'Everything is big in China'

It was early morning when I arrived in Guangzhou, a port city in China, on 18 April. 

To my pleasant surprise, our baggage was already on the conveyor belt at the airport's baggage claim, a rare occurrence at Dhaka's international airport. My seven-day trip was off to a good start indeed. 

The massive airport, which handles 120 million passengers annually, appeared symbolic of the country's development. This actually became a recurring theme, the infrastructural development which towers over nearly everything.    

I was on my first trip to China. I went with a delegation of journalists on a trip organised by the Chinese embassy in Dhaka. Our first day started with tour guide Allen, who received us at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. 

With a microphone in hand, the guide — probably in his 30s – started to speak. Something he said made an impression, "everything in China is big" and soon I could see why he would say so. 

There was a striking balance between the infrastructural development, heritage – every Chinese city has about a 2,000-year-old history – and specks of green. It's the smart cities, smart transportation, smart industries, and how they make life faster and more efficient, that cemented that balance. 

Why Guangzhou is special 

When we were heading towards the hotel from the airport, I noticed how the high-rise buildings lining the roads did not compromise on the greenery and clean air. 

Then there was the absence of noise pollution. Vehicles did not honk on the city roads despite the long traffic tailbacks. The city dwellers were seen riding electric bikes and cycling on the footpaths. Later, I came to know Guangzhou is the first city in Guangdong province which banned honking and motorbikes. 

Moreover, despite the city's massive industrial activities, the authority keeps the city free of sound pollution. The city is famous for Canton Fair, which is also known as the China Export Import Fair; and it is the capital of China's most populous province, Guangdong.

The province is the 15th-largest by area, as well as the third-most populous country subdivision in the world. 

Additionally, Guangzhou is known as a flower city evidenced by the frequent appearance of its municipal flower: the kapok.

The newly built Canton Tower, which is now the main attraction of tourism in Guangzhou, is proof of how China grew fast. 

The tower, which is 604 meters tall, is the second-tallest tower in China and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world. The multipurpose observation tower was built in just five years, starting in November 2005 and became operational in 2010 before the Asian Games. 

I gathered that these infrastructural developments in Guangzhou maybe because it's the capital. So, I wanted to see the village beyond the capital. 

Little did I know that another surprise awaited me. When I started travelling to another metropolitan city Shenzhen from Guangzhou, I saw extraordinary development in the countryside. 

We crossed 165 kilometres of expressway and reached Shenzhen in two and a half hours. All the way, I saw high-rise buildings on both sides of the road, which were not less than 30-storey structures.

Despite the heavy rainfall starting in the morning on our journey to Shenzhen, there was no sign of waterlogging. Additionally, there was no poster, festoon or signboard on the expressways.  

Our bus was running on a highway with the Shenzhen airport built on one side and the port on the other side. According to its website, the Shenzhen Airport is located in the "Golden Inner Bay" of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the core area of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong economic corridor.

Entering Shenzhen 

When we entered Shenzhen city, I could not differentiate its development from the capital Guangzhou.

Shenzhen, a small fishing village with only 20,000 people, has been reformed into a modern metropolitan city. Now it is known for its shopping destinations, including Luohu Commercial City, a massive mall with a vast array of wares, from tailors' custom clothing to faux designer bags. The city also features contemporary buildings, such as the 600m-tall skyscraper Ping An International Finance Centre, and a number of amusement parks.

Shenzhen, which links Hong Kong to China's mainland, became a testing ground for China's reform and opening up to the world when it was designated as one of the country's first special economic zones in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping's leadership.

In Shenzhen's museum, China showcases a sample of its first garment, its first music tea stall, display of old electronic items, among other things. In the exhibition centre, a sculpture of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping planting a banyan tree stands. 

The centre also displays photos of differences between Hong Kong and China before and after reformation. Additionally, the history of struggle behind China's 40 long years of development journey. 

China is not only big in infrastructure and structure, but it also has homegrown big companies which are leading the world, like Huawei and Mindray. 

When I visited the headquarters of both companies, it was surprising to see how individual entrepreneurs became the world's leading business magnates and how professionally they operate their businesses. 

Huawei, founded by Ren Zhengfei in 1987, is the second-biggest smartphone maker in the world. Ren Zhengfei is still the CEO of the firm. The telecom giant, which made a net profit of CNY 86,950 in the year 2023, has a total of 207,000 employees from 162 different countries and regions.

Mindray, a leading global medical technology and solutions supplier based in Shenzhen, China, exports to 190 countries in the world. Li Xiting, who founded the company in 1991, is still co-Ceo of the company. He is 73 years old. 

Now, China wants to publicise their economic development to the world. 

When talking with the visiting journalists during the Guangzhou visit, Qian Hongjie, deputy director general of the Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office of China said government officials are encouraged to promote economic growth by establishing trade partnerships with foreign countries worldwide.

"We welcome foreign journalists to witness our development firsthand," Qian said.

She also said China has made substantial investments in environmental initiatives to rebuild its image. However, China's rapid economic growth has come at the expense of the environment due to heavy industrialisation.

The Chinese government has initiated investments in water purification and efforts to reduce air pollution. The government is promoting the use of electric vehicles and offering incentives to users, she said.