Hey everyone! 👋 I see this video is getting a bit more attention than my usual ones, so first off, welcome to all the new viewers! It seems the TH-cam algorithm is working overtime here. 😊 For those unfamiliar with my channel, I normally explore different parts of China, chat with locals, and share my experiences as a Kiwi abroad. You’ll find plenty of other videos where I highlight the amazing things about China and share cool moments from my travels. That being said, if you're here because you’re looking to be outraged or to start an argument, I’d kindly suggest checking out some of my other content first before deciding if I’m really that guy you're upset about. This particular video covers both things I love and things that frustrate me, so there’s no need to focus only on the negatives. To my regular viewers, as always, I appreciate your constructive comments and thoughtful discussion! 🙌 Let’s keep the conversation respectful and balanced, whether you agree or disagree with my perspective.
Speaking of propaganda Mark, I think one of the most important things that your videos do is to counteract the relentless anti China rhetoric spewed by many western politicians. You show a people that have the same aspirations as all of us in regard to living a peaceful productive happy life for themselves and their families. Well done man.
Western countries don't have that much propaganda, what we do have is non stop advertising that changes our behaviours and desires. Like Mark said in the video, things seem to have become better in china for the past five years. So why would a Chinese person care about what economic or political system they follow?
Cheers man yeah I dunno when the anti China stuff started - it certainly wasn't like this when I first moved there in the 2000s. But yeah hopefully I can share a slice of some human things from the country
@@joaofigueiras1106 I dont entirely agree that Western countries don't have that much propaganda. It might be harder to detect for a westerner themselves e.g. something that a westerner might think is "universally" true when it isn't. Along with this, propoganda can show up in different forms than the heavy handed, government sponsored stuff. News channels, at least in US, very clearly try to support a narrative. The majority of US country songs always portray "American values and people" as this inherently positive thing. But of course, there are usually multiple narratives you can follow, when you can't really say the same for China usually... and I also agree with a reason Chinese might not really care about their political system is because many have seen their lives improved.
@@TwoCentsOnTour darn, are you saying anti China stuff has gotten worse 😭? I mean, I'm sure it probably existed ever since around the Century of Humiliation and became prominent when the PRC was established since they're communist. I guess it could also have been getting worse with COVID-19, and the increase in nationalism in many countries.
As far as I know, it is not that China has banned these websites, but that they do not want to comply with China's Internet laws, so they withdrew from the Chinese market
That's a good point! Some companies definitely chose to leave rather than comply with China's regulations. At the same time, the government has rules that lead to blocking a lot of websites, even if they didn't officially withdraw. I think it’s a mix of both, really
@@TwoCentsOnTour sure, the Chinese government bans fake news, violence, drugs，pornography and other content on the Internet. When I bought the iPhone 4, there were a lot of apps for related content in the Apple Store. can't see it now.
@@TwoCentsOnTour That is why there are two versions of Tiktok, the Chinese version of Douyin has more restrictions, even limiting the length of time minors can use it,
Yeah absolutely right. I remember during Covid here in NZ there was SO MUCH fake news... it was terrible. People saying (and believing) "Covid comes from 4G phone networks" or something like that 😂
@@TwoCentsOnTour sure, Chinese government bans fake news, drugs, violence, pornography on the line. When I bought the iPhone 4, there were a lot of apps for related content In the Apple Store, can't see it now.
Agree with most of your points but wish to add a qualification. As Brits who have visited China many times, we find your observation that public transport is "relatively affordable" a bit of an understatement. But of course, we don't know what New Zealand is like and therein lies your point of comparison. We actually find it "dirt cheap". In Dorset where we live, the bus is two sterling pounds per ride. In Guangzhou which we visited in April this year, a metro ride from one end of the line to the other was the equivalent of 60 pence. In Fuzhou which we visited after Guangzhou, the metro was FREE after 5 pm on weekdays and all day over the weekend. The Didi taxis cost us no more than 5 or 6 quid for a 40 minute journey from bullet train station on the outskirts of town to our city centre hotel. In UK this taxi journey could easily cost us 10 or 12 times more. And oftentimes, we got a refund, when the journey took less time than what we had paid for when booking the Didi ride. The idea of a taxi refund was truly astounding - over here, our taxi drivers expect a tip on top of the exorbitant fare!
Yeah you're right compared to NZ too the public transport is far cheaper and much more reliable. I actually lived in China for about 7 years so I still think in RMB terms for a lot of things. Wuhan's local noodles used to cost 4 RMB, and now are 5 RMB, so my first reaction to that change is "oh it's gone up" rather than "that's only NZ$1" if you know what I mean. I avoided taxis on this trip mainly because - in my mind anyway - they're expensive. But in comparison to NZ taxis they're indeed dirt cheap.
As a Chinese, spitting is also very annoying to me, mostly from older people. I hope the country could take some legal measures to prevent it or reduce it.
Same. Think it comes from the old Traditional Chinese Medicine beliefs that throat needs to be cleared of fluids. We had the same problem here in Hong Kong which the government tried to eradicate by issuing fines (as littering) on the spot, which has definitely helped.
Agree with your assessment....mostly. I have a mildly different opinion about the political messages part. What's wrong with calling out The Core Values of Chinese Socialism everywhere? ("prosperity", "democracy", "civility" and "harmony"; the social values of "freedom", "equality", "justice" and the "rule of law"; and the individual values of "patriotism", "dedication", "integrity" and "friendship") - You may not see it as important in NZ, but this is one of the ways the government holds this diverse country together. Many other countries don't have the unity and stability that China has. And as for the other slogans about the party, you can say that again about the religious indoctrinations in other countries.
Maybe I am just too old and cynical mate. When I see the core values stuff, it just seems like nonsense that not many people in their daily life will take notice of (I could be 100% wrong). Just like in NZ when I see political parties show signs like "Better economy, better future" - I also think it's nonsense. But there will be some fellow NZ people who 100% believe the words
@@TwoCentsOnTour Yeah, it may not make sense to you as a foreign visitor because it is not written to remind you of something or inspire you. Can you imagine a foreign visitor to the US making fun of "one nation under god ..."? You should probably stick to the contents of daily stuff rather than the "shit from the news", as you said you would.
Does the USA plaster "One Nation Under God" all over the parks, subway stations, bus stations etc? If yes, I would comment about it. I wouldn't "make fun" though - and I'm pretty sure I didn't make fun here - just a comment about it being everywhere. No more, no less. Some people may find the comment about it existing offensive though, I understand that - it's the internet these days
@@TwoCentsOnTour At least the Chinese government does not make its citizens to have to recite any of those plasters. Oh, you care about more about the form than substance, I get it. I apologize for calling you making fun of those slogans, you just think it is "nonsense". I am cool now bro.
@@mikef6399 Ah right NZ isn't into any of that stuff either. No reciting - we don't even really do flag raising stuff (apart from ANZAC day which is one of our national holidays). We just do the national anthem sometimes at school 😅
This is the most sincere UP owner I have ever seen Reply to each message one by one Many of the shortcomings mentioned by the UP owner are actually caused by China's rapid development. The quality of the people has not kept up with the progress of the times. For example, 20 years ago, no one had the habit of not smoking in public places, but now basically everyone knows that smoking is prohibited in public places. However, China is a big country, and not all regions can fully achieve this. This is related to the level of regional development. , but as long as we keep making progress, these problems will not be a problem
Thank you mate, I try to engage in conversation when it's reasonable and constructive ;) But honestly I was surprised why this video got so much more attention than my regular travel ones - I think they are better than this one just sitting and talking 😅
When I first went to China in 1986 where the pollution was utter terrible, the air was thick with pollutants, I couldn't help but to clear my throat and nostrel just like the locals did! In subsequent trips. I noticed that spitting had lessened and the toilets were much cleaner and modern! Give it a little time spitting will be eliminated just as in Singapore did!
Yeah that's a fair point man. I think for some people who grew up with the bad air, it just becomes a habit. Like my mother in law clear her through vigorously every morning 😅 she was even doing that was she visited us in NZ (and our air is... well, pretty good) When I first moved to China in the 2000s - and sorry this is nasty - but my snot would go black. The air was still pretty foul. It's waaaay better now than before
A lot of the people alive decades ago are still alive in China. So, their habits haven't changed that much. The younger generation though, behaves much better. The authorities are cracking down on spitting, that is helping. Eventually, the older generation will pass away, and a new China will be here. Right now, there's currently two China's, old and new. The older generation that grew up in a dirtier, more corrupt China, and then there's the newer generation growing up in a more richer, more civilized China. Eventually, all that bad behavior like spitting in public will cease to exist when the newer generation takes over.
@@juki0h391 yeah I think that's pretty fair. I've seen a few kids telling their grandparents off for things like littering - which is hopefully a sign of improvement for the future
I have had one short visit to china and really liked it..Since coming back to NZ i have found myself having to speak up in defence of china many times...Its so sad how deep the propaganda has taken in average NZers. Thats why your videos have a heightened importance beyond what might seem simple themes. It all serves to break down the barriers of ignorance that are so prevalent. So thankyou for giving all your viewers a better insight on a country most NZers know little about but are heavily dependant on for trade and tourism.
Yeah man it is a weird one - I don't actively remember the negativity around China in the media back when I was a uni student planning to travel, but it's pretty common now (although I think there was a lot of negativity around various muslim countries back then). So yeah it's cool to be able to share a slice of that part of the world with people who might not have seen what it's like just to walk around and chat with normal folks
There's a lot of ignorance in our country, negative coverage of China certainly increased during COVID and when news of the alleged mistreatment of the Uyghur people came out. People need to make a distinction between Chinese culture and their people, and how the CCP sometimes operates. There's a lot to like about China despite some of the actions the CCP have done.
@@benrobinson375 it’s not just your country, I’m sure you know that, but it’s really bad here in America. We have two teammates, one from Tonga and one from Australia, that studied in China. They, along with Mark, have opened my eyes to the dangers of fake news in America. Yet we have another teammate that refuses to believe he’s been lied to by our media. He still believes in all the negative publicity about China despite our mates saying it isn’t true. Unsurprisingly, he is a very bigoted man.
@@AE-ix2iz Media in America can be very bias so I hear, especially when you have outlets that are pro left or pro right. The problem with media (other than outright lying), is that even the more reliable media lie by omission. They do negative coverage more because it sells. This influences peoples perception though and I have a real problem with it.
Mate, not to call anyone out, but I am Chinese living in Auckland for 24 years, and man things has gone downhill. I mean thing weren't great and security surely gone from bad to worse in the past 2-3 years and don't get me started on how expensive things has become
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Just to clarify, my video wasn’t about comparing China to New Zealand or saying that NZ is perfect and China isn't. It was more about my own experiences - just listing 5 things I liked and 5 I didn’t about China. I totally get where you're coming from regarding Auckland, though. Over the last few years, it feels like things have gotten tougher - waiting lists are longer, costs are higher, and it's hard to see where improvements are happening here (the Waterview Tunnel is the one major works project that I can think of). On the other hand, from what I've seen in China, especially compared to 5 years ago, there’s been some noticeable development and progress. But yeah, this video wasn't meant to imply one place is better than the other - just different experiences, really!
