---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being in love was like China: you knew it…"
description: "\"Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but I never would.\" — Philip Pul..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/philip-pullman-525_being-in-love_being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it_2946942.png"
---

#  Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and…

![“Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but I never would.” quote by Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/philip-pullman-525_being-in-love_being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it_2946942.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/philip-pullman-525_being-in-love_being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it_2946942.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/philip-pullman-525_being-in-love_being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it_2946942.png)

> “Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but I never would.”

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

## About This Quote

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

Love is compared to an exotic, intriguing place like China—known yet not personally explored, suggesting distance or unfamiliarity.

**In simple terms:** Love feels distant and intriguing.

Key Takeaway

Explore love rather than idealize it.

Themes

love distance curiosity culture

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- relationships
- travel experiences
- cross‑cultural encounters
- personal introspection

Key Concepts

literature metaphor emotional distance

Questions to Reflect On

- What aspects of love feel unknown to you?
- How can you engage with love more directly?

A Different Perspective

Idealizing love can prevent genuine connection.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-in-love/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [China Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china-knew-4422314/) [Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [Like China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-china/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Love Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-like/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [No doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-doubt/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Very interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-interesting/) [Visiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visiting/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [“Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it-was-there-and-no-doubt-it-2/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it-was-there-and-no-doubt-it/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [“...But it gradually seemed to me that I'd made myself believe something that wasn't true. I'd made myself believe that I was fine and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/but-it-gradually-seemed-to-me-that-i-d-made-myself-believe-something/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [Famous in our circles is the story of the visiting English banker who in 1948 upon seeing our model 95 camera commented, 'Very interesting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/famous-in-our-circles-is-the-story-of-the-visiting-english-banker-who/)

[Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/)

> [I don't expect Christians to see God as a metaphor, but that's what he is. Perhaps it might be clearer to call him a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-don-t-expect-christians-to-see-god-as-a-metaphor-but-that-s-what-he/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [I love to read the dedications of old books written in monarchies for they invariably honor some (usually insignificant) knight or duke with fulsome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-love-to-read-the-dedications-of-old-books-written-in-monarchies-for/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

> [Governments like China and the United Arab Emirates are investing heavily in AI and see it as a competitive advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-el-kaliouby/governments-like-china-and-the-united-arab-emirates-are-investing/)

[Rana el Kaliouby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-el-kaliouby/)

> [China is a great nation that offers the world a great culture, so many good things. I love the Chinese people and I hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/china-is-a-great-nation-that-offers-the-world-a-great-culture-so-many/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [As soon as one bad actor like China massively cheats, they win at the expense of us; they win at the expense of Europe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/as-soon-as-one-bad-actor-like-china-massively-cheats-they-win-at-the/)

[Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/)

> [Big global players like China need to do a better job of respecting human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/big-global-players-like-china-need-to-do-a-better-job-of-respecting/)

[Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/)

> [We continue to grow, and, just like with countries like China or other countries where we are not doing particularly well, we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-koum/we-continue-to-grow-and-just-like-with-countries-like-china-or-other/)

[Jan Koum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-koum/)

> [Some people have blithely dismissed growth in markets like China and India, saying Silicon Valley will always be the hub for tech: that everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/some-people-have-blithely-dismissed-growth-in-markets-like-china-and/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [I am proud of my government. Like China, we also built hospitals within 15-20 days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uddhav-thackeray/i-am-proud-of-my-government-like-china-we-also-built-hospitals-within/)

[Uddhav Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uddhav-thackeray/)

> [I don't like China. Even today, I still feel I have no emotional relations with this place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-don-t-like-china-even-today-i-still-feel-i-have-no-emotional/)

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

> [Like China, the Internet is a huge new market. It's up to you to figure out what to do with it. Use it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-chase/like-china-the-internet-is-a-huge-new-market-it-s-up-to-you-to-figure/)

[Larry Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-chase/)

