Zhiming Lawyer Holds Red Flag Travels Through Three Countries - Ten-Day Journey to East Africa's Kenya

📅 2019-10-12 📂 Updates Updates 🏷️ #东非 #坦桑尼亚 #埃塞俄比亚 #Wang Tengfeng #游记 #肯尼亚

Wang Tengfeng, Director of Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm

The original essence of life is living, and the ideal meaning of life is not only living but also work and career. However, work and career cannot fully replace the meaning of life. Beyond striving in career and working to the fullest, one should also explore the mysteries of life and the true essence of living. Life on earth is like grass and trees in spring and autumn—how grass turns green and trees wither, how vast and splendid the world truly is, one should go and see more. Having experienced the bitter cold of the South and North Poles, enjoyed the sea views of the Maldives and Palau (①), admired the mountain scenery of the Himalayas and the Andes (②), and toured the landscapes of seven continents and four oceans, I had yet to witness the wonders of wildlife on the East African savannah. So, taking advantage of the National Day holiday, we specially brought small national flags and embarked on this East African journey of visiting three countries with flags in hand. To faithfully record the experiences and insights of this trip, I hereby write this article for the enjoyment of readers.

　　1. China-Africa friendship has a long history, and the Belt and Road Initiative has borne fruit.

At 9:30 a.m. on September 26, we took off from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport on a Boeing 787-8, soaring across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, flying 8,051 kilometers. After a nine-hour and thirty-five-minute journey, we arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, which is five hours behind, in the local afternoon, beginning the first stop of our three-country tour of Africa. Leaving the airport and passing by along the way, what came into view slightly overturned my preconceived notions—Ethiopia is not extremely poor! It even seems slightly more prosperous than our neighboring country North Korea, because at least market economic activities here are proceeding normally. Arriving at the hotel was even more eye-opening: this Ethiopian Airlines Sky Cloud Hotel is no less impressive than domestic four- or five-star hotels, with a spacious, bright, and elegant lobby. The rooms are quite comfortable, neatly arranged and spotless, with blue skies and white clouds outside the window, elevated highways bustling with traffic—the cityscape is comparable to a "third-tier city" in China.

　　Sending distant greetings for the 70th National Day from Africa

Moreover, what surprised me even more was that I had expected scorching sun and intense heat upon landing; instead, stepping out of the airport, I suddenly felt a cool and pleasant breeze, which was quite unexpected. This is the better tourist season in East Africa, with temperatures generally ranging from the teens to the twenties, despite the strong sun, and it even feels cool in the morning and evening.

A warm group photo with Ethiopian children

In summary, Africa's economy is still in the lower tier of the world. But experiencing it firsthand has greatly changed the outdated impressions ingrained in my mind—African countries each have their own characteristics, and Africa as a whole is developing!

A group photo with Kenyan schoolchildren

Addis Ababa also has a somewhat "prosperous" hotel district, where supermarkets and nightclubs offer a variety of goods that basically meet the needs of the people, a stark contrast to what I saw in Cuba earlier this year—no need for any ration coupons. However, compared to our great and prosperous China, there is still a significant generational gap!

Group photo with Tanzanian schoolchildren

The next day, under the guidance of our local Ethiopian tour guide, we visited the Ethiopian National Museum and a local Orthodox cathedral, learning that Ethiopia is a country with a majority of Orthodox Christian believers.Learned that"Human ancestor" and "matriarch" Lucy—discovered and named by American archaeologists in Ethiopia in 1974—is 3.18 million years old. During this time, we also browsed the markets and other high-end hotels. It is particularly worth mentioning that we went through numerous security checks throughout the day, each time having to remove our belts and shoes. While people found the security checks strict and cumbersome, they also applauded the heightened security awareness. This was the case everywhere in the three East African countries. Puzzled, we thought it might be due to its proximity to the Middle East and the presence of many Islamic believers among its citizens. Be vigilant in times of peace, and strictness is better than negligence!

Group photo at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro with Tanzanians

On the 28th, we flew to Nairobi, beginning our three-day trip to Kenya. On October 1st, I crossed the land border into Tanzania for a three-day tour. On October 4th, I flew from Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania back to Guangzhou, China, via a stop in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. This completed my ten-day journey through three East African countries. During this time, all the local guides who greeted us were Chinese. It is said that there are currently 200,000 to 300,000 Chinese in Ethiopia, which has a relatively open policy and is striving to learn from and imitate China's development path, with a vibrant economy and promising growth prospects. Kenya has about 50,000 Chinese, with a moderate economic foundation and average policy development among the three countries. Tanzania has the fewest Chinese, fewer than 50,000, and due to political party struggles, its policies have become conservative and less open, leading to restrictions on Chinese businesses and a sharp decline in their numbers. Most Chinese in these three countries run hotels, Chinese restaurants, or engage in trade. Generally, whether doing business or working, they are considered wealthy locally. Each household hires local black women as domestic helpers, paying around 300-400 RMB per month, and they do a very good job with cleaning. This is a stark contrast to domestic nanny services in China, which cost 5,000 to 10,000 RMB per month! Along the way, we mostly stayed and dined at hotels and restaurants built or managed by Chinese. Although the ingredients for Chinese cuisine were not very abundant, the quality of the Chinese food was mostly no worse than that in Europe or America, which surprised us a bit.

