---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went to China for a brief working…"
description: "\"I went to China for a brief working visit, and I thought that Shanghai was interesting, but Beijing totally grabbed me.\" — Marcus Brigstocke"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/marcus-brigstocke-14795_beijing_i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visi_2937800.jpg"
---

#  I went to China for a brief working visit, and I thought…

![“I went to China for a brief working visit, and I thought that Shanghai was interesting, but Beijing totally grabbed me.” quote by Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/marcus-brigstocke-14795_beijing_i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visi_2937800.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/marcus-brigstocke-14795_beijing_i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visi_2937800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/marcus-brigstocke-14795_beijing_i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visi_2937800.jpg)

> “I went to China for a brief working visit, and I thought that Shanghai was interesting, but Beijing totally grabbed me.”

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker found Beijing more captivating than Shanghai during a short work trip.

**In simple terms:** Beijing felt more engaging than Shanghai.

Key Takeaway

Explore cities beyond first impressions.

Themes

travel culture city comparison

Mood

curious reflective

Type

anecdotal personal

When to use this quote

- business trip
- city tourism
- cultural immersion

Key Concepts

urban allure personal preference

Questions to Reflect On

- What aspects made Beijing stand out?
- How do brief visits shape lasting impressions?

A Different Perspective

Personal bias may color perception of places.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beijing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing/) [Beijing Totally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing-totally-4363977/) [Brief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brief/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Grabbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grabbed/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting Beijing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-beijing-4363976/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Shanghai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shanghai/) [Shanghai Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shanghai-interesting-3205711/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Totally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totally/) [Visit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visit/) [Went China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/went-china-1638753/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/)

## Related quotes

> [I was born in Suzhou, a city not very far from Shanghai. It's a very interesting town - there is a long artist's tradition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/i-was-born-in-suzhou-a-city-not-very-far-from-shanghai-it-s-a-very/)

[I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/)

> [While Google no longer has a search engine operation inside China, it has maintained a large presence in Beijing and Shanghai focused on research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/while-google-no-longer-has-a-search-engine-operation-inside-china-it/)

[Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/)

> [What's interesting is whilst Shanghai has gone stellar - literally, in these massive buildings which have appeared since I first visited - Beijing has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/what-s-interesting-is-whilst-shanghai-has-gone-stellar-literally-in/)

[George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/)

> [When we started out, we didn't really think that the era of great opportunity would end one day. We were much too busy developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-xin/when-we-started-out-we-didn-t-really-think-that-the-era-of-great/)

[Zhang Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-xin/)

> [You walk into the playgrounds in Shanghai and Beijing, and you see youngsters who are shorter, shaking and baking and having attitude. And Jeremy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-stern/you-walk-into-the-playgrounds-in-shanghai-and-beijing-and-you-see/)

[David Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-stern/)

> [The Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo show just how much effort China is willing to spend to enter the global stage. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/the-beijing-olympics-and-the-shanghai-world-expo-show-just-how-much/)

[Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/)

> [Our company has only been active in Beijing and Shanghai, two very market-dominated cities. This was an advantage. Land is purchased here in public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-xin/our-company-has-only-been-active-in-beijing-and-shanghai-two-very/)

[Zhang Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-xin/)

> [When we started out, we were among the first. Beijing had no and Shanghai had very few large buildings. At that time, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-xin/when-we-started-out-we-were-among-the-first-beijing-had-no-and/)

[Zhang Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-xin/)

> [I really, really love China. To be honest, the food is so amazing! When I first went to Beijing and Shanghai, I actually became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/i-really-really-love-china-to-be-honest-the-food-is-so-amazing-when-i/)

[Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/)

> [Children whose developing lungs are particularly vulnerable suffer the most from air pollution. For children, breathing the air in cities with the worst pollution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/children-whose-developing-lungs-are-particularly-vulnerable-suffer/)

[Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/)

> [From the first time that I went over to China, I think I was around the age of 17, 18, and just going there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/from-the-first-time-that-i-went-over-to-china-i-think-i-was-around/)

[Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/)

> [I like new experiences. It's one of the reasons I went to China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-pellegrini/i-like-new-experiences-it-s-one-of-the-reasons-i-went-to-china/)

[Manuel Pellegrini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-pellegrini/)

> [Every President that went to China, I would meet them and have dinner and talk about the past and the future. That was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jet-li/every-president-that-went-to-china-i-would-meet-them-and-have-dinner/)

[Jet Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jet-li/)

> [I grew up in a Chinese American enclave where the person who lived down the street had literally lived down the street from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-zhang/i-grew-up-in-a-chinese-american-enclave-where-the-person-who-lived/)

[Jenny Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-zhang/)

> [Shanghainese people are good negotiators, they're very persistent, and you grow up in an atmosphere like that - very competitive. That becomes part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/shanghainese-people-are-good-negotiators-they-re-very-persistent-and/)

[Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/)