## More by Philip Pullman

> [The state of mind which I put myself when I tell a story is one in which superstition flourishes very easily. And I welcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/the-state-of-mind-which-i-put-myself-when-i-tell-a-story-is-one-in/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [Religion grants its adherents malign, intoxicating and morally corrosive sensations. Destroying intellectual freedom is always evil, but only religion makes doing evil feel quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/religion-grants-its-adherents-malign-intoxicating-and-morally/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: we need books, time, and silence. Thou shalt not is soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/we-don-t-need-lists-of-rights-and-wrongs-tables-of-do-s-and-don-ts-we/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [I have stolen ideas from every book I have ever read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-have-stolen-ideas-from-every-book-i-have-ever-read/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [All the stories of the Bible that I know came to me first from my grandfather's lips... He would see stories in everything. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/all-the-stories-of-the-bible-that-i-know-came-to-me-first-from-my/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [What I do say is that I can write verse, and that the writing of verse in strict form is the best possible training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/what-i-do-say-is-that-i-can-write-verse-and-that-the-writing-of-verse/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [Writing is tyranny ... but reading is democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/writing-is-tyranny-but-reading-is-democracy/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [“Middlemarch is a novel that is diminished by being put on the screen. It can't help but be, because so much of what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/middlemarch-is-a-novel-that-is-diminished-by-being-put-on-the-screen/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [I have maintained a passionate interest in education, which leads me occasionally to make foolish and ill-considered remarks alleging that not everything is well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-have-maintained-a-passionate-interest-in-education-which-leads-me/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [And think what worrying does: has anyone ever added a single hour to the length of his life by worrying about it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/and-think-what-worrying-does-has-anyone-ever-added-a-single-hour-to/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [“The question authors get asked more than any other is "Where do you get your ideas from?" And we all find a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/the-question-authors-get-asked-more-than-any-other-is-where-do-you/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [“We are all subject to the fates. But we must all act as if we are not,” said the witch, “or die of despair.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/we-are-all-subject-to-the-fates-but-we-must-all-act-as-if-we-are-not/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [Lonely? I don't know. They tell me this is cold. I don't know what cold is, because I don't freeze. So I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/lonely-i-don-t-know-they-tell-me-this-is-cold-i-don-t-know-what-cold/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [Just finished 'Secrecy' - truly enthralling both as a love story and as a tale of suspense - but much more than both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/just-finished-secrecy-truly-enthralling-both-as-a-love-story-and-as-a/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [“As Auden is believed to have said, no poem saved a single Jew from the gas chambers. Never mind. Write the poems anyway. Play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/as-auden-is-believed-to-have-said-no-poem-saved-a-single-jew-from-the/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

[Explore all 479 Philip Pullman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

## More Being in love quotes

> [If You Love Someone, Be Brave Enough To Tell Them., Otherwise Be Brave Enough To Watch Them To Be Loved By Someone Else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-love-someone-be-brave-enough-to-tell-them-otherwise-be-brave/)

[Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/)

> [You'll know they're special when no matter what kind of mood you're in, they can always manage to make you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-tomasello/you-ll-know-they-re-special-when-no-matter-what-kind-of-mood-you-re/)

[Mario Tomasello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-tomasello/)

> [ONE stone enough to break a glass,,, ONE sentence is enough to break a heart,,, FIRST sight is enough to fall in love,,, ONE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-stone-enough-to-break-a-glass-one-sentence-is-enough-to-break-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/)

[Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/)

> [Don't turn your back on love when it's already in front of you. Don't drive it away from you, because If you do, someday,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jcalex-maneja/don-t-turn-your-back-on-love-when-it-s-already-in-front-of-you-don-t/)

[Jcalex Maneja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jcalex-maneja/)

> [Enough for this bow &amp; arrow. It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/)

[Louaiq8](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louaiq8/)

> [I know we can't be together, and yes it hurts like hell...but I want you to be happy, cause I'm happy if you are…i'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/i-know-we-can-t-be-together-and-yes-it-hurts-like-hell-but-i-want-you/)

[Superman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/superman/)

> [I be picking flower pedals saying does he love me or does he love me not... I just want to be that special someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-perez/i-be-picking-flower-pedals-saying-does-he-love-me-or-does-he-love-me/)

[Angelica Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-perez/)

> [You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved ,the rest is up to the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-make-someone-love-you-all-you-can-do-is-be-someone-who-can/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes loving someone does not require a sense of knowing...Often times it's when you love someone without reason or explanation that it withstands the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimi-mata-aspiring-writer/sometimes-loving-someone-does-not-require-a-sense-of-knowing-often/)

[Mimi Mata (Aspiring Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mimi-mata-aspiring-writer/)

> [You can never understand why people do stupid things for love, Unless you, yourself experience how it is to be in LOVE...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-never-understand-why-people-do-stupid-things-for-love-unless/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes all you need in life is someone who will always be there for you, no matter what happens to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-all-you-need-in-life-is-someone-who-will-always-be-there/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> ['I Love You' fails to sum up all the memories, smiles, laughs, trials, and tribulations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/i-love-you-fails-to-sum-up-all-the-memories-smiles-laughs-trials-and/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [Each day my love grows deeper, deeper than I never thought before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/each-day-my-love-grows-deeper-deeper-than-i-never-thought-before/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Whatever questions I ask, will you give me an honest answer? Do you love me? why do you blush look away and say no?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/whatever-questions-i-ask-will-you-give-me-an-honest-answer-do-you/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

[Browse all 3,301 Being in love quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-in-love/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but I never would.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Philip Pullman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it-was-there-and-no-doubt-it-3/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Being in love"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it-was-there-and-no-doubt-it-3/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/philip-pullman-525_being-in-love_being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it_2946942.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/philip-pullman-525_being-in-love_being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it_2946942.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/philip-pullman-525_being-in-love_being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it_2946942.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people…” — Philip Pullman",
                "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": "Philip Pullman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Being in love was like China:...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it-was-there-and-no-doubt-it-3/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/being-in-love-was-like-china-you-knew-it-was-there-and-no-doubt-it-3/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
