At the start of my Chinese class each week, my tutor asks me if I have any questions. Usually I have a bunch of things I want to say and need to know the best way to go about it. This week at the top of my list was the word “disgusting.” I immediately feel bad when I ask her. My eyes dart sheepishly to the floor. “Of course I don’t want to use it, not really,” I say…back pedalling faster than a fox in a lion’s den. “I just want to know if there’s a word for it, you know, just in case," I stammer. I can almost feel her heavy sigh…reverberating through my own body. Living in China, I am forced to constantly remind myself that what often seems inappropriate in my culture is certainly not in others. Of course, on this particular occasion, I’m thinking about my recent flight south to Guangzhou, which is when I found myself mentally searching for the Chinese equivalent of “disgusting.” On the trip down, a lady next to me proceeded to spit at random intervals into a paper bag, pulled from the seat pocket. She made no moves to disguise what she was doing and I guess I should be thankful she used a bag! And of course, no one but me batted an eyelid. Why would they? Spitting has been a 'thing' the world over since the dark ages and in China today, a good hoick (that's Aussie slang for spit) is largely par for the course. On my flight home, to Xi’an, a man next to me continuously made that loud, (to my untrained ears) cringe-worthy, hacking sound with this throat, you know, that guttural sound that signifies the build up of bodily fluids. I was tempted to reach over and pull out his paper bag! I desperately wanted to tell him to stop, because, well… it sounded “disgusting.” I didn’t though, mainly because I didn’t know the words — but mostly because I know to him it’s nothing of the sorts….and I was pretty sure I was also completely outnumbered in my disgust, as the only westerner on the plane! It begs the question about whether the belief that “it’s better out than in” is warranted. Given the amount of polluted air I’ve no doubt inhaled in the last few weeks as winter descends rapidly upon us, while I can’t quite bring myself to ‘flob’ on the ground, in a paper bag (or the floating candles in the hotel lobby for that matter - yes that's happened!) I am inclined to agree somewhat with the theory. Unfortunately, while the jury is still out, most evidence points to the fact that spitting does spread airborne diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia and bronchitis. My tutor does agree that spitting on the footpath is “not so nice” but says it’s hard to educate the older generations. In many ways, she's right. I used to frown and shake my head profusely when I would see an elderly person or just for the record, a middle aged and often young person, spit directly in my line of sight…. suddenly causing me to veer sharply off my path to avoid colliding with said spittle. Now I realise it’s probably futile…locals have no idea why the strange, white woman is screwing up her face like a donkey’s ass, gesturing madly. Is she having conniptions? Does she need the toilet herself? "Spitting, my friends, is a sign of healthy lungs!" They proudly say. For me, living in China, it's often a case of two worlds colliding -- sometimes the clashing of my moral high ground with reality rumbles a little louder. The glamorous lady teetering on high heels up the main drag, so busy staring at my small person and I - with a cigarette swinging frantically in her pursed lips, as she shouts “Piaoliang!” (Beautiful) through her clenched teeth at my little blondie — all the while seemingly oblivious to the fact her own child is up against a tree, relieving himself in full view of a swarm of motorists and passersby on a busy tourist stretch. Or the car stopped outside the hotel, doors flung open, traffic banking up behind, daddy holding little Daisy over the gutter. “When you’ve gotta go….” Or how about the motorbike that ‘had to be seen to be believed’ this morning, it’s baskets front and back, piled high with dead chooks, feathers floating into the air. Disgusting right? Only to me, the lone foreigner traversing the morning traffic. And the toilets and their often obscene state which had my conference colleagues recoiling in horror. To my tutor’s credit, she immediately turns the conversation onto us unyielding foreigners. Do we really blow our nose, loudly in public? She questions! I have to think about that. Yes, well….um — she cuts in, crinkles up her nose and tells me about a time at the dinner table in Australia, when a man took out a tissue and makes a jolly old show, raucously relieving the contents of his nose like a foghorn into a tissue! And then put it back into his pocket! Disgusting right? Errr well…. I suppose it is. I nod meekly. After all your perception is your reality. And every culture is different. This is China. … [Read more...]
It’s Giveaway Time! Win a Smiggle Prize Pack for Christmas!
COMPETITION NOW CLOSED Congratulations to Natalie Glanville in Hong Kong Mint Mocha Musings and Smiggle Give You the Chance to Win a Kid's Prize Pack Valued at HK$1500 (US$200)! To Enter: Tell us who makes you smile and giggle and hashtag it #smigglexmintmochamusings Share this post on your social media platforms Entries close December 5th … [Read more...]
Bridesmaids for Hire: This is China, Where it’s More Than Just Holding the Bouquet!
