The end made it all come together. Great video, and very well spoken. More people need to be aware of this. Be careful though (viewers), it's getting much more restrictive than it once was.

The only truth is---If you are rich enough,anywhere is free for you

I had absolutely zero interest in modern China until I found your PSP video like 3 years ago. I've watched almost every video you've uploaded since. You and laowhy are still the best Chinese vloggers and I've learned so much about that crazy interesting place, thanks for all the content.

What you called "freedom" is actually lawlessness.

As a chinese ,I appreciate your video.You just present us chinese next things to do. Believe me,the spitting the littering the grandparents hold children peeing to a sewer will disappear when people born 80's become grandparents if not sooner.So be patient,just a decade give or take. Comparing our parents, the responsibility is much lighter for us young generation to overcome. We have faith to better ourself and our parents.And one day, your relatives will ask you how well you live in china with admiration as undertone.Better things are the ones worth waiting.

I love whatching you speak while showing the streets

Chinese rule: do whatever the fuck you want except dont voice your political opinions and you will be fine.

As a Chinese, I pretty much agree with this dude in every aspect he talked about objectively speaking. China is developing and still has a lot to improve in both hardware and software manner. We should accept the points made and trying to get better and better! Great Video!

The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.

that poor turtle :'(

although I'm a Chinese living in the mid china area, i have to say you definitely need to be very tough to make this video and face all the criticism coming from my fellow chinese. Good vid, btw.

这位兄弟也是很了解中国了，大家不要一味抵触，都是事实嘛，也是我们需要改进的。

In China, laws are just guidelines.

China Linux: free command can only be accessed with admin rights. Sudo free you are now free

Bingo!!! Finally a video with a subtitle in a language (English) I could understand. Thank you very much!

Serpentza is a YT legend.......love watching your channel mate keep up the good work buddy :-)

I've been in 26 countries and i need to admit, that last year and a half in Beijing was amazing and it became one my favorite cities I ever lived in. You need to get use to some things, but at the end is nothing like was thinking, before coming here.

Did you make friends with the cops in your area? That's the first thing I did as soon as I moved to my new area. Since then I've had 2 people come to my place and try to threaten me and each time I luckily got to deal with the cops that are in the nearest police box and they immediately told the person being an asshole to leave or else they would get in trouble. I love living in Asia, but personal person to person politics plays a big role in how well you are gonna do here. That's why I always tell new people to get to know the cops in their local area as soon as possible -by name- so that way they don't get hassled (at least near where they live) and just in general. The more people know you and have good experiences with you, the more people will get your back when shit (will inevitably) hit the fan. Thanks for making the video Winston. It didn't seem biased and overall a fair assessment of what was going on. Can't wait for the next videos.

super content Winston! this video was uploaded on my birthday btw! nice one!

Chinese society now is different from what it was 100-150 years ago. Then I am sure Chinese people were polite and law-abiding. The society has changed because of the very great hardships that the Chinese suffered under communism and now the view in China is everyone for themselves. In particular the Great Chinese Famine of 1959-1961 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chinese_Famine which is still covered up in China and caused by mismanagement by the Chinese communist party. Chinese journalist Yang Jisheng concluded there were 36 million deaths due to starvation, while another 40 million others failed to be born, so that "China's total population loss during the Great Famine then comes to 76 million."

hey i just want to share my appreciation for all of your vids, i am an american from the southeast and i dont believe i have ever been taught any real info about china, but your vids give me so much insight and i feel like i am learning about the real china, thanks so much for that its a great service your doing so cheers to you my friend, if your ever in the south east of america let me know, so i can give you the tour ok

ok thing to remember is no country is perfect if there was one we would all there? i am from uk arrived in beijing 2010 and just like winston turned my life around. there are things we love and things we hate living here but we adapt to them. traffic is really bad. crime is so low you can walk at night with no fears. if you plan to come here just remember it is the chinese peoples country respect their laws and culture do not cause problems keep under the radar and you will have a great time here. yes you have to show your passport at hotels' banks' get on trains/ planes. will you get stopped in the street and asked to show passport not really ( never been stopped in 7 years)police come once a year to check me out maybe winston is red flagged now thats why they visit him twice a month? if you see things you do not like just think this is china and this is life here. i hate the spitting and things too but it happens just ignore it and live life. act like winston and not like prozzie and you will enjoy it.

