Early in the morning I received a message on Wechat with a detailed introduction, revealing that our guide in Shanghai would be Mr. Stone. Stone sent a complete profile of his tourist guide career. As the last leg of our tour was starting in Beijing and our guide in Shanghai contacted us. I introduced Mr. Stone absently to all the members of the delegation at breakfast. Of course, his Chinese name was something else, but for the convenience of the other world and to expand his work, he adopted an English name, as many other Chinese have followed this path.
I also informed Mr. Jason and Miss Tong, of course they were also aware of this, Miss Tong’s confidence had been improved. Now, She was talking to all the members of the delegation through a translator App which is very effective and was also telling us the Urdu words and phrases that we told her.
Mr. Jason first announced the good news that the visit to Tian’an Square will be the first today, which was postponed the previous day. Everyone also wanted to go there, Shabbar Naqvi had already announced that since he had seen it before, he wanted to rest a little longer. Rukhsar Mujahid also withdrew, she also slept due to fatigue, so the rest of the delegation of six people left to visit the historical place.
Dr. Muhammad Ali Ehsan had strongly said that it is important to see this historical place. So our wish was being fulfilled but everyone was regretting not going to the Great Wall of China. Our Chinese friends were telling that when you come again, the first thing you will be taken to is the Great Wall of China.
On the way, Mr. Jason gave us the details of the bullet train tickets to Shanghai and the necessary travel information from entry to the railway station. After today’s good news, the bad news was that our visit to the Museum of Science and Technology had been canceled as it was necessary to arrive at the station well ahead of time to go to Shanghai. Because rush hours could cause difficulty.
“Tian’ann Square” protocol is strictly followed, you are not allowed to take as many photos as you want, but you can only stop at designated places.
There were other important places in front of the same square but tickets or permits were not obtained separately. So they could be seen from a distance. In particular, the body of China’s revolutionary leader, Chairman Mao Zedong, has been preserved. We thought that whenever we get a chance to visit China in the future, where we have to see more in China, they will include a detailed visit to this field.
There were also many Chinese in the square, many of whom we met, as they treated us with great affection as Pakistanis. Shama Munshi was mixed in them. It seemed that Shama Munshi also belonged to a Chinese tribe. The similarities between the Chinese women were striking. It was a good opportunity for Mr. Jason to tell the details of the buildings around the square and the important events associated with this historic square.
We all felt that the Chinese love their leaders, their thoughts about them are very positive. A nation which is competing all over the world becomes very strong from within. China is competing all the major powers in the economic field of the world, it has become the uncrowned king of the economy, the leadership of China is also fighting for its country and nation. They live and die in their own country, that’s why their people love them from the heart. Their poverty has gone, per capita income is increasing. The country is getting stronger politically, economically, militarily, socially and culturally. That’s why their love for leadership is so great. President Xi Jinping is the country’s strongest and most popular leader, often seen expressing their love for him.
Mr. Jason and Miss Tong expressed their regret that your visit to the Science Museum today was canceled. If you happen to visit it in the future, you will surely be amazed at how much China has progressed in science, technology and aeronautics.
We know that China’s development is not new. Centuries ago, China invented the pole, gunpowder was also developed for the first time in China, and China excelled in papermaking and printing. These were the basic inventions that played a fundamental role in the development going forward.
Today, while China is surprising the world with its industrial production, its relationship with nature is also getting stronger. We were coming back to the hotel from the square to take the bullet train to Shanghai after a mini lunch, along the way we could see rows of green trees on both sides of the road. I looked at the blue sky from the window of the bus and saw no bird flying in the sky till the eye sight, Which surprised me, I remembered the cities, towns and villages of my country where the sky is full of birds in the daylight, I was wondering if there is a lack of birds in China? In our country, the sky is full of birds and crows, but here, dogs were not seen on the road at night. No crows in the sky by day. Here I saw Pakistan’s superiority over China and I got off the bus with a bit of pride and walked towards the hotel lobby.