Chao's Column What's trending on Social Media When you get asked to be a bridesmaid in China you know you’re going to be under pressure! Sure, there are fun parts, mostly the door games - the bridesmaids play a fun game with the groom and groomsmen before he's allowed into the bride’s room. It's called called “Du Men” (door blocking) and originated in ancient China times when brides were sent away to live with the husband's family. The idea is, it demonstrates how lovely the bride is and that her family and friends don't want to marry her off! The groom is blocked at the bride's bedroom door and her friends try to stop him from entering by asking questions and playing games -- a way to test if he is determined to marry the woman he loves. This good-natured fun part is possibly the highlight of the day for the bridesmaid (and the most rewarding)! ;-) The groom normally tries to 'buy his way in' by giving “Hong Bao" (lucky red envelopes with money inside) to the bridesmaids. I've been a bridesmaid once and the bride banned any kind of ‘Naohun’ which literally means “disturbing a marriage”- a longstanding practice since the days of the Han Dynasty. My five year old brother, however was sent to roll around on the newlywed's bed! Young boys bring good luck! Of course being a bridesmaid isn't all doom and gloom. There’s witnessing a beautiful day and watching your best friend tie the knot with her loved one! But there's also a sinister side to playing the role of bridesmaid. It usually involves drinking and often, getting drunk on the bride’s behalf. To remain beautiful on her most special day, the bride isn’t supposed to drink much at her wedding, yet it’s customary for the newlyweds to toast every single table of guests, more often than not with shots of Baijiu (if you don’t know about the famous Chinese liquor, check out MMM’s post China's Genie in a Bottle). It's hardcore! Thus, the bridesmaid has the task of drinking the bride’s share, not to mention putting up with the pressure of the traditional flirting that goes with the job and sometimes inappropriate physical contact! Just last month, a 28-year-old bridesmaid died after she was pressured by men at her table to drink excessive amounts of Baijiu. Video emerged on the net of her in a black bridesmaid’s dress binge drinking the potent liquor during her friend’s wedding, while men’s teasing echoed in the background. It stirred up a frenzy of anger amongst Weibo users (China’s version of Twitter). Enraged netizens were up in arms, particularly at video circulating of the unconscious woman being pushed in a hotel trolley, who was confirmed dead soon after arriving at the hospital. Earlier this year, a Chinese TV host and actress was shown being harassed while she was a bridesmaid at her celeb friend’s wedding. A video showed her being grabbed by the arms and legs by celebrity groomsmen, trying to throw her into the pool, ignoring her desperate pleas for them to stop. Her fellow bridesmaids had to come to her rescue. The victim later posted a video on Weibo apologizing to the groom and his new wife (her good friends) for “creating confusion for him” which made internet users even more upset. There's no doubt millions of bridesmaids get tipsy at weddings the world over, but there's concern for China’s bridal party customs that still seem steeped in ancient tradition. For thousands of years society has deemed that rich families provide young, single maids as part of the bride’s dowry. If the wife was unable to conceive after the marriage, she could preserve her position in the family by getting her maid to bear children on her behalf. Known as a "Concubine" she was supposed to be loyal to the man’s wife and not compete with her for attention or threaten her position. During years of development and through absorbing western weddings, things have obviously changed. Different cities in china have different rituals surrounding the big day, but still, in general, part of the protective function that bridesmaids used to have, remains. Bridesmaids in China are not supposed to be married/divorced or pregnant, and ideally shouldn’t have served as a bridesmaid too many times (this can be a bad luck for her). So “27 Dresses” it won’t be! The physical beauty and number of bridesmaids in a wedding party are often seen as a sign of power and “face” for the families involved in the marriage. But now, the increasing number of scandals breaking on the net about the pressure bridesmaids face and its negative reputation have scared brides away from choosing close friends or relatives to stand by their side on the big day. As a result, business in China is booming for professional bridesmaids! Tough and experienced at handling unwanted embarrassments, and at an affordable price (around US$100) - as surreal as it sounds, it can solve many wedding day problems! Simply look online and hire your own flower-carrying, baijiu-swilling, beautiful bridesmaid! Who cares if on the biggest day of your life, your bridesmaids are ‘fake’ friends. After all, this is China. For more on Chinese weddings... check out these MMM posts: Grab Your Hong Bao: You're Invited to a Wedding in China Wedding Crashers in China … [Read more...]
The Roof of the World: Why Travelling to Tibet Should Be On Your Bucket list!
