Dear China, I feel like a bit of a traitor just taking off and leaving you like that but rest assured, while I've reached out to greener (fresher) pastures, you will not be forgotten. I want to thank you for taking me into your arms two and a half years ago when I was wide eyed and let’s face it, more than a little petrified as I stood in the rain, peering up at your famous 1300 year old Pagoda, opposite our new home (the hotel), trying to understand its significance. Your world looked anything but familiar to me, and that was (surprisingly) despite having lived in the oriental harbour city of Hong Kong for four years. I smiled through clenched teeth and fought back tears as I tried to stay calm for my excited but nervous three and a half year old, who was yet to comprehend why her old world had been replaced by this new, raw version of the Orient. Back then it felt like English was rarely spoken, even in the confines of the hotel, a conversation was, at best, challenging. I remember finding that one single foreigner working there and clinging to his words like bees to honey. Outside of the hotel bubble, those early months felt like I was treading water, desperately trying to stay afloat. Routine was everything, yet we had none. A trip to two “international” schools set up for those few expats in town and wealthy Chinese had me anxious when I learned five full days in class was the norm for my Small Person, one of the few Westerners on the block. A trip to my local hairdresser for an attempt at colouring my blonde hair had me in tears. Not because I’m vain (ok, maybe a little) but because it was then I realised I was completely alone and had no clue how to communicate my thoughts to a group of people looking at me like I really was an alien. Our first visa run had me in shock as we were shoved this way and that, poked and prodded in full view of a very inquisitive audience. A bizarre visit to the local doctor who asked me for advice on which drugs I needed and then wanted a photo together! It was all indicative of everything we attempted to do in a bid to set up a life in China, in those early days. Back then, I didn’t realise that while you boast the world’s second biggest economy and churn out much of the world’s goods not to mention the world’s most travellers ….. essentially much of you is still developing, still learning and still adapting to life in the 21st Century. I soon found out that you are a nation full of contradictions. Xi’an may have been your capital for 13 dynasties, but her lack of exposure to the modern world meant for the most part, you were still learning much of what the Western world had already conquered. I learned that despite how far you’ve come, authoritarian rule is still your preferred mode of governing. Censorship is par for the course. A quick Google soon confirmed that, as did watching my television go to black regularly, simply because it was something your government wanted to shield us from. Controls over things that involve people’s safety and livelihoods though seem minimal. Smoking is still in force like it’s the 1970’s… when it comes to the roads, rules are few and far between and riding motorbikes without a helmet, with phone and at least three or four passengers (including children) is completely normal. Pollution during those winter months is literally off the radar, at least north of the Yangtze River. When you walk outside and it smells and tastes like an incinerator and pollution levels are '20 times' the healthy limit, you have no choice but to shrug, put your mask on and get on with it -- as much as your head tells you, it’s a ludicrous way to live (and some locals will tell you to "go for a run, it'll strengthen your lungs")! I’ve learned to strategically avoid those small wet patches of spit that litter the ground; and not to bat an eyelid when I see small (and big people) relieving themselves, mid squat in the middle of a busy footpath. Fast forward almost three years and like a toddler emerging into childhood, I can appreciate you’re changing and developing at a rapid pace, perhaps unparalleled in world history. English doesn’t seem as hard to come by, both spoken and written… but perhaps that’s just because I’ve added a little bit of my own Chinese into the mix to help with our communication. Those things that seemed incredibly hard are still incredibly hard, but perhaps our indifference or constant exposure to it, has made it all the more bearable. They are now just "China moments." A city of nine million that had very few restaurants and bars outside those local watering holes overflowing with spicy noodles and bbq skewers now has an abundance of new hotspots of every flavour on every corner. There is an element of the West weaving its way into society, rightly or wrongly and the nouveau riche are dividing classes like never before. Despite the hairdresser telling me I’ve got "farmers hands" one day and am a little “alien” like the next, as he rifles through my shopping bags to see "what she buys", we have become firm friends. That day I cried, clearly still etched firmly in his mind he tells me, as he bids Small Person and I farewell with bear hugs and promises to visit