The Modernization of a Country is Not Just About Skyscrapers or Highways, But About the Faces You Meet and the Friendships You Form
My Experience in China: A Country in Motion, A Society Attached to its Traditions and Open to Dialogue
After spending four months in China, I returned with an experience that goes beyond a simple trip. I discovered a country in full modernization, but also a society attached to its traditions and open to dialogue. Between Wuxi, Chengdu, and Xinjiang, between futuristic infrastructure and human encounters, I measured what "Chinese-style modernization" really means and how it can inspire our own trajectories in Tunisia and Africa.
From my arrival in Beijing, China gave me the impression of a country that is both immense and intimate. Immense in its roads, skyscrapers, and ultra-fast trains that connect distant cities in just a few hours. Intimate in the smiles of passersby, the simple gestures of hospitality, and the genuine curiosity of its inhabitants to understand where I came from. Modernization, I first perceived it in this contrast: a country that is rushing towards the future, but does not forget to welcome the stranger with warmth.
When China Modernizes Without Losing its Soul
In Wuxi, in the Jiangsu province, I discovered a city that embodies this harmony between past and present. Bordering Lake Taihu, one of the largest in China, it is nicknamed the "pearl of Jiangnan". Its well-maintained gardens, ancient temples, and canals remind me of the traditional China found in books and paintings. But just a few streets away, modern industrial parks, research laboratories, and innovative companies rise up. This duality fascinated me: Chinese-style modernization does not consist of erasing the past, but of dialoguing with it.
With a group of local friends, we explored a traditional souk and shared some delicious dishes. Between laughter and lively discussions, we exchanged about our cultures, traditions, and visions of the future. I felt their pride in transmitting to the new generation a balance between access to modern education and attachment to ancestral customs.
Chengdu, my second stop, revealed another face of China to me. The city is famous for its giant pandas, universal symbols of gentleness and nature protection. But behind this symbol lies a regional capital in full effervescence. The avenues are lined with high-tech start-ups, public transportation is exemplary, and the city is ranked among the most pleasant to live in in China.
What touched me in Chengdu was not only the efficiency of the infrastructure, but the art of living that emanates from it. In the tea houses, I saw inhabitants spending hours discussing, savoring the slowness of a shared moment. This scene reminded me of Tunis and our popular cafes: proof that modernization does not erase the need for conviviality, on the contrary, it can reinforce it.
Xinjiang: The Real Discovery
If I had to retain only one stage, it would be Xinjiang. A vast and diverse region, located at the crossroads of China, it is a crossroads of cultures, languages, and traditions. Before going there, I mainly knew the media images, often reductionist and far from reality. What I discovered on the spot deeply moved me.
In Urumqi, the regional capital, I was struck by the mix: lively markets with smells of spices, musicians playing traditional instruments, ancient mosques alongside modern universities and fast roads. In the bazaars, vendors welcomed me with curiosity and kindness, often surprised to hear that I came from Tunisia. Some told me they knew our country as a tourist destination, others that they dreamed of visiting the Mediterranean.
But beyond the landscapes and traditions, it is the humanity of Xinjiang that marked me the most. I remember an evening spent with a Uyghur family who opened their home to me with generosity. Around a richly flavored meal, we talked about our respective customs. They wanted to know how Tunisians celebrated Eid, what music we listened to, how we transmitted our traditions to our children. In return, they showed me local dances and taught me a few words of their language.
These simple and sincere moments made me understand that Chinese modernization is not reduced to infrastructure, it also includes the will to make differences coexist with respect.
Lasting Human Encounters
These human encounters were not ephemeral. In Beijing, between walks in the lively alleys of the hutongs, visits to temples, and moments shared in cafes and tea houses, I formed sincere bonds with several Chinese friends. We shared our personal stories, our customs, and our passions, evoked our dreams for the future and our cultural differences, often with a lot of humor and mutual curiosity. These daily exchanges allowed me to understand China differently: behind the skyscrapers and impressive technologies, there is an open and willing society to create links. These lasting friendships are, for me, proof that Chinese-style modernization is not limited to infrastructure: it also has a deeply human dimension, capable of opening bridges between peoples.
During my stay, I also met several Tunisians living in Beijing. Their paths are as many testimonies of success and inspiration. Some are students in prestigious universities, others renowned journalists, and others entrepreneurs who have managed to create economic bridges between China and Tunisia.
We exchanged about their experiences, their challenges, and their projects, and I was struck by the passion and perseverance that animates them. These Tunisians are, in my eyes, true ambassadors of Sino-Tunisian friendship: every day, through their work, they embody the cooperation between our two countries.
A Modernization that Inspires Tunisia
This trip allowed me to understand that Chinese-style modernization is not a unique model to reproduce, but an experience from which we can draw lessons. China has chosen its own path, adapted to its realities, rooted in its history, and turned towards the future. This approach can inspire Tunisia and Africa.
We too need to invest in infrastructure, develop innovation, and enhance our cultural heritage. But what China has shown me is that development only makes sense if it remains close to citizens, improves their daily lives, and respects their identity.
Leaving China, I did not only bring back images of futuristic cities or impressive landscapes. I mainly brought back faces, voices, smiles, and friendships. I discovered a country in motion, but deeply human. And it is this humanity that, in my eyes, makes the true strength of China and nourishes the friendship between our two countries.
China is, today, more than an economic power. It is a partner, a friend, a country that knows how to combine past and future, diversity and unity, modernity and human warmth. And it is perhaps this that is the greatest lesson of my trip: to modernize, yes, but always keeping at heart what makes us deeply human.
