China Series: Old Meets New

We stood on the pavement of the ancient city admiring the intricate work of the buildings, carefully angling our cameras to capture the striking contrast of the old edifices with the skyline of the modern city in the background. We were in Shanghai.

Since China is an ancient civilization spanning thousands of years, the aforementioned scenario was experienced in most cities that we visited. It was normal to walk or ride down a street with our eyes fastened to the sky because of the heights of buildings or looking at modern skylines, and then see a structure that has existed for centuries.

One of the fascinating aspects about visiting China was observing the architecture of the buildings, both old and new. I mentioned in my first post in this series how ancient communities (as well as land in general) were (or have been) decreasing due to urban sprawl. It was astonishing to see rows upon rows of high-rise buildings being constructed, in the hopes – as we were told – people would live in them. China has built complete cities that have yet to be inhabited; I am convinced we came across at least one or two areas where lack of inhabitants was, and potentially still is, the case. The growth occurring around the cities we visited kept me (us) in awe.

The Great Wall of China was not exempt from modern influences – understandably so. As with many ancient civilizations, it was interesting to experience the age-old location(s) with the convenience of contemporary, and sometimes Western, influences (Subway or KFC, anyone?).

The first time I stood on the Great Wall, it was with two individuals I have known since childhood. We were elated to finally be in a place we had heard about since our youth and only dreamed about visiting. Hundreds – perhaps thousands – of other people felt the same way on that scorching summer day, for we were on a popular part of the wall. Our climb was both exhilarating and arduous. Who knew the stairs were so steep and that it was going to be so crowded?

The second time I visited the Wall with a different group of individuals, we went to a less popular section. There was a cable car ride up, a slide down, the Wall was relatively flat, the weather beautiful, and the crowds practically non-existent. The visit was glorious!

Old meets new is potentially an everyday occurrence in China, particularly in reference to architectural development. I learned that both are capable of coexisting, even in other contexts in society or business. There are times when it is necessary to preserve historical contributions while moving boldly toward the future by using modern conveniences.

Next week I will share about the various creative elements encountered while visiting China, including art, music, and other unique observations.