In spring 2015, Frank Quilitzsch returns to China to revisit the places and institutions where he taught 25 years ago. Shortly after landing, memories collide with the bizarre present of China. Back in 1989, the student uprising in Tiananmen Square had just been suppressed, society seemed paralyzed, and the streets were almost exclusively filled with bicycles. Now, the economy is booming, skyscrapers reach for the sky, and express trains connect the megacities. But how are the people doing? The returnee is actually searching for his student Wang Wei, and an adventurous journey begins. The renowned author and TLZ editor is once again enchanted by Asian culture and poetry, overwhelmed by modern China. Quilitzsch travels by bicycle, bus, and maglev train.