Delightful Mirth

Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen

Artist: Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Date: 1884-1885

Medium: Oil on canvas

My time in Shanghai is already drawing to a close. It’s hard to believe how much I’ve seen and experienced in just a few days. There are so many impressions to process that I suspect it will take quite a while before everything truly sinks in, but that will have to wait. Tomorrow I’m heading to Busan, South Korea, for the next part of my journey.

Today alone included a visit to the beautiful water town of Zhujiajiao, the vast Expo Culture Park, and the breathtaking Shanghai Greenhouse. Three very different places, and three unforgettable experiences.

I have strong reservations about China’s political system, and that is not something my visit has changed. At the same time, the people I’ve met, the atmosphere I’ve experienced, and the glimpses of nature (well, parks) I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy have all been genuinely wonderful.

Of course, it would be impossible to draw any sweeping conclusions about a country as vast and diverse as China from a few days in one of its largest cities. This has only been a tiny glimpse of an enormous nation, and I know it cannot possibly do China justice. But it has been a glimpse that has left me curious, humbled, and eager to see more.

Bohumír Jaroněk  (1866 - 1933)  

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