Thank you for sharing but nobody asked you to compare Auckland with China my friend. Mark at no point made that comparison, he only shared his experience. And yes, you are calling someone out with your unnecessary comment.
Thanks for the journey mate. I still miss the night bustle. The families walking, old ladies dancing and men gambling. Makes me happy to see people having fun.
Cheers man - yeah I do love the social aspect of the country, where people get out and just hang out with each other, rather than sitting at home in front of the TV at night!
Yeah man I worked at a university in Wuhan - although we're talking a loooong time ago now. It was lower pay than teaching a "training centre" gig - but very cruisy hours and the students were mostly pretty engaged with learning
I'm a little surprised when you still have to carry a key. Don't you know that electronic locks can be unlocked with fingerprints or passwords. Therefore, Chinese people only need to carry their mobile phones when going out, instead of carrying wallets and annoying coins and cards. There are also power banks on the streets.
Fair points, but Only Spitting behave the Chinese have to change, other points are not. The Chinese systems like: how to using ID doing all things, how to control the Western Medias in China, how to use their own mediums to promote their own values, that is not the visitors business. The Chinese systems are designed for the Chinese, not for the foreigners. so the foreigner visit to China have to accept and adopt their system, the Chinese Gov will not change their system to suit you.
Yeah 100% - I wouldn't ask another country to change anything aye - but definitely things to be aware of for any foreign tourists. Just like for Chinese tourists coming to NZ I would say something like "You need to carry ID to buy alcohol/cigarettes" - it's kinda of inconvenient, but there is a reason for this
Some interesting insights about China. Like many, I originally came for the rugby but have enjoyed your China videos. I hope you get to do more visits (and make more videos) in the future.
Oh no! That must mean that’s it for videos for now. We’ve really enjoyed watching these, very funny at times but loved learning about China and Wuhan. The spitting is definitely not enjoyable but hey, nowhere is perfect! Thanks for taking us along, nice job 👌🏾
The first point about access to western media is a solid point - however this is only a problem for westerners who live in the west and are used to having western internet. Chinese have all the equivalent to western social media platforms and it has its own internet so there is really no need to see western social media platforms.
Yeah if you don't use TH-cam, Insta, Wikipedia, Steam etc - you can definitely get by without much issue. I was using Baidu map instead of Google maps etc
I had my phone stolen by a pickpocket back in 2008! But since people don't use cash anymore (much), I haven't seen any pickpockets - another aspect that has got better
@@TwoCentsOnTourSo you mean there are almost no pickpockets in China only because people don't use cash but still you say you have been robbed of your phone in 2008. Not honest.
@@user-gp9mk7wm1s I lived in China from 2007-14. I had my phone stolen in 2008 at a new year's party in a club. At that time I would occasionally see pickpockets. At that time everyone used cash. Since then I have been back in 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024 - on those trips I haven't seen a single pickpocket (doesn't mean they don't exist - but I assume it's because people don't carry cash anymore)
Great to see you open-minded travelers! your positive attitude made travel enjoyable.Ten years ago, Google was accessible in China, and I had a colleague who worked at Google back then. Later, because Google did not agree to abide by Chinese laws, Because of political reasons,it left China. Western media are controlled by American NGOs and continue to report negatively on China in the media, so the Chinese government directly blocked social Apps. I searched for news about China on the BBC the day before yesterday, and all was negative. There are many videos that obviously have many underworld filters added, so it is understandable that China has made a decision for the sake of Internet sovereignty.The Internet is not actually free. When you want to discuss freedom of speech with me, do you dare to post anti-Semitic remarks on Twitter? Don’t forget that the US Congress has been trying to block TIKTOK for national security reasons.When foreigners arrive in China, they cannot access social apps. In fact, just installing a VPN can solve the problem. It is a piece of cake.
Yeah I was living in China when sites like Facebook were first blocked! Back then there wasn't as much negative news about China, but in recent years it's pretty much all negative.
@@TwoCentsOnTour Indeed, the United States is very strong in the war of public opinion. If it cannot win, it will simply block it first, and then open it up after the citizens' quality improves and they have the ability to think independently. For example, people like us use VPNs, and the government does not react at all. It is very relaxed. Most people who can use VPNs have a certain ability to think independently. When the results come out, it is found that almost all of them are bad things about China, so I think the blockade is very good. China has developed relatively fast in recent decades, so many people do not have a high ability to think independently, so they are often led by the rhythm.
@szechingho-rw1hv this video is not about "which countries can I blame". I just said when I come to China, many sites are blocked. For me, that sucks. If you don't use those websites, you won't even notice 😅
Love you honesty and not sugar coating anything. Have you noticed that most people spit are old people. I guess they are products of culture revolution. I think it will take them long time to change the habit. I noticed the same problem in Korea.
Yeah man definitely there's generational thing going on here. My father in law told me about how he used to take a bus to work when he was young. He told me that bus didn't run often, and if you missed it, you'd be waiting ages for the next one. So it's kinda not surprising that people (especially that generation) used to rush and push to get on the bus when it arrived - the mindset was basically if you don't rush, you're gonna miss out. I say "used to" because - at least in Wuhan - the buses aren't really crowded anymore (cos of all the subway lines and cars I guess) - so people don't really push and shove anymore
"Cultural revolution" LOL. Whenever something is wrong in China, it's Communism. Why not say it's because of so called democracy that there are so many rapes, scams, corruption in India.
Scarcity mindset the older generation are the same folks, 88% in abject poverty in the 1980s lucky if they got a job making a dollar a day on some factory floor
I would like to visit China one day. Shops in South Africa also close early and it is too dangerous to walk around at night. China seems much more modernised than South Africa. We also need a car in South Africa. I am so impressed with you when you speak the Chinese language, sorry do not know the name of the language. I think I would feel safe walking around as a tourist in China. Thanks Mark for your video about positives and negatives in China and NZ. Nice short and to the point. I personally think a lot of people are friendlier to you more than to another tourist is because you can communicate well in their home language. Your accent and the way you speak sounds so good like a local. I heard Chinese language is very hard to learn.Well done. They must feel so good when you have a chat together and both parties understand each other. I also think they respect that you took the time to learn their language.
Excellent video, as an ex HK Expat the local legend around spitting was to clear the throat for health reasons… The “ Spit God “ had to be cleansed from the body constantly…. Hence the spitting… You’ve simply got to go for the 7’s … pizza and beer in the rain … who cares who wins;) … With your recent injuries it looks like Lakai will get an extended run on the NH Tour… 6. Lakai 7. Ardie 8. Sititti Sotuto on the bench. It’s been a long time since you’ve fielded such an attacking loose trio . Who replaces Cane in the defensive aspect or just go full attack?
Yeah man that would be a heck of an attack minded back row aye! To be honest Ardie has done a bit more D work since Sititi joined the back row - so it could end up balancing well
So true about improvements over last five years. Craft Beer bars, cafes, art and culture exhibitions, cool tattoos (although probably temporary) hair cuts and expressive statements, open LGBT community, as well as music festivals, etc. Not sure about Wuhan, but Chengdu has become so hipster. So many new cool contemporary districts popping up and an awesome arts scene. People are still so friendly and they are so positive about New Zealand. One thing I did notice was a lot less smoking than five years ago, especially in restaurants and indoors. Lots of chill places to hang out and be seen.
Yeah I don't think Wuhan is quite as hipster, but it's definitely changing aye. Smoking in general no smoking areas is definitely less common than before. Still strike the odd time where you walk into a lift and can smell someone has been smoking in there, but it's rare. Bathrooms though, in places like malls, still pretty common for smokers to hide there and light up though 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour I’ll never forget my first restaurant experience in 2017 when the father at a table next to us started smoking over his young daughter and infant kid whilst they were still eating. I thought I’d fallen through a time warp to the 1980’s. my biggest culture shock to date. Never saw anything like that last year though. Definitely in private dining rooms but not in main restaurant area.
Haha yeah I understand that feeling! Showing my age but 2005 - first time in China, walking through a school in a small city - one of the teacher having a smoke while taking class 😅
They’re more like positive messages and affirmations instead which is a big difference to the lies and fake promises during election campaigns elsewhere.
Getting a VPN in China is easy. Can't believe you didnt work this out. Linking tickets to my passport was easy. Not sure why you didn't know this. Littering is minimal and China is exceptionally clean compared to most western nations. Yes spitting is awful but much less every year. I am surprised you never mentioned the prevalence of smoking.
@@remakeit2628 like I mentioned "you can get around it for a cost" - so of course I had a VPN 😅 I linked my passport to 12306 but have only had it successfully self scan one time.... Every other time it has to be done manually for me Smoking yeah, I used to smoke so it would be a bit rich for me to complain about it
@@TwoCentsOnTour There is always a COST for foreign tourists to any country to use their internet or mobile network. The fact you thought it was a MAJOR downside was disengenuous. I don't know what issue you had with your passport scans, but again it should have been resolved at the gate with no fuss. As a frequent traveller to China with BASIC Chinese language skills I thought your first two disappointments were absolute BS. I never mentioned propaganda because unless you read or speak the local language it's hardly an issue. Yes, the Chinese people I speak to when visiting are exceptionally proud of the advancements they have seen in their lifetimes, even young adults. I can't blame them. Our fast trains in Australia are called *slow* trains in China!
