Nanchang

I have been to Nanchang before – passed through is on the slow train to Ganzhou and didn’t like what I saw – lots of greyness, dirty streets, rain and low visibility. Mind you, I didn’t actually leave the railway station so my opinion of the place was formed from that limited viewpoint. However, I was invited to a new school in Nanchang to speak to the children and so had the opportunity to give Nanchang another try.

This time I was pleasantly surprised. Like many Chinese cities it looks better at night. The tower blocks on either side of the river are illumintaed and the city puts on a light show every night. I don’t know how they do it but every tower block is illuminated at the same time and in time with the (very loud) music.

Not only this, but they managed to make a cartoon character run and jump from building to building along the river bank. Whoever dreamt this up light show is cleverer than me! Apart from the music, which was so loud I had to shout to my friends, it was enjoyable and quite a nice surprise.

The school has the feel and energy of a new school, all sparkling and clean and everything colour-co-ordinated. The students are also shiny in their new uniforms and all the classrooms were equipped with new tables and unbroken chairs. I wonder how long that will last!

The children listened to my presentation with interest and thankfully only a couple of them fell asleep. I have been in China long enough to know that if you sit 14 and 15 years-olds in a comfy seat in an air-conditioned room and speak to them in a foreign language, many of them will fall asleep. It’s nothing personal.

The food reminded me of Nanjing – very traditional Chinese and very few foreign establishments on offer. I know Nanjing has changed a lot but it will be a while before Nanchang can reach that level. It has the feel of a provincial capital but also of a small Chinese city rushing to catch up with the big boys.

I would recommend Nanchang for a visit, if only a short one. It’s  second tier city but it’s coming up and there is a lot of life and a feeling of real energy about the place.