In December I hiked the Hui-hang Ancient Trail with some CEIBS students. This trail is an old tea route used by merchants carrying goods between Huizhou (Anhui province) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang province) in ancient time of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The trail is 25 km long and passes many mountain villages and a beautiful untouched valley (There was not cell phone reception!). Hiking this trail was pretty easy* because the road is not steep or dangerous.
CEIBS Group picture
Infrastructure in rural China
It was my first time in rural China. I saw what I expected: Chinese villages look the same as Spanish villages minus the cultural differences. What surprised me is the amazing infrastructure this country has, there are highways and high speed trains everywhere. This country is investing seriously on itself with a dense transportation network that reminds me of Germany.
Chinese traffic rules
Another thing that surprised me are the Chinese traffic rules in the road. I was in the front seat so I could admire the skill of our bus driver. The driver was smoking constantly while watching a movie on a TV screen in the dashboard. The speedometer gauge was constantly at 0, but this was the faster bus I have ever rode. In fact we were most of the time in the left lane on the highway passing trucks, cars and other buses. The few times we were on the right lines it was because another vehicle was in our way on the left lane. In China is not a problem to pass other vehicles on the right side, but you need to horn to warn the other vehicle of what are you doing. Lights are optional.
Another group picture
Jumping next to the trail
* You can go hiking in China with flipflops but if you go in Korea you better get serious professional mountaineering equipment.
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