Embassy of India, Beijing, a welcome reception was hosted for the 200 membered Indian
Youth Delegation. In his speech, Ambassador of India to China, Mr. Gautam Bambawale while
covering all aspects of India-China bilateral relations, emphasized on strengthening people-to-people
exchanges between the two countries. Ambassador pointed out that through annual youth
exchange programme, the governments of India and China intend to provide opportunities to
their youth to mutually understand each other better.
(a) Before the commencement of the reception (b) During the dinner
Figure 10: At the Embassy of India, Beijing
After the speech by the ambassador, Indian dinner with deserts was served to which everyone
rejoiced. During the dinner, we met oﬃcials from the embassy who asked us about our views
on China and its culture. The people from the embassy were quite down to earth and all of us
enjoyed interacting with them. Post dinner, we were taken back to our hotel.
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7 Day 4: Wuhan - Provincial Museum and East Lake
Date: 6th July 2018, Friday
Both group A and group B had an early morning ﬂight. Group A would be travelling to
Wuhan while group B would be travelling to Kunming. Group A bid farewell to all the group
B members at the airport and boarded the China Eastern ﬂight MU2460 that departed the
Beijing airport at 7:55 AM.
Upon arrival at Wuhan, we were welcomed by the local host/guide.
Figure 11: The Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
During our trip to the hotel from the airport, we were given information on all the areas and
the water-bodies we came across. The Yangtze river which is the longest river in Asia and the
third-longest in the world greeted us on our way to the hotel. After an hour’s ride, we made it
to the hotel. We checked into the luxurious Chutian International Hotel and had an extravagant
lunch there.
Figure 12: The Chutian International Hotel, Wuhan
After the lunch at the hotel, we were escorted to the Hubei Provincial Museum by walk as it
was only a stone’s throw from the hotel where we stayed in.
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7.1 Hubei Provincial Museum
The Hubei Provincial Museum depicts historic and cultural relics of China. It has a collection of
over 200,000 objects, including the Sword of Goujian, an ancient set of bronze bells (Bianzhong)
and extensive artifacts from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng and the tombs at Baoshan. On the
afternoon of April 27, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi visited Hubei Provincial Museum.
Figure 13: The Hubei Provincial Museum
7.1.1 Bianzhong Bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng
Of all the attractions at the Hubei Provincial Museum, the most fascinating were the Bianzhong
Bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng.
Zenghouyi Bells, is the name given to an ancient musical instrument made of bells (called
bianzhong) unearthed in 1978 in the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in Leigudun Community,
Nanjiao Subdistrict, Zengdu District, Suizhou (then ’Sui County’), Hubei Province, China.
The bianzhong were made in 433 B.C. The bianzhong are hung on two sets of wooden racks
that are perpendicular to each other. The instrument contains a total of 64 bianzhong, which
are hung at three levels and are divided into eight groups. There are 19 bells in three groups at
the top level. 33 bells are in three groups in the middle level. There are 12 bells in two groups
at the bottom level. The biggest bell is 153.4 centimetres in height and weighs 203.6 kilograms.
The smallest bell is 20.4 centimetres in height and weighs 2.4 kilograms.
Figure 14: The Massive Bianzhong Bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng
Each bell can play two tones with three degrees’ interval between them. The tonal range of
Zenghouyi Bells is from C2 to D7. In the middle area of the tonal range, it can play all
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twelve half tones. The wooden hammers used to strike the bells were also unearthed from the
Zeng-hou-yi Tomb.
7.1.2 Bell Chimes Performance
After the short visit to the exhibition area, we were taken to the auditorium for a concert
where a replica of the ancient Chinese instruments were played. The music was melodious
and the synchronisation between the nearly 10 performers on diﬀerent instruments was quite
seamless.