An archaeological replica of the fossil of the human ancestor "Lucy."

Along the way, Chinese-invested, built, or aided buildings, roads, and equipment were visible everywhere in the three countries, with Chinese characters and national flags often seen. The first hotel we stayed in, the Ethiopian Airlines Skyline Hotel, is a five-star hotel built by China and managed by Shenzhen Grand Skylight Hotel Management Co., Ltd. Coinciding with China's 70th National Day celebration, the hotel's conference hall displayed a large banner jointly produced by the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia and the Chinese Mission to the African Union, reading "Reception for the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China," used for the National Day banquet. In Kenya, intercity trains built with Chinese aid, running at speeds over 100 km/h, were in operation. At the customs visa hall from Kenya to Tanzania, a "Nuctech" brand security inspection instrument donated by China was installed. China's investments, construction, and aid are genuinely improving and uplifting the poverty and backwardness of East African countries. From three-year-old children to adults, East Africans would proactively call us Chinese (China) upon seeing us, without mistaking us for Japanese or Koreans, showing how deep the impression is.Pure emotions.They casually say "Hello, goodbye, thank you," which is pleasant to hear. At the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, locals even took out a large Chinese national flag to take photos with us, showing sincere friendliness, full of smiles and goodwill, and laughing genuinely. Compared to Vietnam, which has also received long-term free aid from China, copied China's development model, and repeatedly benefited from China but remains hostile toward China, this made us Chinese feel much more at ease—if people are ungrateful and repay kindness with enmity, aren't they worse than the wild animals on the East African plains?

An archaeological replica of the fossil of the human ancestor "Lucy."

Every word and action of the locals was heartwarming and friendly. EvenUsing broken Chinese,they asked us for "cooling balm" and "essential balm," which sounded so endearing. The locals have a special fondness for China's cooling balm and essential balm, cherishing them as rare treasures. It is said they use them to treat ailments like headaches and fevers. On our trip to the three East African countries, we deliberately bought and carried a batch of pencils, cooling balm, essential balm, candies, and pastries, giving them out along the way to schoolchildren and locals, whose faces shone with joy and gratitude.

　　2. Natural Scenery of Infinite Beauty, Sustainable Ecological Development

On the third day in East Africa, we went to Kenya's "Lake Naivasha," the home of fish eagles. This lake, nestled in the East African Rift Valley at an altitude of 1890 meters, is home to flocks of flamingos swimming in the lake, looking like patches of red clouds amidst white clouds from afar, a truly magnificent sight. The East African Rift Valley, born alongside the East African savanna, differs from rift valleys in other parts of the world as we know them. Its elevation difference from the valley floor to the cliff tops ranges from a few hundred to 2000 meters, with numerous volcanoes on the plateaus on both sides; the valley floor contains over 30 lakes strung like beads; the rift valley's sides are short at a few hundred meters but wide at tens to hundreds of kilometers, far from the clear, narrow, dry gullies or water-cut "rift valleys" seen in Europe, America, or elsewhere. Descending to the valley floor, it feels like a vast grassland, with lush grass and abundant water, animals covering the plains, and scenery so beautiful it is overwhelming, bringing peace and joy.

Giant giraffes on the grassland

Starting from the fourth day in East Africa, we rode specially modified safari off-road jeeps, traveling daily through the Maasai Mara National Wildlife Reserve in Kenya and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania on the East African savanna, tracking rare birds and animals, and witnessing spectacular wildlife scenes. Kenya's Maasai Mara Reserve covers 1800 square kilometers, while Tanzania's Serengeti National Park spans 30,000 square kilometers. Neither park has the absolute isolation barriers like walls or barbed wire common in China; only at the park entrances are there gates with staff managing fees and maintaining safety. The edges of wildlife habitats naturally connect with human settlements, forming an integrated whole without absolute separation. On the grassland, the grass is lush, water is abundant, and gullies are interconnected. There are hills and slopes, depressions and swamps, bushes and forests, completely different from the familiar Inner Mongolian grasslands, which are mostly flat, vast, and boundless. Moreover, East African savanna countries have long enacted laws for protection, with international animal protection organizations adding oversight. People strictly follow, enforce, and obey the law, and tourists cannot break the rules. Thus, the East African savanna can sustain hundreds of thousands of rare birds and animals of hundreds of species. As a result, wildlife on the East African savanna is largely unafraid of humans, and without excessive disturbance or provocation, animals often approach tourist convoys and crowds, leisurely and carefree. This creates a spectacular scene of wildlife thriving, naturally reproducing, and surviving through natural selection on the East African savanna.