Until I started posting pictures of our time in Lhasa on various social media platforms, call me naive, but I hadn’t realised just how much this spot, tucked high up on the northern side of the Himalayas was shrouded in mystery. Few people I know have travelled to Tibet and few are familiar with its rocky, rugged mountain-scape, vibrant city landmarks and peaceful and relaxed culture. Only open to tourists since 1986, people are clambering for an insight into this faraway land, which while it has been at the centre of a territory dispute for decades is still largely unknown territory. Today, an autonomous region of China - for obvious reasons, I’m not going to get political in this post, other than to say we were welcomed by all of the locals (Tibetan and Han Chinese) with open arms and smiling faces. Instead, I’ll try to paint picture of what, for us, was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience at the place they call “The rooftop of the world.” First, a few quick facts: 90 per cent of people in Tibet are ethnic Tibetan Buddhists. They have roamed this harsh and unique part of the earth for some 21,000 years. Tibet is on the Tibetan Plateau, the highest region on earth and spans over 1,200,000 square kilometres! Comparably its population is small. Just over 3-million. Lhasa is the capital and stands at 3,610 metres above sea level. (That’s 11,840 feet!) Mount Everest the world’s tallest mountain holds stake on the border of Tibet and Nepal and is about 700 kilometres away from Lhasa, (so no, unfortunately we didn’t make it to the mighty mountain). Despite, many articles encouraging us to catch the train to Lhasa, in order to acclimatise along the way for our Tibet tour — experienced and long time visitors to Tibet, insisted flying would be less taxing on our bodies, therefore making us less susceptible to altitude sickness. Because of its height above sea level, the air is thinner, leaving you less oxygen to breathe (In fact: Once you move above about 13,000 feet, oxygen levels are only sixty percent of those at sea levels) and our bodies need to make a lot of changes to cope with this new environment. So with time of the essence we were happy to take the three hour flight from Xi’an. As we drew closer to Lhasa, peeking out the aeroplane window had me in awe; jagged, mountainous ranges stretched out for miles before us in all their golden glory! Arriving at the airport was reasonably straightforward; after collecting our bags, we were ‘scanned out’ of the airport by local military. Here we had to show our permits to tour in Tibet. No one is allowed in the arrival area, so our tour guide ‘Lobsang’ was waiting patiently outside for us. To tour Tibet, you must have a permit and a tour guide with a pretty solid itinerary from the travel agent - but I’ll explain more on that later. Outside, we were immediately taken aback by the blinding sunlight and the brilliant, piercing blue sky. Standing on the roof of the world felt fresh and despite the crisp autumn temperatures, the sunshine was warm on our shoulders. The drive to Lhasa was about forty minutes and to my surprise, the entire way, craggy, boulder-like mountains flanked either side of us. We went smoothly through one military check point, where our passports and permits were checked and then on to the city. At first glance, Lhasa didn’t seem too different to other cities we’ve experience in China. Three wheeler Tuk Tuks, motorbikes piled high with people and paraphernalia, street stalls, ramshackle laneways and neon signs (the one obvious difference, Tibetan writing on the top and Chinese on the bottom). It didn’t take long though, to work out, that beneath the surface, Tibet is an entirely different kettle of fish. Apart from hotel brands, there are virtually zero western brands; the likes of McDonalds, Starbucks etc that you see cropping up all over China are yet to penetrate this peaceful plateau. We were welcomed with a small traditional ceremony, including being gifted these white, silk prayer scarfs (the first of many we came across)! To combat altitude sickness we were advised to take it very slowly on the first day. i.e use as little energy as possible! This meant we got to hang out in the hotel for the entire afternoon. Clearly I’m no expert, but altitude sickness is definitely not to be taken lightly. People have become very sick and some have even died. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to who is affected and who isn’t; gender, age and fitness seemingly have no bearings on your ability to cope. Ultimately you need to listen to your body and abide by the rules….go slow, no drinking or smoking for the first 24 hours (at least), no shower or bath on first night (because apparently this uses more oxygen) and drink plenty of water, in fact, double the amount you would normally have. (Oh and don’t be alarmed at exploding deodorant bottles and/or the like.) ;) In most hotel rooms you should find oxygen and while some experts advise only to take this if you feel sick (headaches, nausea, dizziness etc) we were advised by some long timers to take it before, as a precaution, so that we did! (With no drinking on holidays, what else is a girl to do!! ;) ) We also took altitude sickness tablets, given to us by our reputable Hong Kong doctor. (These are called Diamox.) They’re not for children, but doctors say children tend to suffer less from altitude sickness. (In fact, a new study published in the journal, Paediatrics, suggest that otherwise healthy children’s symptoms are usually pretty mild.) In our Small Person’s case, thankfully this appeared