Think of creating a futuristic mega-city to accommodate one million people, and when you’re done, nobody moves in. It’s a $90 billion research-and-development project located in northeast China that turned into the most advanced ghost town in the country. Shenfu was supposed to be the sparkling future of northeast China, ultimately becoming a bizarre memento of empty apartments and abandoned roads.
Negotiation, Pins, and Good Communists
Before even entering the ghost town, things began to get weird. Street negotiation for caps and communist pins represented more than shopping—but rather strategy. Fit in, look like locals, operate like comrades. Hammer-and-sickle badges, silk vests, and even Mao pins made their way into our disguises. “Three foreigners walking down the street? No worries, just the usual communists!”
Cigarettes, Baijiu, and The Etiquette of Saying Yes in China
One of the surprising rules of Chinese street culture is that rejecting a cigarette is offensive. Be it Baijiu shots with strangers or chain smoking with police officers who will casually make sure to light your cigarette, hospitality hits you hard. Every drink will lead to another toast. Every “cheers” (ganbei) will be followed by laughter. By the time the ferry was booked, more beers had been spilled than anyone could track.
The Bullet Train to Nowhere (With McDonald’s Delivered On Board)
What is more surreal than riding a bullet train at a speed of 300 km/h? Having the ability to even order McDonald’s food right to your seat on a train with a QR code. That, admittedly, has one catch: you are likely required to have a Chinese phone number. Regardless, the experience of the ride feels like you are on an airplane—narrow seats (not exactly “white people sizes”), with a smooth and shockingly speedy trip.
A Backpack Hidden in a Bush (and Somehow Still There).
No hotel? No locker? Don’t worry about it. Just put your giant backpack into a bush on the side of the road and keep your fingers crossed. Some hours later—surprisingly—it’s still there. That’s the strange magic of traveling in China: bags sit untouched while strangers invite you to share their food, beer, and talk.
Yantai: The Cape Cod of China You Didn’t Plan to See.
The route to Shenfu allowed a detour to Yantai, a coast city known for seafood and cherries. Here, people waved, shouted “hello!” in bad English, and even offered free water. It felt to me more like wandering a Middle Eastern bazaar than a Chinese town—you know, arms opened, smiles for miles, and passionate curiosity.
From Luxury Ferries to Prison-Like Cabins
The overnight ferry across the Yellow Sea was a different tale entirely. Marketed as a seven-hour cruise, with a bed, it turned into a slapstick event. The first-class accommodation was a floating hotel, with a helipad, while the third class felt more like a jail cell, complete with stale cigarette smell. But who can beat $40.00 for a night at sea, which included karaoke bars, buffets and a vending machine that sold cigarettes? Priceless.
China’s Ghost Cities/Contradictory existence
From the bustling markets in Beijing to the cherries in Yantai, from the empty towers in Shenfu to the Russian colonial streets in Dalian, one thing became true: travel in China is never predictable. Their ghost city may lie silent, but the people, who smoked, drank, laughed and yelled “America good!” will set up for the next place.