Amazing footage as allways my friend , from your description sounds like there is massive instability on the way in future.

Amazing videos! Its really opened my eyes to life in China. Thank you

China is very free as long as you're chinese and support the government.

In past trips to China, I have been surprised at how free people seem to be. Variety shows, vaudeville like burlesque shows with funny skits about their Communist Revolution and even a 1960's themed restaurant where the friendly wait staff dressed as Red Guards will joyfully denounce you as a Western Capitalist between entrees, all in fun. In many ways I felt more freedom and personal safety in China than I do in parts of the US or Europe, Italy in particular. Although I was nearly run down in Chinese traffic more than once, for running a business China is more user friendly. Currently it seems personal liberties of individuals are under threat in the West as well. I have friends whose businesses are being turned upside down because minority individuals claimed someone uttered a racial slur. I have been audited by the US Internal Revenue Service for 3 years after sending $150 to a conservatve political group. Try teaching school in the US, Canada or Europe if you hold the wrong point of view. I would never presume to discuss Chinese politics in China, but I once took this for granted in America, and no longer can. P.S. As I write this I am laid up from food poisoning from an American restaurant.

Love you, man. Thanks for speaking the truth and taking the hits.

watched a handful of your videos today, finally remembered to sub!

I'd say it's been seven years of watching your channel now, and it's still my fav!

love your channel. you should get your own show mate

GREAT episode. You are bolder, more confident, more truthful than ever.

Good stuff thank you for all of the great videos you put out been married to a Chinese woman myself for 17 years and living in America you help me understand a lot of things that my wife never did best wishes keep up the good work Uri

"spitting and urinating in public and being generally inconsiderate" sounds like the north east UK

China is free for Chinese, but western tourists has a lot of issue like hard to buy local sim card , internet vpn and so on

I think your brutally honest views and opinions on China and the life you lead there are really good and refreshing, both the good sides and the bad, very engaging and interesting, your living your dreams out, which can look like a nightmare at times lol but that's life. Great work your doing mate.

This is a great video, and the narrator is very well spoken. I lived in China for years, and his points are accurate.

I understand the message of the vid, but I disagree with the rather negative tone. Personally, I experience most of China with my gf from guizhou that I have met 3 years ago in South Korea. She is also disgusts by the carefree behavior of many Chinese (spitting, traffic chaos, littering, public peeing, etc). But that doesn't stop her from being extensively pro-China in every other way, considering the amazing changes that have been happening here for the last 30 years. I am living in a little protective bubble with her, where we do try to abide the law, respect traffic lights, avoid certain bad looking restaurant, wash our food before cooking, wear face masks, doing all these things to compensate the negative effects of all this "freedom" in China. But lets be honest, the positive aspect of this freedom far outweigh the negative. Buying stuff on Taobao, ordering any kind of food for cheap and in an instant on your phone, buying a cheap electric bike for nothing to travel around the city with no registration needed, enjoying awesome Chinese food chain restaurants, or super modern hotels for ridiculous prices, in general having the feeling of not being screwed whenever you buy something, whether it is paying for transportation, electronics, food, hotels... that is freedom isn't it ? Or is any foreigner doomed to change his mind about China (in a negative way), as time passes by? Anyways, stay awesome dude, love how you speak your mind compared to other youtubers in China.

All of those "freedoms" in China can be taken away at any moment. There is no bill of rights, and certainly no 2nd amendment to protect the bill of rights.

Your videos are amazing, Living in China now, I can relate to the most of the things you are saying!

Just fabulous, love your vivid vids!

I'm an older American man, been to china, an amazing country, very extremes, but amazing. I found it difficult to live in because its society is so raw and intense. I lived in Thailand one year at first I loved it but after 6 months it started to wear on me after my one year visa expired I left and went to Vietnam. I been here 5 yrs and I live it. Life here is very free, uninhibited, alive, it's a nation in transition, construction and development going on everywhere. It is like being in two vietnams, the past historical culture, and the new Internet, wifi, Facebook, youthful, alive.. in general the Vietnamese people are happy outgoing social family society.. like all places on earth it has its problems but I accept them. I plan to stay here as long as I can.

wait what is that guy seriously abusing that turtle at the start WTF?! thats actually sick mate

Sounds enchanting lad. I'm in America, Arizona we have so many laws that we probably break some everyday. China seems a little scary to me. Love your videos and that your an honest lad.