to be true. She was firing on all cylinders, at all times! As for the Tibetans? Research reveals they have a ‘super athlete’ high altitude gene to cope. Day 2: It’s a lazy morning, loafing around the hotel, exploring every nook and cranny, laden with Tibetan artefacts and interesting art work, before heading out to sight-see after lunch. At this stage we’re all feeling pretty good. Perhaps a little light-headed if anything, a little stuffy, a little lizard like from the dry conditions, but nothing to write home about. It’s another striking day, the sky a deep, deep blue with puffy white clouds skidding across the roof of the world. First stop, the Sera Monastery. Found in 1419, it’s also known as the "Wild Roses Monastery" it’s one of the "great three" schools of Tibetan Buddhism. (A Gelugpa Monastic College, for those in the know and like many of Tibet’s monasteries has undergone rebuilding and renovations over the years.) Arriving, it feels like we really have been transported to another world. Many local women are dressed in their colourful, traditional Tibetan costumes, which we soon find out is par for the course across the city. (The colourful, striped woven aprons signifying ‘marriage’.) Monks roam randomly (and in what is a slightly bizarre sign of the times, many are carrying mobile phones). Everybody seems keen to touch our small person and grab a picture of her. If we thought the paparazzi action in Xi’an was intense, this is even more so! For all intents and purposes, few foreigners come to Tibet, especially small ones. Like it or not, Ava is thus the star attraction. As we amble up the small slope, I feel myself a little out of breath, puffing a little heavier (due to the altitude)… but it’s the sights and sounds that literally take our breath away. Dozens of wild, mangy dogs lie lazily at the front of the Monks’ quarters which are almost European looking with their ivory stone with bright yellow awnings. Apparently it’s the only place the canines can get a decent feed and are looked after. We follow the crowds of locals and tourists who are heading up in their droves to the temple. We notice many of them on the way back down have strange ‘black marks’ etched down their noses or across their foreheads. Mostly the children. A little further up and there’s a queue stretching back around the block of the main temple. Here we’re told pilgrims come to see the main image in the monastery known as Tamdrin or “Haryagriva” (the horse-headed deity). The mark is from the butter light lamps and is a blessing from the Haryagriva. It’s believed this will bring children a long and healthy life (and ironically help them sleep soundly at night). Of course, I try desperately to convince my small person to have a go, but she isn’t having a bar of it! (Five years of rough sleep? What’s a few more she says!). She does, however convince us to buy her, her own ‘special’ necklace in the temple and appeases us with a few pics with the ‘blessed’ kids. Inside the temple, stunning golden statues shine brightly in the dimly lit halls, the smell of smouldering incense wafts into the air and brightly coloured cloth drapes from pillars. Lobsang proudly shows us what are treasured scriptures written in Tibetan and printed on wooden blocks covered with gold powder and engraved with red lacquer, locked safely in a tall glass case before us. I spy the Monks’ rich red robes left idle on the bench seats - it’s as if they’ve just been shrugged off after prayer time. Stepping outside the temple and into the main courtyard, we stumble across what looks like some sort of ringside show. Crowds of people are gathered around the outside of the courtyard, eagerly watching on. We perch on the edge and see about one hundred monks in pairs, chanting animatedly with each other, along with what looks to be a ‘slapping’ frenzy! We discover it’s ‘debate time’ (and fortunately, they’re not actually slapping each other). This is a highlight, strictly unique to this monastery. Young monks in training come here most afternoons to debate with each other in what is considered integral to learning the Buddhist philosophy. Intrigued we watch this strange but captivating routine take place for about 15 minutes. Lobsang tells us that while there used to be around 5000 monks at the monastery, the numbers have dwindled to around 500. Next stop is the Summer Palace or ‘Norbulingka’ or the Jewelled Park. Built for the 7th Dalai Lama in the 1700’s, we’re told it later became the summer home for all successive Dalai Lamas, including the 14th and current Dalai Lama until his exile in 1959. Blossoming with flowers in every hue, the palace has a garden area of around 360,000 square metres. It’s the biggest man-made garden in Tibet! Inside there are 374 rooms, from halls for worshipping Buddha, to reading rooms, meditation rooms, business rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, which are all ablaze with vivid colours, from floor to ceiling! We are privileged to see where the Dalai Lama slept and the small person exclaims loudly how small his bed is! In Tibet, it soon becomes evident that colour holds huge significance and each of the five primary colours (blue, white, red, green and yellow) hold specific meanings. Known as the Five Pure Lights, each colour represents a state of mind, a celestial Buddha, a body party and a party of the mantra word Hum. Hence the thousands of colourful silk prayer flags that make a vibrant and frequently-seen sight across the city! We enjoy a quiet evening on the hotel balcony overlooking the magnificent Potala Palace, in preparation and