Ah, the Classic 'Diyu Hei' (Regional Bashing) Flame War on My WeChat Moments

[Antonio Sawayn]

Sure thing! Let me help you edit this to make it easy for foreign friends to understand your thoughts and advice!

---

I wonder if this little rant can be shared.

• A few days ago, I saw a complaint in my friend circle posted by a friend. It seems they had a terrible time somewhere, complaining about many things. I even specifically changed their nickname for this post since there were too many words to censor that it made me dizzy!
• Honestly, I was a bit puzzled:
  • Is it really okay to attribute the bad experience of a trip to the entire province and all its people?
    • A Little Background Info: As you may know, provinces in China are generally very large, similar to states or regions in other countries. Each province usually comprises numerous cities. These cities have different characteristics and can be quite distinct from each other! Take Guangdong Province for example; it houses several cities, including Guangzhou, which is the provincial capital.
  • And, let me share my own experiences with you:
    • I spent years studying in Guangzhou, which is the largest city in Guangdong Province, where I mostly encountered nice people and events, leaving me with wonderful memories. (Of course, this is just based on my personal experiences!)

That's what I want to say:

• ️An Important Travel Tip:
  • Don't Judge a Whole Place by One Bad Experience: If you are unhappy about your visit to a city, don’t let that feeling influence your opinion of the province or all the locals. Every place has both good and bad aspects, like how every person has a unique personality.
  • Do Your Research & Ask Around: Before you embark on any journey, take the time to read different travel攻略(translated as 'guides') and ask the opinions of those who have visited. Some may have experienced the same issue and could give you sound advice.
  • Keep an Open Mind: Just remember, travel is also about experiencing the unknowns! Even if something goes wrong, try to embrace it as part of the journey. Who knows? The next place may surprise you with something positive!

Wishing everyone a pleasant journey!

[Melody Jacobi]

LOL, most people in Guangzhou and Shenzhen are from out of town. They might even be from the same hometown as him!

[Bonnie Beatty]

She even made a point of saying people from Suzhou are much more cultured than Cantonese people. Well, I certainly didn't see that in her.

[Kendra Howe]

I know a couple of people from Hefei who are always showing off and really look down on Guangdong. They say Guangdong is some unknown little place, worse than Hefei in every way – Hefei forever! I'm not saying Hefei is bad, but this kind of trash-talking to big themselves up is just speechless... And many outsiders say Guangzhou is exclusionary, but honestly, I think locals everywhere tend to be a bit wary of outsiders.

[Ms. Thelma DuBuque-Rolfson]

How bizarre. Haven't they heard of 'Bei-Shang-Guang' (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou)? Guangzhou and Shenzhen are first-tier cities, right next to Hong Kong and Macau. I don't know where they get their sense of superiority from. 'Frog in a well' is the perfect description for them.

[Eunice Rutherford]

I'm specifically calling out the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region. Most of the people badmouthing Guangdong are from these places. It's insane.

[Kristopher Schultz PhD]

And Hubei too....

[Edith Friesen]

They're already engaging in regional discrimination... What more is there to say?

[Kevin Harris]

If they've got the guts, they should report it to the central government and apply to not use a single cent of Guangdong's money.

[Kelley Balistreri]

If they despise regional discrimination so much, then maybe they shouldn't come to Guangzhou to work for Guangdong people. They can just go back to their 'wonderful' hometowns.

[Mr. Philip Hudson]

I once saw a comment saying, 'Without us outsiders, would Guangdong's GDP be so high?' I was speechless when I read that.

[Joseph Thompson]

Bashing Guangdong is a sure way to get clicks.

[Ethel Morissette]

True. Someone posted something badmouthing Guangdong on Xiaohongshu, and they deleted it themselves shortly after. Probably got flamed.

[Alejandro Runolfsdottir]

Have you noticed? In threads badmouthing Guangdong, the most active IPs are usually from Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

[Misty Anderson DDS]

It's because their GDP is always ranked behind ours, so deep down they're salty and try every way to badmouth us.

[Carmen Willms]

Pick-ups at Guangzhou South Station are at designated spots. There are rules about where you can get in a car. It's really not the driver trying to give you a hard time; it's possible you were in a no-stopping zone.

[Katrina Ziemann]

Besides, hailing a cab at the high-speed rail station makes you an easy target. Guangzhou's subway is so well-developed; if the taxi drivers don't rip you off, who will they rip off?

[Arnold Predovic]

It feels like the entire internet is bashing Guangdong.

[Faye O'Conner]

I just assume anyone stirring up regional hate is a troublemaker, possibly paid to stir things up.

[Courtney Hickle Jr.]

See one, report one.