At least you have trains in Australia man 😅 For me the internet thing is sadly a major one. My work requires access to blocked sites, which means a fair level of stress before any China trip. Most recently I made sure I've had a VPN, a HK sim card as a back up (I have been in China when they tighten controls and VPNs stop working before), and I even left a PC in my NZ house on for RDP access (which I tested and didn't end up working). Now a simple solution is "don't go to China then" - but this trip I was back with my wife and kids going to see their grandparents, so a bit harder to just not go. Overall it's not a deal breaker, but it's a pain in the ass, which I felt worth mentioning. The ID card thing is likewise not a dealbreaker, it just means doing things slower, more manually. In NZ you can get mail redirected easily if you have a driver's licence. If you don't, you have to go to the post office and do it manually. So for me it's the same kinda thing. It just kinda sucks to go to a place and know "I'm gonna have to wait for someone to let me in/log me in/register me" etc because I don't have the ID card. Sometimes it's only an extra moment, sometimes it's a lot longer (but like I said in the vid, it's 100% logical to me why the system is set up so well for the vast majority of users, I just happen to be in the exception group). The propaganda stuff is totally personal preference. I'm likewise not a fan of political ads in NZ, thankfully here they only pop up for a few months during election season. In China they're everywhere. We can ignore them, read them, whatever. I'm just not a fan, but I am not the target audience for sure. I have made loads of videos travelling around China, talking to people, seeing lesser known spots - this video was mainly made because I had half a day before my flight. I thought it would be interesting for people who had never been to China (as most of the audience is like that) to get a few thoughts on the topic. I find it bizarre this video has drawn so much more attention relative to the others - and pretty much 100% of the new viewers have focussed on some of the negative elements. For some reason no-one is questioning the positive stuff I said😅. Here I was expecting to be called a CCP shill for saying the country is overall a better place than when I visited 5 years previous. BTW I've been doing TH-cam on another channel for about 8 years and I reckon this is the longest comment i've ever written 😅
Your long post is apreciated. As someone spending a few months overseas most years as a TOURIST I found your top dislikes weird. That was the point I was making. Getting aVPN in China is easy. Using a VPN for commercial purposes has a completely different set of rules that will NEVER worry a tourist. I enjoy watching travellers on TH-cam and some of the more interesting ones now are about how expectations differed from reality regarding China. As a seasoned international traveller my experiences suggested your perspective did not reflect what most people would dislike. Ten years ago, it was incessant touting that I really disliked but that's decreased significantly. As a non smoker I found China pretty bad from a tourism perspective, especially on slower trains.
I just wanted to add my thanks for your China videos. Watching these has been really informative. As a person with limited language skills, I really appreciate the insights that you provide. I now follow a Chinese woman with great English and I enjoy the juxtaposition of your channels' content. I came for the rugby, but the travel has me hooked! (Pun intended).
Haha nice to have you hooked mate! But yeah it's good to have a few different perspectives on the world aye. And yeah I tried to visit a club in Wuhan this year - but never heard back from them sadly! It's still very social and mostly expats, so I'm guessing their email is a dead one
@@1nnerr yeah man cheers - it's for the most part very safe I agree! I feel like NZ used to be safer (pickpockets were common when I lived in China in 2000s), but now I would say China is safer. NZ crime has gotten worse, China better in the last 20 years
Agree, I am from Hong Kong. I have the exact problems you mentioned. However, I kind of understand why they cannot use Android and Google. You have to do some searching but clearly Huawei is not allowed to use Android and they have to come up with their OS. you know of course what Google and iPhone do to you.
i've been watching your rugby coverage for like 2 years now? finding out that you lived in China is so cool :D I grew up in China and moved to Ireland (thus the rugby!) for 7 years now. keep up with the good work! can't wait to see ireland vs new zealand in November btw from browsing the comment, here's one of my top things I dislike about China - a lot of people really don't care or repect about opinions :(
Haha yeah man spent most of my 20s in the mainland! And yeah I was a little bit surprised to see some more extreme reactions here 😅 But maybe it's my own fault for not expecting that
I enjoyed this channel. Maybe two cents on tour can give us a spin of NZ but in the style of this channel, ie commentary, food spots, historical spots, etc. I used to watch Walk NZ but haven’t checked in for a bit now. I enjoy your observations of Wuhan and would definitely enjoy the same for Auckland and other parts of NZ. NZ is already a destination for me but now so is China. Mahalo from Hawaii 🤙🏽
thank you so much! I've been trying to appreciate Chinese culture the way my cousin appreciates Japanese culture with all these different cultural values, but I always see a lot of places online this negativity directed toward the cultural values and people, a lot of it riding the borders of racism. You showing how people actually act here and how at least one city in China actually is has helped me out so much. Lol I should also try to adopt the mindset that people who say these negative things most likely want to view Chinese culture and people as these horrible things.
This is just my observation. China historically seems to value money I don't mean they are greedy for it. It just seems its part of defining themselves. So they would be active and seek out opportunities to sell. Again based on oberversation nothing else
I visited a buddhist temple this year on a big public holiday. The place was PACKED. There were a lot of different buddhas people could put offerings to. The one which had the longest queue by a country mile - was the one you pray to for like... "good fortune" - so yeah it's a big factor
My wife is from Shanghai and her mother always clears her throat, and I hate that sound she makes , she really made sure she clear all her throat which I’m thinking why what’s the point
@@MurrayBallantine yeah my mother in law does the same. I assumed it was something to do with the air pollution at first... But when she stayed with us in NZ for a month she kept it up ... It's just her habit aye... I don't really get it either.... Not the nicest wake up call
Really a good video about things we do not always read in guide books, as you are more than a tourist and do things outside of 'normal touristy' things. Wonder if the friendlyness is increased because you speak the lingo. What I have found around where I have travelled, is if you try and communicate in the local language, the friendlyness and helpfulness increase, probably because people at least feel you are making an effort. That is why I genuinely try to at least some of the basic phrases of the place I am travelling to. The spitting thing in public would probably gross out a lot of people.Also funny how public toilets is a good barometer on how tourist friendly a place is. In the end, each country has their own quirks that not everyone will agree with, but as long as a country would not lock me up for something that they deem not normal, but it being acceptable in most places, that is where it gets trumps being grossed out in public. thanks for all your efforts to showing people a little bit of China that a lot are not aware off. All I see, is what is being done in the name of the country in other places, and shows that the general person is not to be associated with those actions.
Yeah there's definitely a few doors which opened cos I speak some Chinese aye. Although even my non-Chinese speaking friends usually got treated really nicely by local shopkeepers etc back when I lived there. But yeah fortunately I have managed to avoid any big issues. I did get fined in 2005 for not registering my address with the local police station in time - but that was the worst of it! And yeah hopefully these vids have showed a few things which people may not have seen or known about
@@lanceuppercut3137 I've since lost this hat sadly 😐 it was genuinely one of my favourites. I found the pushing in worse back in the 2000s/2010s compared to my last visit this year
Fair comments. As for propaganda, you prefer the $1 billion from the US? I will gladly take the be a good citizen propaganda than be exposed to the sinister one from the US
Ah cheers man! I think the other videos where I get out and about talking to people, visiting spots are more interesting than this "sit and talk" one... But I filmed this on the last day of my trip before getting on a plane... for whatever reason it's more viewed than the other vids... TH-cam is funny like that 😅
I respect your honesty, the only thing i would say is chinese propaganda is way different than the american propaganda..if you know what i mean. But you are on point with all your assessment!
@@TwoCentsOnTour not just fox news, all american major networks broadcast the same craps!! The only thing they are ever united on is to attack china. And they are on each other’s throats on other issues!🙄
Yeah man end of the 2023 stuff (except for a few more short breakfast ones). I have some 2024 stuff to go through too, so it'll be a few new spots. I hadn't thought about a Q&A to be honest! Might be one for the future if the channel hits a milestone
I visited China many times, I have no problem with Google, TH-cam etc with my roaming data. Also, I do not have China ID too but once you have your foreign ID validated in WeChat, you too can have access to many facilities.
Yeah roaming data is one way around it (I never did that cos NZ data roaming is crazy expensive - I used a HK data card instead). I also used WeChat for lots of stuff, but checking on the train was still fully manual (buying tickets on the app was easy), checking into hotels was manual, getting tickets for places like museums manual etc... if I could get a temporary kind of ID card for China use, I would use it in a heartbeat
I don't think anyone under the age of 30 spits in the street in China. It is true that the quality of Chinese society is a bit out of step with economic development, but this is a process. You know, spitting was once very common in Japan, and when I studied in Japan, my teacher told me that the grooves on the edges of the stairs in public facilities in Japan were designed to accommodate people spitting out phlegm. But within a few decades spitting had virtually disappeared.
Chinese can get access to any western media by vpn any time. They have options, not illegal but majority don't prefer because the medias is in mostly in English, racism against Chinese, fake news, insults to Chinese.
Yeah population/intensive housing definitely helps with public transport. In China a lot of people work a lot longer hours than a 9-5, so I think many are expected to stay late
If you have a work visa and can live in China for a long time, you can apply for a Chinese bank card with your passport. You can buy high-speed rail tickets with your passport, so it's not difficult at all. If your girlfriend is Chinese, then many platforms can use her ID card to bind, you just need to use it.
Yeah on my 2023 trip I was using the manual ticket purchase counter, but now I use the 12306 app and it's super easy. But when I get my ticket checked I still have to go through the manual queue 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour I don't think it will take long to get through security with your passport. It will pass in about 10-15 minutes. And you can’t take the high-speed rail every day, so I don’t think it’s a big problem.The experience of taking a high-speed train is far better than that of an airplane, and you can see the scenery along the way.
@@TwoCentsOnTour It is quite difficult to naturalize in China, ranking among the top five in the world in terms of difficulty. Why is it so difficult? Because China is not a country of immigrants. In the news a few days ago, China sent a special plane to pick up Chinese citizens in Lebanon. When in a country at war, China can ensure the safe return of every Chinese.
Somehow i think China could provide an OPTIONAL choice for visitors to get a temporary ID card so that 1. life is easier for the visitors, 2. for the large Data keeps better track of what everyone is doing.
It was spitting yea horrid. Some countries' activity monitor for this and will literally chase you down rugby tackle you fine and change you. Guess the country that is so focused on this. Finland
You know interestingly - since filming this video - I went on an old tram at a museum here in Auckland. There was a sign on the tram which said something like "If you spit on the tram, you will be kicked off" - so I guess it wasn't that long ago (1900-1930s maybe) that it was a big enough problem here to require signs!
@@bobwoo1397 yeah I actually added a line about smoking alongside the spitting part, but I cut it out because I figured you can kinda walk away from people smoking. But yeah sometimes you walk into an elevator and it stinks of smoke - that sucks
Yeah I also don't like people who spit so loudly or in indoor areas. I do spit in public myself but do it outdoors and try my best to hide it like on a drain
It's really difficult for China's air quality to reach the level of a paradise like New Zealand. After all, China is an industrial powerhouse, with industrial production accounting for one-third of the world's total industrial output value. Therefore, it's hard to maintain a very good air quality level.
My dad also has the habit of spitting everywhere. The main reason is that his work involves interior decoration and he inhales a lot of dust, but he does this work mainly for me, so I can't blame him too much and can only tolerate it. When China's housing construction is full, there won't be a large number of construction workers, and there may be fewer and fewer people spitting on the status quo. Our young people must embody their qualities well
Honestly I can't remember seeing anyone in their 20s spit like that - so I think you are right mate, I think it will change over time. Hope your dad's health is good! My dad also had to work a physical job when I was growing up!
@TwoCentsOnTour Yes, it is not easy for parents. We can only hope that the younger generation will take the initiative to improve their personal qualities. I hope you have a happy stay in China
im actually surprised that you are more negative about the toilet papers instead of the actual Squat toilet. I hate public toilets in china because i am not a fan of squatting. As of the paper issue, the reason why they dont have any is because people would abuse and steal it. in terms of mannerism, china is still behind Korea and Japan but the newer generation are steps above the previous ones who just got out of post communism, so give it more time. One thing i guess you could have mentioned as positive is the safety, china is way more safer than any western democratic countries by a long mile.
