Slava Klishauskaite, a Russian vlogger who has lived in China for eight years, has shared her first-hand experience of the country's safety, saying she never worries about her personal safety or belongings while in Beijing.
As the "China Travel" trend continues to attract international visitors, many foreigners are increasingly impressed by China's safe and convenient environment.
Klishauskaite recalled an experience from her first year in China that deeply impressed her.
"First, walking alone at night without any fear is real. For me, it was during my first year here when decided to walk from school all the way to watch the flag-raising ceremony, which is more than 13 kilometers. The ceremony starts at sunrise in May. It's about 05:00 and to see everything up close you have to arrive early, like at two or three in the morning. So I set off at 23:00 and made my way through the night streets. Some were really narrow, some of them were Hutongs, traditional alleyways. I saw people along, but no one ever paid attention to me. And that feeling was so reliving, like an enlightenment, that as a young woman I could just walk alone at night, listening to music and know that nothing would happen," she said.
She also mentioned that when her earphone case fell out of her pocket, it was later returned to her without conditions. In Beijing, she often sees people casually leaving their laptops unattended in cafes or study areas.
"So how safe China is? From my experience, I can say that it's safe to that extent that I can walk alone at night, or I don't worry about my belongings. It's safe enough that I don't worry about jogging at empty streets, leaving my phone on the coffee table and knowing that if something goes wrong, the system around me actually is working to protect me," said Klishauskaite.
While acknowledging that nowhere in the world is 100 percent safe, Klishauskaite said she hopes that her personal stories can offer a fairer and more balanced image of China's safety.
"Of course, nowhere in the world is 100 percent safe, and I'm not saying that China is perfect Utopia, common sense still applies and being aware of your surroundings is always a good idea no matter where you are. But the gap between the scary image of China that many people carry before coming here and the reality I've experienced is huge. So if you're planning a trip to China and you're feeling nervous, I get it. I was too. But I believe that experiencing in this country first hand would change your perspective, just like it shifted mine," she said.
Russian vlogger shares first-hand experience on safety in China