Australia. Those hairy car rides to school no longer have me in a state of shock…. Frank (the driver) and I have settled into a comfortable daily routine. Every morning, come rain, hail, shine (or snow) he waits downstairs, standing at the car door, ready to greet us with a smiley “Zao Shang Hao” (Good Morning), helps to buckle Small Person in as she squirms and fidgets, and off we roar into the morning chaos... Despite never having spoken a word of English bar “Ok” - he quite possibly knows more about us and vice versa than either party would care to. We know he likes to put on the morning talkback shows in Chinese while he fiddles with his beads all the way to school, weaving in and out of tuk tuks, two wheelers, and overcrowded busses, beeping the horn with gusto. We know that after dropping us off, he’ll usually sneak in a cigarette at the bus stop until he sees me coming back and then does a six point turn in the middle of a crowded school street - traffic banks up, while I wait awkwardly at the side of the road, pretending it’s all completely normal. And it is. We have reached an 'unspoken understanding' and perhaps an appreciation of each other. That's evident when my girl draws him a goodbye picture and we give him some new beads. Then there’s the security guards at the school gate that greet me with a big hello and goodbye every day, proudly in their few English words… and once in an unexpected downpour, run out to the car with me holding an umbrella over my head…yet still won't let me inside the school gates unless my I.D is hanging around my neck. My last week in China was no different to the entire two and a half years… unpredictable and challenging! If nothing else China, you are consistent in that nothing is ever straightforward! A book interview with an American-English teacher in the north of the city; a lunch with school mums from China, America and Brazil at a kitsch Chinese restaurant, overflowing with statues, local red wine, a warm drink made from dates, Peking Duck and spicy noodles. All followed by a twenty minute wait in zero temperatures (outside the school gate) and then a regular school pick up that unexpectedly becomes the end of the school term, closing abruptly due to extreme pollution levels! This also unexpectedly makes it my Small Person’s last day, ever, so I'm forever grateful her teacher has the foresight to run out at the eleventh hour and get her a goodbye cake! Then a farewell night out that ended at a “Gentleman’s Club” which isn’t as risqué as you might think! Curious to see what it was all about…we enter the shiny, new establishment (one of many that has sprung up in our local neighbourhood) all in the name of checking out the "competition!" Chandeliers, leather sofas and karaoke (China’s other love). In the spirit of a 'proper' Chinese night out, we find ourselves agreeing to hit up the microphone with a few tunes. A dozen beers are delivered and then... as an added bonus, we're treated to a line up of suitable men of all 'shapes and sizes' to choose from (including the token 'foreigner' who hails from Kazakstan)!! All for ‘company’ we're told…or as we soon find out in between giggles, a university student to sit amongst our group, make strained conversation, drink our beer, smoke cigarettes and sing the odd Chinese pop song! China, you will forever have me bamboozled by your extremes - from the overwhelming poverty that envelopes you, to the ever-increasing number of Rolls Royces cruising the streets; to the intense effort given to academic education yet lack of life guidance; to the seemingly selfish public acts yet incredible acts of kindness, to the strict censorship but overly flexible road rules; the human trafficking and domestic violence but feeling of peace and safety on the streets, to the emphasis on Guanxi (networking) and family but the inability to lose face…and those layers upon layers of ‘bureaucracy!’ China, both your complex and simple personality traits have made it possible for me to love you, yet loathe you - all in the same breath. But just as you’re changing, I hope that I am too. Still fresh out of your grip, it’s too soon to tell how you've changed me. Only time will tell. One thing’s for sure, you’ve taught me to be more open and tolerant and definitely not to sweat the small stuff. I’ve learned that trying to understand cultural differences, nuances and a country’s history is not always easy but it is the key to understanding a nation and every thread that intertwines to makes up the fabric of your society is to be appreciated. Your spirit and strength in overcoming a recent history of oppression and poverty is admirable. As different as China can at times seem from the world in which we know, and as much as that old mantra, ‘survival of the fittest’ still rings true for many of you….there is no mistaking, you have a nation of people only too willing to show an outsider kindness. And that for me, has counted for a lot. (If only someone had told us what's in the tap water sooner!) ;) It's not goodbye, it's see you later! This is China …. and you’ve stolen a little piece of my heart. … [Read more...]
China’s Culture Club: Flower Power, Fruit Platters and Laughing Gas!
