Evelyne&Jeff’s Excellent China Adventure Series. Months spent traveling the back roads of China. Short videos with transcripts, captioned photos, articles and critical commentary. The REAL Chinese people you do not know!
Shenzhen
Note: I lived and worked in Shenzhen, 2016-2019. Amazing place!
Introduction
It is important to realize that what is happening in Shenzhen is happening all over China, even in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th-tier cities, down to towns and villages. Shenzhen is not the exception, it’s the mundane Sino-normal. More on these smaller bergs in many future posts.
100 Sino-tweets
The post below contains ten sets of ten tweets on X, from several of our recent trips to China. That makes 100 eye-opening, “Earn Your Degree in Chinese Studies” discoveries. Take in 2-3 a day over a month, to be savored like a good wine…
Photos
Creative entrepreneurs
#1a-1c: we meet so many incredible people in China, everywhere we turn. This is Mr. Wang. He and his wife have created a niche service business. (Mostly) Japanese companies contract with him to manufacture toys, stuffed animals and the like, including Disney, Loony Tunes, Hello Kitty, Dell Comics, Transformers and other top brands. It is the Wang’s responsibility to go to various factories in Guangdong Province to find the best one for each production run. He guarantees price, quality and delivery. Their customers are happy to pay them a fee to get the job done right. Mr. Wang is the front man and his wife does all the back office.
Above, Mr. Wang giving Evelyne a custom-ordered teddy bear. Japanese companies will do a run big enough for all their employees to hand out as gifts for anniversaries, corporate meetings, their birthdays throughout the year, etc. This teddy bear is for a well-known video game maker. The five white boxes on the table are these teddies in their tote boxes, which say, “Happy Birthday” on the outside.
Notice Evelyne is wearing an air fan collar. She is allergic to heat and it really helps her stay cool, especially spraying water mist on her face and head for evaporative cooling.
Knitting, crochet, tricot and sewing are very popular in China
#2: we are seeing more and more women making clothes in public. Evelyne is a master seamstress and can do all the needle styles for the various knitting techniques. Whenever we see someone working on a project, she approaches them to share knitting stories, photos of her work and they will often connect via WeChat. Nice way to meet people.
You can see how outlandish is the West’s Talmudic-Torah Big Lie Propaganda Machine Sinophobic vomit. The Chinese people are suffering tremendously under the extreme oppression of communism-socialism! Yeah, right!
Need silk to make cloth? Grow it!
#3: when you walk into stores and businesses, you can see owners raising silkworms to make – Tah-DAH – silk! The cute little critters are in back in the box. They only eat mulberry leaves, so you have to have a ready supply of trees in your area.
Already grown silk cocoons are in the bowl in front. Processing silk thread is hard work, so most growers sell their production to looms for side income.
The other nice advantage is when the pupae hatch, out comes beautiful moths that can be kept to reproduce more silkworms. Here’s how the process works, which is quite fascinating, not to mention the moths are big and beautiful!
Characteristics of the Silkworm Moth
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Scientific Classification: The silkworm moth belongs to the species Bombyx mori and is part of the family Bombycidae.
Life Cycle
And to think this agricultural production system changed the world of fashion, decor, art, and has been going on starting 3,000-5,000BC in China!
Western fast food has serious national competition
#4a-4b: McDonald’s and KFC have a 40-year head start and market domination, but two national brands are coming on strong, with the help of deep-pocketed Chinese investors.
In the first photo, Tastien is going mano-à-mano against titanic McDo all across the country, with a similar, but stripped down menu. Their food is not only good eating, but cheaper. Not to mention McDo has had its pecker drug through the Judeo-dirt with it refusing to scale back or leave Talmud-Torah-occupied Palestine, nor condemn the slaughter of 680,000 Goyim, the latest, true calculation of the ongoing genocide.
Dicos is taking on KFC, selling only chicken products. Fried chicken and sandwiches are much more popular than the beef variety. KFC has a whopping 11,900 stores to 6,500 McDonald’s.
Tastien has recently overtaken McD, with 7,300 eateries, compared to Dicos with over 3,000. This does not include local noodle and Chinese fast food outlets, which run in the millions!
Chinese democracy in action
#5: Baba Beijing and Communist Party of China (CPC) are the biggest poll takers and survey canvassers on Planet Earth (https://radiosinoland.com/2026/01/04/it-is-the-chinese-who-have-the-most-consensual-bottom-to-the-top-consultative-participatory-democracy-in-the-world-jeff-j-browns-library-will-sober-you-up/), conducting countless millions each year. Wherever one lives in China, there are nonstop announcements posted in public places to invite everyone to participate in polls and surveys.
