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China Travel Blog - by Charles Yang - Rough Drafts

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Growing up, I would visit my family in China every other summer. But since college and the busyness of post-grad, I haven’t had the chance to go back and it has now been 8 years since I visited China. In this new season of life, I was able to spend the past month travelling across Asia, including several weeks in China. Rather than write a long essay unpacking all my thoughts, I wanted to share snapshots—small scenes that captured how China has changed since I last visited. I stopped in Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Changsha, and a handful of smaller cities. From conversations with Shanghai AI founders to factory managers in Tier 2 and 3 cities to chatting with Didi drivers, I hope these notes offer a sense of what it felt like to be there, on the ground. Special gratitude goes to my China travelling companions: Jasmine Sun, afra, Clara Collier, Arjun Ramani, and Aadil, and to my extended family whom I hope to see again soon. One of the most valuable things you can do in China is just

China Travel Blog Conversations, Observations, and Pictures from China Charles Yang Sep 11, 2025 65 5 11 Share Growing up, I would visit my family in China every other summer. But since college and the busyness of post-grad, I haven’t had the chance to go back and it has now been 8 years since I visited China. In this new season of life , I was able to spend the past month travelling across Asia, including several weeks in China. Rather than write a long essay unpacking all my thoughts, I wanted to share snapshots—small scenes that captured how China has changed since I last visited. I stopped

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