From the outside, it looks like it could quite easily be a quaint British pub. Of course, finding said venue in the middle of China is debatable, but for a few split seconds we kid ourselves, this cute and cosy taverna is just a hop, skip and a jump up the road. It’s definitely the flowers, draping prettily from the wooden cottage-like exterior that has us in denial. Cute little chairs and tables perch on the balcony, and you can imagine sitting there on a balmy summer’s evening (perhaps a little cooler than the current 35). Called Harbour City, about now, dripping with the effects of humidity, we are desperately wishing Xi’an was….in fact a harbour city. Let me not digress though with talk of the incessant heat that’s plagued the city for weeks. Back to the ‘pub’ up the road - clearly, the flowery theme was just a pre-cursor of what was to come! Stepping inside, it's like stepping into another world! At first glance, it looks like a wedding reception in complete over drive. My eyes boggle in awe. Gigantic, fresh floral arrangements hang from the ceiling, decorating candelabras and chandeliers in extraordinary fashion. Scenes from the Great Gatsby swirl through my head, as we’re ushered through the crowds. All eyes on us. The only white people in the venue (and potentially the oldest)! I half expect someone to come swinging down from the roof, aka Nicole Kidman style in Moulin Rouge! Whatever Harbour City is doing, after a month in business it seems they’ve got something right. Looking ever so sophisticated, this “bar” in the middle of Xi’an…a place where you can be forgiven for thinking most locals are more interested in snacking on over-sized bowls of cold noodles in the street on a Friday night…is heaving with people. The waiters hastily kick a staff member from a high bench table, tucked in beside the bar, for us to take our places in this outlandish scene. (Never mind the stools are actually chained to the table, as long as it's not us, I think.) Three (yes three) waiters bring a menu to us… of course the entire thing is in Chinese characters, which isn’t going to do us mere foreigners any favours. It's soon clear no English is spoken, so after looking blankly at the menu, in my best Chinese, I ask if they have ‘bai pu tao jiu’…white wine, to which they nod enthusiastically. Pointing to three options (again in Chinese) it’s a case of ‘eny meeny miny moe!’ Turns out ordering a 'glass' of wine is simply not an option, so a bottle it is! Regular wine is still a bit of an enigma in much of China’s bars….especially white wine. So it comes as no surprise when the bottle that arrives, is indeed red. Poured ever so carefully into a sleek glass decanter, we are dispatched with large wine glasses, two shot glasses of warm water and two cans of Sprite?! Ice is poured into our wine glasses and swished around for a good thirty seconds in what looks to be a rather high tech procedure. (Who doesn't like a good red wine on ice!! 8-O ) Next minute, an old school, silver bell is put in front of us. We assume this is to call someone when we are in need of attention (should they hear us over the loud rumbling of music). I look around at other tables…most are furnished with buckets of beer. There are VIP ‘minimum spend ‘tables boasting glowing buckets of beer stashed under the table and about a dozen Coronas lined up on the table. In China this is seen as a show of great prestige! There are also artistically carved fruit platters decorating many a table! Forget about the cheese platter or peanuts and chips. Another sign of distinction in China appears to be fruit or 'fruits' as they're more commonly known! A lady comes around selling cigarettes and cigars. Even though China authorities have banned indoor smoking, the rules are having little impact on China's 350-million smokers. The band is singing a mix of western and Chinese songs. The first song we hear is a Natalie Imbruglia tune. To hear an Aussie singer’s hit being belted out in the middle of China, is at the very least, freakishly fantastic! I wonder what most of the people in the bar think when they can’t understand the words. Does the song resonate at all? I seem to be the only one having a sly boogie...that is... until one of the many cleaning ladies, quietly pottering around, spies me and gives me a little shimmy with a cheeky laugh. A Lady Gaga song reigns out….no one is dancing though, then two of the band members are up on podiums in the middle of the club cranking out a local Asian song. Everyone gets up, mimicking the dance moves with all the energy they can muster! Some are playing a popular Chinese drinking game at their tables called ‘Liar's dice!’ About now, a waiter pops over and grabs a shot glass, proceeds to pour himself a glass of OUR red wine toasting us, knocking it back like a shot!! Cheers or "Gan bei!" he smiles. And just like that, he swaggers off, while we watch after him, highly amused. There’s a table of guys with balloons. Naturally, at first, we assume they’re blowing up balloons for their celebration… just quietly, I think it’s bit late for the party, but anyway… The thing is they keep sucking the air out of the balloons, so we start to wonder what the point in that might be! There’s also something on the table that looks remarkably like a whipped cream canister. They appear to be endlessly unscrewing and screwing a capsule that resembles a silver bullet and then attaching the balloon to the canister in earnest. Amused and perplexed we watch on as another table of girls, who’ve spent all night taking selfies, barely speaking to each other, start up on the balloons. By now I'll admit we’re completely bamboozled. I realise it’s potentially been awhile since I’ve been to a club, as such, and this is definitely no English country pub, flowers or not.. I try not to stare.......well maybe just a little. A quick Google tells us, this is indeed a craze involving inhaling nitrous oxide, otherwise known as ‘laughing gas’!! Ah ha!! Apparently it makes you feel euphoric and relaxed, for about ten seconds! Mystery solved. A little reluctantly, we emerge at around 1130…early birds I know…and who knows what happens in there as the night goes on, but I spy the champagne starting to flow. It’s 32 degrees….hot and humid…. we walk the five minutes home to the hotel. A three wheeler bike cruises past in the dark, three people are half dressed, bouncing a naked baby in the air, as they scoot past. We giggle…and they giggle back, no doubt finding us an equally odd spectacle! This is China. … [Read more...]