Figure 15: Musical Concert at the Hubei Provincial Museum
7.2 Visit to the East Lake
The scenic East Lake is a large freshwater lake sprawling over 88 square kilometers. It is the
largest “City Lake” in China and is visited by over a million people every year. East Lake was
a favourite holiday destination of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. The villa is now a
memorial of the founding father of China Mao Zedong, whose theories, military strategies and
political policies are known as Maoism. The picturesque garden adjacent to the mighty Yangtze
river is also where Mao Zedong used to enjoy his favourite pastime swimming.
(a) Former residence of Chairman Mao (b) Modi and Xi Jinping at the East Lake
Figure 16: At the East Lake in Wuhan, Hubei
On April 28 2018, Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping held informal discussions at the East Lake
guesthouse.
After the walk along the East Lake, we were given a demo of the traditional Chinese tea
ceremony.
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Figure 17: Demo of the Tea Ceremony Procedure
After the visit to the East Lake, we were taken back to the hotel for dinner. Post dinner, many
of us headed out to the Chu River and Han Street for shopping.
7.3 Chu River and Han Street
Figure 18: Vishal at the Han Street
Han Street has a unique architectural style, blending tradition and modernity. Most of its
architecture recreates the style of the Republic of China period, marked by red-and-grey bricks,
delicate architraves, black gates, bronze door rings, shikumen, brick-paved lanes and old-fashioned
wooden windows. However, modern and European style building are included among the
old-style architectures.
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8 Day 5: Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Wuhan Sports University
Date: 7th July 2018, Saturday
8.1 Dongfeng Motor Corporation HQ
Dongfeng Motor Corporation is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered
in Wuhan, China. In addition to commercial and consumer vehicles, it also manufactures parts
and cooperates with foreign companies, with joint ventures like Dongfeng Yueda Kia, Dongfeng
Honda, Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën and Dongfeng Renault. Counting six global automakers as
partners, it has more Sino-foreign joint ventures than any other Chinese carmaker. Other brand
names associated with Dongfeng include Dongfeng Fengshen, Infiniti, Luxgen, and Venucia.
Heavy-duty commercial vehicles and buses are sold under the Dongfeng brand.
As it was a Saturday, we were unable to interact with the top officials of the company and
were shown around the company’s showroom which housed the best of its automobiles. All the
automobiles had unique features and targeted a particular section of potential buyers.
Figure 19: At the Dongfeng Motor Corporation HQ in Wuhan
After our visit to the Dongfeng Motor Corporation, we were taken to the Wuhan Citizens
Home.
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8.2 Wuhan Citizens Home
The Wuhan Citizens Home is a building that houses government run public service centres as
well as an exhibitions of the city’s history, modern architecture and planning. Never before had
I seen a building of such magnitude that was dedicated to exhibit the city’s infrastructure. It
was here that I learnt the importance of Wuhan to China.
(a) The building as seen from outside (b) Precise modelling of the city’s infrastructure
Figure 20: At Wuhan Citizens Home
8.2.1 Wuhan and its importance to China
Wuhan is situated near Yangtze River and is the largest city in the central part of China. The
cities of Hanyang, Hankou, and Wuchang merged to form Wuhan back in 1926. Wuhan is known
as ‘Chicago of China’ and also as ‘China’s thoroughfare’ because of its role in transportation.
Many roads, trains, and highways pass through the city connecting to other major cities. It is
considered an important center for trade, economy, ﬁnance, transportation and IT in China.
Wuhan’s major industries include optic-electronic, automobile manufacturing, and iron and
steel manufacturing. It has attracted foreign investment from over 80 countries and has 5,973
foreign-invested enterprises established with a capital injection of 22.45 billion USD.
We were also explained about the existing and upcoming skyscrapers in the city. The 10 min AV
show explaining Wuhan, its three major areas and their importance along with the synchronised
lighting on the city model was just a mesmerizing experience.
After our stop at the Wuhan Citizens Home, we were taken back to the hotel for lunch
buﬀet.
8.3 Wuhan Sports University
We were taken to the Wuhan Sports University, whose glimpse we had from East Lake Hotel
(Chairman Mao’s former residence) on the previous day. The university is one of the four leading
universities in the physical education area in China. This can be better illustrated with the
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, when Wuhan Sports University alumni alone won 6 gold medals,
2 silver medals and 3 bronze medals.