Hi Winston, Thanks for doing these videos...you are very clever and insightful....I have traveled to China five times over the past 4 years and I have spent about a total of 18 weeks there on business. I've learned a good deal from you. All the best to you, Cheers, M. S.

I earn 25k per month in Beijing, I still find myself as poor as broke. :( 12k living as the king? fucking hell NOT!!!

4:36 look at that ad in the back... wow...

I love your walking videos, keep it up!

Great drinking game idea. Do a shot every time Winston says " nonsense". :) Love your videos.

Hi Winston, been watching your channel for a long time and I love your videos, at the end of this video you mentioned checking the apartment by the local police, I think it's normal, please do not worry about it, I am Chinese and Living in Bao an District, the local police also check my apartment, knock my door about once every two month, actually, they knock each of every doors in the whole building, and I also know they do this to all the living buildings in the community, you know what, I also felt annoying, sometimes I got wake up by the heavy knocking, and I was very angry because I was sleeping at the moment, sometimes the police knock your door between 7pm to 9pm, sometime they knock your door in the afternoon. Anyway, what I want to say is that the policy knock your door is not because you are a foreigner, it's all about the district or the specific community you are living, the related law inforced strictly in some communities, but other communities dose not, it's not a big deal, please rest assured, by the way, I also feel frustrated by the traffic, today I almost got hit by a E-bike when I try to cross the street, I was on a zebra stripes at the moment...........................

14:02 I knew a girl who'd lived in Beijing for over two years and hadn't even realised she had to register. She worked with diplomats as well so how the hell she didn't know is beyond me.

You"re the best. You just explained more thsn anybody asks. Stay well. Keep six.

I love watching your videos. It’s honest and generally speaking friendly to china. Of course your voices are too honest to take in sometimes haha. Hope you can retire in china and enjoy a fulfilling life there. A fan from a chinese living overseas.

I’m in Shenzhen now and I’ve had the police come to my door before and demand to see my passport. They’ve also demanded to see my passport before they would allow me to exit a metro station when I got off the train. I don’t actually have a problem with that. What china does is far better than what the US does. In the US it’s illegal for the police to demand to see anyone’s ID at any time. So you end up with millions of illegal foreigners who come and stay illegally forever. The police will never check their ID and there are essentially no immigration laws or immigration enforcement. Unchecked immigration is not freedom. Having a bunch of people come to your country and take a free ride on your system while you pay a crap ton of taxes is not freedom. I’m also in Shenzhen and I approve of the areas they usually do crack down on like ID checks. It may effect me personally at some point or even cause me to have to leave China but I’m confident that as long as I’m not hurting China in some way I won’t be severely effected in everyday life.

It is interesting that China seems to be the exact opposite of Japan in this regard. In Japan people always are extremely considerate, everything is very clean, no smoking in public let alone stuff like jaywalking, noisy neighbours are virtually unheard of, very rarely will you see people talking on the phone on public transport.

I really LOVED this Video. GREAT VIDEO....And GREAT TIPS.

Man.. my Thai wife is saying that Am obsessed watching you :) but keep it up bruh; your content is amazing

that landlord probably never even redid the apartment- he just used the law to evict you i bet.

If i ever get there.. i will bring 80 sandwiches with me just to 'survive' :)

I really like your channel - thanks! I lived in China (Fuzhou) for 4 years 2000 - 2004. I had a wonderful time. Work was great. I made really nice Chinese friends and learned the language at least enough to communicate the basics and get around by myself without a translator. I did get the policemen/women knocking on my apartment door every now and then to check my papers, but with papers in order, a smile, and a cup of tea, there was never any problem. We have cultural differences for sure, but with a bit of flexibility, we can work around it. Anyway, thanks for your channel and keep it going please. Cheers (with a Qingdao preferably, but now with an Indonesian Bintang)

Jesus I keep clicking on different videos and there is a blue thumbs up meaning i've seen this before, last 5 vids have been the same cause I love ADV China and the guys who make it happen, thx for ur great work.

