After we left Hong Kong, social media was much more difficult to access. Though some of us had VPN, wifi was less prevalent, and connection was weaker. After a few days of settling down and getting back into the groove, it is time to give an over-all recap on my trip to China!

First I would like to say it was amazing, and interesting. At times, I found the trip to be extremely tiring and difficult, but the overall experience was one that cannot be duplicated, because of the vast knowledge obtained, the factories that were visited, and the company that was kept.

Ultimately, we visited five different cities in China.

• Hong Kong
• Beijing
• Macau
• Tian Jian
• Guizhou City in Guangdong

Each place we went presented its own beauty, and each added a intriguing sense of the unknown. Hong Kong felt as if you were in New York City. When in Hong Kong, we not only ate Chinese, but also Italian, Thai, and other cuisines from various counties. Once we arrived to Beijing, we found that while these different food types could be found, it was much more difficult. Beijing is a romantic city, with rings of roads that surround the ancient city. Hong Kong is glamorous, mainstream, and fast paced. Beijing is propaganda sharply at 6 PM, played on the loud speakers and on the radio. Hong Kong is late night, Ex-Pats, and Starbucks. Beijing is Tsingtao beer and no turn down service in the hotel.

While so incredibly different, each place presented a feeling of China, none-the-less. China operates under the ideal of “One Country, Two Systems.”

From 1842-1997, Hong Kong was ruled as a British colony. In the year of 1984, it was announced that Hong Kong would be turned over to the Chinese government, a transition that would take place over the years to come. In fear of their riches being taken, many wealthy locals fled Hong Kong to places such as New Zealand, Canada, Britain, Australia, and the United States. The Chinese Government feared this wonderful city would collapse if all of the wealth dispersed, so the government made a promise to rule Hong Kong as the British previous did.

The series of laws created were called the “Basic Laws,” which promised that Hong Kong policies would not change for fifty years, until the year 2047. The region was declared a SAR, or a Special Administrative Region, simply promising the “One Country, Two Systems” philosophy.

As many people know, there has been unrest over the past year in Hong Kong, filling the streets with protests and unhappy millennials. All of the unrest centers around the core elements of the Basic Law. In Hong Kong, the highest position that can be held (similar to our president) is the title of Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is in power for terms of five years, and is elected by the people, theoretically.

In order to be considered on the ticket, you must obtain 1200 signatures from the people, who are assigned by mainland China. This is where the problem arises. The idea of democracy is not really democracy, since the mainland chooses who can be elected, then a decision can be made from there. The students and young people are protesting over the right to choose who is put on the ticket, without Mainland’s input.

Mainland does not want to give into the student’s demands, because then the system would be in uproar. China does not want other territories to see that protesting can bring about change, and therefore are unwilling to compromise. This illustrates one of the main differences between the governance, and therefore lifestyles, between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

Now, with a very vague background of how Hong Kong and Mainland China differ so greatly, I ask you to join me as I travel back through my adventures.

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