anticipation of climbing it the next day! Lobsang tells us to reserve our energy for the 300 steps! Day 3: First up though, the famous Jokhang Temple. Just when you think you’ve possibly seen enough temples, we’re pleasantly surprised! They’re all uniquely different and incredible spectacles in their own right. Jokhang is down in the centre of the city near the Bazaar markets in Barkhor Square, which gives us firsthand experience of the locals in action. The square is buzzing with people… many of them spinning prayer wheels and prayer beads, softly humming mantras to themselves…..and for us, it’s hard to know where to look! Every which way is a sight to behold. This tall, multi-coloured prayer flag a monumental city centrepiece! Jokhang Temple is considered the most sacred and holiest site in Tibet — built for King Songtsen Gampo’s two wives (one Nepalese and one Chinese) the King is credited with first introducing Buddhism to Tibet. Outside hundreds of pilgrims gather for prayer time, many of them doing what are called ‘full-body prostrations’. They take three steps, stop, get down on their knees and then their hands and stretch out flat on their stomachs, touching their foreheads to the ground, before standing back up. Some do as few as three, some as many as 500 per day. Everyone has their own mat, and on their hands, blocks to make sliding easier. The women’s legs are tied near the bottom, no doubt making for easier sliding. Not for the faint-hearted it looks like an energetic task, but at the heart of it is a deep spiritual practice to purify the bad karma. We step inside the temple — confronted again by a plethora of rich, bold colours cascading from the roof to the floor, in the shape of murals, sculptures and statues. We squeeze through the worshippers admiring the setting and then climb up steep stairs, emerging onto the rooftop and what feels like a scene straight out of the Mediterranean, except instead of overlooking the azure blue sea, from this golden rooftop - a 360 degree view of spectacular mountain peaks. Later, we spend time wandering through the masses and the mazes that make up the Bazaar, the oldest streets in Lhasa.… Almost everyone who passes seems taken aback by the three of us (who can blame them), ;P but mostly by the Small Person…we’ve played right into the locals hands and had our hair braided with colourful cotton in the mall, so we really have no hope of remaining incognito! All of the locals wear floppy hats and I notice, many of them still have the ubiquitous flushed, red cheeks. Some tells us it’s the lack of vegetables this meat-eating culture has had access to in the past. More research and I find out it’s due to the high elevation, intense ultra-violet rays and extreme temperature difference between the days and nights. The narrow lane ways shadowed by traditional tibetan homes lead to markets piled high with lumps of yak meat, and pounds of yak butter for sale! The mighty Yak is unique to the Tibetan Plateau and has played a significant role in Tibetan’s daily lives for thousands of years. Locals eat the meat, drink the milk and make yak cheese, butter, yoghurt and tea. It’s also used as offerings to help burn traditional butter lamps in monasteries. The outer hair of the yak is woven into tent fabric and rope, and the soft inner wool is spun into a type of felt. Yak hide is used for the soles of boots and yak dung is a fundamental fuel. Trivial Fact: Yaks have three times more red blood cells than normal cows so they are able to live without any problems on the high elevation. There are rows upon rows of cluttered market stalls selling everything from beads to boots, thick carpets, even extra long hair braids, should you require one! Later that day we get our time for the famous Potala Palace. (There’s now a quota on the number of daily visitors and the travel agent must register you and passports need to be shown on arrival. From the time you enter the palace, you have exactly one hour to see everything.) We have been looking on in awe at Lhasa’s most iconic landmark from our hotel room for the past two days. As the sun rises over it in the morning to its brightly lit facade at night, this world heritage site is a remarkable piece of architecture. For the Small Person it could easily be a castle straight out of her favourite fairytale. As Chief Residence for the Dalai Lamas during the winter, the palace has 1000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues…. It’s construction began in 1645 by the 5th Dalai Lama, it’s sloping stone walls average three metres thick, and five metres thick at the base. It has copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes. Roaming the hallways, I can imagine it gets cold in Tibet’s harsh winters. Climbing the 300 steps to the top, at 12,000 feet altitude is no mean feat! The Small Person though is literally skipping to the top. Inside is a literal treasure trove of shrines and thrones, what impresses me most are the tombs of some of the Dalai Lama. That of the 7th Dalai Lama who is seen as “The Great One” is encased in over 4000 kilograms of gold!! In what is probably one of the most poignant moments of our journey, when we enter one of the oldest and most sacred rooms in the palace, we are overwhelmed and humbled when a monk spies our Small Person amongst the hoards of tourists and comes over to bestow on her a yellow, silk prayer scarf. In the spirit of offering he ties it around her neck in a symbol of long life. It’s one of those moments you know is to be forever treasured. On a high, literally, we come down to ground level with a majestic