KungFu But No Panda: Welcome to Third Tier China
It was an extra long weekend in China; the centuries old Dragon Boat Festival was in action. With barely a patch of water to be found up here in Xi’an, it does seem a little off the wall -- still we’ll take it, thanks! Happy Holidays! Mind you, nothing’s for free. The government likes to make you work Sunday in return for giving you a day off! “You get what you get….and you don’t get upset!” As I can be heard reciting to the Small Person on one too many occasions. So, with a few days up our sleeves, we decide to go on an adventure. My head is always in two places about these kind of “China adventures”… As much as I know I 'clearly' thrive on risky, unexpected experiences — they are also completely exhausting (mentally more often than physically)! Who am I kidding, just living in China is mentally exhausting. 8-O Psyched for action, with a loose itinerary marked out, we hot-foot it to the train station to catch one of China’s high speed bullet trains! These babies are what’s not exhausting about China. Bloody brilliant really. No checking in, no customs, no long, drawn out x-ray machines, (times ten), no waiting for bags at the end…. it’s one x-ray machine -- the one-in-all-in, throw your bag through kind, where you desperately hope the contents of your handbag aren’t splayed across the floor on the other side! Line up at the correct train entrance and you’re off without so much as a jolt, despite flying through the countryside at 300-plus kilometres per hour. It’s smooth and comfortable. It takes us one and a half hours to reach Luoyang. Having briefly done my research, I've discovered that Luoyang is in central China’s Henan Province; it’s one of China’s smaller cities with a population of around, oh… 6.5 million! Small, really. I know how Xi’an likes to boast it’s the “cradle of civilisation” so when I read Luoyang also wears this crown I'm surprisingly a little on the defensive…..”Can’t be so! This is Xi’an’s territory!” But it seems with such a vast history stretching back thousands of years, there are many cities in China that can lay claim to such rich titles. A tier three city, initially, driving through it was almost disappointing. I had been hoping for a more remote, village-type atmosphere… but this is China, where urbanisation is snaking it’s way across the country in the form of 600-plus concrete jungles, at a rapid pace. The real rural parts of China are retreating further and further back into the hills. And while admittedly, I’ve been one to harp on, that every city in China is glaringly unique, there’s a definite mirror image shining on many of these newish, urbanised China city-scapes. There’s concrete…lots of it, high-rises, rows and rows of them (many empty)….cranes careening across the sky and a maze of highways, thronging with cars in every shade and shape. Most of them new(ish) by the way….given in these cities, cars are a relatively ‘new’ fad. Ten to 15 years ago, the roads were all but empty of the 4-wheel variety. Despite the definite modernisation taking place, there are as many, if not more bikes, trikes and Tuk Tuks chugging through the streets than Xi’an….along with an endearing ramshackle feel, I like to call the “real” China. At first sight, the city has less character, charm and possibly less sophistication than it’s 2nd-tier neighbour, Xi'an….but it doesn’t matter so much, because the city is not what tourists come to see. Unless, like our hotel guest relations manager proudly tells us, her chest puffed out, "You come for the Peonies!" Apparently, Louyang has them in spades…. only in April though, so if this is your thing, you need to plan accordingly. Mostly though, it’s the famous Shaolin Temple and the Longmen Grottoes that claim many a traveller’s time. Naturally they made it on to our itinerary, but unlike us, I would advise reading up on the two well before you get to the actual site and frantically try to Google their claim to fame. An hour and a half drive from Luoyang to the Shaolin Temple, it’s by no means a quick trip. To this day it's the main temple for the Shaolin school of Buddhism and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On arrival, as if on cue, we spot a rare monk, his long orange cloak flowing behind him as he walks purposely along the pathway, mountains in the distance, temples standing tall in the background. It's a mystical moment. These days, the site has become rather commercialised, so while it’s still a monastery, I’m told, finding monks that aren’t perched behind stalls selling trinkets or cold drinks is difficult. Despite the hoards of tourists now flocking to the sight though, high up in the Song Shan Mountains, the surroundings feel quite peaceful and enchanting. Getting around is less mystical and slightly more mystifying - if you don’t speak/read Chinese. We waste many a moment in the blazing hot sun looking at maps, perplexed and pained! You see the area is not just limited to a single temple…it’s spans a huge area (that you cannot get around quickly, especially with small person in tow) with everything from the Pagoda Forests to caves, kung fu displays and cable car rides. After eventually working out where the ticket office is and deciding we need to hop on a buggy to get “somewhere,” our first stop is unintentionally the Shaolin Temple. Built in 495AD it consists of seven platforms, each layer with what they call 'halls' in typical Chinese architecture. During its heyday, it housed more than 3,000 monks and today the monastery is still home to monks in training. And then there's these scary fellas, who guard the Hall of Heavenly Kings. They're Buddhist warrior attendants. And while my ego is utterly