It was good knowing the curious (China)

China let us in homes and hearts, in the coldest North and the wildest West. China fed us and stayed up all night partying with us. It was nice knowing China when it was curious, the early 2000s through 2008. These sentiments come to my mind as I read about the gradual fading away of the spaces in China where foreigners can interact with locals.

Travel for me was always about falling in love with people, not scenery or tourist attractions. I miss the times of meeting strangers somewhere and letting them take me home.

Now when I miss China, I go to Cambodia or Thailand. This is where you can meet and talk to younger people from China. The added attraction of Phnom Penh is that it draws grittier people from smaller cities in China. And parts of Phnom Penh feel like the perpetually under-construction 2000s China provincial boomtowns.

Updates in 2024: It’s not just me, but more people are finding the lost China in Thailand.

2023 letter | Dan Wang. Scroll down to the heading titled “II. Running.”