## More by Marcus Brigstocke

> [I spend my jollity on stage, so there is less in my own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-spend-my-jollity-on-stage-so-there-is-less-in-my-own-life/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [Jews, I know you're God's chosen people and the rest of us are just 'whatever', but when Israel behaves like a violent, psychopathic bully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/jews-i-know-you-re-god-s-chosen-people-and-the-rest-of-us-are-just/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [All my shows are therapy, trying to navigate interesting subjects so I can work them out and to be honest and say some things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/all-my-shows-are-therapy-trying-to-navigate-interesting-subjects-so-i/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [“If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/if-pac-man-had-affected-us-as-kids-we-d-all-be-running-around-in-dark/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [“We humans who art on Earth Humanity is special Our kingdom has come Do what we innately know to be right On earth, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/we-humans-who-art-on-earth-humanity-is-special-our-kingdom-has-come/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [I don't mind not being cool; I wear a cardigan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-don-t-mind-not-being-cool-i-wear-a-cardigan/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [I'm more pompous and self-assured and determined that if - you know - if the truth can be told so as to be understood,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-m-more-pompous-and-self-assured-and-determined-that-if-you-know-if/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [I've spent a lot of very happy times in Edinburgh as a result of playing virtually every festival since 1996. It's also a beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-very-happy-times-in-edinburgh-as-a-result-of/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [“I'd like to start this week with a request, and this one goes out to the followers of the three Abrahamic religions: the Muslims,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-d-like-to-start-this-week-with-a-request-and-this-one-goes-out-to/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [Catholicism has the clerical equivalent to a nut allergy - even a small exposure to change, and the whole thing will go into anaphylactic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/catholicism-has-the-clerical-equivalent-to-a-nut-allergy-even-a-small/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [I'd lie in bed in my dormitory and grab at bits of my body, wanting to tear them off... I was so large by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-d-lie-in-bed-in-my-dormitory-and-grab-at-bits-of-my-body-wanting-to/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [I find myself by default an atheist but fairly unhappily so. It would be bloody marvelous if there was a god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-find-myself-by-default-an-atheist-but-fairly-unhappily-so-it-would/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [There are a lot of comics at the top end making staggering amounts of money and selling out stadiums. I think stand-up is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/there-are-a-lot-of-comics-at-the-top-end-making-staggering-amounts-of/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [Christians, you and your churches don't get to be millionaires while other people have nothing at all. They're your bloody rules! Either stick to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/christians-you-and-your-churches-don-t-get-to-be-millionaires-while/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

> [The basic function of a comic is stand-up because it's so straightforward and simple. If the audience don't laugh, you didn't do your job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/the-basic-function-of-a-comic-is-stand-up-because-it-s-so/)

[Marcus Brigstocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

[Explore all 45 Marcus Brigstocke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/)

## More Beijing quotes

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/)

[Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/)

> [Often GOP political strategy seems like the human wave theory of the Chinese military translated to politics. Where Beijing uses masses of soldiers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/often-gop-political-strategy-seems-like-the-human-wave-theory-of-the/)

[Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/)

> [Air pollution is my biggest concern right now. Maybe because I live in Beijing, and in this city we have such severe challenges due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/air-pollution-is-my-biggest-concern-right-now-maybe-because-i-live-in/)

[Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/)

> [Coming into London having the experience of Beijing is really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/coming-into-london-having-the-experience-of-beijing-is-really-good/)

[Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/)

> [Well it did not make excessive sense to say that 20 million people are the recognized government of a billion people that have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/well-it-did-not-make-excessive-sense-to-say-that-20-million-people/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [I was born and raised in Vancouver. I moved to Beijing in 2010 just before the Olympics. Being an Asian Canadian actor, the amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osric-chau/i-was-born-and-raised-in-vancouver-i-moved-to-beijing-in-2010-just/)

[Osric Chau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osric-chau/)

> [If you're in the movies and you haven't been to Beijing, you're kind of missing where things are really happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/if-you-re-in-the-movies-and-you-haven-t-been-to-beijing-you-re-kind/)

[Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/)

> [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-2040-the-sahara-will-be-moving-into-europe-and-berlin-will-be-as/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [My Beijing jersey means more to me than any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephon-marbury/my-beijing-jersey-means-more-to-me-than-any-of-them/)

[Stephon Marbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephon-marbury/)

> [Team GB's success at the Beijing Olympics can, in part, be said to have been made in Manchester. For example, all the cycling medal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/team-gb-s-success-at-the-beijing-olympics-can-in-part-be-said-to-have/)

[Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/)

> [Beijing would indeed consider vetoing any American effort to sanction Iran at the Security Council.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-zhaoxing/beijing-would-indeed-consider-vetoing-any-american-effort-to-sanction/)

[Li Zhaoxing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-zhaoxing/)

> [Space is about 100 kilometers away. That’s far away—I wouldn’t want to climb a ladder to get there—but it isn’t that far away. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/space-is-about-100-kilometers-away-that-s-far-away-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/)

> [I think the biggest thing was that I was putting pressure on myself leading up to Beijing. Now I am learning how to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-hall/i-think-the-biggest-thing-was-that-i-was-putting-pressure-on-myself/)

[Ryan Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-hall/)

> [My approach to gymnastics in Beijing was heavily based on the amount of difficulty I could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-johnson/my-approach-to-gymnastics-in-beijing-was-heavily-based-on-the-amount/)

[Shawn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-johnson/)

[Browse all 138 Beijing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I went to China for a brief working visit, and I thought that Shanghai was interesting, but Beijing totally grabbed me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marcus Brigstocke"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visit-and-i-thought-that-shanghai/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beijing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visit-and-i-thought-that-shanghai/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/marcus-brigstocke-14795_beijing_i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visi_2937800.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/marcus-brigstocke-14795_beijing_i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visi_2937800.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/marcus-brigstocke-14795_beijing_i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visi_2937800.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I went to China for a brief working visit, and I thought that Shanghai was interesting, but Beijing totally…” — Marcus Brigstocke",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Marcus Brigstocke",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-brigstocke/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I went to China for a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visit-and-i-thought-that-shanghai/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-brigstocke/i-went-to-china-for-a-brief-working-visit-and-i-thought-that-shanghai/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
