Expat Eyes | Ukrainian vlogger: voice of mountains tells me to go to Xinjiang

My name is Alex Tchaikovsky. I’m Ukrainian. My passion is to widen my worldview and share it with others. I moved to China in 2014. I grew up in Odesa - a city located in the Black Sea Lowland, a part of the East European Plain. Naturally, I had no idea what the mountains were. I still remember my feelings when I visited Kiev as a student for the first time. Actually, it is not even a mountain city. But I just saw that some roads could go uphill and downhill, “How is that even possible?” I thought back then.

Photo shows Alex Tchaikovsky shoots vlog in China.

Time went by, and after my graduation, I moved to China. First, it was Guangzhou, then, five years later, I moved to Chengdu. For someone from Europe, the culture change is the biggest shock when they move to China. Many people have difficulty getting used to local traditions, some struggle with the language barrier, and some are just stunned by how different the world can be. I’m in the last group, for sure.

China impressed me in many ways. The scale of development of the cities was a big one. “How is that even possible?” I started to ramble through familiar thoughts. Cities are the size of countries where you can buy anything and get anywhere in hours. In places like Guangzhou, people from all over China and worldwide gather to work and do business together. And just inside the Guangdong province, there are more people, roads and buildings than in the whole Ukraine, the largest country in Eastern Europe.

In 2019, I’d already been in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Ningbo, and Changsha. I thought I knew China. I thought I saw it all. Then, I decided to start my first vlog and moved to Chengdu, Sichuan.

At first sight, there was not much difference, just another big developed city. It was more fashionable and chicer than some others, with a unique lifestyle and mouthwatering food, but still, it was just a city.

But everything changed when I went on the trip to the Sichuan mountains for the first time. Take, for example, the first place I visited ─ Qingcheng Mountain. It’s a sacred place planted with ancient Buddhist temples, a UNESCO Heritage site, and it’s within one hour drive from Chengdu. And I was again, “How is that even possible?” I liked it there so much that I said, "I got to see more places like this.”

Photo shows Alex Tchaikovsky on Gelie Mountain in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, China.

So, I started to go out of Chengdu to see its surroundings. Bamboo forests, Daoist temples, and wildlife conservations. Mountains were attracting me, taking me farther and farther. This year, I visited Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture for the first time in my life, and I almost forgot where I was. I felt like I was in another part of the world. It was very different and so full of life. It totally changed my worldview once again.

Only my friend from Urumqi was laughing at my stories, “What’s so special about it? Tchaikovsky, you didn’t see the best. With its magnificent scenery, green mountains and clear waters, and social stability, Xinjiang is a place worth visiting no matter what.” Is it because he grew up surrounded by mountains? Now I’m trying to go to the mountains more often. When I can, I join local hiking groups and visit tourist scenery spots. Here, I even started snowboarding. “A great place to learn,” my instructor told me, but I must go to Xinjiang mountains to get the most out of snowboarding. Maybe that is a great idea. I’ve never been there before, and it can be a perfect story for one of my future videos.

Photo shows Alex Tchaikovsky at Laba River, Ya'an City, Sichuan province, China.

I am very excited that I opened something new for myself. Something I can learn and tell stories about. I love Chengdu and my life here, I know this place well, and I enjoy showing it to the world through my videos. But where might my next “How-is-that-even-possible” happen? I cannot know for sure, but the voice of the mountains tells me it will be in Xinjiang.

Author: Alex Tchaikovsky

Planner: Jie Wenjin

Proofreader: Hou Weili  Cheng Li