'Real Time China' Day 1 Vlog: From Beijing to Tianjin

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A group of CGTN reporters departed on Wednesday from home base aboard a bus refurbished to double as a studio on wheels. For the next 10 days, they'll make their way through the length of China, from Beijing to Shenzhen, the birthplace of the country's economic miracle.

"Real Time China" is a special series to mark the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up policy. Joining the ride is CGTN's Digital Reporter Yang Xinmeng who is documenting her road trip across cities, highways and tunnels.

The starting point was CGTN headquarters at the heart of the Central Business District in Beijing. The Chinese capital has a sophisticated network of roads, railways and a major airport, with another one under construction. Seven completed ring roads encircle the city with expressways heading in virtually all directions, supplemented by 11 stretches linking Beijing to the China National Highway grid.

By 11:30 a.m. the bus had arrived to Langfang, a city sandwiched between Beijing and Tianjin. The urban center is situated in the hinterland of Bohai Economic Rim and has come to be known as "The bright pearl on the corridor of Beijing and Tianjin."

The next stop was Yangliuqing, a market town in Tianjin's Xiqing District, where the afternoon was spent learning about traditional Chinese folk art and Yangliuqing's wood engraved New Year's paintings celebrated for their distinctive features and symbolism.

A night walk around "Little Italy," a former foreign concession in the coastal city, brought about vibrant discussions with passersby and visitors, and cleared the picture on how reforms turned the municipality into a trading center and a transport hub for international commerce.

First day is over, nine more to go as we explore the cities that have played a crucial role in China's reform and opening-up journey.