John Leonard is a clerical officer in the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast.He is also a BA and MA graduate in History from the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics. John has been fortunate to go on two holidays to China, in 2024 and 2025. What follows is a short reflection on his experiences in China alongside some photos of places that he had the opportunity to visit.
On my first holiday in China, I visited Beijing and Shijiazhuang. I found the cultural difference between Chinese culture and western culture to be quite striking: different languages, different architectural styles and different types of food. I quickly embraced this difference and had an enjoyable time. I visited many famous places like The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace and The Olympic Tower.
I also went to some areas where tourists would not really visit. Many locals in these areas had never seen a western person before and this took a bit of getting used to as people would stare at me with both surprise and fascination. However, the locals were extremely welcoming and friendly, and they often called me their “外国朋友 wàiguó péngyou” (foreign friend).
On my second holiday in 2025, I visited Shanghai and Hangzhou. Highlights of Shanghai included a visit to the top of the Shanghai Tower, a boat ride past the Nanjing Road, as well as visits to the Global Harbour and the Yuyuan Gardens. I found the architectural style of Shanghai to be very similar to western architecture. It had the feel of Beijing, London and New York all combined into one city.
In Hangzhou, I was fortunate to visit the West Lake and the Grand Canal. The scenery was absolutely stunning. And learning about all the poets associated with the West Lake was another reminder about the rich history within Chinese culture.
During my first holiday in China, I stayed in the north of the country. On the second holiday it was interesting to experience the south of China and compare both the differences and similarities between so many places across this one nation.
China is such a vibrant country with so much history dating back thousands of years. I was amazed at how many cultural ideologies and cultural practices from thousands of years ago are still prevalent today.
I found the local Chinese people to be very welcoming. My experiences taught me that no matter what part of the world you are from, that the average person you meet in somewhere like China is very similar to someone you might meet at home. People will always have that welcoming and supportive attitude towards others and will reach out the hand of friendship to their “外国朋友” (foreign friend).
我爱中国！(Wǒ ài Zhōngguó)