The Berliner who fell in love with China

I met Dietrich Schroeder at Beijing Capital International Airport last month as we waited for our flights home - he was going to Berlin and I was heading to Toronto.

At 80, the retired German High Court judge exuded the energy and enthusiasm of a teenager as he recalled his many travels to Asia.

"I was nicknamed 'Kabul Schroeder' because I visited Afghanistan several times," he said. "Then my nickname was changed to 'Asian Schroeder' as I began visiting other countries."

India and China top the list of nations he has visited.

Although Schroeder began traveling by Volkswagen Beetle in the early 1960s, he did not have a chance to visit China until 1985, a trip that deepened his interest in the country.

"This is my 35th visit to China," he said in a matter-of-fact way.

"Thirty-fifth? You mean, you've been to China 35 times?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes, that's right", he said, quickly adding, "And I am coming back in October."

He is coming back to see the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan province for a second time "because it is so stunning".

By then it was boarding time for Schroeder.

Days later, when we resumed our conversation via transatlantic phone calls, I asked him why anyone would visit a country so many times.

"China, like India, is a very interesting country. So there is always something new, and every year I have a new aim," he said.

"This year, it was the Zhangjiajie park. Last year, it was Larung Gar (in Sichuan province), and in 2015, it was the Huangshan Mountain range (in Anhui province). I walked up!"

For his first trip in July 1985, Schroeder traveled via Hong Kong because he did not believe reports that tourist visas were being issued in Berlin.

"But I was sure that I would get one in Hong Kong."

Schroeder estimated that, in all, he must have spent the equivalent of two years in China during his visits.

What has amazed him most in the decades since his first trip is China's transformation from a poor country into a global economic and industrial powerhouse.

"The development of China in the past 30 years is overwhelming. It is one of the most modern countries in the world!"

Schroeder's favorite form of accommodation is hostel dormitories because he says he doesn't like being isolated in a single room in a big hotel.

"In dormitories, you can talk with other people."

Despite being an avid traveler, Schroeder is not like other tourists. He doesn't carry a camera or even a smartphone.

There is no status update on social media either because Schroeder has no such accounts.

"There are so many people who want to be in the public eye, in books or on the internet," he said.

"But I like being private."