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China Daily / 2022-01 / 04 / Page012

City a combination for natural beauty and modernity

By Filip Jordan | China Daily | Updated: 2022-01-04 00:00

Almost one decade ago, I moved to China. The reason was simple-I followed my heart and attached my life to a girl from Guizhou. For this reason, I have had plenty of time to recognize Guiyang and its life, nature, traditions and technological and economic growth.

As time goes by, I realize more and more that Guiyang is a beautiful place to live in, and I would like to share my reasons why I think this. The first time I came to Guiyang was during Spring Festival in 2010. Honestly speaking, it was not the ideal time to visit because the winter was very cold, and for a foreigner living in an even colder climate where buildings are heated, it was a really "hardship".

Unlike this experience, I found out that the scenery of the mountainous region is fascinating. In the past years, I had a chance to discover Guiyang city and its surroundings. You can visit exciting places like the famous Jiaxiulou tower, Fengyuqiao bridge and Qingyan, an ancient garrison town in the south of Guiyang. People who like nature can visit Qianling Park in the city center or move to Huaxi district to enjoy a water land park, especially in spring.

Besides these great landmarks, there is also the option to relax with friends and go for a hike, camping close to Guiyang at Hongfeng lake. From this perspective, Guiyang is a place where you can enjoy the natural beauty and spend time away from the stresses of modern life, which is just what we need sometimes.

Guiyang and its surroundings are not only a place for relaxing and enjoying nature but also for working.

When you live here, you can recognize rapid changes in social development and modernization, and this goes hand in hand with proper care and in symbiosis with the environment. Compared with other provinces, the rapid industrialization in the 1980s and 1990s skipped Guizhou. From my perspective, this was down to logistics.

It is not easy to create dense roads and railway networks in mountainous areas. Now in 2021, we can use highways, high-speed trains and the subway in Guiyang. Technological growth provides new opportunities, and Guiyang has jumped on the chance to generate new industries for the 21st century. That the big data industry is synonymous with Guiyang is well known across China. In daily life, you can see electric vehicles being used as taxis and personal vehicles much more than before.

EVs have been a hot topic in the European Union since A European Green Deal plan was introduced. China's method of spreading EVs throughout its society is unique, using government support and the availability of inexpensive EVs.

Nevertheless, what should be highlighted in Guiyang, as well as Guizhou as a whole, is the local cuisine and ethnic groups.

The number of minorities living in Guizhou is the highest in China, which offers a multicultural society with various traditions. Maybe that is behind the motto "Colorful Guizhou". Not only its colorful nature, but the people who reside here make the land as it is. This all is reflected in the provincial capital.

The level of spice in Guizhou cuisine is so high that it has even made me cry, but a box of tissues will solve this problem, and I can soon go back to enjoying the taste of the meal again. I think nobody would ever forget the taste of spicy chicken, sour fish hotpot by the Miao ethnic group, mushroom hotpot, Huaxi beef noodles, Siwawa, or spring rolls, or even Zheergen vegetable root, which is great roasted with smoked pork meat. These are the reasons that point to Guiyang as a green and ecological city.

A place where nature's protection goes together with modernization, a place with friendly people and delicious meals, and the place where I found my second home with my wife and daughter.

 

Filip Jordan has taught at Guizhou University for seven years. CHINA DAILY

 

 

Filip Jordan, a building services engineering teacher at Guizhou University, provided this story.

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