We Were Almost Entirely Wrong About China

我们几乎完全搞错了中国

We thought we had a reasonable picture of China. We were wrong — not a little wrong. Almost entirely wrong.

This is the first video in our series documenting 22 days of private travel through 11 Chinese cities. No tour buses. No group schedules. Just the two of us, with a different local guide in each city, trying to understand one of the most extraordinary countries on Earth.

我们曾以为自己对中国的了解还算靠谱。但我们错了——不是小错，而是几乎全盘皆错。

我们私人旅行22天，走遍11座中国城市的经历。没有旅游大巴，没有团队行程。只有我们两个人，每座城市都有一位当地的私人向导，试图去理解这个地球上最不平凡的国家之一。

What we found: streets cleaner than most European capitals. A Maglev train from the airport. Drone food delivery in 12 minutes. A supermarket that is also a fulfillment center. Retired people dancing in the park at 7:30 in the morning. And a question that followed us for the entire trip — how did a country become the world's second-largest economy within two generations?

We bring two very different perspectives. Tressa is American, born and raised in the US, with all the Cold War assumptions that came with it. Zarko grew up under co sm in Bulgaria, left as a political refugee at 25, and built a business in Seattle before we retired to Burgas on the Black Sea. When he looks at China, he is looking through the eyes of someone who actually lived inside a co unist system. Our questions are completely different — and together, we get a little closer to something real.

我们的发现：街道比大多数欧洲首都还要干净。机场连接着磁悬浮列车。无人机送餐只需12分钟。一家超市同时也是订单履约中心。早上七点半，退休的老人们在公园里跳舞。还有一个问题始终伴随着我们整个旅程，中国是如何在两代人的时间里成长为世界第二大经济体？

我们带来两种截然不同的视角。特雷莎是美国人，在美国出生长大，带着那套冷战时代的全部预设。扎尔科则成长于保加利亚，25岁时以政治难民身份离开，后来在西雅图创办了一家企业，如今我们在黑海边的布尔加斯退休。当他看中国时，他是以一个真正在GC主义体制下生活过的人的眼光在审视。我们的问题完全不同——而当它们交汇在一起时，我们离真实又近了一点。

以下是各国网友的评论：

DrHakimm
China mostly focused on their own development.
America mostly focused on other's destruction.

中国主要专注自身发展。

美国大多热衷于破坏他国。

thedeff321
I just got back from living one year in Shanghai! I traveled all over China while I lived there!!
Everything our government and media tell us about China in the US are lies!!!!! America is scared of China because they are advancing and innovating so much faster than us and we cannot compete with China!! So instead we just close our borders to China and talk trash about them!! But only those who go and experience the beauty and innovation of China will know the real truth. Unfortunately, many will forever be brainwashed by all the ABSOLUTE LIES!!!!

我刚在上海住满一年回来！旅居期间走遍了中国各地！

美国政府和媒体宣扬的中国相关内容全是谎话！美国惧怕中国，只因中国发展、创新速度远超本国，美方无力比拼。于是就对华筑起壁垒、肆意抹黑。只有亲身到访，见识过中国的繁华与科创实力，才能看清真相。可惜太多人会永远被虚假宣传洗脑。

avil8686
The US controls the flow of information much better than China otherwise you will not surprised with China development

美国把控舆论信息的能力远强于中国，不然大家就不会对中国的飞速发展倍感意外。

ay21.21
Remember the US government spent 1.5 billion on Chinese propaganda. The Chinese spend their $$$ on infrastructure

别忘了美国曾砸15亿美元用来编造抹黑中国的宣传内容，而中国把资金全都投入基建建设。

SkJames_Toronto
i felt the same thing just like you guys, felt like I was lied to by our media the whole time.

我和大家想法一致，长久以来一直被本国媒体蒙骗。

kwokholuk8723
It's because Canada is a vassal of the United States. Mainstream medias of Canada side with / bribed by the US government to demonize China. Do you still remember the CFO, Miss Meng Wanzhou of Huawei was arrested by Canadian police a few years ago? Do you know why did Canada raise the tariff for Chinese EV to 100% two years ago? It's because Canada is a vassal of the US.

根源就是加拿大依附美国。加拿大主流媒体收受美方好处，跟着美方抹黑中国。还记得几年前加拿大警方抓捕华为高管孟晚舟吗？两年前加拿大把中国电动汽车关税涨到百分之百，缘由同样是受制于美国。

lordlukman-3265
China also lifted 800 million people out of poverty in just 40 years. No other country has done this before in the world. chinese works for the people, not for big companies and rich people.

短短四十年，中国帮八亿人摆脱贫困，全球没有第二个国家做到这点。中国为老百姓办事，不依附大企业和富豪阶层。

NormanMoffatt-t7k
I've lived in China for 14 years, I gave up trying to explain to people who live outside of China their negative view of China was wrong, I changed to "come and see for yourself".