Grassland giraffe nursing

Grassland African elephant herd

The greatest animal spectacle on the East African savanna is the annual Great Migration between the Serengeti and Maasai Mara reserves. Every July and August, when the Maasai Mara in northern Kenya welcomes its continuous rainy season with lush grass and abundant water, vast herds of wildebeest, zebras, and buffaloes cross the Mara River from Tanzania's Serengeti into Kenya's Maasai Mara. Along the arduous 3,000-kilometer journey, fierce lions, cheetahs, and other carnivores lurk in the grass or trail behind, waiting to ambush and hunt the herbivores. The migration scene is spectacular, while the hunting scenes are brutal and tragic. Since our arrival was not during the peak season, we missed the grand and awe-inspiring migration scenes often shown on CCTV. However, we still managed to catch some small-scale scenes of zebras, wildebeests, and buffaloes crossing rivers—better than nothing and worth the trip. It was common to see zebras and other animals filing through intersections where tourist vehicles were parked for photos. I suddenly understood the origin of international zebra crossings.

Zebra herd crossing the vehicle intersection on the grassland

Throughout the entire trip, we observed many rare wild animals: elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, lions, rhinos, buffaloes, crocodiles, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, jackals, warthogs, baboons, storks, monkeys, wolves, various antelopes, meerkats, Egyptian vultures, lapwings, honey badgers, guinea fowls, ground hornbills, leopard tortoises, and many small birds and animals we couldn't identify in time. Among them, elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffaloes are known as the "Big Five" of the East African savanna. Fortunately, we saw all of the "Big Five" on this trip, not missing a single one. It's worth noting that African giraffes are far from the frail ones we see in Chinese zoos; they are enormous, standing four to five meters tall, and can kick so powerfully that lions or cheetahs are either killed or injured, making them difficult prey.

Wildebeest herd galloping across the grassland

A vigilant antelope looking around on the grassland.

What was even more spectacular was that we witnessed lions mating, wild geese mating, and a baby giraffe nursing, only to be kicked away by its mother, as if telling the calf that it had grown up and could no longer drink milk, but must fend for itself by eating grass... We saw many animals in pairs, gazing affectionately, bowing their heads and murmuring, and a warm scene of an elephant family of three strolling together. We also saw scattered animal bones occasionally on the grassland, marks of the natural law of the survival of the fittest and the strong preying on the weak in the animal kingdom. We also saw a wounded, bleeding male lion, sadly leaving the group alone, crossing the intersection of our sightseeing convoy, and heading into the bushes on the hillside to heal. It is said that if it recovers, it can rejoin the group; otherwise, it will die alone!

The hotel we stayed in within the park was uniquely shaped and naturally charming, mostly built along the mountain terrain. Climbing the steps to the top for dining and tea, we enjoyed the scenery with a special delight. Inside and outside the top restaurant, small animals like hyraxes scurried and played among the rocks. The hotel was surrounded by green trees, with blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and rosy hues, while hundreds of birds sang joyfully...

A male lion lurking and stalking on the grassland.

A male lion chasing a herd of zebras.

Every morning upon waking, we took deep breaths, feeling the fresh air invigorating our lungs. After breakfast, we followed the convoy, gazing into the distance at the dawn painting the sky with colors and mist drifting. The grassland was dotted with green trees and thick with weeds. As the morning mist dissipated, the sun shone brightly, presenting a warm and peaceful scene on the grassland. Among the grass and bushes, birds and animals roamed freely without fear, either grazing, lying in the sun, foraging and playing, or chirping. Giraffes and gazelles wandered on the grass, storks and Egyptian vultures perched on branches looking around, while hippos and crocodiles lurked in ponds resting. But in the distance, there were also scattered lions, leopards, or hyenas lurking by the grass. Various animals and birds appeared one after another, creating a scene so delightful and picturesque that it felt like a fairy tale. It is said that the American movie *The Lion King* was inspired by the animal素材 of the East African savanna.

African eagle spreads its wings

Wild geese and waterfowl in the Pearl Lake of the grassland

Flamingo flocks in Lake Naivasha, Kenya

Ten days on the East African grasslands, I traveled through three countries, taking in the scenery. Holding a red flag, I deeply felt the immense and far-reaching impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on the development of African nations, its long-term benefits for the people of Africa that continue to deepen and unfold, and how the friendship with African people will be revitalized with new vitality. Throughout those ten days on the East African grasslands, though thousands of miles away, the song "My Motherland and I" often echoed in my ears: "Wherever I go, a hymn flows out..." In a foreign land, I felt even more deeply the pride and glory of being a great Chinese! Over those ten days, I observed the landscapes of three countries, witnessed countless rare birds and exotic animals, broadened my horizons, and feasted my eyes. I was deeply impressed by how East African countries, despite enduring poverty, have long adhered to the national policy of sustainable development in ecological and environmental protection, and I greatly admired the harmonious coexistence and development between humans and nature they have fostered. At the same time, I felt immense admiration for China's current national policy under General Secretary Xi Jinping's strong advocacy of building an ecologically civilized country and society, proposing the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." The great strategic decisions of the Party and government will surely lead China to become a new nation that is both prosperous and strong, and ecologically civilized, standing proudly among the nations of the century. I am proud of my motherland! On October 4th, filled with the intoxicating beauty of the East African grasslands and the deep emotions of Sino-African friendship, our plane soared over the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, gliding among the blue sky and white clouds, as we returned home.