[7/5, 6:54 PM] Fahad Siddiqui: Lunch was eaten rather hastily. The packing was also completed in the shortest time. While living in China, we were deliberately punctual and laziness in the work was a little less. Seeing the dynamic Chinese people, we were also getting used to doing the work at a fast pace. , says that nature cannot be changed but habit can be changed, at least seeing the melon, the local melons were also getting color, Atleast it was a good news.
Only two big cities of China are mentioned, the second number after Beijing is Shanghai. Beijing is the capital, Shanghai is the huge business center of the world, as Karachi is for Pakistan same Shanghai is for China. The memories of Beijing were and will be wonderful, we were heading towards the station to board the bullet train. It was the responsibility of Mr. Jason and Miss Tong to see us off to the terminal, by the way it was not difficult to get information at the railway station, they had fulfilled their duty and saw us off with warmly. Each member of the delegation thanked them individually. Miss Tong had promised to meet again on our return to Beijing, and promised to be in constant contact in Shanghai as well, as she was in charge of the whole tour.
Beijing Railway Station was also a terminal full of facilities. China Railway has adopted the modern railway system of the world. I had the opportunity to travel on the railways in India, Iran, Italy and America too, but I am amazed to see the innovation of the China Railways, where the world’s fastest trains are being run in large numbers. About 50 trains run daily from Beijing to Shanghai in 24 hours. Train ticket rates are fixed according to time and seat comfort, with comfortable seat rates being higher. We talk about first, second and third class, there are rates according to hard and comfortable seats, morning train rates are higher, but night coach also offers relatively low rates. You can make the best choice for yourself by using the online system for booking tickets. There is no way to black marketing for tickets, whether for trains or cinemas. This facility was made easy for us by our hosts, there was a little difficulty due to the language but we found an English speaking gentleman who helped us and we managed to board the train in our own coach on time.Its not possible the train could be late. Hot water was available to drink on the train, which is the secret of health in China.
Now we had no guide with us on the train, our guide, Mr. Stone was waiting for us at the Shanghai railway station. The train gradually accelerated and the speed crossed 300 kmph, no sound of running, no sense of acceleration, it seemed like our coach was standing still but the scene outside was changing rapidly.
Sorry to the readers that on such occasions we again start comparing with our own country. It is natural that you compare with other countries in both cases if you are better than them and if there is any deficiency then it becomes mandatory. Just this prayer came out from the heart that if we also modernize the railway system like our other obsolete systems, then it will be good. Railway passengers in Pakistan are humiliated by paying fares which are more painful times.
I was worried that we will reach Shanghai after four hours, but before that I contacted Mr.Stone about which way we should come out of the station. Dr Muhammad Ali Ehsan, who had a Chinese family sitting next to him. ,told me, I want to sit with all the friends, so I offered him my seat and sat with the Chinese family. Good thing one of them was familiar with English language, she helped a lot, with her mobile. Turning on the hotspot put me in touch with Mr. Stone, the lady treated me with respect as a Pakistani. She told me, she was in the nursing field, working in a hospital in Shanghai. A friend of my delegation was watching me with jealous eyes that despite having no connections, how i become a friend with this Chinese family . But this was a miracle of Pakistan-China friendship. When two nations come closer to each other, relationships beyond formal ties are formed. If Pakistan and Pakistanis are to be respected, then every Pakistani must visit China once in their life.
One of our Prime Ministers took pictures while sitting in the bullet train. A video footage of the journey from Beijing to Shanghai was played on PTV and expressed the desire to run a bullet train in Pakistan as well. Under CPEC, the ML-1 project was announced that the speed of our trains from Karachi to Peshawar could be 160. km per hour , but not yet, dear Pakistanis bullet train travel is not cheap, especially after the devaluation of our currency has become more expensive. Governments around the world keep railways cheap, but they make up for this deficit through taxes, while many of our nobles do not pay the right taxes.