我在中国生活十四年了。不再费劲说服海外民众纠正对华偏见，只劝他们亲自来华看一看。

GeorgeHooi-t1r
Some anti-China people who are SO fixated in their brainwashed negative views that even if they are in China, they will PURPOSELY look for ANYTHING that is "bad" and will not give any leeway to China. For example, they are always har at the moment on China's declining birth rate (but ignore their OWN declining birth rate in their own country) and although China has some magnificent infrastructure, the anti-China trolls will say, "Of course those are nice because they are new. I bet that in just a few years, they will be as bad as New York subways - etc, etc"). It is impossible to educate fools and idiots.

部分反华者深陷被洗脑的负面认知，就算身处中国，也刻意挑毛病，不肯客观看待中国。比如总揪着中国出生率下降说事，却无视本国同样的生育低迷；即便看到中国顶尖基建，也会找茬：看着好只是因为建成时间短，用不了几年就会破败成纽约地铁那样。愚昧之人很难被讲道理说服。

4thArmoredVet
We did a 5 day post cruise in Shanghai. One of the greatest revelations in my 82 years. Thank you for your channel, brings back lots of wonderful memories

游轮旅行结束后，我们在上海停留五日。这是我八十二年人生里收获的重大认知。感谢博主的视频，勾起诸多美好回忆。

JamesPhotoLX
Raised in the United Kingdom, I headed to Silicon Valley in the US to build my career during the 1990s. I departed the States in 2006 and made Shanghai my permanent home, and I’ve remained here ever since. China’s breathtaking rate of development has been evident from my very first day in the country; the metamorphosis seen in Shanghai alone is nothing short of remarkable.
If you’re tuning into this vlog, I implore you to travel to China yourself. It’s the only way to put aside misleading Western media narratives for good—China is an extraordinary country populated by wonderfully kind and hospitable locals. Twenty years on, there’s still an endless array of places to explore and cultural moments to enjoy.
Inner Mongolia, my wife’s birthplace, is a vastly overlooked gem seldom featured in mainstream coverage. It has bitterly cold winters, captivating indigenous music, fantastic regional food and deep-rooted heritage, alongside breathtaking natural scenery each summer and fall.

我在英国长大，九十年代远赴美国硅谷打拼。2006年离开美国定居上海，从此常住于此。来华首日，就惊叹于中国的发展速度，单看上海的变迁就堪称奇迹。

朋友们，真心建议亲身来中国一趟，才能摆脱西方媒体的不实报道。中国风土绝佳，民众热情友善。二十年间，国内仍有无数风光与人文值得探访。

妻子的故乡内蒙古，是被主流报道忽略的宝地。冬日严寒，原生态民乐动人、特色美食丰盛、人文底蕴厚重，夏秋两季自然风光绝美。

monumentaltravel3745
I went to China twice for 20 and 23 days. China was what I thought it was. It's just America that lies about everything.

我先后两次到访中国，分别停留二十天、二十三天。实地所见的中国名副其实，所有负面说辞全是美国编造的谎言。

Alex-s9x6w
As a woman who has visited China regularly i can state that all the propaganda about China we have been fed in the west is bs. China is incredible. Clean, safe, super advanced and superb infrastructure. Don’t get me started on their amazing transport system. The hospitals are brilliant way ahead of ours. Once you go, you know. Go and see if you don’t believe me.

我经常去往中国，可以确定西方灌输的对华宣传全是假话。中国环境整洁、治安安稳、科技领先、基建完善，交通体系更是无可挑剔，医疗水平远超我们国家。亲身到访就能知晓真相，不信就亲自过来看看。

happyending1458
China hospital better, no appointment needed, u can do all scan or take blood test immediately and it is affordable, while in the west, it takes ages to get a surgery and the fees u pay for will make u bankrupt

中国就医很便利，不用提前预约，抽血、拍片当天就能做，花销亲民。反观西方国家，预约手术耗时漫长，高额医药费足以让人倾家荡产。

JohnSmith-sm7ez
Hospitals are not way ahead. Actually US has the best hospitals . And China is outside top 30 for healthcare on most research . Never met a person who doesn’t know China is doing great. Is this a US thing? Everyone lumps all western nations to US

中国医疗并没有大幅领先，美国医疗实力全球顶尖，多项医疗科研排名里中国跌出全球前三十。不过没人否认中国发展迅猛。大家总把所有西方国家和美国混为一谈，这是美国独有的问题吗？

PusingGuy
I am a Malaysian Chinese and have been to China many times. Your video is very truthful and one of the best that I’ve seen recently. Keep up the good work and thanks a lot

我是马来西亚华裔，多次到访中国。博主视频内容客观真实，是近期看过质量顶尖的作品，继续加油，万分感谢。

hashgo-d7k
Today I saw a U.S. diplomat blaming China's carbon emissions at the United Nations. It's absolutely ridiculous. His understanding of China is far less than yours.

