When you step onto Chinese soil for the first time, you don’t just arrive in another country, you enter a different rhythm of the world.
Let’s continue our traveling journey between Nepal and China, the 2nd leg is China :).
We entered China from Nepal and planned to fly onward to Malaysia, to fulfil the requirement of the “third country” rule. We arrived via Beijing’s approved airports, so that condition was also met. Where I hesitated was the permitted travel area. According to the website, entering via Beijing seemed to restrict us to Beijing Municipality only. So, we played it safe. We confined ourselves to the capital.
Only later did I learn we could have traveled much farther, just like my colleague’s family who entered via Shanghai, flew to Harbin, and exited again from Shanghai under the same policy. When I found out, I felt a mix of regret and gratitude, regret for the places we didn’t see, but gratitude for everything we did. And, more importantly, excitement for our inevitable return. China clearly wasn’t finished with us.
Flying China Southern
I had watched China Southern’s bargain fares for years. On this trip, they were the cheapest way from Kathmandu to China, though it meant a short transit in Guangzhou. At check-in in Kathmandu, as expected, the ground staff didn’t recognize the 240-hour transit policy and repeatedly asked for our China visa. I pulled up the official website on my phone, explaining calmly while trying to hide my anxiety. After several phone calls, they finally nodded. We were cleared to board. Later I discovered from the online forums that some travelers had been denied boarding for the same reason. That realization made me even more grateful we made it through.
Onboard, I was pleasantly surprised. The plane was clean, modern, and surprisingly comfortable, far better than what I expected from a budget carrier. The cabin crews were friendly, cold and hot drinks were served and although I forgot to pre-order a Muslim meal, the fish option felt like a small blessing in the sky.
Guangzhou
When we landed in Guangzhou at 7 PM, I felt my heart leap. This was Mainland China, a place I had seen in movies, documentaries, and history books, now real before my eyes. The airport stunned me, spotless floors, bright lights, and a sense of efficiency that made me feel like I had stepped into the future. Even the toilets impressed me, it was clean.
Because we were transferring to a domestic flight, we had to clear immigration first. We lined up at the special counter for special temporary permit. I was a bit nervous as we waited in the line. A woman ahead of us struggled with her documents and her English, and the officer visibly frustrated and asked her to wait outside. I felt helpless, I could tell she is Indonesian from her accent, wishing I could bridge the language gap.
When our turn came, the officer was also formal and direct. He asked about our jobs, our plans, our hotel and our return flight. Thankfully, I had printed everything, and after a few moments that felt like forever, STAMP! Alhamdulillah we were officially in China.
BEIJING
Our domestic flight to Beijing was smooth, efficient, and eerily quiet. We landed at 1 AM yet Beijing Daxing Airport felt alive. Baggage came quickly and our driver greeted us with a warm smile. A quiet ride through wide roads in BYD car felt like gliding into another world.
By 2:30 AM, we were in our hotel room. Standing by the window, I felt both small and amazed, in that moment, China stopped being a destination it became a presence. Beijing felt like layers of history stacked on top of the future, Soviet yet Chinese, traditional yet modern, rigid yet vibrant.
The next day, we took our first Chinese train from Beijing to Miyun, a ski resort 150 km from Beijing. Fast, clean, punctual, everything worked like clockwork. Throughout the day, we used Didi six times, and every single car was a BYD electric vehicle.
Not only the BYD Didi, what shocked me most was how affordable everything was in a country that represents one of the world’s most powerful nations. The 3 km Didi ride cost only 4 yuan, a basket of oranges, apples, bread, and snacks was less than 20 Malaysian ringgit
Most people didn’t speak English, but they tried. My daughter can speak Mandarin a bit and we use google translate to communicate. However, I felt that their kindness didn’t need translation. In Miyun, only 24 hours in China, and I already knew something had shifted inside me. From Guangzhou’s colossal airport to Beijing’s frozen midnight streets, from silent electric cars to bullet-like trains, China felt overwhelming, mesmerizing, and strangely intimate all at once.
On the airplane, I read a quote from the Summer Palace that stayed with me: “Harmony between heaven’s joy and human unity.” I felt that harmony not as a slogan, but as a lived experience. And I know, we will return. Xie Xie China !
