TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

    "A journey of a thousand li starts beneath one's feet ."  Contemporary translation: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese Philosopher and Writer, 4th century BC* Traditional-style house, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (2015) *Lao Tzu was a legendary ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. He was also reputedly the founder of Taoism. There is no firmed confirmation of the period when Lao Tzu lived. Dates ranged between the 4th century to 6th century BC.

China is a huge country with varied landscapes; many of which are stunning and too beautiful to describe with words. In my few visits to the country, I had experienced both the beauty of China's spectacular nature as well as its awesome cityscapes. In a visit to Shenzhen, I came across one such view soon after I had checked in to a hotel located at one of the high floors of a modern skyscraper. The view? Skyscrapers amidst rolling hills! A sight to behold and one that left me spellbound as I stood at the ceiling-to-floor windows of the hotel lobby admiring the beautiful views of the city and its wondrous natural beauty. I was soon joined by my friends who stood equally spellbound by the beautiful sights of a modern city backed by green rolling hills in the distance. Skyscrapers amidst rolling hills, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (2015) More skyscrapers with hills in the horizon, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (2015)

Shenzhen is a major industrial and commercial city in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. The city is located in the so-called Pearl River Delta with Hong Kong just south of Shenzhen. This close proximity to Hong Kong has no doubt contributed to Shenzhen's economic success with both the Chinese territories having a symbiotic and integral economic relationship. I last visited Shenzhen in February 2012 when I was there to attend an Information Technology (IT) Seminar. As my trip was only for 3 days, I didn't have the time to really move around the city to take in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city. Inside one of the modern shopping malls of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (2012) Shop display, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province, China (2012) Despite the limited time I had during this visit, I still managed to do a little bit of walking, shopping, and eating. I was amazed by the modernity of this city. The orderly way the cit