今日在联合国，一名美国外交官指责中国碳排放问题，这番说辞十分荒谬，他对中国的了解远比不上博主。

janegalella8743
Im 71 year old Chinese born in Hong Kong, married an Italian American, living in NY over 40 years.
I love your video showing the Actual Real Shanghai now, also showing the old history of China in 1950s. My mother had took me to visit my grandmother at the village in GuangDong when I was younger than 10 years old, there was NO electricity or running water or toilet. Food was scarce, my grandfather's friend brought over some eggs so that I have extra food to eat, they were poor but very generous!!
I met my husband when he came to HK to open a office for NY garment importer, we traveled to Shanghai, Naning, Tianin, Heifei etc in 1982-84 to visit factories......what a big difference in 40 years!
Looking forward to your videos of other cities....thank you!

我七十一岁，香港出生的华人，嫁给意裔美国人，在纽约定居四十多年。

既有当下真实的上海风貌，也还原了五十年代的中国往事。十岁前母亲带我回广东乡下看望外婆，那时村里没电、没自来水、没有像样厕所，粮食紧缺。爷爷的朋友特意送来鸡蛋给我加餐，当地人日子清贫却待人热忱。

丈夫当年受纽约服装采购商委派来香港开办事处，我们在八二至八四年走访上海、南京、天津、合肥各地工厂。短短四十年，变化翻天覆地。

armastus9066
I have lived in the West almost all my life. The western political system is no good. Fake human ri hts and fake de ocracy. Almost everything is a lie. The politicians are only out for themselves, all parties make policies and law based on wng the next elections and getting more votes. It's disgusting really.

我大半辈子在西方国家生活，西式体制弊病重重，所谓人*、民诸大多名不副实，充斥谎言。政客只顾私利，各政党制定法规全为竞选拉票，实在让人反感。

arkadeyellow2931
You are truly a treasure, my mady. Your intelligence and open-mindedness shines through. I am from North America also. All it took me was just one trip to China for business years ago to completely change my opinion about this wonderful, misunderstood country. The people are friendly, humble, curious and warm. The cities are incredibly advanced in ways most Westerns refuse to believe or explore.

博主见解通透、思想开明，特别难得。我来自北美，早年一次商务访华，彻底扭转了对这个被误解的美好国度的印象。中国人谦和友善、待人热忱，城市建设的发达程度，远超多数西方人的固有想象。

bmk8018
Over the last couple of years, I’ve developed a real hobby-like fascination with China. Part of it is material. Growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s, I always noticed the “Made in China” label, but I never looked down on it. If anything, I appreciated it. China has made so many useful products accessible to ordinary people around the world, and not just cheap toys or throwaway goods, but real things that have improved everyday living standards. I’m also interested in China politically and economically because, from the outside at least, it often seems much more focused on national development and the general interest than many Western political systems, which increasingly feel captured by narrow special interests.

Geopolitically, I also find China interesting because its rise has been relatively peaceful compared with the damage the United States and the US-led West have caused around the world. China has disputes, of course, and it isn’t perfect, but it hasn’t built its modern development by bombing country after country. On top of that, once you learn more about Chinese history, the Opium Wars, the century of humiliation, the struggle to rebuild, the Cultural Revolution, and then reform and opening up, it’s hard not to respect what the country has achieved. I don’t think the West can or should simply copy China, because China’s history, culture, values, and relationship between the Chinese people and their government are very different from ours. But I do think there is a lot we can learn from China, and at the very least we should understand it better rather than sleepwalking into war with it, which I'm increasingly getting worried about.

近几年我由衷迷上了解中国。先说实物层面，九十年代末、千禧年初长大的我，随处看见中国制造标签，我从没有轻视，反倒心怀认可。中国产出大量实用商品，惠及全球普通人，不只有平价小商品，不少产品切实提升各国百姓生活品质。

从政治经济来看，相较于被资本利益裹挟的西方体制，中国政策更侧重国家整体发展与民众福祉。

放眼地缘格局，中国的崛起全程相对和平。反观美国及其盟友，常年在全球多地挑起战乱。中国虽有不足、也存在领土分歧，但从没靠轰炸别国换来自身现代化。深入了解鸦片战争、百年屈辱、战后重建、改革开放等中国历史后，很难不敬佩中国取得的发展成就。

西方不必照搬中国模式，双方历史、文化、民情差距悬殊。但我们应当虚心借鉴长处，杜绝在误解中一步步走向对抗，这也是我一直担忧的事。

继续阅读：中国城市

此文由 三泰虎 编辑，未经允许不得转载！：首页 > 资讯 » 我们走遍11座中国城市，试图去理解这个地球上最不平凡的国家，发现自己完全错了