Peace at Last After the Ashes of War | Reflections on Our In-Depth Iraq Tour
Iraq is both the cradle of human civilisation and once the focal point of war. Now, in a rare stretch of peace, amid the human warmth and vitality that even war could not erase, cities are gradually rebuilding, and the younger generation is passionately promoting their homeland.
"Why did you come to Iraq?" "To travel." Our local Iraqi friends burst into laughter for a full minute on the spot — that was their response. They had never imagined that anyone would want to visit Iraq for a holiday. Indeed, Iraq's story is a hard one to tell. Mesopotamia, the ancient city of Babylon, and the ancient city of Ur are the cradle of human civilisation; Basra and Mosul are places that endured war, once occupied by the United States and ISIS; Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, speaks to the dreams and realities of a people. All these histories and issues are so weighty that one must begin understanding them from six or seven thousand years ago. Over the past two or three decades, Iraq has been in prolonged turmoil, only finally achieving long-awaited peace after 2019 — so much so that even its tourism industry is still in its infancy. Even North Korea has postcards for sale, yet during our many days in Iraq, we could hardly find a single postcard. Still, the locals — especially the younger generation — are working hard to promote their homeland. Many already have other professions, yet still come forward to work as tour guides. Among the guides we met was a dentist, and another was a poet who had published three collections of poetry. Such a raw, unpolished Iraq holds many surprises and contrasts, even some slight political incorrectness. In fact, there isn't much internet censorship, so information and ideas remain connected to the rest of the world — our guide's phone wallpaper was from the Japanese manga "Attack on Titan". They have free public university education, alongside quite a few private universities located right in the city centre. Police or soldiers patrol the streets, and checkpoints are set up along the highways, but when we asked about the role of these personnel, our local guide spoke frankly, saying the authorities simply station some staff there, and even if there were thieves, they might not necessarily catch them. Having been to Iraq, we once again deeply realised how the genuine experience of visiting a place in person can shatter so many impressions we once assumed to be correct. For instance, when the U.S. government overthrew Saddam Hussein's dictatorial regime, it turned out that the region endured a long period of chaotic governance and hardship for its people — the top-down transformation brought great pain to the locals. Another example: during our trip, we had to visit a private hospital for a matter, and there was an uncle sitting in the corridor, seemingly idly chatting with staff passing by. Later we discovered he was actually the hospital's director. In Hong Kong, it would be hard to imagine such a scene of senior management mingling so freely with frontline staff. The bonds between people here are very close — there was an 18-year-old young man helping with cleaning duties at the hospital; it turned out that when he was four or five, his family died in the war, and the hospital took him in and raised him into adulthood. The road Iraq has walked has been anything but easy, yet in their words and manner, the locals never come across as despairing — instead, they live with positivity, facing the future of their homeland. On this trip to Iraq, we witnessed construction finally underway, the ever-hopeful eyes of the locals, and a nation growing rapidly. If we were to sum up our feelings, it would probably be that pity gave rise to love. We hope the heavens show mercy, so that this land need never see war again, and can carry on this rare and precious peace. The next time we visit Iraq, it may look completely different from today. Set off now on our 【In-Depth Iraq Tour】.
Explore the ancient ruins of Babylon and witness the splendour of an ancient civilisation
Wander through the marshes of Mesopotamia in search of the origins of human civilisation
Visit the non-profit organisation Women for Women to learn how women balance faith and daily life
Step into Mosul, once occupied by ISIS, and feel the scars left by war
Visit a Kurdish family and experience their warm hospitality
Join the Kurdish Nowruz celebrations and watch the fireworks up close