China had long been on my bucket list, so when I was invited to join the Seminar on Media Co-operation on World Political Parties, organised by the International Department of the Communist Party of China, I immediately accepted.
After an eight-hour flight to Beijing via Doha, I arrived at the Chinese capital where we were put up at The Mumian at Beijing Daxing International Airport so that we could rest ahead of our early flight the next morning.
Joined by translators and media representatives from around 20 countries, we flew to Jiangxi Province the next morning.
This is where we were introduced to the central themes of our trip: The Long March and Mao Zedong (known as Chairman Mao), coinciding with the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
The Long March, a 10,000-km retreat by the Chinese Red Army to evade Nationalist forces under Chiang Kai-shek, remains one of modern China’s defining historical events.
Despite immense hardship, around 8,000 soldiers survived, and many sites along the route have since been preserved.
Nearly nine decades later, many of the places that witnessed this remarkable journey have been preserved as historical landmarks for visitors.
In Jiangxi Province, we were based in Ruijin, a popular destination for red tourism and ecotourism.
We settled in at the Ruijin Hotel, then went down for lunch, where we were immediately greeted by the mayor of the town.
Our organisers graciously covered breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the trip. Meals were catered well for the Muslim delegates, with halal-friendly dishes that left an excellent first impression of Chinese hospitality.
We visited the Yeping Revolutionary Site, home to Mao Zedong’s former residence and other preserved buildings from the early revolutionary period, before stopping at the nearby Red Well, where Chairman Mao once drank water.
The next day, we departed for Yudu County, with our initial stop being the Memorial Park of the Gathering and Departure Point of the Central Red Army for the Long March.
There was a beautiful and emotional ceremony, where we learned of the sacrifices that the soldiers had made for the sake of the Chinese people.
After that, we visited Tantou Village, a historic Hakka settlement renowned for its natural beauty, revolutionary history, and agricultural innovation.
Locals welcomed us with home-grown watermelon and tea, while one senior resident proudly showed us the table at his home where President Xi Jinping had once sat during a visit.
But perhaps the highlight of our trip to Jiangxi was an outing to the Long March Grand Theatre, where we got to see arguably the most impressive stage play I’ve ever seen.
It featured an extraordinary moving stage that transformed into mountains, waterfalls and battlefields to bring the Red Army’s journey to life.
One short Air China flight later, we arrived in Guizhou Province, specifically Guiyang, where we were based at the Guizhou Park Hotel, an accommodation with massive comfortable rooms and breathtaking views.
While the food was not strictly halal, the amount of vegetarian and seafood options available still made it more than worth a trip to the buffet.
Guiyang offered something that no other city did, a combination of vibrant city life, futuristic technology and mountains as far as the eyes can see (1.2 million in total).
One moment we were on self-driving vehicles, the next we were climbing up a mountain in the picturesque Loushan Pass.
The fresh mountain air, combined with some of the most incredible landscapes I have ever seen, is more than enough reason to give the place a chance.
The highlight of the area is the Changkong Bridge, a suspension bridge hanging almost 100 metres above the valley below.
Our final stop in China took us from the mountains to the desert of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where Islamic culture, cuisine and architecture are deeply embedded across the region by the Hui ethnic group.
We were put up in the Ningxia Yuehai Hotel, where after a long day of travelling, we were delighted to arrive at the hotel restaurant and hear the words, “Everything here is halal!” We indulged in the best fried chicken I have ever had.
The next morning, after I woke up at 5.30am to take a walk around the gorgeous lake behind our hotel, we crossed the desert by bus, and made our way to the Jiangtaibao Red Army Long March Reunion Monument, our final historical destination.
This was not only where the Long March came to an end, but it is widely considered to be the place where victory was celebrated by the Red Army.
It features the towering 26-metre-tall reunion monument, an assembly square, a historical museum, and the preserved Jiangtai Ancient Castle.
We also visited the Snow Valley potato factory, where the guide seemed excited to tell me that they proudly exported their potatoes to Bahrain.
We also visited an agricultural site, where the workers proudly allowed us to taste some of the produce, including watermelon, cucumbers, melons and tomatoes for ourselves.
We even got to go into a greenhouse and pick our own cucumbers from what must have been thousands of plants lined up.
Overall, this trip was unlike anything I have ever been on in my life. While most people who visit China stick to the comfortable triangle of Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou, we got to experience something special.
Every single district felt like it was worth visiting, and every single person we met on the trip was friendlier than the next.
China very quickly became my favourite destination in Asia, and I already find myself wanting to go back and see even more of what the country has to offer.
There is no doubt that although this may have been my first trip to the country, it will not be my last, and I want to try to visit as many provinces as possible in the coming years to see what they have in store for visitors.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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