This comparison really highlights the intense competition and pressure in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. It feels quite suffocating.

Taken on the 3rd and 4th.

It's not just people from Guangdong.

How do you commute between Shenzhen and Hong Kong? And roughly how long does it take each way?

I've been to Shanghai, and its metro really feels out of place for such a bustling city. Even Changsha's metro is better, whether new or old lines. Why don't Shanghai residents complain? It's so dim, and the signage isn't great. I thought it was just one or two stations, but others were the same, and some interchange stations were even worse. However, the stations are quite spacious, and it wasn't too crowded, so I could usually find a seat. Maybe that's because I was in a newer district.

I'm arriving in Beijing tomorrow, and I've decided to take your advice!

Going to Beijing wouldn't help me; I'd just feel more stifled.

Shanghai taxis are sooo expensive! (Yeah, right!) I've been here four days, taking taxis daily. A 40-minute ride for over ten kilometers costs just over 20 RMB, and a 2km trip is only 8 RMB... Who'd even bother cycling with prices like these?

Haichang Ocean Park!!!! Went once on a school trip, it was absolutely unbearable.

As a Suzhou native, I couldn't agree more with you. It's not just Suzhou; it seems like every tourist spot nowadays just hangs up those big red lanterns everywhere – zero creativity. I often wonder if ancient times were really like this. Life must have been quite something then, huh? (sarcastic). By the way, true Suzhou locals rarely visit Guanqian Street these days. The shops there are either blasting music from loudspeakers, have staff clapping to draw people in, or are perpetually having 'final three days' clearance sales. Hilariously, right next to these, you'll see ads for store managers offering good pay. It's like they assume shoppers are as clueless as they are. So, stepping onto Guanqian Street really feels like you're in some fourth or fifth-tier county town.

You try a loft once, and the magic is gone. Unless they're super expensive, they're usually pretty average and nothing like you imagine.

So why didn't you just refuse her request directly? You could have asked a staff member to help you switch seats, couldn't you? She probably thought you had agreed, but then you just kept pressing the button.

No way, the others were a family. Changing seats would have split them up. Besides, that's just how the ride experience is meant to be, and it's definitely not suitable for people afraid of heights. She was also very rude to me about it.

We all use Alipay.

Not really. Honestly, it's terrifying with all the constant honking (didi di!).

The scenery is admittedly nice, but the manners of the people are another story. We relied solely on taxis, and one driver pretended not to hear me when I asked him to turn off the AC, even though I later saw he had no trouble hearing his GPS. And don't even get me started on the service staff at tourist attractions – asking them an extra question felt like you owed them a huge sum of money.

It's because you're a tourist in Taiwan. In Hong Kong, you might have a place to stay and possibly your own transportation, so of course, the experience will feel different.

Wow, the National Palace Museum in Taipei is truly amazing! It houses a large number of top-tier treasures that were brought from Beijing's Forbidden City many years ago. Although the museum doesn’t give off a particularly grand impression externally, it will still leave you impressed by its abundance of precious art pieces!

However, a minor complaint: such a famous museum should have better transportation accessibility!

• No metro (called “MRT”) direct to the entrance.
• Very limited bus routes.

Nevertheless! Even despite these inconveniences, it is definitely worth going out of your way for this place!

How to get there?

• Route 1:
  • Take the Red Line MRT in Taipei to Sĩ Rén Station.
  • After exiting the station, transfer to Bus #30R, this route directly takes you to the front of the museum.
• Route 2:
  • Take the Wenhua-Xilin Line MRT to Jiàn Nán Road Station.
  • After exiting the station, transfer to Bus BR15.
  • Get off and still have to walk about ten minutes to reach the destination.

️ Opening hours:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 9am to 5pm.
• Note: Visitors can't enter after 4:30 pm.
• Monday: Closed.

Ticket price:

• Full ticket: NT$350 (New Taiwan Dollar).
• Renting an audio guide set: NT$150 (New Taiwan Dollar).

Visiting tips:

• The audio guide includes tour routes with different time lengths, ranging from half an hour to two hours, choose based on your own time schedule.
• The entire museum covers three floors in total and doesn't have too many exhibition halls. If you want to take things easily or just to catch the highlights, it would take around 3-4 hours to see everything.
• Strongly recommended: Start from the 3rd floor and visit down floor by floor. This creates a smoother flow path and the treasures are usually placed on upper levels.
• Don't forget to spare some time after visiting to check out the souvenir shop downstairs (known as the “cultural and creative product shop”), it offers unique items designed based on cultural relics.

During this trip, our luck was not the best: the two super famous museum treasures, the Jadeite Cabbage and the Meat Stone (a stone that looks extremely like braised pork belly) which were known as museum "stars" this time both had been sent to another place for exhibitions, it was somewhat disappointing.
Luckily, the museum’s “treasure” — the Mao Gong Tripod (a crucially significant ancient bronze tripod too heavy to move around), still remains there! Also, those extremely delicate craftsmanship items like “turning core vase” (a vase with several concentric layers that can rotate) and "ivory carved ball-in-ball” (layered ivory balls stacked together), all of them still can be seen. I really love such intricate and exquisite artifacts!

#FollowYourInterestToExplore; #TravellingLikeAnAnthropologist; #Vlog; #TaiwanTravelGuide; #TaiwanTourism; #Taipei; #TaipeiSights; #NationalPalaceMuseum; #MuseumVisit; #CulturalCreativeProducts

Sure! Here's the translation of the given passage:

"Alright, no problem! Taiwan here turned out quite different from my imagination.

• Before I went to Taiwan, I had many preconceptions, but when I arrived, it was actually quite different from what I expected!

  • The locals are generally very friendly and make one feel at ease.
    • Let me tell you a story: One day in Taipei, I was eating with a few friends, but we ended up without enough cash! What an embarrassing situation! Luckily, a nearby kind-hearted girl noticed and offered to pay for our meal! She really moved me.

• ️ Important reminder! Pay attention!

  • Let me give a heads up to those heading to Taiwan about payment methods:
    • Many small food stalls or street vendors and shops with local characteristics prefer taking cash (Taiwanese New Dollars).
    • Although some large shopping malls or chain stores do accept credit cards and other payment methods like Alipay and WeChat (but not everywhere), it is best to carry some Taiwanese cash with you for dining and making small purchases to avoid awkward situations like ours.
    • How should you handle this? Exchange money beforehand or withdraw cash once in Taiwan at the airport, bank, or convenience stores ATMs. It's advisable to ask "Is it possible to use a credit card?" or “Can I use Alipay/WeChat?”

• There was something else that left a strong impression on me:

  • On the streets, especially in Taipei, you can easily see women with short hair (they call them "T") and their female partners walking arm in arm looking cool.
  • It's just that feeling of freedom, seeing them so natural and happy makes one appreciate the social atmosphere there."

They don't follow labor laws and just drain workers' energy.