As we hurtle towards the two year mark living here in Xi'an, China, it's slightly unnerving how much of it becomes your 'new normal' ...the little things you learn to live with, learn to accept...learn to tolerate...no longer see. So when one of my best friends announced she was making the journey from Sydney to Xi'an to visit us in China, I was excited for many reasons; mostly to see her, but I was also eager to show her a place that is so far removed from our reality in the West. What would she think? Would she officially right us off as "completely bonkers" or would she understand the fascination. I was intrigued to see what she saw, through fresh eyes. And of course, as a fellow journo, I hit her up for a guest post. Of course, she nailed it. This is China. By Susanne Latimore My dear friend at Mint Mocha Musings suffers from a Second World Problem since moving to China. Starbucks has moved in across the road from her digs, so she can safely order a morning Mocha, but she has to import her own Mint syrup. How could she Muse without it? It’s a small thing, but the funny thing about China is the millions of small things. Like becoming a bigger tourist attraction than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Built 1300 years ago, it attracts hordes of mostly Chinese tourists on a blue sky Sunday, but with our two small blonde people in tow, I reckon we were neck and neck for digital space. As we sat in the hotel cafe, I watched a man leaning over the hedge staring. If this happened at home you would run interference in a heart beat, with a loud “piss off” and a threat to call the police, but we didn't and it was fine until a Grandma clenched the stomach muscles with a stolen kiss on the cheek! Xi'an is the ancient capital of China and a second tier city but much of the 8 million population is still made up of dwellers who ultimately hail from surrounding rural villages. This coupled with tight controls on media, means there is an enduring naivety. The Hotelier reports finding a driver washing his car from the water feature out the front of his Five Star Hotel. Fair enough perhaps, given the city is always coated in fine, desert dust. Unfortunately it's also marred by bodily fluids. Babies and toddlers squat in the streets and spitting is rife. The traditional wisdom being that it's better out than in, and carrying it around with you in a tissue is considered a filthy habit. Hygiene anxiety is high and hand sanitizer an essential. Despite this my little one picked up a bug. When asked how she liked China she replied, "It's good, except for the vomiting." We called house keeping to "change the bed" and barely prevented them from hauling in a new heavenly mattress and base. Of course, the language barrier is partly to blame for these funny moments and we journalistic pedants had a ball Chinglish spotting. The cup below is a particular favourite. I've travelled to China once before for the Beijing Olympics. Then, it was a city utterly sanitized. The most telling moment for me was when I stumbled into an underground walkway to discover rows of armed, baby faced soldiers, sitting on tiny stools in the near dark. So much of China is there, just below the surface. On this trip we visited Xian's famous Terracotta Warriors, as you do. They'd been just below the surface since 221 BC. Our impassioned tour guide repeatedly mentioned it was the eighth wonder of the world. A quick Google search turned up a list on Mental Floss of 10 other claimants to that title including the Taj Mahal and Andre the Giant. Of the thousands sculpted no two are the same and there's no doubt they are impressive but they failed to move me until bossy commanding Tour Guide mentioned that Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China for whom they were made had every last craftsman and labourer put to death to protect the location of his mausoleum. He also had his three thousand concubines buried alive with him upon his death, some of whom he'd never actually met. This is China's original declaration of Nationhood. Glory to Emperor Qin (China) no matter the cost to the people. I did enjoy meeting Yang Zhifa, the peasant credited with finding the Warriors. He is wheeled in to a Museum building to sign books for tourists, his only income. It was impossible to resist this strong arm tourist trap and I'm embarrassed to say I paid $60 Australian for a small warrior statue just to get out. Although I was assured by said Tour Guide that unlike the cheap fakes outside, this statue was made from the very same clay as the original warriors. Xie xie! I thought Heidi Lao was an odd name for a local Hot Pot restaurant, and it would be if it wasn't spelt Hi Di Lao. The broth was so hot my rosacea errupted just from the steam coming off it. There was no chance of actually eating anything dipped in that cauldron. This was a scene, the place to be seen. The minute we arrived our small blondes were hauled off to the child play area two floors down, surrounded by adoring staff, where they were given gifts and narrowly avoided having their hair brushed! By this time I just shrugged my shoulders and waved them off. As the Hotelier entered the courtyard outside he was hailed by a host brandishing a photo of his daughter on his phone. (How on earth did he know we were together?) Hello, I'm Heidi Lao... I was definitely warming up to Xian but it was a trip to a local art school that cemented my affections. With a few words of Chinese, "Wo Jiao Susanne" and a big smile, I entered the room. A blonde Amazon with nowhere to hide. "Teacher" spent an hour demonstrating traditional ink and watercolour painting of a plum tree in blossom. Joyful, graceful, masterful. Then it was my turn. Fear, fumbles, blobs. My comrades laughed along with me and did their best to interpret instructions. "Teacher says, to do Chinese painting you must breathe", so it's true, the language of art is universal, I've heard that before. After three hours of learning, new students lined up to offer our seated teacher a cup of tea and ask him questions. A lovely ritual of respect and appreciation. Then I was gifted Teacher's painting, which I'll treasure. Don't forget to breathe.... The Plum Blossom is beloved as both a symbol of Winter and a harbinger of Spring. It blooms most vibrantly against the Winter snow, an example of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, just like the people of this great country. Imagine if they were given enough light to flower fully. Susanne is of course Sky News Reader extraordinaire, Artist, ambassador for Redkite and a Mum.... You can find her on Instagram and Twitter … [Read more...]