Funnily enough I actually got used to squat toilets. One of the apartments I rented briefly only had a squatter. And yeah people would definitely steal the TP - I remember once being at KFC and some old lady asked for napkins. The staff opened a new pack and put it on the bench - at which point the old lady just grabbed the whole pack. The staff had to yell at her and say "no, just take one or two" It's definitely pretty safe in China as you say. NZ I feel is also pretty safe - as in I never feel in personal danger or anything. But I think it has changed over the last 20 years. When I lived in China in the 2000s pickpocketing was an issue - and I always kept my hand on my wallet in busy areas. So it felt in a way, less safe in China than NZ. But now - I don't see any pickpocketing in China (perhaps because people don't really carry cash anymore) - but in NZ petty theft and assaults are rising. So now I would 100% say China is safer.
lol... I am so fortunate while I was in China this year for a month coz I totally miss out the "spitting" part. But there 1 thing I dislike i.e. smoking in the hotel room, hi speed train platform etc
Yeah that's true - although I think it's another one that's less prevalent than before. People used to smoke on trains too but now they get fined for it (so they rush out when the train stops for a quick smoke)
In fact, smoking and spitting is highly related, smokers are more likely to spit. There are so many smokers in China that the annual profits from smokers alone are enough to cover China's military budget of $150 billion.
Yeah I smoked when I lived there. It's so cheap compared to NZ... I don't think I spat more but I chewed gum instead. I stopped chewing gum when I stopped smoking
It's interesting that whenever you say shit about China, some idiots will come out of nowhere and start pointing fingers, totally ignoring the good things you say about China. I wouldn't be surprised if these idiots patrol on social media on a daily basis, trying to filter out new posts and vids based on key words like "China", "bad", "negative", etc. I am a Chinese. I love my country and my people. I am proud of what my country has achieved in the last 50 years. But I also know it's far from perfect, just like many other countries on this planet. Anyway, thank you for all these great videos - looking forward to more! :)
Yeah that part is true - I can imagine getting all kinds of ads etc based on previous purchase history. That being said - everywhere still does take cash. I know a bunch of NZ places don't accept cash anymore
Just recently, China said she is opening up her market to foreign credit card companies because of complains from foreign tourists not being able to pay using their credit card in China.
Yeah I can imagine it will be a shock for most tourists to go from using credit cards/cash - to using Alipay/WeChat. If the process for linking Alipay/Wechat to foreign credit cards is easier - that'll be awesome
Correction: Western social media platforms and Google are not banned in China; they chose to exit China because they did not want to comply with local regulations. However, you can still access these services via a VPN, which typically costs around $3 per month.
There have definitely been disagreements between some companies and the government which has led to the withdrawal of services - I was actually living in China when Google closed their offices in China. That being said there are still certainly sites which are blocked in China
@@TwoCentsOnTour Criticizing China or any country where is due is a fair game, but please be honest and factual. 0:36 you literally said "internet is blocked in China" instead of what you said here "certainly sites which are blocked in China". I think anybody knows there is a big difference between these two. I am not your channel's regular viewer as you can tell and most likely won't become one so I won't judge if you just misspoke or intentionally wanted it to make it sound scary. You are your own judge.
About those political propaganda boards, you can turn your head and look away. What you can do to handle the high volume prays in some countries? 5 times a day, cover a whole city.
Love your China videos. I found spitting in Shanghai worse than in Beijing. It’s the one thing that really irked me about China, only to find a Chinese colleague at work gobbed in his bin at his desk 🤮
Yeah actually for the 2008 Olympics I think the Beijing "manners" took a bit of a boost - at least for what many of us would consider good manners. People held doors and gave me "after you" at the subway station, didn't rush onto the bus etc. Probably leads the way in that regard
As a Chinese I also hate this spitting men but I understand that those people are mainly old people who just didn’t have a chance to grow good sanitary habits. It should be better as time goes.
I think it's probably a concern for all foreign travelers who plan to come to China after listening to CNN and BBC. Did you forget to mention whether you feel very dangerous or safe during your trip to China?
Always enjoy your vids Mark China is so different but very interesting the people seem very helpful but it would be so hard if you didn't speak the language so much easier if you can,Cheers Mate.
I love these videos. And yeah just ignore the weird ones that can’t handle a bit of criticism. As a Chinese I think a lot of this is valid! (And just between you and me, I also think the pr*poganda is a bit too in your face as well ;) - even though I do appreciate my government )
Haha yeah man it seems I stirred up a few first time viewers! But not on purpose! And yeah 100% the fact I said in one of my positive points about how China has improved/developed (which is largely government driven) since I was last there, I assumed I would get some "You CCP shill" hate, but it turns out that's not the point of focus 😅
if you think you are not living in the west, there is no point for non-english speaking people to access western internet space. Even I use youtube, I do not really go to youtuber that spoke other language as I do not understand anything
@@turtlex4866 yeah 100% - if you're living in China then Chinese social media sites will be a lot more useful. For tourists and expats it's one thing to consider before heading to China
The Propaganda thing is interesting. I reckon there is just as much wall to wall propaganda here in the West but as we have grown up with it we dont notice it as much.
Hey everyone! 👋
I see this video is getting a bit more attention than my usual ones, so first off, welcome to all the new viewers! It seems the TH-cam algorithm is working overtime here. 😊
For those unfamiliar with my channel, I normally explore different parts of China, chat with locals, and share my experiences as a Kiwi abroad. You’ll find plenty of other videos where I highlight the amazing things about China and share cool moments from my travels.
That being said, if you're here because you’re looking to be outraged or to start an argument, I’d kindly suggest checking out some of my other content first before deciding if I’m really that guy you're upset about. This particular video covers both things I love and things that frustrate me, so there’s no need to focus only on the negatives.
To my regular viewers, as always, I appreciate your constructive comments and thoughtful discussion! 🙌
Let’s keep the conversation respectful and balanced, whether you agree or disagree with my perspective.
Speaking of propaganda Mark, I think one of the most important things that your videos do is to counteract the relentless anti China rhetoric spewed by many western politicians. You show a people that have the same aspirations as all of us in regard to living a peaceful productive happy life for themselves and their families. Well done man.
Western countries don't have that much propaganda, what we do have is non stop advertising that changes our behaviours and desires.
Like Mark said in the video, things seem to have become better in china for the past five years. So why would a Chinese person care about what economic or political system they follow?
Cheers man yeah I dunno when the anti China stuff started - it certainly wasn't like this when I first moved there in the 2000s. But yeah hopefully I can share a slice of some human things from the country
@@joaofigueiras1106 I dont entirely agree that Western countries don't have that much propaganda. It might be harder to detect for a westerner themselves e.g. something that a westerner might think is "universally" true when it isn't. Along with this, propoganda can show up in different forms than the heavy handed, government sponsored stuff. News channels, at least in US, very clearly try to support a narrative. The majority of US country songs always portray "American values and people" as this inherently positive thing. But of course, there are usually multiple narratives you can follow, when you can't really say the same for China usually...
and I also agree with a reason Chinese might not really care about their political system is because many have seen their lives improved.
@@TwoCentsOnTour darn, are you saying anti China stuff has gotten worse 😭?
I mean, I'm sure it probably existed ever since around the Century of Humiliation and became prominent when the PRC was established since they're communist. I guess it could also have been getting worse with COVID-19, and the increase in nationalism in many countries.
@yoshihammerbro435 yeah man certainly when I was a student at uni there was not the same kind of boogeyman thing about China in the news.
As far as I know, it is not that China has banned these websites, but that they do not want to comply with China's Internet laws, so they withdrew from the Chinese market
That's a good point! Some companies definitely chose to leave rather than comply with China's regulations. At the same time, the government has rules that lead to blocking a lot of websites, even if they didn't officially withdraw. I think it’s a mix of both, really
@@TwoCentsOnTour sure, the Chinese government bans fake news, violence, drugs，pornography and other content on the Internet. When I bought the iPhone 4, there were a lot of apps for related content in the Apple Store. can't see it now.
@@TwoCentsOnTour That is why there are two versions of Tiktok, the Chinese version of Douyin has more restrictions, even limiting the length of time minors can use it,
Yeah absolutely right. I remember during Covid here in NZ there was SO MUCH fake news... it was terrible. People saying (and believing) "Covid comes from 4G phone networks" or something like that 😂
@@TwoCentsOnTour sure, Chinese government bans fake news, drugs, violence, pornography on the line. When I bought the iPhone 4, there were a lot of apps for related content In the Apple Store, can't see it now.
Agree with most of your points but wish to add a qualification. As Brits who have visited China many times, we find your observation that public transport is "relatively affordable" a bit of an understatement. But of course, we don't know what New Zealand is like and therein lies your point of comparison. We actually find it "dirt cheap". In Dorset where we live, the bus is two sterling pounds per ride. In Guangzhou which we visited in April this year, a metro ride from one end of the line to the other was the equivalent of 60 pence. In Fuzhou which we visited after Guangzhou, the metro was FREE after 5 pm on weekdays and all day over the weekend. The Didi taxis cost us no more than 5 or 6 quid for a 40 minute journey from bullet train station on the outskirts of town to our city centre hotel. In UK this taxi journey could easily cost us 10 or 12 times more. And oftentimes, we got a refund, when the journey took less time than what we had paid for when booking the Didi ride. The idea of a taxi refund was truly astounding - over here, our taxi drivers expect a tip on top of the exorbitant fare!
Yeah you're right compared to NZ too the public transport is far cheaper and much more reliable.
I actually lived in China for about 7 years so I still think in RMB terms for a lot of things. Wuhan's local noodles used to cost 4 RMB, and now are 5 RMB, so my first reaction to that change is "oh it's gone up" rather than "that's only NZ$1" if you know what I mean.
I avoided taxis on this trip mainly because - in my mind anyway - they're expensive. But in comparison to NZ taxis they're indeed dirt cheap.
NZ public transport is atrocious lol...
As a Chinese, spitting is also very annoying to me, mostly from older people. I hope the country could take some legal measures to prevent it or reduce it.
Yeah agree it's pretty gross.
In NZ I notice we have more chewing gum spit on the ground though (more in shopping areas than suburban streets)
Same. Think it comes from the old Traditional Chinese Medicine beliefs that throat needs to be cleared of fluids. We had the same problem here in Hong Kong which the government tried to eradicate by issuing fines (as littering) on the spot, which has definitely helped.
