By Sudarshan Aryal
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” This is a quote from Confucius, a great Chinese philosopher in the 5th century BCE. As he said, the beauty of each thing may differ according to people’s perceptions. Thus, everyone has to travel as far as possible.
I got an opportunity for a 3-week official visit to China organized by the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China, and China Aid last month. The journey duration was from 11 October to 3 November. The visit was hosted by the Hunan Agriculture Group.
There is a long history of friendly relations between Nepal and China. The history dates back to 1500 years. The historical evidence says that Chinese travellers started to come to Nepal between the 4th to 7th centuries. There are many things written about Nepal in the Tang chronicles based on the details of those travellers. Later, Bhrikuti (Khridzun), Araniko, and others made a great contribution to building friendly relations between Nepal and China.
As a student of history and archaeology, I also know about the world heritage sites Potala Palace, White Dagoba etc. that incites enduring relationships between two countries. These things had made positive thoughts about China on me from the beginning. This visit became helpful for me to learn about China, its people, working culture and development. I also got a chance to eliminate the misconceptions about such things.
Dramatic Transformation
Our journey started from Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province of China. The city is located in the southern part of China with inhabitants of around 7.64 million people. I found this city as a cultural and creative hub with a huge number of related industries.
At the time of the city visit, I was surprised to see the development of Changsha. According to historical documents, Changsha wasn’t systematically developed before 1949, the establishment of the PRC. The contemporary development of this city lasted for two decades from 1980 to 2000. The city is now a major port, handling rice, cotton, timber, and livestock, and is also a collection and distribution point on the railway from Hankou to Guangzhou.
Now, Changsha is known as an exemplary city in terms of physical infrastructure. This is also the center of rice milling and has oil extraction, tea and tobacco curing, and meat-processing plants. Its textile industry produces cotton yarn and fabrics and engages in dyeing and printing. Agricultural chemicals and fertilizers, farm implements, and pumping machinery are also produced.
Historical and Cultural Cities
The name “Hunan” itself translates to “south of the lake,” a reference to Dongting Lake, also known as “The Pearl of the Yangtze River.” This vast freshwater lake lies in the northern reaches of Hunan province. Changsha has held the prestigious title of capital for over six dynasties. The preserved artefacts at the Hunan Museum trace the city’s roots to the ancient Qingyang, which served as the capital during the Han dynasty. The city’s earliest name was Qingyang. During the Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE), it emerged as a pivotal staging post for expeditions into Guangdong province. Later, during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), it was renamed Linxiang County and became the administrative seat of the Changsha commandery. In 589, the county adopted the name Changsha, establishing itself as the administrative center of Tan prefecture (Source: Britannica.com).
Today, Changsha boasts an array of historical and cultural sites. The 1972 excavation at Mawandui Street yielded over 300 artefacts, including grave boxes and other significant findings. According to the Changsha Institute of Archaeology, Lady Dai’s grave yielded nearly 1,400 objects, including silk tapestries, painted wooden coffins, bamboo artefacts, pottery vessels, musical instruments (including a 25-string zither), and wooden figurines. Moreover, Lady Dai’s son’s tomb contained more than 20 silk manuscripts preserved in a lacquer hamper, alongside silk paintings and other grave goods.
Furthermore, Yuelu Academy holds a prominent position in Changsha’s educational history. In ancient China, academies like Yuelu served as local educational institutions, focusing on three main functions: offering lectures, preserving books, and conducting sacrifices. With its establishment dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty in 976 A.D. by Zhudong, a magistrate of Changsha, Yuelu Academy stands as one of the four most esteemed academies in ancient China. Its millennia-old legacy underscores its significance in the realm of education. Notably, cultural and historical landmarks like Kaifu Temple further enrich the tapestry of Changsha’s heritage.
My experience in China
I am a vegetarian. I had already studied the food culture of China. It was known that non-vegetarian food was available there. Therefore, after receiving the visa to visit China, I was worried about what to eat for 21 days. Elders who had returned from China earlier also shared their experience that vegetarians in China may have some problems. However, I am a person who can deal with the situation. So I decided to deal with this situation as well. While staying there for 21 days, although there are common problems for vegetarians, I did not encounter any problems as expected. Although the food culture here is to some extent non-vegetarian friendly, even vegetarians did not have to face any problem.
I didn’t have many Chinese friends until now because of the language difference. After deciding to go to China, how will the behavior of the people there be? I was also curious about it. Before going anywhere, people have an idea. But the behavior of the people there is much better than I thought before going to China. The Chinese, especially the younger generation, are very warm, helpful and friendly. After the visit, I have more than a dozen close friends. This is a happy thing for me too.
I am a postgraduate student in culture and archaeology. According to my interest, I got a chance to learn about the culture there. The culture there has attracted me. During my stay there, I got a chance to gather some information in my field of interest by visiting different museums, different universities, etc. I wanted to learn about Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism there. I am a citizen of the country where Buddha was born, so that aspect may have attracted me. Those who came to study different subjects did not get time to study as much as they wanted. If time permits, I will revisit China to study these topics. But for the purpose for which I came to China, I got more knowledge than expected.
I had an illusion before going to China. I have also seen a lot of information on the internet about the infrastructural development there. However, I did not think that the wave of development reached these villages. Even as a citizen of a developing country, I did not think that it would develop like this at every stage. The development model here has also attracted me. I am not an urban development planner, but I have come to understand that the model of development should be learned from China. All in all, my visit to China was much more successful and meaningful than I expected. I would like to thank the organizers and the Chinese government for this opportunity.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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