thud. Day 4: We are deemed suitably acclimatised to drive high up into the mountains. Small Person’s biggest hope is to see a real, live Yak. Fortunately, we see plenty as the car steadily climbs the steep hill. The big, hairy beasts are dotted across the mountain farms, jingling their cow bells. A little later, we come to a halt on the side of the road and are enthralled by what can only be described as an incredible rainbow rooftop under a vibrant blue sky! Thousands of prayer flags make up this giant kaleidoscope of colour! Draped across the highway, they are a splash of colour against the coarse mountain side. We continue the journey, zig-zagging all the way up into the mountains to the “Drak Yerpa” where we see some of the oldest spiritual sites in Tibet! We’re a little reluctant and apprehensive when Lobsang tells us matter of factly, we are going to climb up to that temple! Yes! That one - up there!! If we thought climbing up to the Potala Palace was a steep trek, this is much tougher. With the attitude now at almost 5000 metres (14000 feet), the struggle is real. Huffing and puffing our way up, we eventually make it to the top and again, this place, described as the “life tree” or “spiritual axis of Lhasa” is truly worth the effort. With very few tourists, it’s reminiscent of a tiny village perched on the side of the limestone cliffs. We see local monks and residents quietly going about their day. We get to peek inside several tiny meditation caves, hermitages and shrines that are slowly being restored after being damaged during the Cultural Revolution. Our guide is spectacular at keeping the Small Person enthralled with the different Buddhas…at one point, they roam from temple to temple counting the auspicious, gold water offering bowls at each alter, while we can’t get enough of the scenery before us. There’s no doubt, Tibet is place that has captured each of our souls. An exotic, spiritual and remarkable spot at the top of the world, where despite all that has happened, centuries old traditions remain and time stands still. This is Tibet. Tour Tibet (One of the reasons we were able to travel to Tibet with relative ease is because the owners of the Westin Xi’an also own the St Regis Hotel in Lhasa. The team’s help naturally made it immeasurably easier for us to source what we needed.) What you need to know: A Special Permit to enter if you are a foreign citizen, an overseas Chinese citizen without a Chinese passport, or a Taiwanese Citizen. (Allow three weeks for this.) The permit is no cost but expect a charge from your travel agency for arranging the permits. Chinese Visa If you are working in China, the following is required: 1) a current Residence Permit (居留许可证, like a visa in your passport) 2) certification in Chinese from your company/school in China (工作证明, using your company’s letter head, with your name and passport number, and company seal on it). Everyone needs a confirmed itinerary with an approved Tibet Tour Operator + a tour guide. (You can either travel in a tour group or one man guided tour.) We used St Regis Hotel’s in-house travel agency - Green Source Travel Service Ltd. Driver/Car An Aliens' Travel Permit is required to travel to most areas outside Lhasa. You can only obtain it after you arrive in Tibet Costs: Tibet is not a cheap destination to fly to. Flights from within mainland China can be anywhere from RMB1500 to RMB4000, so it pays to choose your travel times and avoid peak season. *Tibet is closed to tourists in February/March. Transportation/driver from pick up and drop off at the airport to travelling around Lhasa x 5 days RMB4500 Tour Guide x 3 days (including pick up and drop off at airport) RMB2,500 Where to Go: There are a number of tours to Tibet - check this link. Individual sites include: Drepung Monastery: CNY55 Opening Hours: 9am-5pm -- With an area of more than 200,000 m2, Drepung meaning “Rice Heap” in Tibetan, has been the largest and richest Monastery with lots of cultural and religious relics in Tibet since its founding. It used to be the residence of the Dalai Lama, prior to the Potala Palace. Sera Monastery: CNY55 Opening Hours 9am-4pm -- The Monastery is now residence for several hundred Lamas and a major training centre. Its famous debating activities are happening at 3 – 4pm most days. Summer Palace/Norbulingka: CNY80 - Opening Hours: 09:00 to 12:00 in the morning, 15: 00 to 16:00 in the afternoon -- Norbulingka Means “Treasure Park” in Tibetan, with 374 rooms and more then 30,000 cultural relics inside, blends gardening with architecture and sculpture arts. It used to be the summer residence of the Dalai Lama until its opening to the public in 1959. Tibet Museum: Free (closed Monday’s) The museum is located in the southeast corner of Norbulingka. Covering an area of 53,959 square meters it is the first museum with modern facilities in all of Tibet. The Tibet Museum consists of a prelude hall, main exhibit halls and a cultural relic storeroom. The entire building presents distinctive characteristics of traditional Tibetan architectural art. Jokhang Temple CNY85 Opening Hours: 7am-12pm and 3pm-6:30pm. It is a huge complex building with a combination of Tibetan elements meshed with influences from Nepal, China and India. As the holiest site in Tibet, it holds all major Buddhist ceremonies and the Temple is filled with prostrate pilgrims praying on its open porch. Bharkhor Bazaar -- It is the oldest street in Lhasa, as well as the most representative. It is a place full of religious atmosphere and a world of exotic articles. Traditional Tibetan houses and narrow lanes in and around