At the invitation of the Chinese government, the Myanmar media delegation, including 11 representatives, had to visit Nanjing and Shanghai, China, for a five-day study tour from 13 to 17 October.
October is a lovely time of year during the chilly season in China, while October marks the end of the rainy season. On 13 October, the group tour leader from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and 11 members of the Myanmar media left Yangon International Airport for Guangzhou Airport in China. Afterwards, it was rather dull to wait for the plane to proceed to Nanjing at Guangzhou Airport for two hours. Passengers can wait in a very comfortable setting at Guangzhou Airport in China during flight transit.
The seats are roomy and cosy with phone charging ports. Additionally, the airport has inexpensive mini-markets that offer ready-to-eat food. Therefore, I didn’t have any discomfort as I waited for the transit. The lineup system is an additional factor. People in Myanmar are impatient when they have to wait in a lineup system because of the lengthy lineup. One thing is to say that the lineup system is flawed, but another viewpoint is that it is not possible to finish the lengthy lineup in a short time. Almost 100 passengers in line at Guangzhou Airport finished the procedure in 15 minutes. I had no annoyance to stand at all. Thus, we reached Nanjing at approximately 11 pm after transiting through Guangzhou Airport without being bored thanks to the refreshing air conditioning.
We were late, so the hotel had packed lunches for us. However, no one was able to enjoy the hotel’s meals because we had to wait at Guangzhou Airport for a while and eat on the aircraft. As there was a slight drizzle in Nanjing on the morning of 14 October, there was no rain falling. The Chinese people wouldn’t get wet even if they didn’t have rain jackets and umbrellas. Then, we visited the Nanjing Memorial Museum. Our media team was led by Ms Yan from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, who stated that it is forbidden to wear yellow and make noise.
At the Nanjing Holocaust Memorial Museum, we also noticed a large number of people. There was no need to stand in line for tickets because we are foreign guests. It was fascinating to see how the Nanjing Holocaust Memorial Museum’s show was decorated. I saw that the galleries’ lighting is inconsistent. While some learning galleries have brilliant illumination, the memorial galleries have dark and nostalgic lighting.
We went to the Nanjing Broadcasting System in the afternoon. There, we learnt how to use modern technology at the Nanjing Broadcasting System’s editing room and broadcasting area. We went to the Nanjing Museum in the evening. We looked at the ancient Chinese people’s tools and way of life.
The morning of 15 October began with a visit to the Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone. As a Cultural Tourism Zone, the mountain is decorated with lush green trees and gardens along the way as well and one can climb the mountain by escalators. The mountain is high and wide, so if it were not for the escalator, it would be more tiring than climbing Kyaiktiyo Mountain in Mawlamyine Township of Myanmar. While climbing the escalator, I thought that if the Kyaik Htiyo Mountain could be prepared in this way, it would attract more tourists.
After climbing to the mountain by escalator, we hastily snapped a group photo outside before making our way to the underground cave, which is considered to be the tourist favourite due to its Buddha statue. Together with three members of our media group, the group leader, who was provided by the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and the guide, who was waiting to lead us in Shanghai, reached the last floor where the Buddha statue. Only three of the 11 members of the Myanmar delegation, including me, were able to follow the two, the group leader and the Shanghai guide, because they were moving too quickly, making it challenging to capture selfies. The escalator descends five storeys to the underground, where the Buddha statue.
I made an effort to take at least three selfies because I was too busy following the swiftly moving leaders like the wind to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings or the artwork. “How beautiful are the architectural works on each floor?” I asked myself. For a third of a second, I felt the sightseeing around the area with my eyes as I thought this, and I had no idea how I had arrived at the Buddha statue. I honoured the Buddha as all of my paid homage. Then, at about 10:30 pm, I made my way back to the original door, not knowing how I got there.
Afterwards, we, the three, shared the snapshots of what we had seen in the cave with the rest of the group before heading to a lunch spot. The group also took a bullet train to Shanghai. The bullet train was completely different from the greasy train that we had been on, and it was very luxurious. After about 2 hours of riding, we arrived at Shanghai. In Shanghai, we spent 15 October by visiting the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in Shanghai, and taking a Huangpu River cruise.
On 16 October, our media delegation visited Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall, Shanghai Global News Network and a great shopping mall. Among them, the most memorable for me was Shanghai Global News Network. Their news production, editing and broadcasting are using truly impressive high-tech. The office buildings are elegant and make to feel proud of our work. We also saw that modern technology is used in the editing and broadcasting process, so I feel sorry for the Myanmar media environment, which is turning in circles due to power outages and technical difficulties.
In any case, I believed that I would have had more memorable experiences when returning to my native Myanmar if I had been permitted to travel in peace during my five-day trip to China, rather than being hurried by the group leader from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and local guides. I will always cherish the memories I made with my travelling buddies in China.
#TheGlobalNewLightOfMyanmar
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