deflated when my attempts to speak Chinese fall completely flat, there are plenty of options to practice. Every few steps, a proud parent is shuffling little 'Wang Xiao' or 'Zheng Cai' into our personal space for some chit chat, hand holding and a photo. I decide talking to the kids is much easier. Our next stop, the Pagoda Forest… we have a little trouble finding our way here too — neither the hotelier or I are good with directions at the best of times, let alone when they’re in another language. (About now I'm strongly lamenting the fact that we don't have a tour guide!) Anyway, I have another go in Chinese and to my relief am understood. We make it to the forest, which is actually a cemetery made up of tall stone pagodas. Each Buddha was given his own Pagoda tomb - around 15 metres high; the layers and the shape depending on their status, attainment and prestige achieved during their lifetime. I'm trying to be impressed, but given my current status living opposite the pagoda of all pagodas, I'm struggling a little to appreciate their significance. Blame the heat! Admittedly, the forest looks a lot more awe-inspiring from above! Feeling hot, thirsty and more than a little tired from so much foot work, in a heat-induced state of delirium, we find ourselves agreeing to take the cable car up the side of the mountain! Now in any country in the West, I would be a little timid about jumping on one of these at the best of times, but in China, when I know all too well how things are made, I'm aware I may have momentarily lost my mind. As we wait to get on….it's literally a case of leaping into the steel-framed, open, rather rattly cable car, hoping for the best. Up we go, tugged up the mountain side. Doing my best not to be overtaken by sheer terror, I try to appreciate the serenity. Ok, it is tranquil. Not so much on the other side…. a rare (in every way) platform overlooking the stunning mountains made for the perfect photo opportunity, except for the pesky man who keeps trying to tell us we can't take our own photos. Instead he's encouraging us to stand with a number of odd pieces, including a stuffed tiger with it’s teeth falling out and a double swing with live peacocks either side! That’ll be ten kuai thanks. It’s about now I think we just need to get off this, er ride…. An ice cream to quench our parched bodies and ease the heart palpitations, we jump back on the cable car for an ever so slightly less terrifying ride down. Everyone on the way up is cheerily yelling out “Hello” to the Waiguo ren as they pass us…a site no doubt…as rare as the peacocks to some, so we reciprocate with a bit of cheerful "Nihao" and I manage to relax enough for a selfie. Back down and we end up back where we started. We've missed the Kung fu show but are lucky to spy about 200 boys practicing Kung fu. We sneak in (as inconspicuously as the three foreigners can) and watch for a good ten minutes. It's mesmerising and indicative of the discipline China’s children possess. On the way to and from Luoyang city, we pass through the villages I've been keen to see… it's nearing dusk and kids are out playing amongst the rubble, parents are winding up their stalls for the day, sweeping away mounds of rubbish; elderly members of the community are sitting on plastic chairs just content to watch the traffic roll by. Rested and recharged, the next day, we gear up for a trip to the renowned Longmen Grottoes. It’s a 45 minute drive from the cities (but just FYI from the train station, just ten minutes)…. Again, our newly inherited travelling complacency doesn't bode well in 35 degree heat, but after getting some Chinese out with ‘slightly’ more success, we find ourselves walking for at least 30 minutes to reach the grottoes on the other side of the river. Stretched over a kilometre, there are more than 2000 caves and niches carved into the stone. These amazing statues of Buddha and his disciples are carved into limestone rock on the side of the cliff and their sheer size and the detail make it impossible to be unimpressed. Carved over centuries, the style of sculptures change significantly. Just when it seems like the intensity of the sun will sap the last of our energy, curiosity and another ice block gives us the strength to climb these extremely steep steps! Tag teaming it up to see what all the fuss is about, at the top, it's definitely worth the effort. (My Fitbit would agree if the battery hadn’t died.) At the end of the spectacle though, it's with much relief that we can take a boat ride back to the start. Sightseeing almost over for these three Amigos, a 45 minute ride on the high speed rail later and we're in Zhengzhou, our stop for the night - a city of 9 million! A gigantic concrete jungle, Zhengzhou is the capital of Henan Province. It's one of the nation's major industrial cities and has become known as a rail hub, you can travel virtually anywhere in China from. It's also a huge coal mining area. Hello pollution! And of course, just to make sure we don't forget we're in China for a second, the ubiquitous rumbling of fireworks can be heard across the morning sky. So, after an action-packed weekend of adventure -- peering at buddhas, grottoes, kung fu and chaotic concrete jungles -- it was time to travel at high speed back to Xi’an…our own pocket of madness in the Middle Kingdom, where the adventures just keep on coming. This is China. Info: Train Tickets Xi’an to Louyang 174.50RMB Luoyang to Zhengzhou 101.25RMB Zhengzhou to Xi’an 239RMB Children half price Entry Fees Shaolin Temple 150RMB - shuttle buggy 25RMB Cable car 50RMB Longmen Grottoes 100RMB plus shuttle bus, if need to get into the site from the entry point. Ice-blocks (Around 10RMB) ;) … [Read more...]
