Visitors dream of taking China's serenity, safety home

Positive impression

A playful post by Chinese vlogger Alan Jun on Facebook gained wide recognition. It posed the question:"'Is it safe to travel in China? Please don't lie.' An American netizen asked this question. Every city in China is extremely safe. The only unsafe place is the night market, where you will spend all your money, lose sleep, overeat, and gain weight. So you must not go out at night."

Under that post, netizen Properly_Basic replied: "As someone who lived in China for a bit, it is amazing how you can go outside at like 1 am without the worry of someone kidnapping you."

Another user, Alan Camp, commented: "I had 14 days in China. Beijing, Yantai (Shandong province), Shanghai, Qingdao (Shandong), Guangzhou and many other smaller cities. It's incredible how efficient and safe everything is. I treasure my time spent making friends and experiencing so many things."

Mark Owens, a member of the Oregon House of Representatives and a farm owner, visited the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Beijing and Shanghai in October 2025 as part of a trade delegation — his first trip to China.

"The first couple of nights, I had trouble sleeping, so I got up early and I'd go for a walk. As the sun was coming up, I felt very, very safe in Beijing. I went out after dinner by myself and felt very, very safe. I mean, very, very clean, very polite, just a very good experience," he told China Daily.

Students from the University of Waterloo in Canada who took part in a Chinese culture immersion program at Beijing Normal University in October 2025 had similar positive impressions.

"Before visiting, I had heard many conflicting descriptions of what life there might be like. However, my experience showed me a place full of warmth, innovation, history, and everyday beauty," one student, Gia-Thanh Yvonne Ly, said.

Mudupeola Aladetokunbo Caxton-Martins added: "I could go out at 3 am and I would see other locals out too; this also added a safety net as I didn't feel alone and knew that there were also others around me."

Natalie Hermila Garcia Munoz, who has traveled to 24 countries, said "none compared to Beijing" — citing the advanced subway, the safe late-night streets and the world-class hospitality.

Raine Mimoza Hutton said: "I came back home with a completely unique perspective on China … I feel that all the negativity surrounding China in the news and media creates a significant shadow over all the amazing things the country has to offer."