Upon arrival at the Wuhan Sports University, we were greeted by the students and the faculty
there. We also posed for a group photo and were then taken on a campus tour.
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Figure 21: Indian Youth Delegation at the Wuhan Sports University
We were shown around the training centre for aquatic games, the RnD gym and the slamball
court. The sophisticated research equipment in the RnD gymnasium really emphasised the
resources, the Chinese invest in analysing and improving their game performance, be it even by
a fraction. Its no surprise that China is one of the top performers at the Olympics.
(a) Sports research equipment (b) Slamball in action
Figure 22: At Wuhan Sports University
After the tour of the campus, we were taken to the conference room for an interaction with the
Chinese youth representatives.
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8.3.1 Meeting the Chinese Youth
The meeting began with the Chinese youth representatives welcoming the Indian Youth Delegation
and introducing themselves. Subsequently, we too introduced ourselves. We were given a
document with the minutes of the meeting between the Indian Prime Minister Modi and Chinese
President Xi Jinping at Wuhan in April 2018. We read the document and commenced our
discussions on the same. We talked about the rapid development of China and India, and
what we as youth can do to increase bilateral relations and cultural exchanges between the two
countries.
Figure 23: Indian youth meeting with the Chinese youth
8.3.2 The Chinese Cultural Performances
After the meeting, we were taken to the auditorium for experiencing Chinese cultural performances
and martial arts.
(a) The Chinese Lion Dance (b) Latin Salsa Dance
Figure 24: Chinese cultural performances at Wuhan Sports University
The program opened with the Chinese lion dance. It is a form of traditional dance in Chinese
culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion
costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the
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Chinese New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural and religious festivals. It may also
be performed at important occasions such as business opening events, special celebrations or
wedding ceremonies, or may be used to honour special guests by the Chinese communities.
The lion dance was followed by a Latin salsa dance, a Tai Chi demonstration, a Kung Fu ﬁght,
and an African dance.
There were also Indian performances from the members of the Indian Youth Delegation, which
were sandwiched between the Chinese performances, thereby creating a beautiful Indian -
Chinese cultural blend.
(a) Bharatnatyam Dance (b) Kathak Dance
Figure 25: Indian cultural performances at Wuhan Sports University
The students of Wuhan University put up an exemplary and out of the world performance which
really got all of us immersed.
Figure 26: With the Chinese artists
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9 Day 6: Bullet Train Repair Base, Agricultural Farm, To
Shanghai
Date: 8th July 2018, Sunday
We loaded our luggages onto the bus and then left for the bullet train repair base.
9.1 Wuhan EMU Depot
Wuhan EMU depot inspects, maintains and repairs EMUs (Electric Multiple Unit). The depot
covers an area of 2130 acres and is 2.5 km from the iconic Wuhan Railway Station. Upon our
arrival at the Wuhan EMU Depot, we were welcomed by the employees and posed for a group
photo.
Figure 27: At Wuhan EMU Depot
An EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as
the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are
incorporated within one or a number of the carriages. The great majority of EMUs are passenger
trains, but versions also exist for carrying parcels and mail.
EMUs are popular on commuter and suburban rail networks around the world due to their
fast acceleration and pollution-free operation. Being quieter than diesel multiple units (DMUs)
and locomotive-hauled trains, EMUs can operate later at night and more frequently without
disturbing nearby residents.
After the group photo, we were taken to the control room and were shown around the safety, ER
(Emergency Response) and monitoring sections. A little later, we were taken to the warehouse
where bullet trains are regularly serviced and maintained.
After this, we were taken to the Weor Organic Farm.
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9.2 Weor Organic Farm
At Weor Organic Farm, we were received by Wei Xiaoming, President and one of the four
founding fathers of the farm. He welcomed us by offering dry sweet corn and lotus seeds. They
tasted delicious! After a brief presentation on the farm and their online business venture, Mr.