Well... Must go to my local police station asap 哈哈哈哈. Thanks a lot for the tips !

You are confusing lawlessness with freedom.

Very interesting! who needs mas media documentaries, many decades using internet and still find it amazing lol. Thank you for the info my friend.

I will never get mad of you for saying the true and making me understand what i have to do i really now like KZfaq now because i see your videos. Thank you

Well, I am shocked that this is totally right about the bad consequences. What he said is fare enough. I didn't know why those things are still happening in China. And, it seems people are quit used to it. Until one, my mom told a little story. Actually, it's a real story. In our local market where my mother is working inside. They caught a thief. that's a bad thing. The keypoint is not about the event, but the man who did this thing. virtually, he is a retired college teacher, who can have a lot of pension from government every month. What he stole are small snake which are quit cheap. He can totally afford that. Why would he do that? Because he has Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer can remind him of his childhood, when Chinese was overwhelmed with poverty. stealing some food might be the only way to survive during that period. So, what i am saying is. All these fast development in China, the modern societies, nice subway systems, great malls, are blooming within recent 30 years, or less. The old generation has deep memory of old, suffering times. And so the bad habits are nailed in their bones. They can't change that. Government can't do that. No one can. When I was 5, there was few cars on the street. Now, I am 25, you can see cars everywhere. however, the traffic laws are not told well for everyone. The young generation are changing their attitudes and learning courtesy quit fast. If you say, a 10 year old school boy in a modern city will urinate in public. I will not believe that. But how about en old peasant with a 6-year old? I think it's about education gap. Decades ago, some Chinese are still suffering. Not everyone is well educated.

food scandals episode please ! :]

1:30 haha it’s that way in Boston, MA too, you can cross wherever and the cars will stop within reason. In Cambridge and near the universities it’s completely normal

I really enjoy watching these videos

Freedom rocks. Do what you want but prepare to except the consequences, and do not aggress against others or their property:)

Interesting video! The food part is the part I try not to think of every time I eat something. It's so scary!

jeez man was seriously worried with that title, but yeah man you are 100% correct, a lot of everyday freedoms in the middle kingdom for sure! I lived there for over 4 years..........

Hi Winston thank you for that great info so helpful to know hugs

YOU'RE AWESOME.

China sounds like the U.s. back in the old days. 1800's .

Thanks, its really informative

Awesome channel!!

关于生鲜食物时常来源不明这里说的有问题。在菜市场或周边的个人营业，他们的直接货源往往是一致的，都是从本地为数不多的大型生鲜批发市场采购，而后在摊点进行粗加工。在批发市场采购本地或外地农场的货进行交易。所以并非是来源不明的。

You'll find even more freedom in India, a lot of it... too much of it! ahah

thanks ,Winston, real cool to know, a bit of information are important.

well spoken, love your video!

04:20 WOAAA she is so beautiful!! but she also acting ;)

18 minute video. 1 ad!

I love this guy. I wish you the best!

very informative !

I've been watching your videos since 2012 when I lived in Japan, and remember actually sending you a PM asking about Chinese vegetables since the Japanese were sceptical of them. I also remember you replying something along the line of Japan being the safe choice and China being the place for the adventurous. Although the quality of your gear, editing and preparation for the videos are half a million times better now than when you sat with a beer in a restaurant in the village or made a 'what's going on in China' and gave a recap of the news, I still see the old ones from time to time. You were so optimistic about life in China, and I'm sad to see that things aren't that great anymore. I hope you still enjoy life over there and continue to make these videos, and that the situation changes back to when you didn't feel as hindered by the government in living your daily life. I still haven't been to China, but I will one day. Thank you for keeping me entertained, interested and informed about China for more than half a decade.

wow! 5k likes for this vid. I like what you say Winston, but by looking at the vid that place is nasty. don't know if that's the worst or the norm but no thanks thanks for the vid

Ek het op jou video's af gekom en geniet dit baie! Waratig nie geweet jy is 'n SA'ner nie!! Ek werk in die olie bedryf en ons kliente is Chinees. Nou verstaan ek hulle houdings! Daar is van hulle wat vriendelik is en dan is daar wat regte kakke is!!!! Dankie vir die Chinese woorde wat jy hier en daar vir ons leer! Dit gaan handig te pas kom!!! Groetnis!!!