Also above, local governments put up public announcements to invite people to attend informational meetings. Everyone is invited, even if they are not Chinese, the only criterion is being a resident in said neighborhood.
My family and I participated in a number of survey and polls over the years. China has real, local people’s democracy!
Self-driving vehicles are a reality
#6: self-driving cars and trucks are fast becoming a reality across China, including taxis. Here is a self-driving car going through tests in heavy traffic.
Tea is the common currency and gift that keeps on giving
#7: competition between teas, of which there must be hundreds of thousands of brands is incredibly intense. Prices range from working class next to nothing to thousands of dollars/euros for a few hundreds grams and like good wines, age matters – the older the better. Evelyne and I are definitely not connoisseurs, but we can say whether a tea is bad or good. Real pros can go from good to all the levels of better and best, with all the subtleties and nuances implied.
To separate oneself from the competition, all kinds of fancy packaging and boxes are added to seduce you, like this steel container above, sporting a pretty carton insert surrounding the tea wheel, called a “cake” in Chinese (饼 = bing).
This was a gift of tea we got. The wheel weighs 357g, so it will last a good while. The brand is Yunnan Seven Sons Tea Wheel (云南七子饼茶 = Yúnnán qīzǐ bǐng chá). The variety is Bulang Mountain (布朗山 = bùlǎng shān). Interesting for me, Bulang is how the Chinese say the proper name “Brown”.
It is ripe Pu’er tea, the variety that makes Yunnan tea culture so famous. The plantation is in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, which is way down south, along the Vietnam/Laos/Myanmar borders, where the elephants roam.
On the lid surface is repeated calligraphy, with the gold character “tea” (茶 = chá) interspersed. The embossed rectangle is meant to look like a gold ingot, signifying quality. It says in big letters, Pu’er Tea (普尔茶 = Pǔ’ěr chá).
When we meet people or have meetings, tea is almost always there as a beverage or gifts. We can end up with so much that we often re-gift them, as do the Chinese! Tea is a cultural commodity that is currency in the daily lives of the people.
Do you want to give a gift to a Chinese friend that keeps on giving? Make it a box or bag of tea! They may not drink it, but you can bet your sweet bippy someone else will!
Hell money
#8: temple consumable shops are much more prevalent in Taiwan Province, but the Mainland has its fair share. These small mom-and-pop stores sell incense of all kinds and every possible form of paper products to burn as symbolic sacrifices. They are burned for Confucius, Lao Zi (Daoism), Buddha, ancestors, local gods and goddesses. The idea is that when the paper is burned, the smoke floats into the heavens to please the gods and one’s ancestors.
Much of it involves money. Ancestors need money to spend in the afterlife. Reams of fake money, known as joss paper or Hell money are burned. The big bags in front, above, are origami paper gold ingots to burn.
As well heavenly inhabitants are fond of eating, drinking and having fragrant flowers to smell, which is why you see so many bouquets, fruit, biscuits, candy and beverages being offered in temples and altars
Ginger, the versatile, miracle root
#9: one can find dried ginger all over the West, but fresh roots out of the ground, not so much. Fresh ginger is much more subtle and flavorful than dried, and since it is soft, can be eaten when thinly sliced or grated. That’s not possible with dried ginger.
It is an outstanding medication for digestive problems, especially stomach aches. It is used in many Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM).
Not to mention that ginger can be ground into a paste with coconut or vegetable oil, making it one of the most effective remedies for all kinds of insect bites. Just rub it on.
Ginger is de rigueur in many Chinese soups and as a fresh, grated spice in/on many dishes, both hot and cold. Y-U-M-M-Y!
Mao here Mao there Mao everywhere
#10: everywhere you go, Mao Zedong is there. See his poster in the back? This woman runs her own little copy and printing shop. You have been Judeo-brainwashed into believing he was a monster. The Chinese people thank their lucky stars for all that he did for the people and the nation, ongoing 50 years after his death in 1976.
I have written many times that Mao Zedong is a rock star among Chinese business people, because his many writings and speeches about Marxism-Leninism-Communism-Socialism are also keys and secrets to successful enterprise and a happy, prosperous life. Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei considers Mao to be his #1 success guru and there are countless others (https://radiosinoland.com/2020/05/14/ren-zhengfei-founder-of-huawei-says-my-mentor-is-chairman-mao-zedong-im-not-surprised-are-you-china-rising-radio-sinoland-200515/)!
