What Is China Really Like? | Our First Days in China

What is China really like? After crossing the border from Laos, we set out to discover China for ourselves. During our first days in the country, we were welcomed with genuine kindness and hospitality, met friendly locals, explored vibrant night markets, visited tea plantations, and experienced a side of China rarely shown in the news. 00:00 Welcome to China 00:47 Crossing the Border from Laos (Boten → Mohan) 01:36 Our First Drive in China 02:23 Exploring Jinghong's Giant Night Market 04:00 Following the Ancient Tea Horse Road 06:05 Tea with a Chinese Family on a Rural Tea Farm 08:00 An Unexpected Invitation 09:01 Weishan Ancient Town 10:48 Woodee's Place - Dali's Famous Party location 13:08 Exploring Dali Old Town 14:55 Meeting a Chinese Overlander and His UNIMOG 15:30 Our First High-Altitude Camp near Lijiang 16:57 Another Unexpected Invitation for Local Food 19:40 Tiger Leaping Gorge – One of China's Most Spectacular Drives 22:52 Next Episode: The Tibetan Highlands & China's Legendary G318 This overlanding China adventure takes us from the Laos border at Boten deep into Yunnan Province as we discover what life in China is really like. During our first days in the country we experience genuine kindness and hospitality, explore vibrant night markets, visit authentic tea plantations and travel through landscapes unlike anywhere else on our journey. From Jinghong and Pu'er to Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La, we follow some of the most scenic roads in China, including sections of the legendary Tea Horse Road. Along the way we taste fresh macadamia nuts, harvest jackfruit, explore ancient towns and learn more about the culture and traditions of Southwest China. Our journey also takes us through spectacular mountain scenery, including Tiger Leaping Gorge and the mountains surrounding Shangri-La, where we begin to experience the influence of Tibetan culture through ancient temples, prayer flags and high-altitude landscapes. This is the first episode of our 60-day overland journey across China as we travel from the Laos border through Yunnan Province towards the Tibetan Plateau, Sichuan and eventually the far west of China. 📍 Filmed in CHINA Locations featured in this episode:Boten • Jinghong • Pu'er • Jinggu • Jingdong • Wenshan • Dali • Lijiang • Tiger Leaping Gorge • Shangri-La • Yunnan • Tea Horse Road • China Vehicle:1985 Mercedes UNIMOG U1700L Expedition Truck Thanks for watching and supporting our journey across Asia! — CONTACT & LINKS — If you’re a company interested in working with us, you can reach us at 📮:[email protected] 🌍 Website https://www.caravantheworld.com 📺 YouTube    / @kiwisontheway   📘 Facebook   / kiwisontheway   📸 Instagram   / kiwisontheway   🎵 TikTok   / kiwisontheway   China Travel, Overlanding China, First Days in China, China Road Trip, China Adventure Travel, Yunnan China, Yunnan Road Trip, Shangri-La, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Tea Horse Road, Mercedes Unimog, Expedition Truck, Laos to China, China Camping, Overland Asia, China Overlanding, China First Impressions, China Culture, China Hospitality, China Night Market, Yunnan Travel