Wei walked us around his farm and explained its various facets. We were shown fig, corn and egg
plant plantations. It was fascinating to know that he already had a thousand families registered
for his farm’s membership program and they could order anything organic online and have it
delivered at their doorsteps within hours.
Figure 28: With Wei Xiaoming, co-founder of Weor Organic Farm
After our visit to the organic farm, we stopped by the Eurasia Convention International Hotel
for lunch on our way to the airport.
9.3 To Tianhe Internation Airport
After our lunch, we headed to the Tianhe International Airport to catch our flight to Shanghai.
The China Eastern flight MU2505 departed Wuhan at 4:40 PM. We landed in Shanghai at 6:15
PM and deplaned.
We appreciated the Shanghai skyline on our way to the hotel. After nearly 45 minutes, we
arrived at our hotel: City Hotel, Shanghai.
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Figure 29: The City Hotel, Shanghai
After the dinner, at nearly 9 PM most of us ventured out to the Bund, a waterfront area in
central Shanghai. The area along the river faces the modern skyscrapers of Lujiazui in the
Pudong District.
Figure 30: At the Bund, Shanghai
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10 Day 7: Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Oriental Pearl Tower
Date: 9th July 2018, Monday
After the breakfast, we were taken to the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park.
10.1 Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park
Upon arrival at the park, we were taken to the visitor complex and explained about the park’s
layout, infrastructure and history.
(a) Being explained about the park (b) In front of the logo
Figure 31: At Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park
The Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park is a technology park in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China.
The park specializes in research in life sciences, software, semiconductors, and information
technology. As of 2009, there were 110 research and development institutions, 3,600 companies
and 100,000 workers located in the technology park. In some circles the park is also known as
China’s Silicon Valley. I was really glad to know that major Indian companies like TCS and
Infosys had already established their presence here.
After the brief intro of the park, we were taken to exhibition centre, which housed the brainchild
products of various companies situated in the park. These products included: second generation
ID cards for Chinese citizens, ICs developed by various semiconductor companies, action cameras,
naked eye 3D smart-phone and biomedical devices.
After our short visit to this park, we were taken to the Shanghai Synchotron Radiation Facility.
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10.2 Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF)
Upon reaching the SSRF, we were welcomed by Dr. Tian Feng, an Associate Professor at
Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics. With the demo model of the facility, situated at the
entrance, Dr. Feng explained us the working principle of synchrotron radiation, its uses in
imaging and how the facility implements the same.
Synchrotron radiation is the name given to the radiation which occurs when charged particles
are accelerated in a curved path or orbit. Powerful light beams generated from synchrotron
enable scientists to analyse what cannot be seen with a conventional microscope. When light
penetrates matter, it’s possible to study the different layers of the matter at a molecular level.
This has found vital applications in studying structures of viruses, developing new drugs and
nano-electronics.
(a) Dr. Tian Feng explaining the facility (b) A selfie with Dr. Tian
Figure 32: At Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF)
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) is a 3rd generation synchrotron light source
with 13 beamlines which has served more than 10000 users since 2009. In 2020, it is estimated
that there will be about 40 beamlines in full operation, serving over 10000 users each year.
What’s really fascinating is, any college student performing quality research can make use of
the facility and avail its services for free. I really appreciate the amount of effort and resources
the Chinese government has invested in making such sophisticated equipment easily available
to the research students studying in China.
After the intro to the facility, Dr. Tian showed us around the various beamlines. We even
made a stop at one of the beamlines at the facility (possibly BL13W1) and Dr. Tian showed
us the synchrotron’s imaging capabilities. He compared the results (CT scanning/X-raying a
cricket) from the facility with that of a traditional 2D X-ray and we were blown away by the
level of depth and detail achieved in the images generated by the sophisticated equipment at
the facility. We were able to clearly see all the organs inside the cricket with clear specified
boundaries from the output of synchrotron, while we were barely even able to make out the
existence of organs from the traditional 2D X-ray.