Pandas in Chengdu? Don’t Mind if I Do!
Giant Pandas. What’s not to love? They’re furry, cute and cuddly….well at least they look cuddly, from a distance. The ultimate human teddy bear! A species that has survived for eight million years and with fewer than 2000 left in the world and most of those in China, it stands to good reason they’re the nation’s beloved national treasure. The Sichuan province is where the majority are lounging about, just chewin’ on bamboo. It’s predicted just over a thousand live in the wild and the China Conservation and Research Centre in Chengdu is home to around 80 of the provinces most famous residents. I’ll be honest as much as I love a good panda, thinking about them doesn’t send me into a state of pandamonium! (See what I did there!) But…. given Chengdu is kind of on our door step; a hop, skip and a jump south west (or a one hour flight) it makes sense to tick the panda box. I was also keen to see Chengdu. Another colossal Chinese city of 14 million! They call it the 'Country of Heaven' or Tiān fǔ zhi guó often translated as 'The Land of Abundance'. It’s also been earmarked as the nation’s 4th most liveable city. Not bad out of 656 cities. It was a three day weekend in China, a national holiday — which in all reality is never a good time to take a vacation with a billion other friendly Chinese faces at your side. But ignoring all previous shoulder to shoulder encounters with mammoth holiday crowds, we booked our flight to the Panda capital for a fast Friday night flight out. It was all going as smoothly as one could hope for a Friday night dash to the airport. We arrived with plenty of time, lined up for check in…. had a giggle at the lady in front of us who didn’t appear to know if she was Arthur or Martha, running from one check in counter to the other, bags at both. But it turns out the joke was on us! We smugly handed over our passports and saw that “look” which we hopefully assumed was just a case of Small Person’s name being spelt wrong again so her passport didn’t match the booking. We gave each other the side ways (crap this better be ok) glance… but it was worse. So much worse. Our flight was actually Saturday night. And breathe. The Friday night flight was already packed to the rafters, so our next option was to wait on standby for a slightly later flight in the hope someone or three decided to ditch the pandas ‘no-showed’ and we could take their seats. In anticipation we headed to the airport’s Pizza Hut for dinner. Yep the big cheese is supremely popular in the East and the only real option outside of oodles of noodles. So - pouring beer and pizza into our bellies, we prayed to the airline gods. But it wasn’t to be…. all flights to Chengdu that night and the next morning were completely full! Nada. We ended up hightailing it home around 10pm with a cabbie driving at breakneck speed….until there was a lone car, stopped dead in its tracks in the middle of the highway. We swerved erratically, narrowly missing him….and breathe. The next day we jumped back in the car for the 45 minute drive back to the airport for an afternoon flight. (All the while muttering under my breath, “those bloody pandas better be worth it!”) As if to remedy the past 24 hours, the Aeroplane Gods had put us in First Class. The first sign of this was the 70's retro first class lounge, in which one could hide in one of these egg-shaped, red velvet cocoons... and snack on tasty little nuts. Now, having never had the privilege of travelling first class, it was almost as if the joke was on me (again). I’m acutely aware, this will probably be the first and LAST time I ever fly first class… so did I mention the flight was an hour? Yes! ONE single, solitary hour. One single hour to partake in those oh so heavenly lie flat beds and that free-flowing champagne (which never came!) (It is China right!) More nuts and apple juice all round. But I did lie flat under the big yellow duvet cover for the entire flight, right down to the wire. I reckon the flight attended had to literally rip that cover from me as we approached the runway. Ruined for life. "Those bloody pandas better be good,” I muttered again as we touched down (in what I later discovered was the world’s 30th busiest airport)! #TrivialFact So our first impressions of Chengdu - a city with some seriously strapping skyscrapers. Which when compared with Xi’an’s rather low lying landscape always has me a little giddy with excitement. After all, this city has seemingly earned itself the title of China’s most successful economy! More than 260 'Fortune 500' companies have established branches in Chengdu with US$8.8 billion plunged into the city in foreign investment. This, of course all adding an extra dash of international flavour and a mass of expats. I could almost trick myself into thinking I was in Hong Kong with this super chic, rooftop pool bar! (Let's not mention the fact that Chengdu has one of the lowest annual sunshine totals nationally, with less sunshine annually than much of Northern Europe!) Of course the Chengdu saying goes, "Sunny days are rare, but teahouses are abundant!” Step outside though and there’s no mistaking, this is China! For all it’s modern contemporary spots, hip eateries, high end shopping centres and shimmering high rises, in equal measure you'll spy the hallmarks of quintessential China. Ramshackle alleyways, Tuk Tuks and bicycles with mandatory