China’s Pearl of the Orient! Why Guilin is Compulsory Viewing
When I told my local hairdresser in Xi’an I was off to Guilin for a few days, he got very excited and made me practice China's famous saying: Guilin is "Shan shui jia tian xia!” …until I had it right (as you do). (FYI - I’m starting to realise that Chinese people love their proverbs and there's a ‘saying’ for just about everything and anything.) In this case, ‘Shan shui jia tian xia’ means: Guilin’s ‘mountain and water scenery is the best under heaven’. That’s a pretty big call, right? ......Oh and there’s another one: “East or West: Guilin Scenery is Best!” Not wanting to be disappointed after all the 'hype,' I purposely didn’t look at any pictures of where we were going. (Unlike the hotelier who, I might add, scrutinises the website like a seagull scavenging for food, weeks out from the trip! ;-) ) Me? I like to be surprised. Plus, we had a few good friends who’d trodden the path before us and given us the lowdown. I knew we were in good hands. So, a two hour flight south from Xi’an to Guilin in China’s Guangxi Province and the adventure was on! Stepping outside from the airport, it immediately felt different, warmer for a start. Dare I say, there was almost a tropical feel in the air… (or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my frozen parts?) But there were palm trees, I swear! We were picked up by a recommended driver and had a two and a half hour journey up into the hills to a place called Ping’an Village….it’s the spot where the famous rice terraces reside in all their glistening glory. Despite the palm trees, once we hit the road, there was no mistaking we were still in China. The ramshackle streets, the ubiquitous beeping, the swarm of motorbikes and three wheeler Tuk Tuks snaking their way in and out of the traffic…all manner of goods being transported on the back, from people to packages, piled high! We saw a couple almost swallowed by a giant bouquet of balloons; live chickens in small baskets, perched on the back of bikes; there was even a lone cow standing on the back of a 3-wheeler! Gridlocked in the bumper to bumper, mid-morning Spring Festival traffic, we couldn’t miss the sound of a few overexcited kids yelling out “There’s a wai guo ren!” before erupting into fits of laughter. Yep. That’s us. The foreigners are coming! Once we got through the mayhem, it was a long and rather windy road up, up and up high into the hills. First stop - a gated entryway where we needed to hand over cold hard cash to the “officials” for entry into the village. Another 15 minute drive to the village itself or at least the bottom of the village and despite travelling up... we had definitely travelled back in time. Hello Ping'an! We thanked our driver and grabbed our bags from the boot, not before being swamped by lots of little old ladies in pink hats, gesturing madly at our belongings. Don’t be fooled by their small stature and number of years under their belts, these women are tough cookies and will carry your bags in large round baskets on their backs, all the way up steep, rickety walkways to your guest house. Our room for the night was first cab off the rank, just a 300 metre walk so we politely declined. The mere idea of making these women carry my luggage when I was perfectly capable seemed a little preposterous, but then again, this is how they make their living. And if you're really not up to the walk, or just want to take yourself back to China life of old, you can always sit yourself in one of these (for a small fee)! Ping’an Village is over 600 years old and has been harvesting rice for just as long. The village is made up mainly of the ethnic minority, the Zhuang people, but there are also the Yao people. The Yao women are easily identifiable because of their very long, long hair (which is wound around and around and bunched on top)! It’s believed they only cut their hair once during their lifetime. (Now that’s one way to save on hairdressing costs!) In recent years productivity in Ping'an has been slow and the rice is mainly harvested for the locals to consume and now the more than 60 guest houses that cater to the 2000 tourists a day. In 1949, Guilin was the first place in China to open up to tourists and this tiny but oh so charming village amongst the rice fields has been a hard treasure to keep hidden. For the last 12 years, intrigued tourists from around the world have been sneaking a look