The World's Freakin' Big. So I Had a Look. In China.
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Yunnan welcomes all you hard-working folks (often jokingly called 'beasts of burden') from other provinces to come give our economy a boost. Many cities in Yunnan are actually great places to live.
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Life in Beijing can be quite comfortable if you're not slaving away in a '996' job. Just look at the Beijing 2025 concert lineup – you could catch a show almost every week until the end of the year. Then there's the upcoming May Day Super Strawberry Music Festival. While others spend thousands on flights and hotels just to see one artist, even if you buy the cheapest 380 yuan tickets for 10 concerts, it's like their cost for one show. Plus, with a 100-yuan annual park pass, you get unlimited access to places like the Summer Palace and Beihai Park. Spring blossoms, autumn foliage, winter snow – the fun never ends!
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Going to concerts is really expensive.
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I think Beijing is great. I'm a young woman from a rural area, a college dropout, and I managed to save 35,000 yuan in just six months here. That's pretty amazing for me! I've learned so much, like independence and how to handle pressure.
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You're doing great, sis! Things will only get better for you!
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I know a young security guard at a middle school. He doesn't smoke, drink, or date. His sole passion is visiting museums. In Beijing, his life is basically work and museums. When he finds an exhibition he loves, he'll spend the entire day there. In his spare time, he meticulously studies the pieces he's seen, examines photos, researches them, and then revisits. It could be a sculpture, a vase, or a painting. The Forbidden City's ten-visit annual pass isn't nearly enough for him. Whenever he has a bit of leave, he explores museums in the Beijing vicinity. Talk to him about museums, and his eyes just light up. He truly loves Beijing.
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I used to dislike visiting museums, but ever since turning 35, I've become a huge fan. It's a shame that on my first trip to Beijing, I couldn't explore them enough as our tour guide had us on a tight schedule. This time around, I couldn't even manage to book a slot for the National Museum of China.
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I'm visiting Beijing right now, and I'm most impressed by how polite people are – they give up their seats to children on the subway, which I really appreciate. However, I'm accustomed to the slow, easy-going life in Quanzhou. While Quanzhou might not have many 'major' attractions, the thought of a high-intensity daily commute in Beijing, rushing for subways for over two hours, makes me think I'd probably have a meltdown. I guess I'll just stick to being a 'happy little slacker' and visit Beijing as a tourist now and then.
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It just means you haven't experienced the good side of Beijing.
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People from Yunnan are often true homebodies; for them, no place can be better than their hometown because that's where their friends and family are.
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During my recent trip to Beijing, I encountered quite a few people who were very blunt and aggressive in their speech. It really is a city that needs some 'demystifying.' Its level of inclusiveness feels pretty average.
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They're blunt because they have the 'capital' (status/power) to be. Us 'workhorses' can't afford to be assertive like that, no matter where we are.
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I really wonder, what's supposed to be so 'enchanting' about Beijing anyway?
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I still want to go there.