sky-high loads on the back, locals gathered in side streets fervently playing mahjong and sipping tea; traffic jams that resemble the jumbled power lines that drape themselves across the city. Wandering through the city’s popular Narrow and Wide Alleyway, the ancient setting a little too man-made for my liking - it was the evidently popular ‘ear cleaning’ that caught me by surprise. A little investigating tells me it’s a popular Chengdu hobby. Long metal skewers are used to bang on the sticks inside your ear - cleaning vibrating and massaging - all in the name of promoting blood circulation! Mention Chengdu to any local friends in Xi’an and forget about the pandas (or the ear cleaning,) for them it’s all about the food! Sichuan is of course famous for it’s chillies and peppercorns — never more prominent than in one of China’s favourite dishes Hot Pot. The whole idea is for it to be so hot it literally numbs your tongue! Sugar and spice and all things nice? Only for the bravest. But what about those bloody pandas? Up at the crack of dawn (I muttered those by now familiar words)! We’d been told to get their nice and early to avoid the holiday crowds and have a chance to watch the pandas at play. With our expat friends in tow, we jumped aboard the happy bus, driving about an hour out of town to see these creatures in all their glory. The Chengdu Field Research Centre for Giant Pandas was definitely an impressive spot. Covering 165 acres, this wasn’t a rundown poor version of a zoo (as can be found in many parts of China) but a relatively clean, green, healthy environment for both the pandas and the tourist! We wandered along the pathways flanked with lush greenery and there they were, enclosed but openly on display lolling about in the sun….. Or just smothering themselves in bamboo as they tried to shovel in as much as possible….Trivial fact: Giant Pandas eat around 40 kilos of fresh bamboo a day! And they spend over 40 percent of the day, sprawled out like this, sleeping. (Sounds good to me!) Specifically dedicated to breeding pandas, it’s divided into the giant panda breeding zone, baby giant panda care zone and the research centre. These were the babies having some rough and tumble play time. Their average life expectancy in the wild is 15-20 years and in captivity, 30 years. Known as ‘Xiong mao’ in Chinese… there’s no doubt they are a global phenomenon… they’ve even made it into the famous movie ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ which incorporates many elements of Chengdu! Those bloody pandas….they were definitely worth the effort. This is China. … [Read more...]
Travelling the Famous ‘Silk Road’ in the 21st Century: Will You Take the Journey?
Amongst the plethora of news that permeates our daily lives from the tele, the radio, the internet, our inbox, social media….there's a small chance you may have heard (or read) a brief snippet about the re-emergence of the historic SILK ROAD? You may or may not have given it a fleeting thought….perhaps a brief 'What is that?' 'Where is that, again?' Let me enlighten you! In the broadest sense, it is the oldest overland trade route linking the ancient world from the East to the West. 2000 years ago, everything from exquisite cottons, exotic spices to metals and ceramics, scrolls of paintings, even gunpowder and of course piles and piles of cascading silk in every vivid color conceivable was carried along on the backs of camels, ferried from one side of the world to the other. By default, the Silk Road has come to my attention with a little more vigor of late because 'Xi'an' was once the eastern most point on this now renowned ancient trading route. You may have heard me mention before that Xi'an has been a city of great significance. (And of course as every local will tell you, it still is!) ;) The capital of 13 dynasties over 1200 years, Xi'an is by no means to be underestimated. And now, it looks like it may return to its former glory with a pledge from Chinese President Xi Jinping to rebuild the Silk Road - in his 'One Belt, One Road' initiative. So perhaps you're wondering why this city, seemingly in the middle of nowhere became such a significant hub for trade in the first place? At the risk of turning this into a history lesson and boring both of us senseless, I'll be as short and sweet as possible with the details. It formerly began in the Han Dynasty (around 206 BC to 220 AD) when emperors got word there was a rich and strong state in the West, (namely India). The Han Emperor 'Wu Di' sent his men to investigate but they were captured along the way (for ten years no less). Managing to escape a decade later, amazingly they set off continuing the mammoth journey to India. Emperors soon realized the huge potential for trade and commerce and the travelers were sent back along the vast and arduous stretch with an abundance of items in their load, including China's famed silk, which quickly became a hit and reached as far as Rome, where it became a valued commodity. (Until this time, silk in China was precious and protected. Reserved exclusively for the Chinese ruler and his wife, inside the palace they wore robes of pure white silk, outside yellow was the colour of the season.) Gradually though, it became more acceptable for all classes of society to wear tunics made from the prized silk. Then it became used for industrial goods like musical instruments and fishing lines, even