Agree with your assessment....mostly. I have a mildly different opinion about the political messages part. What's wrong with calling out The Core Values of Chinese Socialism everywhere? ("prosperity", "democracy", "civility" and "harmony"; the social values of "freedom", "equality", "justice" and the "rule of law"; and the individual values of "patriotism", "dedication", "integrity" and "friendship") - You may not see it as important in NZ, but this is one of the ways the government holds this diverse country together. Many other countries don't have the unity and stability that China has. And as for the other slogans about the party, you can say that again about the religious indoctrinations in other countries.
Maybe I am just too old and cynical mate. When I see the core values stuff, it just seems like nonsense that not many people in their daily life will take notice of (I could be 100% wrong).
Just like in NZ when I see political parties show signs like "Better economy, better future" - I also think it's nonsense. But there will be some fellow NZ people who 100% believe the words
@@TwoCentsOnTour Yeah, it may not make sense to you as a foreign visitor because it is not written to remind you of something or inspire you. Can you imagine a foreign visitor to the US making fun of "one nation under god ..."? You should probably stick to the contents of daily stuff rather than the "shit from the news", as you said you would.
Does the USA plaster "One Nation Under God" all over the parks, subway stations, bus stations etc? If yes, I would comment about it. I wouldn't "make fun" though - and I'm pretty sure I didn't make fun here - just a comment about it being everywhere. No more, no less. Some people may find the comment about it existing offensive though, I understand that - it's the internet these days
@@TwoCentsOnTour At least the Chinese government does not make its citizens to have to recite any of those plasters. Oh, you care about more about the form than substance, I get it. I apologize for calling you making fun of those slogans, you just think it is "nonsense". I am cool now bro.
@@mikef6399 Ah right NZ isn't into any of that stuff either. No reciting - we don't even really do flag raising stuff (apart from ANZAC day which is one of our national holidays). We just do the national anthem sometimes at school 😅
This is the most sincere UP owner I have ever seen
Reply to each message one by one
Many of the shortcomings mentioned by the UP owner are actually caused by China's rapid development. The quality of the people has not kept up with the progress of the times.
For example, 20 years ago, no one had the habit of not smoking in public places, but now basically everyone knows that smoking is prohibited in public places. However, China is a big country, and not all regions can fully achieve this. This is related to the level of regional development. , but as long as we keep making progress, these problems will not be a problem
Thank you mate, I try to engage in conversation when it's reasonable and constructive ;)
But honestly I was surprised why this video got so much more attention than my regular travel ones - I think they are better than this one just sitting and talking 😅
When I first went to China in 1986 where the pollution was utter terrible, the air was thick with pollutants, I couldn't help but to clear my throat and nostrel just like the locals did! In subsequent trips. I noticed that spitting had lessened and the toilets were much cleaner and modern! Give it a little time spitting will be eliminated just as in Singapore did!
Yeah that's a fair point man. I think for some people who grew up with the bad air, it just becomes a habit. Like my mother in law clear her through vigorously every morning 😅 she was even doing that was she visited us in NZ (and our air is... well, pretty good)
When I first moved to China in the 2000s - and sorry this is nasty - but my snot would go black. The air was still pretty foul. It's waaaay better now than before
A lot of the people alive decades ago are still alive in China. So, their habits haven't changed that much. The younger generation though, behaves much better. The authorities are cracking down on spitting, that is helping. Eventually, the older generation will pass away, and a new China will be here. Right now, there's currently two China's, old and new. The older generation that grew up in a dirtier, more corrupt China, and then there's the newer generation growing up in a more richer, more civilized China. Eventually, all that bad behavior like spitting in public will cease to exist when the newer generation takes over.
@@juki0h391 yeah I think that's pretty fair. I've seen a few kids telling their grandparents off for things like littering - which is hopefully a sign of improvement for the future
Spitting is serious. I think it has something to do with smoking in China. Smokers are more likely to have phlegm than non-smokers
Bad air back then and smoking by those older dudes
I have had one short visit to china and really liked it..Since coming back to NZ i have found myself having to speak up in defence of china many times...Its so sad how deep the propaganda has taken in average NZers.
Thats why your videos have a heightened importance beyond what might seem simple themes. It all serves to break down the barriers of ignorance that are so prevalent.
So thankyou for giving all your viewers a better insight on a country most NZers know little about but are heavily dependant on for trade and tourism.
Yeah man it is a weird one - I don't actively remember the negativity around China in the media back when I was a uni student planning to travel, but it's pretty common now (although I think there was a lot of negativity around various muslim countries back then).
So yeah it's cool to be able to share a slice of that part of the world with people who might not have seen what it's like just to walk around and chat with normal folks
There's a lot of ignorance in our country, negative coverage of China certainly increased during COVID and when news of the alleged mistreatment of the Uyghur people came out. People need to make a distinction between Chinese culture and their people, and how the CCP sometimes operates. There's a lot to like about China despite some of the actions the CCP have done.
@@benrobinson375 it’s not just your country, I’m sure you know that, but it’s really bad here in America.
We have two teammates, one from Tonga and one from Australia, that studied in China. They, along with Mark, have opened my eyes to the dangers of fake news in America. Yet we have another teammate that refuses to believe he’s been lied to by our media. He still believes in all the negative publicity about China despite our mates saying it isn’t true. Unsurprisingly, he is a very bigoted man.
@@AE-ix2iz Media in America can be very bias so I hear, especially when you have outlets that are pro left or pro right. The problem with media (other than outright lying), is that even the more reliable media lie by omission. They do negative coverage more because it sells. This influences peoples perception though and I have a real problem with it.
Great stuff Mark, your personality is great for these roadside chats. Excellent info and delivery!
Cheers Harvey! Have to catch up at some point
Mate, not to call anyone out, but I am Chinese living in Auckland for 24 years, and man things has gone downhill.
I mean thing weren't great and security surely gone from bad to worse in the past 2-3 years
and don't get me started on how expensive things has become
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Just to clarify, my video wasn’t about comparing China to New Zealand or saying that NZ is perfect and China isn't. It was more about my own experiences - just listing 5 things I liked and 5 I didn’t about China.
I totally get where you're coming from regarding Auckland, though. Over the last few years, it feels like things have gotten tougher - waiting lists are longer, costs are higher, and it's hard to see where improvements are happening here (the Waterview Tunnel is the one major works project that I can think of). On the other hand, from what I've seen in China, especially compared to 5 years ago, there’s been some noticeable development and progress.
But yeah, this video wasn't meant to imply one place is better than the other - just different experiences, really!
If I were a Chinese glass heart I'd tell you to go home. But as it is I agree, we need to work to make things better in a lot of areas of society
Thank you for sharing but nobody asked you to compare Auckland with China my friend. Mark at no point made that comparison, he only shared his experience. And yes, you are calling someone out with your unnecessary comment.
@@mauroger86 if you were a glass-hearted Chinese you'd tell him to go home. But you didn't. A better man
Thanks for the journey mate. I still miss the night bustle. The families walking, old ladies dancing and men gambling. Makes me happy to see people having fun.
Cheers man - yeah I do love the social aspect of the country, where people get out and just hang out with each other, rather than sitting at home in front of the TV at night!
Thinking of moving to China from South Korea to teach English, maybe at Universities there. Did you work a similar job there?
Yeah man I worked at a university in Wuhan - although we're talking a loooong time ago now.
It was lower pay than teaching a "training centre" gig - but very cruisy hours and the students were mostly pretty engaged with learning
@@TwoCentsOnTour yeah seems a great way to experience China!
@georgelatham7795 100% it gives you a chance to look around during the holidays
I'm a little surprised when you still have to carry a key. Don't you know that electronic locks can be unlocked with fingerprints or passwords. Therefore, Chinese people only need to carry their mobile phones when going out, instead of carrying wallets and annoying coins and cards. There are also power banks on the streets.
Yeah man I actually had a line in this video "some people even have electronic locks" but I cut it out 🤣
Thanks for all these quality vlogs Mark, I loved every single one of them.
Too kind man! Will have some more out in the future
Enjoyed the channel and learning about a place I really knew next to nothing about. Thanks Mark 😊
Cheers Jules! Glad to share
Thanks! I get here by your Rugby channel and really enjoy your travel videos ¡Vamos los Pumas!
Cheers man! I need to learn Spanish so one day I can visit Argentina!
Fair points, but Only Spitting behave the Chinese have to change, other points are not.
The Chinese systems like: how to using ID doing all things, how to control the Western Medias in China, how to use their own mediums to promote their own values, that is not the visitors business. The Chinese systems are designed for the Chinese, not for the foreigners.
so the foreigner visit to China have to accept and adopt their system, the Chinese Gov will not change their system to suit you.
Yeah 100% - I wouldn't ask another country to change anything aye - but definitely things to be aware of for any foreign tourists.
Just like for Chinese tourists coming to NZ I would say something like "You need to carry ID to buy alcohol/cigarettes" - it's kinda of inconvenient, but there is a reason for this
Some interesting insights about China. Like many, I originally came for the rugby but have enjoyed your China videos. I hope you get to do more visits (and make more videos) in the future.
Cheers man yeah definitely will put out some more China stuff!
@TwoCentsOnTour awesome I look forward to it!
Oh no! That must mean that’s it for videos for now. We’ve really enjoyed watching these, very funny at times but loved learning about China and Wuhan. The spitting is definitely not enjoyable but hey, nowhere is perfect! Thanks for taking us along, nice job 👌🏾
Yeah that was it for the first trip - at the time I wasn't sure if I'd make more (but I've actually made some more 😅)
@@TwoCentsOnTour oh! 😂 good
man I've loved this channel Mark
Cheers man! I have more lined up ;)
excelente observation ❤
The first point about access to western media is a solid point - however this is only a problem for westerners who live in the west and are used to having western internet. Chinese have all the equivalent to western social media platforms and it has its own internet so there is really no need to see western social media platforms.
Yeah if you don't use TH-cam, Insta, Wikipedia, Steam etc - you can definitely get by without much issue. I was using Baidu map instead of Google maps etc
You do if you want access to platforms that are free from censorship. These sites aren't blocked for no reason!
Have you encountered any pickpocket in China like in many European cities.
I had my phone stolen by a pickpocket back in 2008!
But since people don't use cash anymore (much), I haven't seen any pickpockets - another aspect that has got better
@@TwoCentsOnTourSo you mean there are almost no pickpockets in China only because people don't use cash but still you say you have been robbed of your phone in 2008. Not honest.
@@user-gp9mk7wm1s I lived in China from 2007-14. I had my phone stolen in 2008 at a new year's party in a club.
At that time I would occasionally see pickpockets. At that time everyone used cash.
Since then I have been back in 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024 - on those trips I haven't seen a single pickpocket (doesn't mean they don't exist - but I assume it's because people don't carry cash anymore)
@@TwoCentsOnTourAs a foreigner, a tourist you must have foreign bills in your pocket.
I used Alipay on my most recent trip... 🤷 I had a few RMB in my pocket.... not sure what that has to do with if there are pickpockets or not?
