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Classic and vintage cars make 1,200 km journey across China
It's hard to know what to gawp at. The elegant brigade of classic cars that recently rallied from Beijing to Shanghai, or the unusual snapshot of modern China captured by Belgian drivers Frederic Goblet and Denis de Wagheneire. The pair photo blogged about their participation in the 5th edition of Classic Car Challenge China (4C), an event that saw 51 classic cars from 26 countries drive through China's rural back roads, bustling cities and national highways. Their story follows...
2 hours before the start, we were loaned a yellow 1971 BMW 2002. The race began after an opening ceremony at the Great Wall (pictured in the background).
Classic Cars Challenge China
Beijing to Yesanpo —
The road became more and more beautiful as we climbed from plains to mountains. A 1963 Porsche 356 followed us along a river.
As time went by, we left the gorgeous landscape to discover a different side of mainland China. There were flat, endless villages, and a lot of electric motorcycles.
Cultural shock: Everybody, yes everybody, has a smartphone in China, even in the most remote areas. They seem to love classic cars, and the blond drivers in particular for some reason. A red Ferrari drove ahead of us.
Today was definitely different. We traveled 330 km today, and what we can say is China is not Switzerland. The rally, for the last few days, has not been a ballad in the countryside with green trees, rivers and turning roads. We are driving through a developing and chaotic China.
The pollution this time stood out. Even though the weather was beautiful and the temperature was perfect, the sky seems far away. There's probably not a high life expectancy in this region.
This morning the chief of police congratulated all the teams from all over the world and their beautiful cars. Then he asked, "Do you know the average driving experience in China? 3 years. I trust you all with your great experience to show the way and be respectful." This team is driving a 1951 Chervolet Bel Air.
Nearing the end, we cannot count the number of smiling faces we saw along the way and the thousands of photos taken by locals. We can only imagine what stories they are telling their families. I cannot say we changed anything in those people's lives but they did change ours.
After all the participants crossed the finish line, the organizers held a ceremony. The speeches began, there were fireworks, and we were announced as the 1st place winners of the rally. We held the fastest time across all 10 days.
Classic cars are not only about cars, mechanics, and beautiful bodywork, it's about the opportunity to make friends with total strangers. In this case, we were also able to discover a country misunderstood by most and we got to see it from the inside, in a way like no other tourist would do. After 10 days on the road, Denis and Frederic ended their journey in Shanghai. For more on their adventure, read their detailed day-by-day account.
