Apr 23, 2011
Security here can be as benign as police cruisers slowly trolling Tiananmen Square in their silent battery-operated golf carts and patrol cars always have their red/blue flashers on no matter the situation. It’s just like saying: “We’re here.” More up front and personal security is the continual screening of all bags, purses, packages almost anywhere groups congregate. You go through screening to get on the subway, get into Tiananmen Square, enter the outer courtyard of the Forbidden City, then again with each new layer of the complex. There were three such screenings alone in the FC. One would think that once you get through screening and have passed successfully that further checks would be unnecessary. You can’t enter by any other method, so why the continuous disruption of the already huge, slow moving throngs? They don’t do the personal metal detectors like airports. My god, that would bring things to a total standstill. All shoes, belts, and emptying of pockets would just be impossible. I can’t help wondering if the lack of grumbling (which is recognizable even if you don’t speak the language) is a result of cultural acceptance, political expediency, or just a kind of robotic awareness that this is how things are. The war lords certainly maintained complete control, as did the emperors, so what’s the difference if this new form of government continues the process. But how this control is exercised is confusing. I can’t access my blog to post these letters, I can’t watch the gummy bear videos my grandsons drive everybody nuts with which is on youtube, but I can walk down the street to the “Yes Dear Love Boutique.” Whips, chains, and other kinky devices, whose uses I can’t even imagine, are okay, The name of the store would indicate compliant Asian females, but the stuff inside the store certainly seems otherwise. And yes, I had to check it out. It’s a good thing names are written in Western letters in addition to the Chinese characters or I’d have missed this essential part of street life since there isn’t any outwardly indication of what’s inside from the windows.
Anything as complex as Chinese culture would be difficult to understand even with years of study, and to try in a few days/weeks is something I don’t even attempt. Checking my cultural baggage at the security check would be a good thing for all westerners as they come here. You can’t get upset at the huge throngs which push and shove, who jump in front of you while you’re standing patiently in line, nor at the massive crowds who seem to be everywhere you go. If you do get upset at these things, you’ll have a miserable time and you might as well stay at home and watch the Travel Channel.
Yesterday was a test of that theory as we went to the Forbidden City. Literally tens of thousands of people in knots of 50 or people all jostling to see something which was really quite unremarkable in the first place. It could be quite stunning, but it’s not kept up in any displayable condition, and somebody forgot to pay the utility bill because all buildings are dark inside and hence you can’t see anything in the various rooms, even if you could somehow manage to work your way through the tsunami-like surges of people working their way to the viewing windows. A good imagination is very helpful because the reality of what you’re seeing is particularly unspectacular. A trip to the Summer Palace was only marginally better. I mean who do these people think they are anyway. Don’t they realize the temples and other regalia of a China long since having passed into oblivion are here for the tourists benefit?
The Chinese visitors are remarkably orderly. Put 50,000 Americans in similar circumstances and there would be major riots at the inefficiency of the whole thing. Look at how gnarly people get if they get in the slow Costco line. Oh, wait a minute, that’s me. Most of the throng are, for lack of a better term, peasant class workers from the outer provinces. Their trip is sponsored by organizations and companies as a reward, and it’s pretty obvious that this is a HUGE deal to them. It’s the Chinese equivalent of the hadj to Mecca. This is probably their only foray into Beijing, and although they are orderly, they are not adverse to making sure they don’t miss out on anything. After an hour of the jostling, Carol said she’d go home and watch “The Last Emporer” again to see what it’s like.
Today we visited that iconic feature of Chinese tourism, the Great Wall. We went to a part of the wall that wasn’t totally besieged by people, but that’s a judgment call. We headed out two hours from Beijing to get there early but it wasn’t early enough since the tour buses were all lined up ahead of us. We had the option of taking the gondola up to the top or walking and we opted for the rubber-legged end result of climbing literally thousands of stairs to get to the wall followed by an equal number to traverse various parts of it. Then we had the joy of reversing the process coming down. For whatever reason, the wall has never been on my list, but I must say I enjoyed it. It really hurts to admit I enjoy “Touristy” things. On the way there we were told food options were limited but there was a Subway shop. Carol and I said we could get subway at home and brought snacks which we went through on top of the wall. We were really hungry by the time we reached the bottom and felt like the Star Trek episode where they have to feed Vol. There were lots of stands selling dried fruit and we sampled several and picked out some fresh bananas, dried apples and apricots and a few nuts. The lady then gave us the calculator which showed the price of what we’d chosen. The figure converted to $56. We just said, “Screw this.” She countered with “Okay, how much you pay.” We just laughed and walked away. Don’t try to tell me the Chinese haven’t gotten the concept of capitalism down pat. It may be a new idea in Communist China, but they are a fast study. Gouge of you can get away with it. We settled for a Subway Teriyaki Chicken sandwich. Carol waited in line because my back was talking to me. She came back laughing and said they gave her the option of putting bacon and pepperoni on the sandwich. Even subway makes cultural adjustments. Haven’t tried the pizza yet, wonder what those options are? Back in the hotel, Carol informed me that she wasn’t walking anywhere tonight. I didn’t protest.
Tomorrow will be a free day in Beijing and we’ll take the overnight train to Xi’an, the terra cotta warriors and the ancient start of the Silk road. I’ll be happy to get out of Dodge since a city of 13 million just doesn’t do it for me. I will say, however, that there are several things which impressed me about how things are run. Litter, for example, is non-existent. There are trash cans everywhere, and people use them. Separate bins connected for recyclables and general trash. You do see trash picker-uppers around, but they do a lot of standing because young and old alike use the bins.
It’s obvious that there is a burgeoning middle class here. I was told that there were 300 million VERY wealthy people in China. Of course, that means that there are a billion who are not. With that being said, the trickle-down effect of the money seems to be very much in play. I wonder if we’ll find it was like Russia where we were told that 90 percent of the wealth was found in Moscow. Beijing, Shanghai, and the other coastal mega cities certainly generate, but I have been impressed by the fact that there is no shortage of people in shops spending more money than I have.
Although Shanghai is known as the architectural wonder of China, There are some impressively creative buildings here. I have no idea as to whether the designs are home grown architects or imported ones, but still somebody in authority has to decide that the buildings fit both Asian sensibilities and a bold departure from the staid blocks structures we saw in Russia which were, simply put, monstrosities so kudos to whomever deserves it. Many people will remember the distinctive bird nest stadium from the Olympics, but that’s just a start. For a better look, go to:
We walked back from our Peking duck (why isn’t it Beijing duck) dinner and found a lively food market on one of the main drags. A couple of hundred yards of lined up stalls selling edibles on skewers. All kinds of seafood as you might expect but some you might not. Star fish, for example, and sea urchins. Then there some that certainly generated a lot of picture taking: Centipedes, grubs, scorpions, long horn water beetles, bumblebee larva and silkworm pupa, and grasshopper to name a few that I remember. Some I didn’t really want to know, but you won’t find them at Fred Meyers.
Just received a downer from John. He told me that the single most visited spot for the Chinese is the terra cotta warriors. Oh well, it is supposed to be an adventure, right.
Y’all stay safe, you hear.
Jim and Carol
[ed. Wonderful picture of The Great Wall arrived today. Apparently Hello Kitty is having a fabulous time. Meow.]