at this quaint, authentic Chinese town where life resembles that of a bygone era. Today the government even pays local farmers to flood their rice terraces, making for better quality pictures for tourists like us! Walking up to our guest house it’s clear though, tourism has cast her spell. There are now lots of little stalls selling all sorts of souvenir trinkets and locals are busy cooking up all sorts of traditional concoctions, including jars of extremely spicy looking chilli. The Zhuang ladies in their bright pink hats are squatting around a fire, cooking Tudou Hong zi (sweet potato) and their Chinese is peppered with a few English words like “hello” and "Come and look!" That aside, it really is another world…… Our guest house ‘Bai Ke’ is four floors on stilts….it’s endearingly rustic and authentically Chinese in style, with a sweeping view right across the mountains. We hear roosters screeching and I spy a lone woman toiling the rice fields. It feels like we are a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of manic China. We are made to feel incredibly welcome by the owner of the guest house from the minute we arrive until he drives us all the way to Guilin the next day. How's that for service! First things first though, it's time to explore. We get directions to walk (hike) up into the village and to the top of the mountain for the best views. Directions in the loosest sense of the word. We find ourselves in and out of backyards, along rickety stone pathways, up steep stairways and past random chickens, ladies cooking their bamboo rice and locals lunching in the sun. We pass by a grandma, baby on her back, hanging sheets in her yard. Everyone is friendly and it’s just a matter of heading up! After many pit stops and photographs, we make it to the top. (The Small Person is exceptionally stoic in the face of a promised ice-cream). We’re lucky, we’ve struck amazing weather and it’s nudging 25 degrees….in the middle of winter. I’m told if it’s a foggy day, the view can be disappointing, but today the view is breathtaking. At the top we’re clearly back on tourist soil and their are a million and one people wanting to take a photo with the small blondie. Luckily though, we spot a stall with ice creams and coke! We find a private spot in the grass but one of the 'Yao' ladies selling postcards and bracelets spies us and seeks us out. As much as I know we’re the 'wai guo ren' so there's a fair chance we are probably being ripped off, before I know it, I’ve purchased two bracelets, one each for Small Person and I! Back down the hill and that night our B & B serves us a delicious traditional village meal of sticky rice and chicken in bamboo. This is one of only two remaining places in China where they still use this kind of ancient cooking method. And of course we BYO our bottle of white for a modern day touch! The next day, country air in our lungs, refreshed and raring to go we hightail it back down to Guilin City for the night. First up, if you don’t need to go to Guilin or are short on time, I probably wouldn’t bother. As a city in China, sightseeing wise, apart from being surrounded by impressive karst mountains as you drive in, there’s not a whole lot going on. In this part of the world, it’s all about the surrounding areas. The next day we are lined up for a 3.5 hour, 83 km boat cruise up the Li River to Yangshuo. It’s been booked by a local friend so we have no idea what to expect. Picked up by a tour bus we find ourselves the only foreigners on board (which is really nothing new) and next minute we’re in a tight squeeze following one of those flags you see Chinese tourists huddled around, the world over! In true China style, it seems every cruise boat is scheduled to leave the dock at exactly the same time. You can imagine, this makes for a rather crammed and rushed entry on to the boats. Pushed, squeezed and shoved forward, we try to keep an eye on our flag bearing a Winnie the Pooh mascot, in the hope we make it on board the right boat. (Did I mention we forgot our luggage?