Nice summary! Enjoyed the Tour! Thanks you shed some humanity on China in your travels.
Cheers man - yeah sharing some of the human stories was definitely something I wanted to get done!
Great to see you open-minded travelers! your positive attitude made travel enjoyable.Ten years ago, Google was accessible in China, and I had a colleague who worked at Google back then. Later, because Google did not agree to abide by Chinese laws, Because of political reasons,it left China. Western media are controlled by American NGOs and continue to report negatively on China in the media, so the Chinese government directly blocked social Apps. I searched for news about China on the BBC the day before yesterday, and all was negative. There are many videos that obviously have many underworld filters added, so it is understandable that China has made a decision for the sake of Internet sovereignty.The Internet is not actually free. When you want to discuss freedom of speech with me, do you dare to post anti-Semitic remarks on Twitter? Don’t forget that the US Congress has been trying to block TIKTOK for national security reasons.When foreigners arrive in China, they cannot access social apps. In fact, just installing a VPN can solve the problem. It is a piece of cake.
Yeah I was living in China when sites like Facebook were first blocked! Back then there wasn't as much negative news about China, but in recent years it's pretty much all negative.
@@TwoCentsOnTourback then Facebook and the likes were much more free from being censored nowadays
@@TwoCentsOnTour Indeed, the United States is very strong in the war of public opinion. If it cannot win, it will simply block it first, and then open it up after the citizens' quality improves and they have the ability to think independently. For example, people like us use VPNs, and the government does not react at all. It is very relaxed. Most people who can use VPNs have a certain ability to think independently. When the results come out, it is found that almost all of them are bad things about China, so I think the blockade is very good. China has developed relatively fast in recent decades, so many people do not have a high ability to think independently, so they are often led by the rhythm.
@@TwoCentsOnTour
So you admitted that the western world spreading political propaganda too! Why don't you blame them????
@szechingho-rw1hv this video is not about "which countries can I blame". I just said when I come to China, many sites are blocked. For me, that sucks. If you don't use those websites, you won't even notice 😅
Love you honesty and not sugar coating anything. Have you noticed that most people spit are old people. I guess they are products of culture revolution. I think it will take them long time to change the habit. I noticed the same problem in Korea.
Yeah man definitely there's generational thing going on here. My father in law told me about how he used to take a bus to work when he was young. He told me that bus didn't run often, and if you missed it, you'd be waiting ages for the next one.
So it's kinda not surprising that people (especially that generation) used to rush and push to get on the bus when it arrived - the mindset was basically if you don't rush, you're gonna miss out.
I say "used to" because - at least in Wuhan - the buses aren't really crowded anymore (cos of all the subway lines and cars I guess) - so people don't really push and shove anymore
"Cultural revolution" LOL. Whenever something is wrong in China, it's Communism. Why not say it's because of so called democracy that there are so many rapes, scams, corruption in India.
Scarcity mindset the older generation are the same folks, 88% in abject poverty in the 1980s
lucky if they got a job making a dollar a day on some factory floor
I guess the air pollution would be a reason
I would like to visit China one day. Shops in South Africa also close early and it is too dangerous to walk around at night. China seems much more modernised than South Africa. We also need a car in South Africa. I am so impressed with you when you speak the Chinese language, sorry do not know the name of the language. I think I would feel safe walking around as a tourist in China.
Thanks Mark for your video about positives and negatives in China and NZ. Nice short and to the point.
I personally think a lot of people are friendlier to you more than to another tourist is because you can communicate well in their home language. Your accent and the way you speak sounds so good like a local. I heard Chinese language is very hard to learn.Well done. They must feel so good when you have a chat together and both parties understand each other. I also think they respect that you took the time to learn their language.
China is a fascinating place to live.
Yeah man very true
Excellent video, as an ex HK Expat the local legend around spitting was to clear the throat for health reasons… The “ Spit God “ had to be cleansed from the body constantly…. Hence the spitting…
You’ve simply got to go for the 7’s … pizza and beer in the rain … who cares who wins;) …
With your recent injuries it looks like Lakai will get an extended run on the NH Tour…
6. Lakai
7. Ardie
8. Sititti
Sotuto on the bench.
It’s been a long time since you’ve fielded such an attacking loose trio .
Who replaces Cane in the defensive aspect or just go full attack?
Yeah man that would be a heck of an attack minded back row aye! To be honest Ardie has done a bit more D work since Sititi joined the back row - so it could end up balancing well
So true about improvements over last five years. Craft Beer bars, cafes, art and culture exhibitions, cool tattoos (although probably temporary) hair cuts and expressive statements, open LGBT community, as well as music festivals, etc. Not sure about Wuhan, but Chengdu has become so hipster. So many new cool contemporary districts popping up and an awesome arts scene. People are still so friendly and they are so positive about New Zealand. One thing I did notice was a lot less smoking than five years ago, especially in restaurants and indoors. Lots of chill places to hang out and be seen.
Yeah I don't think Wuhan is quite as hipster, but it's definitely changing aye. Smoking in general no smoking areas is definitely less common than before. Still strike the odd time where you walk into a lift and can smell someone has been smoking in there, but it's rare. Bathrooms though, in places like malls, still pretty common for smokers to hide there and light up though 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour I’ll never forget my first restaurant experience in 2017 when the father at a table next to us started smoking over his young daughter and infant kid whilst they were still eating. I thought I’d fallen through a time warp to the 1980’s. my biggest culture shock to date. Never saw anything like that last year though. Definitely in private dining rooms but not in main restaurant area.
Haha yeah I understand that feeling! Showing my age but 2005 - first time in China, walking through a school in a small city - one of the teacher having a smoke while taking class 😅
They’re more like positive messages and affirmations instead which is a big difference to the lies and fake promises during election campaigns elsewhere.
Yeah I'm not a fan of any of them to be honest 😅
I have loved following your interactions with people and seeing how they live. They all appreciate that you are able to speak their language so well
@@charlottescott7150 cheers Charlotte! Yeah this video has rubbed a few people up the wrong way 😅 but it's overall been very positive for me too
@@TwoCentsOnTour oh that's a shame! People who don't know you I guess?
@@charlottescott7150 yeah I think so! Surely if they got to know me they'd know I'm not out to get anyone 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour you are one of the kindest people on TH-cam!
@@charlottescott7150 cheers Charlotte! Thankfully most people are nice as well
Very genuine observation!! Appreciated!
Cheers mate! I try to keep things balanced as I can 😅
Getting a VPN in China is easy. Can't believe you didnt work this out.
Linking tickets to my passport was easy. Not sure why you didn't know this.
Littering is minimal and China is exceptionally clean compared to most western nations.
Yes spitting is awful but much less every year. I am surprised you never mentioned the prevalence of smoking.
@@remakeit2628 like I mentioned "you can get around it for a cost" - so of course I had a VPN 😅
I linked my passport to 12306 but have only had it successfully self scan one time.... Every other time it has to be done manually for me
Smoking yeah, I used to smoke so it would be a bit rich for me to complain about it
@@TwoCentsOnTour There is always a COST for foreign tourists to any country to use their internet or mobile network. The fact you thought it was a MAJOR downside was disengenuous.
I don't know what issue you had with your passport scans, but again it should have been resolved at the gate with no fuss. As a frequent traveller to China with BASIC Chinese language skills I thought your first two disappointments were absolute BS.
I never mentioned propaganda because unless you read or speak the local language it's hardly an issue. Yes, the Chinese people I speak to when visiting are exceptionally proud of the advancements they have seen in their lifetimes, even young adults. I can't blame them. Our fast trains in Australia are called *slow* trains in China!
At least you have trains in Australia man 😅
For me the internet thing is sadly a major one. My work requires access to blocked sites, which means a fair level of stress before any China trip. Most recently I made sure I've had a VPN, a HK sim card as a back up (I have been in China when they tighten controls and VPNs stop working before), and I even left a PC in my NZ house on for RDP access (which I tested and didn't end up working).
Now a simple solution is "don't go to China then" - but this trip I was back with my wife and kids going to see their grandparents, so a bit harder to just not go. Overall it's not a deal breaker, but it's a pain in the ass, which I felt worth mentioning.
The ID card thing is likewise not a dealbreaker, it just means doing things slower, more manually. In NZ you can get mail redirected easily if you have a driver's licence. If you don't, you have to go to the post office and do it manually. So for me it's the same kinda thing. It just kinda sucks to go to a place and know "I'm gonna have to wait for someone to let me in/log me in/register me" etc because I don't have the ID card. Sometimes it's only an extra moment, sometimes it's a lot longer (but like I said in the vid, it's 100% logical to me why the system is set up so well for the vast majority of users, I just happen to be in the exception group).
The propaganda stuff is totally personal preference. I'm likewise not a fan of political ads in NZ, thankfully here they only pop up for a few months during election season. In China they're everywhere. We can ignore them, read them, whatever. I'm just not a fan, but I am not the target audience for sure.
I have made loads of videos travelling around China, talking to people, seeing lesser known spots - this video was mainly made because I had half a day before my flight. I thought it would be interesting for people who had never been to China (as most of the audience is like that) to get a few thoughts on the topic.
I find it bizarre this video has drawn so much more attention relative to the others - and pretty much 100% of the new viewers have focussed on some of the negative elements. For some reason no-one is questioning the positive stuff I said😅. Here I was expecting to be called a CCP shill for saying the country is overall a better place than when I visited 5 years previous.
BTW I've been doing TH-cam on another channel for about 8 years and I reckon this is the longest comment i've ever written 😅
Your long post is apreciated.
As someone spending a few months overseas most years as a TOURIST I found your top dislikes weird. That was the point I was making. Getting aVPN in China is easy. Using a VPN for commercial purposes has a completely different set of rules that will NEVER worry a tourist.
I enjoy watching travellers on TH-cam and some of the more interesting ones now are about how expectations differed from reality regarding China.
As a seasoned international traveller my experiences suggested your perspective did not reflect what most people would dislike.
Ten years ago, it was incessant touting that I really disliked but that's decreased significantly. As a non smoker I found China pretty bad from a tourism perspective, especially on slower trains.
I just wanted to add my thanks for your China videos. Watching these has been really informative.
As a person with limited language skills, I really appreciate the insights that you provide. I now follow a Chinese woman with great English and I enjoy the juxtaposition of your channels' content.
I came for the rugby, but the travel has me hooked! (Pun intended).
PS. How about a visit to a Wuhan rugby club/game? Google suggests there's a couple of clubs in the city.
Haha nice to have you hooked mate! But yeah it's good to have a few different perspectives on the world aye. And yeah I tried to visit a club in Wuhan this year - but never heard back from them sadly! It's still very social and mostly expats, so I'm guessing their email is a dead one
Chinese here, all confirmed, I respect your honest opinions. Just a bit surprised that you didn’t mention the safety level
@@1nnerr yeah man cheers - it's for the most part very safe I agree!