the street whisper the stories of old Lhasa. Potala Palace Opening Hours: 08:40 to 17:00 (visitors are not allowed to enter at 16:00)Tickets are sold from 08:40 to 16:00. Majestically situated on the escarpment of Red Hill, the highest ancient Palace in the world, Potala is not only a Tibetan architectural wonder but also a treasure house for material and articles of Tibetan History, religion, culture and arts. During the high season (May 1 to October 31), all visitors are required to apply for reservation tickets with their valid identity documents, such as ID cards and passports one day in advance before they visit the palace. Each valid ID document can be used only once within a week. The visiting date and exact time, number of visitors and ID document numbers are printed on the reservation tickets. Visitors have to visit the palace at the given date and time. They should go to the main gate to have their reservation tickets and ID documents checked and walk to the ticket office in front of the White Palace to buy the entrance tickets. Then they can start their tour after another security check. Cost: May 1 to October 31: CNY 200; November 1 to April 30: CNY 100 **Tips: Only 4000 tickets are issued each day and about 100 tickets are issued every 20 minutes. Any kind of liquid is not allowed there, including beverages and mineral water, which yet can be purchase at a cost of CNY10 for one bottle at the hill top. Yamdrok Lake RMB40 — 5 hour round trip driving. The lake is located at Nangartse County aside the highway between Lhasa and Gyangtse, 110km away from Lhasa. Yamdrok Yumtso is a normally first seen from the summit of Kamba-la (4900m).The lake lies several hundred meters below the road, and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang(7191m) lakes are considered sacred by Tibetan people, the principle being that they are the dwelling places of protective deities and therefore invested with special spiritual powers. Yamdrok Lake is one of three particularly holy lakes. It is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and fed by numerous small Himalayan streams. The water is the main fresh water source for people in Lhasa, even entire Tibet. Drak Yerpa Temple/Zhayeba Monastery RMB25 Drak Yerpa is located on a hillside in Daze County. The entrance to the Yerpa Valley is about 16 kilometres northeast of Lhasa, from here, it is another 10 kilometres to the famous ancient meditation caves in the spectacular limestone cliffs of the Yerpa Valley. WHERE TO STAY Many hotels close during winter, but otherwise there are an increasing number of places to stay **Obviously you need to abide by the Buddhist customs inside the temples. No hat, covered shoulders. … [Read more...]
The Backbone of China: Meet My New Friend – A 93 Year Old War Veteran
It's 9am, I’ve dropped the small person at school and I've picked up my good friend and ‘fan yi’ (translator)… When I say “I” — y’all know by now, I'm not actually driving, right? I think we’ve established that driving in China, for a foreigner like me, would be particularly hazardous on all fronts! So, it's our hotel driver who battles through the elements for us: rain, bumper to bumper traffic in the shape of vehicles big and small - a symphony of horns and random street walkers - to an area of town I haven't been in before. We're meeting ‘Elsa’ who so far, I've only encountered via text message. I've got absolutely no idea what to expect, but the element of surprise is something I’ve become rather accustomed to in China. In the name of 'book research' I asked around about interviewing some of the older locals. The ones who’ve really experienced the ‘changing China’ in all its glory: the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful! Through various contacts, 93 year old War Veteran Wang Shao Wu is put to me as a potential interviewee. I politely ask Elsa whether he's a good talker and how well he can hear. She assures me, he is old but he's smart and can talk under water! How can a girl say no? Elsa suggests I bring something small from my home country as a gift! Ahhh now you’ve got me… I scrounge around the house looking for stuffed koalas and Tim Tams, to no avail, making a mental note to bring back Aussie souvenirs! Think about stealing small person’s stuffed toys but know it will potentially invoke world war three. Decide it will have to be a combination of chocolates from Scotland and jam from Portugal… yeh.. I know…… Well I do hail from a Scottish clan! And then fruits! The mighty fruit platter is one of the most prestigious things you can take to a person’s home in China! Forget about wine and flowers. Fruits will automatically elevate you to elite visitor status. Arriving…in a slightly ramshackle part of town outside several blocks of apartments, Elsa informs me she's running very late but we could meet some other “friends” there who will escort us in. I'm not sure just how many people are coming to take part, but it seems we'll have an audience. Standing outside we are confronted by a couple of people wielding cameras who smile and look like our guys! They take us through some gates past a few people sleeping, we jump in a rickety old lift and arrive outside the ubiquitous red door…the entrance to their home. Mr Wang and his wife greet us with open arms and big smiles. Of course, a loud cacophony of voices erupts at once, everyone speaking rapidly in Chinese. All I can do is smile, nod enthusiastically and offer my 'fruits'. In what is a typical Chinese home, it’s a simple three bedroom apartment. I find myself scouring the room, trying to soak in a life