….ah yes, such seasoned travellers, we got so excited getting on the tour bus we forgot we were actually going away for the night!) That said, the tour operator kindly arranged for another bus to pick up our luggage and get it to Yangshuo by the afternoon at no cost. A side to China where things like that are always infinitely easier, than being engulfed in red tape. On deck and every boat motors off up the river in unison…the chefs start cooking lunch on the back of the boats and we’re all seated at tables. It's no luxury cruise. It’s basic and there is one pretty dirty squat toilet for every female on board. The food is a very basic, Chinese buffet of rice and noodles and at feeding time, it's one in, all in. The view though is mighty impressive. They call it a 'jade ribbon winding among thousands of Karst Hills' and I can immediately see why it’s beckoned so many poets and artists over the years. Middle Earth springs to mind as we gaze at these hundreds of limestone peaks jutting sharply from flat ground in all manner of shapes and sizes. This is apparently the result of a perfect alchemy of geological conditions tens of thousands of years ago. About half way up we’re told the scene before us is that famous one on China’s 20 yuan note. Arriving in Yangshuo…this is a village that’s more than a village but not quite a city. It’s quaint and quirky and for Spring Festival it's draped in pretty red lanterns. Again, the minute you step off the boat, you’re flanked by a plethora of stalls selling everything known to mankind…. if you have kids you may want to put blinkers on them! Once you get through the merchandise hysteria, turn off the main path and you’ll be confronted with lots of cheap and cheerful bars and restaurants in an enchanting setting, complete with trickling river. On recommendation, we stayed at the eco-friendly Yangshuo Village Inn which was about six kilometres from the main drag near Moon Hill. Set in a tiny local neighbourhood, it was authentically Chinese and a world away from our five star bubble. I loved it the minute we stepped inside to a roaring fire and tiny cups of ginger tea. Owned by an American who has been in China for over 20 years, he has local villagers running the guesthouse and the service is impeccable. Upstairs the Italian rooftop restaurant serves genuine Italian food to die for. Not a noodle in sight. Our room is simple, cosy and comforting. We sit on our private balcony while fire crackers erupt across the laneway and the karst mountains rise up into the night sky. With just a day and a half in Yangshuo we decided to hire bikes (which are everywhere). Despite the seemingly towering karst mountains, it’s completely flat and super bike friendly. Let’s be clear though, until this point, I hadn’t been on a bike for 22 years, but who’s counting. We I wobbled off down the laneway and onto the main road. Yikes! Competing with large tour busses, cars, motorbikes and a host of wobbly bikers like us …we pedalled up to the Yulong river. Here you can jump on a bamboo raft and glide down the river, appreciating the vivid and beautiful landscape before you. If we thought the view coming up from Guilin was incredible, this is even better. We cycled along the river for about ten kilometres enjoying the serenity.... Along the way, we found Yangshuo Village Inn’s sister hotel set river side at this incredible spot. Lunch! By the time I was getting the hang of the whole two wheeler thing, it was time to start heading back, but not before an impulsive stop off at a little roadside cafe. We soon found out this was no ordinary cafe….while it looks pretty under a rooftop of passion fruit vines, there was a fair bit of rubbish on the tables and strewn across the floor and I'm not sure how game you would be to eat the food. Bottled beer though, that we could do! US$3 for two giant bottles of beer and a coke and we were set! All that pedalling is thirsty work! (Never mind that the table-top almost wobbled off.) I think my hairdresser might just be right, with his saying "Shan shui jia tian xia!” If you live in or are visiting the Middle Kingdom, this is definitely scenery that has to be seen! This is Guilin. This is China. Tips for Your Trip (*I am not being paid to endorse any of the following, these are just my personal recommendations.) Car from Guilin Airport to Ping’an Village (around 250rmb). You can also catch a bus! Gate into Ping’an Village - 100rmb each, kids under 1.2 metres free. Bai Ke Hotel, Ping’an River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo - 550 rmb - kids under 1.2 metres free, Kids under 1.5 metres half price. (Note: There are different prices at different travel agents so it pays to negotiate.) Yangshuo Village Inn Yangzhou Mountain Retreat (Sister hotel on the river.) … [Read more...]
Will the Real China Please Stand Up!