You are always spot on, man. There is this old joke I heard when I was a kid in China - a guy spit on the ground, the policeman comes along and asks for a fine for just 5 yuan (less than a dollar), he spits again on the ground and gives the policeman a 10 yuan note, and he says "no change". You see, it takes a higher penalty to enforce some of these laws. But the government is not incentivized to do so. Because it will cause the policeman a lot of trouble if he asks for 100 yuan, he won't get it, the guy will run away or just do whatever it takes to avoid the fine. Then we have this vicious cycle here - the less enforced the laws are, the fewer respect you will get from people for the law, which makes it even harder enforce the law. However, in recent years there has been some strict traffic laws in a number of cities in China, I hope they keep up with it. It is going to be hard before it gets easier.

Warning ⚠️: 7:30 Graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.

New Zealand is the free-est country on earth, and has been for the last 6 years :)

Great video, everything he said is sooooo true!

Awesome. This is pretty much interesting, even on a greater scale. It could be interesting to have a feature about law enforcement in china in general but I guess it could be out of your scope. Meanwhile, I wish you the best getting over this annoying treatment.

Hmm. I can see the point you are trying to make and would agree, to an extent, that yes China does have may freedoms (or pseudo freedoms depending on how you think about it), but I diverge when the topic is whether China is the land of the free. Honestly, when people look at freedom they seem to think you are either free or you are not. The problem is that it's not that simple. If the US was truly free, there wouldn't be a society, there would be a fallout esc world, assuming China didn't invade. But the United States is the Most free country. In terms of doing anything you want because laws aren't very well enforced. Europeans, in most cities and areas, gave that up to create civil societies where decency was normal, though you have the right to not be decent as long as it will not cause harm to others. After all, having people doing whatever they want can violate the rights of others. In that sense, Rights can be considered the antithesis of freedom, as well as the very definition in another sense. (See how it's not that simple?) For example, in an area (as you couldn't call it a society) where there is pure freedom, you would be able to kill any thing and one you wanted, let alone other horrifying things. Of course, you also have the freedom in places like the United States to create communes and pretty much do what you want. Much like with China, as long as it doesn't effect anyone outside the commune, your pretty much safe to do anything. Economic freedom is a bit of a strange topic to bring up here too. Things being cheap but poor quality doesn't mean you have economic freedom. Having those options doesn't even necessarily determine whether you have economic freedom or not. Economic freedom in a pure form follows the capitalist idea that two consenting individuals can enter into an agreement and exit an agreement on terms they decide together. Does it sound like China has that based on his testimony? Yes, but so does the US, and the US government, though it has tried and still is trying, cannot prevent this in most cases unlike China. As for the food, China does seem more free market on that almost to the point of not caring about the quality. Which is why in free markets you need an uncensored and free press who will report improper practices, hazordus practices, etc to the people... Which, and correct me if I'm wrong, China doesn't have. I guess the final point I want to touch on is this: A county whose freedom is based on whether or not the current government is friendly or not, is happy or angry, or any combination like that is not, by definition, a free county. They are not being given permission to do these things as you admit that they are breaking the law. So, though I do see where the argument could be made, unless the people had these freedoms without the hairs thin difference between that freedom and total dictatorship I don't think it's intellectually honest to compare the freedom of China to the freedom of the United States. That all being said, this was a very interesting and thought provoking video and I am curious to see/hear more on the matter. Also have become more interested in visiting China, with the obvious contemplation of whether I could go to a country where people may go to the bathroom in or near the streets.

>*Talks about how annoying people are in public when he's clearly making everyone he passes uncomfortable filming*

Another great video

Great video, thank you !

@4:30 Haha this poor guy has no idea hes the default stock footage everytime Winston talks about foreigners and nightlife lol

Gutter oil 😨

i think it is. ive lived in china for two years. but i have some apprehensions about future trends. great video. thanks buddy

Lots of informative and correct details. No make up stories as i am also a non ROC been living in China. Like anywhere, you need to be on your toes to ensure you are safe and healthy. Yet in the midst of this, to me, China has a lot to offer and understand. My ancestors are from here, hence it gives me a sense of home although i am not a China-born Chinese.