After our visit to the SSRF, we were taken to the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower.
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10.3 Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower
We had lunch at the Coca Cola Happiness restaurant located at the base of the Oriental Pearl
Tower. The restaurant was built like a donut around the tower, meaning you can start at
one section of the buffet, walk round completing a loop and reach where you began. What I
liked about the restaurant were the dedicated stations/shops for fruits, deserts, juices and main
course dishes. The ambience was warm and cosy and the staff were quite humble. Being a
vegetarian, couldn’t exploit all the dishes in their glory! Ate only fruits, deserts, a couple of
marshmallows dipped in chocolate and had a glass of juice.
After the “heavy” meal, we were taken inside the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower. The
elevator that was carrying us to the top was travelling at a speed of 7 m/s and our ears popped
as we went higher. We first reached the 263 metre high sightseeing galleria, from where we had
a panoramic view of the Shanghai skyline and the Hangpu river.
(a) Infront of the Oriental Pearl Tower (b) On the glass floor, at 259 metres high!
Figure 33: At the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower
After spending 10 minutes here, we were taken to the 259 metre high transparent observatory.
When you look down and you see your feet on the breathtaking transparent view of the ground
from such an height, it makes you think you are levitating in air.
After spending quite some time here at this level, we came down to 0 metres, to the Shanghai
History Museum.
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10.4 Shanghai History Museum
The museum’s collections focus on the hundred years of Shanghai’s history from the opening of
the port in 1843 to the communist take-over in 1949. The museum’s oldest relics are from 6,000
years ago. It features a cannon used in the ﬁrst Opium War, a sedan chair, and two bronze lions
that used to adorn the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp on the Bund. Most engaging
were the lifelike models and statues that were installed to depict the history of art, culture and
industrialization of Shanghai.
What’s engaging about Shanghai’s history is its rapid development over the recent years. Six
thousand years ago, Shanghai was a primitive village whose residents thrived on the agricultural
and coastal activities. After the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), the ban on
sea trade was broken and Shanghai was developing into a metropolis. With a mindset as
open and broad as the vast sea surrounding it, Shanghai promoted the development of modern
industry and commerce. The expansion of urban construction and the introduction of modern
civilisation made Shanghai leap into the economic, ﬁnancial and cultural center of modern China
and a famous international metropolis that we witness today. This truly is an example of how
opening up an economy to the natural forces, can boost the standard of living of the people in
that region.
After the visit to the Shanghai History Museum, we were taken back to the hotel for our farewell
dinner.
10.5 Farewell Dinner
The farewell banquet was arranged in the level 2 of our hotel. The event commenced at 6:30
PM.
(a) Before the commencement of the event (b) After the event ended
Figure 34: At the Farewell Banquet
The event began with Shri N Raja, leader of the delegation, Shi Yichan, VP of Shanghai
Youth Federation and Mafeng Ming of Beijing Youth Federation delivering farewell speeches
and exchanging gifts. During the dinner, we had cultural performances form the Indian Youth
delegates and classic Hindi songs (one of them being Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehana by Kishore
Kumar) sung by Shri Kamal Kumar Kar and Shubhankar Haldar.
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11 Day 8: Shanghai Mass Art Centre, Yuyuan Business District
Date: 10th July 2018, Tuesday
Our first stop was at Shanghai Mass Art Centre.
11.1 Shanghai Mass Art Centre
The Shanghai Mass Art Centre hosts paintings, photographs, ceramics and other famous works
of the best Chinese artists. Its aim is to promote the Chinese heritage and culture. Other than
housing fine works of art, the building also serves to be a location for training artists and a
venue for cultural events.
We were shown around finest paintings, candid photographs of animals and people, and delicate
works of ceramic. We were also shown furniture made out of fireproof cardboard and paper.
We sat on the chairs and I must say they were pretty lightweight and strong!
