“If you go to China once, you will fall in love with it,” Lina from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Athens told me, conveying the invitation from her country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for this trip. It was absolutely confirmed. Elpida made sure my impressions were published daily on Portnet. This is how this book came about.
On the plane to Beijing, I was thinking that the geographical position of Piraeus places my city, right after Suez, at the starting point – or the finish line – of the “Silk Road.” China's investment in the port of Piraeus further enhances its geopolitical role. One could say that everything starts or ends here, between the two ends of the Road.
It was a professional trip with visits to about 12 cities in 15 days. All I needed was to find time during these days to “squeeze” in a journalistic glance among the very important professional meetings and contacts of the official program.
Whether I succeeded and to what extent will be evident from this publication. In the texts and photographs, I tried to capture images, impressions, experiences, colors, and scents from this vast country.