time of living! So many little things that make up this family’s home or as he later tells me, his “mansion!” Even though things are worn, cabinets broken, boxes double as shelves, trinkets and bits and pieces occupy every nook and cranny, this is clearly a home filled with love (lots of plants and a few bottles of Baijiu in the corner)! We’re ushered onto a big, old, brown leather couch, ripped in places…but decidedly comfy. It’s clearly the centrepiece of the house - a coffee table sits adjacent, laden with bowls of sunflower seeds and of course the fruits and never ending glasses of warm tea. Mr Wang keeps touching my shoulder and smiling. I can’t help but reciprocate….his demeanour is charming and friendly and language is no barrier. I’m told again and again he’s extremely honoured to have us in his house, to which I obviously reply, it’s definitely the other way around. He disappears for a few minutes while we are getting organised and reappears - his medals pinned proudly on his chest. We sit down - me sandwiched between him and his wife….87 year old Nai Nai, as she’s affectionately called, which means grandmother in English. She keeps putting her hand on my knee. Nai Nai keeps asking if I’m cold. I'm sleeveless and she’s concerned. It’s 30 degrees out though and there’s no air-conditioning in the apartment. I reassure her I’m just fine. I set my phone to record and we’re away. (So much easier than a television interview!) Chao who has the arduous task of translating explains what we are hoping to talk about and it was as if the starter gun had fired and he was off… Elsa was right. There was no stopping him, literally. Born in 1924 this is a man who has seen China transform through the ages. A man who went to war against Japan in 1939 when he was just 15 years old. It was a time when China was on the brink of collapse. He passionately tells us how he had just one pair of shoes made from straw and that when he joined the army, he was given the choice of a blanket or a big overcoat. He proudly tells us he chose the overcoat believing he could wear it during the day and use it as a blanket at night. Bonus! He chokes up, telling me it was a time when Chinese people were afraid of nothing, so tough, united and determined to protect their country. Winters in north west China are brutal to say the least, and his time as a soldier was cut short when he got frostbite… unable to keep marching, the local villagers kindly gave him a donkey to ride to the next post. Then…. in what catches us all by surprise, he tells us how he went on to become a 'singer' in the army…. singing Qing Opera…one of China’s most popular forms of drama and music theatre that stems back more than a thousand years. At the time it was seen as a powerful tool in building cultural nationalism. He became part of a special army unit performing around the country for the troops in a bid to inspire them. In 1943, he was dismissed and it was time to return to normal life; that meant working in China's famous Salt Bureau. By now… Ye Ye (Grandpa) is on a roll… so I leave him and Chao to 'talk turkey' in mandarin. I ask Nai Nai what she thinks the secret to a successful marriage is. After all she’s clocked up 60 years. On cue, she digs out some old photos and says it’s being kind, tolerant…and not quarrelling. She tells me that he was poor when she met him and her family didn’t agree on the marriage, but she married him anyway. (Extremely progressive, I think, in a society that still places great emphasis on parental approval!) And the secret to longevity?…Having your children around, she says matter of factly. In fact, I find out one of her grandsons and his wife and five year old child - their great grandchild - also live in this tiny apartment with them. I think to myself -- along with people like Wang Shao Wu, family is the backbone of China. Whilst their grandchildren have enough money to buy their own house, they choose to stay with Nai Nai and Ye Ye and look after them. In China there still aren't many retirement homes. It’s expected your children will look after you in old age. At 87 she says she tells me, she still tries her best to cook breakfast for her family everyday. I'm impressed! I ask Wang about the Cultural Revolution in the sixties and seventies under Chairman Mao Zedong, he tells me how he was persecuted but he understands why it happened and that it was "for the good of China." I ask him about China opening up its economy to the world for the first time in 1980, was it a good decision? He believes it's improved the image of the country and people’s lives greatly! He tells me that before this they would only eat meat once a year. "Food was rationed. Now China is getting better and better. His children have been to university, and they live in this great mansion," he says….gesturing happily around him. He tells me before 1979, eight family members lived in a 12 square metre straw house. At the time of our interview China is hosting the G20 summit for the first time in history. He’s elated. Ultimately, he says, he fought for his country to be what it is today! In his eyes, China stands strong, a stoic symbol of 5000 years of tradition and culture. He’s recently had his story recorded in a book on the last of the Chinese soldiers and he proudly asks if I would like a copy. I would be honoured, I say. His hands shaking, he takes great care writing my name in Chinese characters. He wishes me all the best in life and good health and wishes my country prosperity and happiness. This is China. … [Read more...]
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