I feel like NZ used to be safer (pickpockets were common when I lived in China in 2000s), but now I would say China is safer. NZ crime has gotten worse, China better in the last 20 years
Not safe if you're a Muslim and especially if you're a Uighur, is it? Not safe if you dare speak your mind about party corruption is it?
Agree, I am from Hong Kong. I have the exact problems you mentioned. However, I kind of understand why they cannot use Android and Google. You have to do some searching but clearly Huawei is not allowed to use Android and they have to come up with their OS. you know of course what Google and iPhone do to you.
i've been watching your rugby coverage for like 2 years now? finding out that you lived in China is so cool :D I grew up in China and moved to Ireland (thus the rugby!) for 7 years now. keep up with the good work! can't wait to see ireland vs new zealand in November
btw from browsing the comment, here's one of my top things I dislike about China - a lot of people really don't care or repect about opinions :(
Haha yeah man spent most of my 20s in the mainland! And yeah I was a little bit surprised to see some more extreme reactions here 😅 But maybe it's my own fault for not expecting that
How to let people know spitting is bad? Yes. More propaganda posters.
“Do Not spit!” In fact it’s one of core socialist values 👍👍
I think the 文明 thing needs to be more direct about spitting, lol
There's a thing called VPN!
Yeah I did mention you can get around it for a cost 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour If you use a NZ sim card then you don't need a VPN ... if you don't mind the roaming data.
@@rickyz5606 yeah last time I just got a HK data card - it was more affordable than NZ roaming data 😅
Rather insightful. You clearly have travelled fairly extensively in China.
@@zeth479 yeah lived there seven years and still go back for travel - overall very positive for me
I enjoyed this channel. Maybe two cents on tour can give us a spin of NZ but in the style of this channel, ie commentary, food spots, historical spots, etc.
I used to watch Walk NZ but haven’t checked in for a bit now. I enjoy your observations of Wuhan and would definitely enjoy the same for Auckland and other parts of NZ.
NZ is already a destination for me but now so is China.
Mahalo from Hawaii
🤙🏽
Cheers man! Will have some more stuff from China coming too - NZ stuff if I don't head back to the mainland anytime in the next 6-12 months 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour looking forward to whatever you got planned 😂
thank you so much! I've been trying to appreciate Chinese culture the way my cousin appreciates Japanese culture with all these different cultural values, but I always see a lot of places online this negativity directed toward the cultural values and people, a lot of it riding the borders of racism. You showing how people actually act here and how at least one city in China actually is has helped me out so much. Lol I should also try to adopt the mindset that people who say these negative things most likely want to view Chinese culture and people as these horrible things.
Yeah man I appreciate that - it's been good to be able to show this part of the world from an everyday point of view
This is just my observation. China historically seems to value money I don't mean they are greedy for it. It just seems its part of defining themselves. So they would be active and seek out opportunities to sell. Again based on oberversation nothing else
I visited a buddhist temple this year on a big public holiday. The place was PACKED. There were a lot of different buddhas people could put offerings to. The one which had the longest queue by a country mile - was the one you pray to for like... "good fortune" - so yeah it's a big factor
Thanks Mark. This series was an interesting insight into and "unknown" world to me.
Cheers man! Yeah I was hoping to show a bit of something different aye
04:03: "Even the sh***est toilet..." Very fitting choice of words Two Cents.
Yeah I hadn't thought about that wording, lol
My wife is from Shanghai and her mother always clears her throat, and I hate that sound she makes , she really made sure she clear all her throat which I’m thinking why what’s the point
@@MurrayBallantine yeah my mother in law does the same. I assumed it was something to do with the air pollution at first... But when she stayed with us in NZ for a month she kept it up ... It's just her habit aye... I don't really get it either.... Not the nicest wake up call
Really a good video about things we do not always read in guide books, as you are more than a tourist and do things outside of 'normal touristy' things.
Wonder if the friendlyness is increased because you speak the lingo. What I have found around where I have travelled, is if you try and communicate in the local language, the friendlyness and helpfulness increase, probably because people at least feel you are making an effort. That is why I genuinely try to at least some of the basic phrases of the place I am travelling to.
The spitting thing in public would probably gross out a lot of people.Also funny how public toilets is a good barometer on how tourist friendly a place is. In the end, each country has their own quirks that not everyone will agree with, but as long as a country would not lock me up for something that they deem not normal, but it being acceptable in most places, that is where it gets trumps being grossed out in public.
thanks for all your efforts to showing people a little bit of China that a lot are not aware off. All I see, is what is being done in the name of the country in other places, and shows that the general person is not to be associated with those actions.
Yeah there's definitely a few doors which opened cos I speak some Chinese aye. Although even my non-Chinese speaking friends usually got treated really nicely by local shopkeepers etc back when I lived there.
But yeah fortunately I have managed to avoid any big issues. I did get fined in 2005 for not registering my address with the local police station in time - but that was the worst of it!
And yeah hopefully these vids have showed a few things which people may not have seen or known about
Love the Rebs hat - agree with all the hates. Add pushing in and people/cars crossing roads entering traffic without looking
@@lanceuppercut3137 I've since lost this hat sadly 😐 it was genuinely one of my favourites. I found the pushing in worse back in the 2000s/2010s compared to my last visit this year
Fair comments. As for propaganda, you prefer the $1 billion from the US? I will gladly take the be a good citizen propaganda than be exposed to the sinister one from the US
Hell nah I don't prefer the shit that comes out of the US either 😅
Fair point. Sending propaganda to all parts of the world, on top of it
didnt know about 2nd channel you always add value new sub
Ah cheers man! I think the other videos where I get out and about talking to people, visiting spots are more interesting than this "sit and talk" one...
But I filmed this on the last day of my trip before getting on a plane... for whatever reason it's more viewed than the other vids... TH-cam is funny like that 😅
As always - a fascinating insight into Chinese culture - Thanks Mark!
Welcome mate! Hopefully more to come soon
I respect your honesty, the only thing i would say is chinese propaganda is way different than the american propaganda..if you know what i mean. But you are on point with all your assessment!
Yeah man my dad watched a lot of Fox News for a while and that's a whole different story 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour not just fox news, all american major networks broadcast the same craps!! The only thing they are ever united on is to attack china. And they are on each other’s throats on other issues!🙄
So is this the end of the 2023 vids? Do you have more from 2024? Have you thought about about a q & a to end this part?
Yeah man end of the 2023 stuff (except for a few more short breakfast ones). I have some 2024 stuff to go through too, so it'll be a few new spots.
I hadn't thought about a Q&A to be honest! Might be one for the future if the channel hits a milestone
Can’t wait for the 2024 stuff
I visited China many times, I have no problem with Google, TH-cam etc with my roaming data. Also, I do not have China ID too but once you have your foreign ID validated in WeChat, you too can have access to many facilities.
Yeah roaming data is one way around it (I never did that cos NZ data roaming is crazy expensive - I used a HK data card instead).
I also used WeChat for lots of stuff, but checking on the train was still fully manual (buying tickets on the app was easy), checking into hotels was manual, getting tickets for places like museums manual etc... if I could get a temporary kind of ID card for China use, I would use it in a heartbeat
I don't think anyone under the age of 30 spits in the street in China. It is true that the quality of Chinese society is a bit out of step with economic development, but this is a process. You know, spitting was once very common in Japan, and when I studied in Japan, my teacher told me that the grooves on the edges of the stairs in public facilities in Japan were designed to accommodate people spitting out phlegm. But within a few decades spitting had virtually disappeared.
Yeah I would agree with you there for sure, maybe even a bit older, people 40 or under I would say are also in the "don't spit" category
Why would I want to connect western media?
Yeah that's a good question 😅 But there's some good stuff on TH-cam
Chinese can get access to any western media by vpn any time. They have options, not illegal but majority don't prefer because the medias is in mostly in English, racism against Chinese, fake news, insults to Chinese.
Seems a silly question to ask on a platform that's blocked in China. Why are you here, apparently defending it. Maybe because it's not censored?
@@geofflecren8827 it’s censored
@@geofflecren8827 you have confidence that what you see not a lie, yet I’m confident that it is
I think the population enables businesses to open all hours and for great public transport.
Yeah population/intensive housing definitely helps with public transport. In China a lot of people work a lot longer hours than a 9-5, so I think many are expected to stay late
Yeah economy of scale/numbers helps many things here
If you have a work visa and can live in China for a long time, you can apply for a Chinese bank card with your passport. You can buy high-speed rail tickets with your passport, so it's not difficult at all. If your girlfriend is Chinese, then many platforms can use her ID card to bind, you just need to use it.
Yeah on my 2023 trip I was using the manual ticket purchase counter, but now I use the 12306 app and it's super easy. But when I get my ticket checked I still have to go through the manual queue 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour I don't think it will take long to get through security with your passport. It will pass in about 10-15 minutes. And you can’t take the high-speed rail every day, so I don’t think it’s a big problem.The experience of taking a high-speed train is far better than that of an airplane, and you can see the scenery along the way.
@@yonight6871 yeah it's super convenient! But I feel some ID card envy when I see everyone else self-scan while I'm in the queue 😅
@@TwoCentsOnTour It is quite difficult to naturalize in China, ranking among the top five in the world in terms of difficulty. Why is it so difficult? Because China is not a country of immigrants. In the news a few days ago, China sent a special plane to pick up Chinese citizens in Lebanon. When in a country at war, China can ensure the safe return of every Chinese.
The end of an era 🫡🫡 thank you for the amazing videos. I will be rewatching them soon enough 👍
Cheers man! There will be more on the way 😀
@@TwoCentsOnTourThats good news
@@TwoCentsOnTour oh thank god hahahahah.
This was from 2023 he has videos from 2024 coming
Somehow i think China could provide an OPTIONAL choice for visitors to get a temporary ID card so that 1. life is easier for the visitors, 2. for the large Data keeps better track of what everyone is doing.
I would sign up for that in a heartbeat - put all my passport info into a card which can be used for ID card functions - 100% yes
An international sim card will give you access to all western websites and social media sites
Yeah I used a HK one, it's the kind of "you can get around it for a price" thing
It was spitting yea horrid. Some countries' activity monitor for this and will literally chase you down rugby tackle you fine and change you. Guess the country that is so focused on this. Finland
You know interestingly - since filming this video - I went on an old tram at a museum here in Auckland. There was a sign on the tram which said something like "If you spit on the tram, you will be kicked off" - so I guess it wasn't that long ago (1900-1930s maybe) that it was a big enough problem here to require signs!
