March 25th 2025, Chengdu, China

I went to the gym in the morning and had a nice, relatively normal day. Here in China, they have something called a "life spa." The one I went to was 11 stories tall. You can use the sauna and hot baths, but there's so much more. There's a full restaurant and over 20 different rooms to relax in—a salt room, a blue light room, a stone room, a volcano room, and more. They even have video games to play. You can even sleep there. I paid about $15 for the sauna and had some amazing Mapo Tofu there.

In the afternoon, I went back to People's Park for some tea. A dad and daughter invited me to sit with them. The daughter wanted to practice English, which was really nice of them. I ate sunflower seeds with the dad, and we talked about life and culture. The girl was 23 years old and studying medical imaging. She said school is incredibly competitive and grueling. She told me, "Life is a struggle and will be for all my life." She wants to travel but sees no path with school.

I asked about religion in China, but she didn't want to talk about it. She used a translator app to tell me that religion is a sensitive topic. There are autonomous prefectures for minorities, where religion is allowed but under the oversight of the government. I didn't fully understand how these autonomous prefectures for Tibetans and other minorities work. From what I gathered, they are still part of China and under Chinese control, but they are given some cultural autonomy. Ultimately, China wants the land for resources and strategic control.

China officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups. The Han Chinese make up about 92% of the population, while the remaining 55 ethnic minorities each have distinct languages, cultures, and traditions. Some of the largest ethnic minorities include:

• Zhuang (壮) – The largest minority, mainly in Guangxi, with a language related to Thai. • Hui (回族) – Chinese-speaking Muslims, found across China, especially in Ningxia. • Manchu (满族) – The ruling ethnic group of the Qing Dynasty, now mostly assimilated into Han culture. • Uyghur (维吾尔族) – A Turkic Muslim group in Xinjiang, with cultural ties to Central Asia. • Tibetan (藏族) – Predominantly in Tibet and parts of Sichuan, with a distinct Buddhist culture. • Miao (苗族) & Yi (彝族) – Indigenous groups in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, known for unique clothing and music traditions. • Mongol (蒙古族) – Descendants of Genghis Khan's empire, mainly in Inner Mongolia.

I think religion is controlled to cement a unified national identity, which is crucial to the government.

The dad was a big NBA fan and likes James Harden. He asked about the differences in consumption habits between China and the USA. It was a great question that made me think. Both countries consume a lot, but in different ways. The USA consumes more food, expensive cars, and other luxuries, while China consumes more luxury brands and technology. China is super capitalist—it's crazy. There's so much consumerism and economic competition.

Also, in People's Park, you see people playing badminton, dancing, and playing games. I think activities like this help strengthen national identity too.