We also had the opportunity of witnessing a live Kunqu opera performance. Before the
performance commenced, there was a lecture on Kunqu opera, followed by a live demo of the
cosmetic preparations on the performing artist (Ms. Jin Ying). The amount of effort that went
into dressing up the artist and making her look the way she should, itself could be considered
as a separate art-form!
Figure 35: Triying Kunqu at the Shanghai Mass Art Centre
Kunqu is a form of Chinese drama that developed in the 16th century. Kunqu has distinctive
features in its musical performance. It is so mild, exquisite, sentimental, and melodious that
it is commonly called shuimodiao (“water-polished music”). The libretto usually focuses on a
story of romantic love. Kunqu singing emphasizes control of the voice and changes in rhythms.
Singers must also use their skills to express the disposition of various characters, an aspect that
adds complexity to the form. The musical ensemble is mainly composed of wind, stringed, and
percussion instruments.
After the performance got over, the artist asked for a volunteer who wanted to try Kunqu. I
raised my hand and was called up. They made me do some really great poses, which I shall
never forget!
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After our visit to the SMAC, we were taken to Indian Kitchen, an Indian restaurant operated
my Mr. Kannan from Tamil Nadu, India. Having deprived myself of Indian vegetarian food for
a week, the lunch was blessing in disguise.
Figure 36: With Mr. Kannan, owner of Indian Kitchen Restaurant
After our lunch, we were taken to the Yuyuan Business District for last minute shopping.
11.2 Yuyuan Business District
Yuyuan is a bustling marketplace set in an old Chinese neighborhood of Shanghai with shops
selling everything from chop sticks to drones. It was a great place to pick up Chinese souvenirs
while appreciating the buildings with traditional architecture.
Figure 37: At the Yuyuan Business District, Shanghai
After wandering on the streets of the business district for nearly two hours, we returned to our
buses. We drove to the same Indian restaurant (Indian Kitchen) where we earlier had lunch,
for dinner.
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After the dinner, we headed directly to the airport. Shanghai has two international airports:
1. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (mostly manages domestic flights)
2. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (mostly manages international flights)
While we landed in Shanghai at the first airport, we took off from the second one.
Finally, at 11:30 PM (delayed by 90 min), we boarded the flight AI 349 and took off nearly at
midnight.
After landing in Delhi (T3), we de-planed and passed through the immigration counters. I
waited for the luggages at the baggage claim area, bid an emotional goodbye to friends and
proceeded to the domestic terminal for my onward journey to Chennai.
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12 A few observations in China
12.1 Chinese People Always Drink Hot Water
In most of the restaurants we went to, water was not served before the meal, as done in India or
in other western countries. This was probably due to the huge number of delegates and filling
100 glasses with water would’ve been impractical for the waiters. However, in any restaurant,
whenever I asked the waitress for water (shuˇı), she would always bring hot water, that was
way above the room temperature. People in China initially started using hot water owing to
its health benefits. Hot water aids blood flow, helps detoxify your body and reduce painful
contractions of muscles. What started as a beneficiary health practice, eventually became a
necessity, during the cholera outbreaks. People boiled their water because they considered it
a way to kill off microbes and bacteria. No longer was hot water just a way to improve one’s
health; it had become a matter of life and death. Ever since, water in China is always served
either warm or hot, irrespective of the weather. Even the dispensers at the airport dispensed
either warm or hot water. The only way to consume cold water, is to buy packaged drinking
water bottles.
12.2 Roads in China
The following observations may be valid only in the Tier 1 (Beijing, Shanghai) and Tier 2
(Wuhan) cities of China.
12.2.1 Quiet Roads
The first and foremost observation of the roads in China was how quiet they were to drive on,
despite the heavy traffic in bustling areas of the cities. During our stay in China, which was
for eight days, I hardly heard my bus honk more than 6 times! The Chinese people drive quite
cautiously, obey the traffic guidelines and rarely honk at each other, making driving, walking
and cycling on the roads, peaceful experiences.
12.2.2 Multi-layered Flyovers
The second observation was the multi-layered flyovers. Massive number of multi-layered flyovers
have been recently constructed in major cities of China that reduce traffic and travel time to
important destinations like airports, metro stations etc.