There's a free dinner running around very cute
Fair enough.
only #4 of.your hate things is a problem for me. but you forgot another hate thing: everywhere has smoking smell
@@bobwoo1397 yeah I actually added a line about smoking alongside the spitting part, but I cut it out because I figured you can kinda walk away from people smoking. But yeah sometimes you walk into an elevator and it stinks of smoke - that sucks
Yeah I also don't like people who spit so loudly or in indoor areas. I do spit in public myself but do it outdoors and try my best to hide it like on a drain
Yeah man exactly, it's at least good to be discrete about it 😅
It's really difficult for China's air quality to reach the level of a paradise like New Zealand. After all, China is an industrial powerhouse, with industrial production accounting for one-third of the world's total industrial output value. Therefore, it's hard to maintain a very good air quality level.
@@5566rao yeah man despite that I feel like the air quality has improved a lot since I first moved there
There are a lot of things I love about China but that no1 thing I don't like is Spitting.
Yeah I feel like it's getting better than before, but still quite common
Spitting is a Chinese tradition.
在大街上吐痰和吸烟真的是中国最该改变的， 就像多年前立法禁止公共厕所吸烟一样。 但这个难度过大，中国的社会文明建设那么顺利的根源是伴随着经济的快速扩张，带来了立法执法的便利性，又有钱不计成本的提高国民教育。 但现在在马路上吐痰的是60岁以上的中老年人，他们小时候没受过正规教育，经历过社会迫害，他们的利己主义是从灾难中淬取来的，所以我觉着可以先全面禁烟，这样肺病呼吸道炎症会大幅度减少，也许吐痰概率就低很多
My dad also has the habit of spitting everywhere. The main reason is that his work involves interior decoration and he inhales a lot of dust, but he does this work mainly for me, so I can't blame him too much and can only tolerate it. When China's housing construction is full, there won't be a large number of construction workers, and there may be fewer and fewer people spitting on the status quo. Our young people must embody their qualities well
Honestly I can't remember seeing anyone in their 20s spit like that - so I think you are right mate, I think it will change over time. Hope your dad's health is good! My dad also had to work a physical job when I was growing up!
@TwoCentsOnTour Yes, it is not easy for parents. We can only hope that the younger generation will take the initiative to improve their personal qualities. I hope you have a happy stay in China
im actually surprised that you are more negative about the toilet papers instead of the actual Squat toilet. I hate public toilets in china because i am not a fan of squatting. As of the paper issue, the reason why they dont have any is because people would abuse and steal it. in terms of mannerism, china is still behind Korea and Japan but the newer generation are steps above the previous ones who just got out of post communism, so give it more time.
One thing i guess you could have mentioned as positive is the safety, china is way more safer than any western democratic countries by a long mile.
Funnily enough I actually got used to squat toilets. One of the apartments I rented briefly only had a squatter.
And yeah people would definitely steal the TP - I remember once being at KFC and some old lady asked for napkins. The staff opened a new pack and put it on the bench - at which point the old lady just grabbed the whole pack. The staff had to yell at her and say "no, just take one or two"
It's definitely pretty safe in China as you say. NZ I feel is also pretty safe - as in I never feel in personal danger or anything. But I think it has changed over the last 20 years.
When I lived in China in the 2000s pickpocketing was an issue - and I always kept my hand on my wallet in busy areas. So it felt in a way, less safe in China than NZ.
But now - I don't see any pickpocketing in China (perhaps because people don't really carry cash anymore) - but in NZ petty theft and assaults are rising. So now I would 100% say China is safer.
lol... I am so fortunate while I was in China this year for a month coz I totally miss out the "spitting" part. But there 1 thing I dislike i.e. smoking in the hotel room, hi speed train platform etc
Yeah that's true - although I think it's another one that's less prevalent than before. People used to smoke on trains too but now they get fined for it (so they rush out when the train stops for a quick smoke)
In fact, smoking and spitting is highly related, smokers are more likely to spit. There are so many smokers in China that the annual profits from smokers alone are enough to cover China's military budget of $150 billion.
Yeah I smoked when I lived there. It's so cheap compared to NZ... I don't think I spat more but I chewed gum instead. I stopped chewing gum when I stopped smoking
It's interesting that whenever you say shit about China, some idiots will come out of nowhere and start pointing fingers, totally ignoring the good things you say about China. I wouldn't be surprised if these idiots patrol on social media on a daily basis, trying to filter out new posts and vids based on key words like "China", "bad", "negative", etc. I am a Chinese. I love my country and my people. I am proud of what my country has achieved in the last 50 years. But I also know it's far from perfect, just like many other countries on this planet. Anyway, thank you for all these great videos - looking forward to more! :)
@@joysun2015 haha yeah man number of comments questioning the positives = pretty much zero 😅 Internet is a funny place
Glass hearts everywhere
You are spot on especially for the negative things
Yeah man I mean some are not really a big deal, but it's still something to get used to, especially for first time visitors.
You speak quite genuinely, as a local Chinese, I can authenticate your comments.
Thank you mate, I hope to be genuine with my comments!
马屁精
瑕不掩瑜。。。things are improving, give them time
Yeah things are improving/developing was on my list 😅
I have a real problem using my phone to make purchases. Every transaction can be traced. The Tik Tok of the cellular world.
Yeah that part is true - I can imagine getting all kinds of ads etc based on previous purchase history. That being said - everywhere still does take cash.
I know a bunch of NZ places don't accept cash anymore
very objective. thanks for sharing
@@kdks9873 no worries 😁
Just recently, China said she is opening up her market to foreign credit card companies because of complains from foreign tourists not being able to pay using their credit card in China.
Yeah I can imagine it will be a shock for most tourists to go from using credit cards/cash - to using Alipay/WeChat. If the process for linking Alipay/Wechat to foreign credit cards is easier - that'll be awesome
Correction: Western social media platforms and Google are not banned in China; they chose to exit China because they did not want to comply with local regulations. However, you can still access these services via a VPN, which typically costs around $3 per month.
There have definitely been disagreements between some companies and the government which has led to the withdrawal of services - I was actually living in China when Google closed their offices in China. That being said there are still certainly sites which are blocked in China
@@TwoCentsOnTour Criticizing China or any country where is due is a fair game, but please be honest and factual. 0:36 you literally said "internet is blocked in China" instead of what you said here "certainly sites which are blocked in China". I think anybody knows there is a big difference between these two. I am not your channel's regular viewer as you can tell and most likely won't become one so I won't judge if you just misspoke or intentionally wanted it to make it sound scary. You are your own judge.
@@mikef6399 yeah certain sites being blocked man. I think I titled it "internet restrictions" which is probably more correct
About those political propaganda boards, you can turn your head and look away. What you can do to handle the high volume prays in some countries? 5 times a day, cover a whole city.
@@shashazhu5901 yeah neither would be my favourite. In NZ at election time the boards are bloody everywhere
Love your China videos.
I found spitting in Shanghai worse than in Beijing. It’s the one thing that really irked me about China, only to find a Chinese colleague at work gobbed in his bin at his desk 🤮
Yeah actually for the 2008 Olympics I think the Beijing "manners" took a bit of a boost - at least for what many of us would consider good manners. People held doors and gave me "after you" at the subway station, didn't rush onto the bus etc. Probably leads the way in that regard
@@TwoCentsOnTourthats why i hope the olympics gets hosted in china soon - the change in 2008 was so noticeable
As a Chinese I also hate this spitting men but I understand that those people are mainly old people who just didn’t have a chance to grow good sanitary habits. It should be better as time goes.
@@sjfbrkdnjrkdkajdjoajfok-2 agree it's definitely improving mate
Throat clearing,same in Hong Kong😂
@@billlee2458 ah wow really? I've only been to the airport so haven't had a look around 😅
I think it's probably a concern for all foreign travelers who plan to come to China after listening to CNN and BBC. Did you forget to mention whether you feel very dangerous or safe during your trip to China?
China is super safe I think mate. When I lived in China in the 2000s/2010s there were some pickpockets - but don't notice them anymore
“我们要建设富强民主、文明和谐、自由平等、公正法治、爱国敬业、诚信友善的社会主义国家”，这有什么不能被接受的吗？它告诉我们整个社会要朝着这个方向努力。我不觉得这有什么不好。
他们到处贴这些标语，就像反复看到同样的广告一样，没什么错，但看久了确实会觉得腻
@@TwoCentsOnTour 因为社会太多人不清楚，所以必须要广而告之，反复提醒，让人自己约束自己的行为。也许是文化差异吧……
Always enjoy your vids Mark China is so different but very interesting the people seem very helpful but it would be so hard if you didn't speak the language so much easier if you can,Cheers Mate.
Yeah man 100% speaking Chinese helped a lot!
👍👍👍👍
when u coming to visit all your fans here in SA,LOL
@@sgt.baksteen5291 yeah man one of these days it's gonna happen 😁
"Land of the low white cloud"?!? That must mean you're coming to Ireland? 😉
Haha hopefully one of these days - but the "long white cloud" of NZ for now 😅
忽然觉得缺点和优点是共生的了...博主刚才讲party的时候，其实就对应到了extremely nice people and guards了；中国的警察和保安都挺好的，就是很热心肠啊，你问他们就会帮你
博主说第一条的时候我还惊讶了一下，我都没意识到这么多party things哈哈哈，我们可能都直接脑部过滤掉了
我觉得这些事情对普通中国人来说大多数并不是问题 😅
I love these videos. And yeah just ignore the weird ones that can’t handle a bit of criticism. As a Chinese I think a lot of this is valid! (And just between you and me, I also think the pr*poganda is a bit too in your face as well ;) - even though I do appreciate my government )
Haha yeah man it seems I stirred up a few first time viewers! But not on purpose! And yeah 100% the fact I said in one of my positive points about how China has improved/developed (which is largely government driven) since I was last there, I assumed I would get some "You CCP shill" hate, but it turns out that's not the point of focus 😅
Ps thanks for the videos. It's been an interesting insight
No worries man, been a bit of fun for me to share
if you think you are not living in the west, there is no point for non-english speaking people to access western internet space. Even I use youtube, I do not really go to youtuber that spoke other language as I do not understand anything
@@turtlex4866 yeah 100% - if you're living in China then Chinese social media sites will be a lot more useful. For tourists and expats it's one thing to consider before heading to China
The Propaganda thing is interesting. I reckon there is just as much wall to wall propaganda here in the West but as we have grown up with it we dont notice it as much.
@@MrRugbylane yeah it's all over the TV and news etc, but less direct aye
Your living on a rock kid china is a huge country kid.
Hair !!! hair !!! 8:28 !! HAIR !!!!
Lol yeah bloody long haired lout!
@@TwoCentsOnTourSounds like a direct Gazza quote. Regardless - impressive !!
I think that one might be my mum's words aye 😅
Agree most of your points.
Please remember that China was a poor country only not long along and older generations hardly had any education
@@edchan2247 yeah the development even in the 7 years I lived there was honestly incredible