The vast majority of Westerners pay a heavy price by insisting on wearing ideological blinders and refusing to look outside their very narrow, self-imposed Overton Window. This, while the vast majority of Chinese are curious and explore all horizons.
Some of the best health care on Planet Earth
#11: while health care is a disgraceful crime against humanity in the US and rapidly being Talmud-privatized and strangled by Judeo-austerity – meaning destroyed – in the rest of the West, the Chinese have one of the best medical systems in the world, and it is only getting better and better for the 99%, starting with universal coverage for all in 2010. Community health centers, public hospitals and clinics work side-by-side with private equivalents, like the one above.
I just read that in 2025, 1.28 million foreigners traveled to China for high-quality, affordable medical care. It’s no wonder! Taiwan Province too. Our care here is top drawer and very affordable.
Volunteerism is sacred in China
#12a-12b: these volunteer service stands cover Sinoland. They can be found wherever there is public transportation, shopping malls, big events, government offices, parks and in high population areas. Any need or problem that someone has, they are there to help. The volunteer citizens wear their signature red vests and can be found outside these stands walking around in crowded places, ready to answer your questions.
On the left are four very well-known emblems seen all across China. From top to bottom,
Of course, the top logo represents the Communist Party of China, which you may take a very dim view of, but the Chinese know better.
Number Two is the Communist Youth League (CYL).
Number Three is “Heart and Hand Tied Together”. It is a red heart shape with an outstretched hand inside. The heart represents love, dedication, and care, symbolizing the selfless spirit of volunteers. The hand represents action, assistance, and participation, symbolizing how volunteers serve society and help others through practical deeds. Combined, “Heart and Hand Connected” conveys the meaning of acting with love and spreading warmth through action, embodying the volunteer spirit of dedication, friendship, mutual aid, and progress.
The bottom one is for the China Youth Volunteer Association (CYVA). It is a shield-shaped badge featuring the words “Chinese Youth Volunteers” and a graphic composed of a “heart” and an “outstretched hand.”.
The shield symbolizes responsibility, protection and commitment, representing the solemn pledge of volunteers to society. Like above, the internal “heart and hand” motif aligns, further reinforcing the core values of dedication and action.
Logos 3-4 together form the visual identity system of the Chinese Youth Volunteer Service System.
Underneath the service counter on the left, next to the man standing, is a multi-colored clover, resembling a blooming flower, or possibly celebratory fireworks. In either case, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple are the colors of rainbows. The radiating pattern suggests dynamic movement, vitality, diversity, and inclusiveness.
Below the pattern, there are two lines of text,
China-Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau
Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland Zhuhai form the metropolitan hubs of the Lower Pearl River Delta. Together, they cooperate to hold many international, national, regional and local meetings, exhibitions and fairs. Thus, this symbol represents the inclusiveness and prosperity of the Delta.
The other rainbow-colored logo on the right has these same three cities listed with the word “Volunteer” added.
In sum, volunteering is hugely popular, admired and respected all across the Chinese Nation, young, old, in between, across big cities down to villages.
Chinese people are tourism maniacs
#13: China is a major international tourism destination (30.4 million visitors in 2025), while being world Number One for outbound tourism. Internally, with 1.4 billion potential travelers, tourism revenue is gargantuan, making up over 4% of GDP and knocking on 5% in 2025. With very affordable, 300km-per-hour high-speed trains crisscrossing the countryside and hundreds of airports dotting the landscape – all people-owned of course – traveling to every Sino-nook-and-cranny is a breeze, not to mention millions of cheap B&Bs, hostels, hotels and restaurants.
Every part of China has UNESCO World Heritage Sites, national, regional, provincial, local parks and one of the best museum systems in the world.
Therefore, national competition between cities, provinces and regions is very intense. You can see their publicity on the internet, signboards and public transportation everywhere you turn.
Above is an advertisement in Shenzhen’s metro for Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, where fellow China Writer Amir Khan lives and works. Each place likes to give itself a nickname and logo. Changsha has chosen “Happy Changsha” and “Charming Star City”, with its logo upper left. This ad shows off a water park the size of a small village, along with carnival celebrations.
Honesty and respect for property and others on every sidewalk
#14: every time I see infrastructure like this that is open to vandalism, I just smile. This is a big water main feeding a Shenzhen apartment complex. The two valves are not even locked and this is on a not-very-busy street, meaning in the West all this would be tampered with, vandalized and the meter in the middle smashed to smithereens.