Do you want to see the real China? You do? Ok, listen up. When you’re planning your itinerary, naturally you want to tick off the big kahunas - Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong…. maybe even Guangzhou or Shenzhen are on your sticky beak list. And you should. These cities are buzzing with all the trappings of the 21st Century! Reaching for the future with all the gusto of a dog digging for a bone; they are definitely not to be missed. But what about a peek into life further inside China’s colossal Middle Kingdom? A place, that for all its tall buildings, fast train lines and mammoth crowds still bears the elements of a bygone era? A city with 8-million people standing alone in the north west of China -- Xi’an, to this day remains relatively isolated from other major cities. And that is proving both good and bad (depending on how you look at it)! For the purposes of capturing a place in time, it’s perfect. Xi’an is a city that even today remains (largely) untouched by many outside influences. Sure, there are the usual western decadences in evidence, but it was only the early 2000’s when McDonalds first arrived in Xi'an; rewind a decade ago and there were just a couple of five star hotels, at best... and very little else in the way of global brands. That said, Xi’an is in the midst of an enormous growth spurt that will put her on track for a prosperous future; Ikea has just landed and a W Hotel is under construction! But despite this and brands like Starbucks popping up (literally) on every corner (and a few Sterbucske), by and large Xi’an has retained her country town 'China' feel…. It is a place where time stands still. (Only the myriad of cranes and high-rises tell you otherwise!) Just 20 years ago, Xi’an was a city without cars on the roads. Today, it's a different story...the city's roads are teeming with drivers weaving and honking to their heart's content! But they are still grappling for a place amongst the two wheelers! I’ve been to quite a few bigger cities in China this year and nowhere have I seen so many people on two (or three) wheels rolling along the streets. Not new, shiny, sleek state of the art pedalling machines either; most pushbikes are old, rusty and rattly, some barely hanging together. Motorbikes too. The ubiquitous cigarette dangling from many a driver's mouth; bikes piled high with everything from planks of wood, boxes of fruit & veges - to people (four huddled together on the bike, no problems)! Basically anything that can balance precariously on the back (or front) with just enough room to see the road in front is allowed. The scene only adding to the city’s provincial charm. The pace is slow…the frenzied urgency required of a big city still hasn’t penetrated into Xi’an’s psyche. Add to the enchantment, the fact that the city still retains much of its imperial architecture….and many new buildings (high rises aside) are being built with the very same oriental structures, and of course the omnipresent red lanterns that dangle from many a shop front - all making you actually feel like you are in the far East. There is still a ramshackle presence to many parts of China; and here in Xi’an there are as many manicured streets as there are bedraggled. Thick black scruffy power lines drape themselves recklessly through trees, while shabby shop fronts and market stalls are sandwiched tightly between new designer shopping centres. Delve just a few blocks from suburbia and you’ll find small rural like villages marching to a different beat. Tuk Tuks chugging in and out….stalls selling local fare and at the end of the street, a sky-high pile of trash - this is the local rubbish tip! While it seems that in a person's daily life here, things are tightly controlled, there is also a (fresh) air of freedom! No helmets, no seat belts, drive however, whenever….sleep wherever, whenever….squat wherever! Early in the morning, every open space is littered with bodies dancing in unison - sometimes it’s the elderly doing Tai Chi, other times it’s a bunch of young chefs or real estate agents getting the day started by knocking out some fast moves to Gangnam Style tunes. (And let’s not forget those random fire crackers I’m always harping on about.) Elderly people congregate in exercise parks, enthusiastically giving each machine a vigorous workout while chatting animatedly with their friends; Mahjong games are underway on street pavements and some people are already sleeping, their heads resting on whatever they can find. Unlike other many other larger Chinese cities, street food carts are still allowed prime position across town. Whether it’s outside one of the city's biggest tourist attractions, at the front of a shopping centre, next to KFC, or just on the side of the road to catch passers by for breakfast…these street food carts are a daily staple for locals. You don’t come to Xi’an for a fancy restaurant (apart from the Westin of course)! ;) For the most part, dining out involves traditional Chinese food. A local hole in the wall with spicy hotpot, bbq meat skewers, cold noodles, dumplings and steamed pancakes & burgers, Shaanxi style! The people of Xi’an are still governed strongly by tradition…whether it’s illness (break a bone you stay home for 100 days) doing business (nourishing relationships is crucial - often better served with some cold hard cash)….or family ties. Grandparents live with most families and take care of the children. Many parents live out of town, for work. There is a distinct lack of exposure to the outside world (remember there’s no Google and no media that isn’t condoned by the government)….and travel whilst booming (comparatively) is still limited. For a lot of older locals, the western face is still an enigma. Outside the hotel bubbles and some cafes, English is minimal and while for a foreigner living here, it can be about as difficult as climbing Mt Everest, it only reminds you, this is quintessential China. With an unrivalled history, Xi’an is more than just the breath-taking Terracotta Warriors…...enveloped by stunning mountains, Xi’an is peppered with ancient monuments and historical sights - from the ancient city wall, to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the first Chinese Emperor’s tomb, the Muslim Quarter, museums, hot springs and lakes. There are just four first tier cities and around two dozen second tier cities and today more and more international airlines are launching flights into these 2nd tier Chinese cities; recognising that they also have a lot to offer the avid traveller. Much to my delight, Cathay now flies from most major cities with direct flights to Xi'an Steal a glimpse into a China that still holds on to a rare simplicity and innocence. (Note: This is not just a ploy to get you to come and visit me!) ;) This is (real) China! WHAT TO DO: 48 Hours in Xi’an WHAT TO PACK: Top 10 Things to Pack … [Read more...]