Figure 38: Multi-layered flyovers in Shanghai, China
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12.2.3 New Car Regulation Policies
Third observation: One needs to purchase a number plate before purchasing a car. In Beijing,
in order to tackle the problems of rage-inducing congestion and asphyxiating pollution, a lottery
system for rationing license plates has been put in place. Under the scheme, the city imposes
annual quotas on the issuing of new licence plates. Buying a car requires proof that one is in
hand. Obtaining a plate involves entering a bimonthly draw. In one case, 2.8 million people
contended for 6,460 plates. As a result people have been waiting as long as ten years to win a
license plate in the lottery!
12.2.4 Public Transport System
China’s public transportation system is resilient and quite reliable. It oﬀers a diverse range of
choices: If the train isn’t running, there are easily-available alternatives, like biking or taking
a bus. Chinese public transportation systems use fossil fuels sparingly, which help mitigate
climate change, reducing the likelihood of future disasters that may threaten transportation
infrastructure or fuel sources.
(a) Electric Buses in China (b) High Speed Rail (HSR) Carriages
Figure 39: Public Transportation System in China
12.2.5 Bicyle Sharing System
While China’s public transportation system is quite reliable, last mile connectivity in most cities
is ensured by the bicycle sharing system. Bicycle sharing programs are inexpensive, promote
health, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Dedicated bike lanes are made on the roads that
ensure bikers and cyclists get their own share of the road.
Figure 40: Bicycles can be unlocked by scanning the QR code on them!
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12.2.6 Electric Vehicles
I was surprised to see the number of Teslas and other electric vehicles on the streets of China.
China’s EV market is growing faster than in other countries. Policies are framed to encourage
greater adoption of EVs over the traditional gas-fuelled vehicles. Beijing and other cities oﬀer
preferential treatment to electric vehicles in their license plate lottery system, and exempt EVs
from alternate-day driving restrictions.
Figure 41: Electric Vehicles (EVs) like Teslas are quite common on Chinese streets
12.3 Tai Chi in Early Mornings
On many occasions, I’ve observed people of all age groups perform Tai Chi in open areas. Tai
Chi is a harmonious exercise, similar to yoga. It looks like a peaceful slow-motion karate movie
and is designed to bring mind, body and soul together.
Figure 42: Tai Chi in action
12.4 Smoking in China
From the time we landed in Beijing to the time we left China, while places changed and events
happened, the scent of tobacco around me remained a constant. This justiﬁes China being
the world’s largest consumer and producer of tobacco. In most places, smoking is considered
socially acceptable anywhere, at any time, even if it is technically illegal.
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12.5 Usage of English Language
Only a tiny fraction of the Chinese population understands and speak English. Luckily, Google
Translate did a great job in helping us communicate with the locals. Despite the majority of
the population not speaking English, the growth and development of China’s economy over
the past few decades is truly commendable. The emphasis on English education in China only
emerged after 1979 when the Cultural Revolution ended, China adopted the Open Door Policy,
and the United States and China established strong diplomatic ties. I ﬁrmly believe, when more
Chinese people start speaking English, China’s impact on the world will be much greater.
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13 Conclusion
The Indian Youth Delegation to China 2018 program has truly served its purpose in exposing
the delegates to China, its people, their culture and values. While we familiarized ourselves
with the history, economy, political and judicial aspects of China, we also learnt to respect
and appreciate its magniﬁcent tradition and culture. The itinerary was so well designed that
everyone from the delegation could pick up key points from his/her ﬁeld of specialisation from
the places we visited. Kudos to the translators for ensuring the Chinese and Indians understood
the other. We only wish, we had more time to interact with the university students, professors
and other youth professionals in China.
I really thank the Government of India, the Government of the People’s Republic of China,
the volunteers and the people involved for making this program enlightening, memorable and
fun.
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Indian Youth Delegation to China 2018 - Report by Vishal Choudhari

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