paper… At one point it was as valuable as gold and farmers even paid their taxes in silk. Thus, the Silk Road began in Xi'an (which was then known as Chang'an) and wove through the Hexi Corridor (West of the Yellow River) to Dunhuang, where it divided into three routes, the southern, the central and Northern. All wound through unmarked and treacherous pathways along the edges of deserts and over mountain roads, through the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region as far as Pakistan, India and Rome. Trivial Fact: The Silk Road is actually a collective name given to three ancient trade routes…the Silk Road in the North west of China, the Southern Silk Road and the Silk Road on the Sea. Caravans of camels stretching as far as the eye could see, one behind the other, wound their way through rugged terrains day and night carrying important cargo. According to history the two humped camels (bred specifically for the Silk Road) were the most capable of managing the diverse landscape. Few people traveled the 6,500 kilometre Silk Road stretch from one end to the other as great explorer Marco Polo did in 1271. His detailed descriptions of China's culture, politics and economy encouraged and inspired other Westerners to travel to this vast land in the East. For China, the effects of the Silk Road on industry were felt immediately and as you might imagine, the birth of the Silk Road brought all sorts of strange and wonderful ideas to China --- politics, family relationships, philosophy and religion were forever exposed to new concepts. This was the original information super-highway…carrying everything from goods to philosophy (even disease)! In 652, a Chinese Monk returned from India after spending 18 years studying Buddhism..with him he brought manuscripts and Buddhist texts to be transcribed into Chinese. These were housed in the temple which ironically stands tall directly across the road from the Westin Hotel…The Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Meantime, Xi'an was a hustle and bustle of activity. Outside Xi'an's majestic city wall, traders camped in colorful tents; clusters of camels were tied up outside the wall….while merchants offloaded and stocked up on supplies. The frenzied trade from Arab merchants saw the emergence of the colorful, vibrant hub that is today one of Xi'an's most famous tourist destinations, the Muslim Quarter. Merchants and Silk Road traders locals called the 'Hui' people settled here and many married Han Chinese women. Today many of their descendants still remain here. A tight knit community, the Muslim Quarter covers several blocks and houses 20,000 people, including ten mosques. A buzzing hive of activity, a unique blend of Muslim culture and Chinese tradition is on display in the maze of narrow lane ways, branding a multitude of traditional food and souvenir stalls. Veer off the main stretch and you'll see fascinating sights as the locals busily go about their day. Wooden bird cages sit at the feet of retailers, rickety bikes lean up against small shops, and heavy cauldron-like pots bubble away out the front, wafting delicious smells from traditional dumplings to baked bread, tasty meat skewers and crisp toffee, even fresh pomegranate juice, pressed on the pavement. So while it's clear the Muslim Quarter is alive and well today, what happened to the good old Silk Road? Eventually, overland trade just became increasingly dangerous and travel by sea was naturally more popular; trade along the Silk Road declined and by the end of the 14th Century it was almost non-existent. You can still see the ruins of the once flourishing capitals that dotted the Silk Route. Five centuries later, and the current President of China has flagged the idea of a rebirth of the Silk Road, an Economic Belt if you like (which is of course being hotly pursued by the world's global powers, eager to solidify their influence in the East and West.) It was 2103, when President Xi Jinping first made the announcement, but ironically it barely got a mention in the global media. Two years later it's a different story. As the centerpiece of of the President's foreign policy and an international economic strategy, it's all systems go. Goodbye camels and hello trains that will be capable of transporting goods 12,000 kilometres from China to the Mediterranean, much master than by sea. China's challenge -- to design this new super highway while reducing prohibitive import and export tariffs so business between the East and West can thrive. It has the potential to channel 150-million tourists to those countries along the new Silk Road. China also plans to attract 85 million tourists on home soil. The estimated cost: $21-trillion. Currently there are 200 projects underway, including $80 billion dollars to upgrade connectivity with at least 15 new regional air hubs in places like Xi'an, Xiamen and Kunming. 21 years ago, 19 countries gathered in Uzbekistan to discuss the rebirth of this legendary route…today the reality is closer than ever. So the next time you hear or see a snippet on the news about the mystical Silk Road….you'll understand the significance in reinventing this historic trade route, particularly for Xi'an. Currently the biggest city in the country's north west, in the next couple of decades it will supposedly double its urban population to become a mega-city! Stay tuned. This is China! … [Read more...]