It’s nice living in a civilization with this kind of honesty, community spirit and respect for public property!
China is a mind-blowing Tower of Babel. Thank God for Mandarin!
#15: I saw this at our Bank of China (BOC) branch in Shenzhen. China has many thousands of local dialects, almost all mutually incomprehensible. They change from village to village. Mandarin and the written language are the glue that have kept the people together for 5,000 years.
Two of the major dialects in Guangdong Province are Hakka and Chaozhou, spelled Teochew in another famous southern dialect, Guangdongese (Cantonese), the popular tongue in Hong Kong.
Many older people prefer to do business in their local languages and companies cherish employees who can help them out.
No one at our BOC speaks English. Luckily, I Sino-speak!
Patriotism and defense of the Chinese Nation are cherished and sacred
#16a-16b: I secretly wish the day when Uncle Slaughter and its many vassals start a hot war with 1.4 billion patriotic Chinese citizens. This kind of military propaganda is all over the place and the masses take it very seriously. Over 34,600,000 sacrificed their lives to see the Chinese Nation liberated from the Judeo-West and Japan. Many times that many will martyr themselves to keep their country free if need be.
The top photo says,
Building Strong National Defense Awareness and Igniting the Dream of a Strong Military (踔厉奋发强国防 勇毅前行向复兴 = Zhù láo guófáng yìshí diǎnrán qiáng jūn mèngxiǎng). Signed by: Shenzhen Futian District National Defense Education Office, Shenzhen Futian District People’s Armed Forces Department, Shenzhen Futian District Futian Sub-district Office, Shenzhen Futian District Futian Sub-district People’s Armed Forces Department. Small Print: Shenzhen Awaits You.
From left to right, soldiers standing on the Great Wall, in a pose like in so many communist revolution statues and monuments that blanket the country. The meaning? Going back centuries, you are protected.
China has a bigger deep water navy than the US, with three aircraft carrier groups to protect its coastline and keep an eye on boot-licking, occupied Yankee vassals Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines.
The skyline is Shenzhen (these two photos taken at Shenzhen Futian border crossing to Hong Kong).
Next are air force jets flying overhead to protect the people, along with a massive ICBM that can wipe out either the East or West Coast of Talmudic-occupied USA.
The doves, of course, represent keeping the people safe and peaceful.
The two QR codes take you to Chinese military websites to learn more.
The second banner says, Persevering in Efforts to Strengthen National Defense, Bravely and Resolutely Advancing Towards National Rejuvenation (踔厉奋发强国防 勇毅前行向复兴 = Chuō lì fènfā qiáng guófáng yǒngyì qián xíng xiàng fùxīng). Inscribed by: Shenzhen Futian District National Defense Education Office, Shenzhen Futian District People’s Armed Forces Department, Shenzhen Futian District Futian Sub-district Office, Shenzhen Futian District Futian Sub-district People’s Armed Forces Department. Small Print: Shenzhen Awaits Your Arrival.
Like the first banner, there are similar motifs, along with soldiers from the army, navy and air force, in front of a big, rising Sun. Meaning? Things are looking up!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy these final photos of our stays in Shenzhen. Part Two of the finale will be a handful of videos showing daily life in China. Like I said at the beginning, yes, it’s Shenzhen, but as you will see when we report from other provinces, cities, towns and villages, it’s a microcosm of the Chinese people in general.
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Other series by boots-on-the-ground China Writer travelers reporting on real China and real Chinese people!
Stay caught up with Amir&Jeff’s Amazing Adventure, journeying through the wilds of inner China, where foreigners don’t go! Short videos, captioned photos, articles, critical commentary.
State of the Chinese Union 2025: based on five months recently journeying across the country’s backwoods + 17 years living there. Speech given to Samui Real, Thailand, 13 August 2025
ADVENTURES IN ASIA WITH LADYB, FASHU, LAOLAO AND GONGGONG Series (focused on Taiwan Province and the rest of Asia)
Jeff’s many articles about Taiwan Province
Evelyne&Jeff’s Excellent China Adventure Series. Months spent traveling the back roads of China. Short videos with transcripts, captioned photos, articles and critical commentary. The REAL Chinese people you do not know!
Frans Vandenbosch: Final reflections on an extraordinary voyage
https://yellowlion.org/asia-trip-2025-part-11/
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