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Being Chinese
OpinionChina Opinion
Being Chinese
Lijia Zhang

Once a Chinese frog in a well, I’m now living my travel dreams

When China opened up and millions went abroad, it influenced everything from fashion and cuisine to values and perspectives

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A Chinese tourist throws wheat while dressed up as a bride for a traditional Serbian wedding experience in Gostoljublje, a village near the Serbian town of Kosjeric, in 2019. The year before the pandemic hit, Chinese tourists topped the world in outbound spending. Photo: AFP
Lijia Zhang is a rocket-factory worker turned social commentator, and the author of a novel, Lotus.

Once again, I find myself in sun-drenched Morocco, a North African country steeped in history and culture. I’ve come to bask in the warmth, balancing my days between writing and wandering – one of the joys of being able to work from anywhere.

At the moment, I am perched on the roof terrace of a co-living hostel, sipping mint tea. Below, the cheerful voices of Berber children playing football echo through narrow streets, while the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, floats in the air. In the distance, the sea glitters in the sunshine like so many diamonds.

Why do I travel? I often wonder. Perhaps it stems from growing up poor in a confined world, much like that of a frog in a well. Now that I’ve leapt free, I’m driven by an insatiable desire to explore.

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