People's Republic of China - March 5 - 21, 2008

CHINA --
OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION

Our trip to China was wonderful, awesome, enlightening, amusing, educational and sometimes baffling.  In this entry we will try to briefly describe our adventure and include some of our impressions of the country.  We only hit the high points and we apologize in advance if we wax on too long.

Claire, Ken, Bill and I, started our trip early at San Francisco's International Terminal so we could be first in line when the Air China ticket windows opened for seat assignments.  We scored an exit row with ample legroom so our 13-hour flight was relatively comfortable.  Unlike American carriers, Air China encourages passengers to move around and get some exercise.  They even had a video segment on stretching and increasing circulation.

The Tour:

We were part of a very large group booked through Asia Holiday Travel.  However, the group was segmented and our pod was only 21 tourists and two or more guides.  The disadvantage to being attached to a large group was we all ate together which required hotel or banquet type dining rather than more intimate restaurants.  But it also provided an opportunity to meet more people.

Group tours aren't really our preferred method of travel, but in a country as large and complex as China with a language we can't even begin to comprehend, a guided tour seemed to be the way to go. After two international and four domestic flights, two river cruises and one unplanned bus trip, we are certain we saw and learned much more than we would have on our own and with a lot less stress. 

David served as our national guide and stayed with us throughout our tour.  We also had a city guide in each one of our destinations.  David is from Beijing so he also served as our city guide in the capitol.  Additionally, Edy, and her daughter Janice, both champion shoppers and negotiators, served as our US representatives and expediters.

Impressions:

The Chinese are a very proud people.  They are proud of their country, culture, history, and accomplishments; and are extremely proud of hosting the 2008 Olympics.

China is a fascinating, complex country of which we only scratched the surface.  Because these are our impressions they are by necessity biased.  Admittedly, they are seen through a western lens of limited knowledge.
  • Pragmatic people:  Our government-licensed guides spoke freely about China's past and some of the government's current controversial policies.  They seemed to have a realistic view of their historic figures.  For example, they spoke of Chairman Mao as having flawed policies resulting in disastrous consequences, but he also was instrumental guiding the country out of feudalism.  On several occasions David tried to explain the yin and yang of their rulers - the balance of the good and bad embodied in one person.
  • Great migration: Over the past 25 years China has experienced enormous domestic migration (many millions of people) from the countryside to the cities.  Consequently, the entire country seems to be in the midst of demolition or construction.  In numerous cities we would pass a mile or so of wrecking balls and rubble followed by construction cranes and new buildings beginning to rise from the ground, and then completed high rises.  Massive freeway, bridge and airport projects were underway in every region we visited.  It was like a 21st Century country rising up from the earth pushing aside the 19th Century.  Unfortunately, it appears that quality may have suffered at the hands of haste.
  • Who needs regulations? China is doing so many things that just could not be done in the US due to our property rights laws and public opposition.  It is highly unlikely that our government could displace 1.5 million people to build a dam or destroy historic neighborhoods to provide for the enormous numbers moving to the cities.  We prefer to limit the powers of government.  On the flip side, California is still awaiting the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge that was damaged in the 1989 earthquake.
  • Skeeters: Vendors pursue tourists, foreign and domestic, wherever they go.  Our guide appropriately referred to them as mosquitoes.  They chased us when we hiked the Great Wall, pedi-cabbed the hutongs of Beijing, golf-carted the countryside of Guilin, and boated on the Li River.  Only in our hotel room were we safe from mosquitoes.
  • Dang that looks hard!  During our tour we visited pearl, jade, lacquer furniture, cloisonné, embroidery, silk rug and silk factories.  We learned a lot about the crafts and were impressed with how long and tedious this manual work can be.  At times we were surprised at the age of the employees and the casual working conditions.  The country may be pushing into the 21st Century, but the some of the labor force is working in 19th Century Industrial Revolution conditions.
  • Holes in buildings? Feng shui still plays an important role in everyday life and architecture.  In the past, feng shui principles required the erection of mountains to protect a structure from the malignant influences from the north, or a lake to enhance positive forces.  Today thoroughly modern high rises may include a large holes to allow the spirits to flow through rather than enter the building.
  • Censorship:  Once you've seen it in action you want to fight tooth and nail against it. The Tibetan crisis was off-limits and news reports were routinely censored.
  • Warnings:  The beds are hard.  The toilets are usually about 2-inches high - guaranteed strong thighs in 15-days.  Don't drink the water.

Beijing - Day 1
After arriving in Beijing we were transferred to the Jade Palace Hotel for a very welcomed meal, hot bath and bed - a very, very firm bed. 

Our first day included the Imperial Summer Palace, Tian'an Men Square, the Forbidden City and Jing Shan Imperial Park. 

Upon our request, David arranged for a rickshaw tour of a hutong.  Hutongs are Beijing's old traditional neighborhoods of narrow alleyways, shops and courtyard houses.  Many of these districts have met with the wrecking ball to make way for graceless, high-rise apartments.

This was one of the highpoints of our China adventure.  We were able to enter one of the private homes and talk with the resident (through an interpreter).  The resident, a wizened woman that had lived in the hutong all of her life, told us about life within the walls of the hutong and a bit about how China's changing culture has altered their lives. 

Beijing - Day 2
Our second day included the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall.  We had no idea how steep the Great Wall is until we hiked a bit of it.  As usual, going up was easier than coming down (Bill says, "Yeah, right").  In the steepest sections, some folks were actually descending backwards as if on a ladder.

As a bit of afternoon delight, and reward for our grueling Great Wall climb, we visited a Medical School.  The stop included an explanation of the various eastern treatments, including herbs, massage, acupuncture and acupressure.  The best part was a very welcomed and vigorous foot massage.

Xi'an - Day 3
Wake up call: 4:00 AM for an early morning flight to Xi'an.  Day 3 was when we realized this trip was part tour and part boot camp.

Upon landing we went directly to the complex housing the famous Terracotta Army created 2,200 years ago to guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.  The Army was discovered in 1974 and excavation has yielded over 7,000 life-size soldiers, archers and horses. 

On the way to Ginwa Plaza Hotel we stopped at the massive 9-mile long Xi'an City Wall built during the Ming Dynasty in 1370.  Our room had a wonderful view of one of the ornate city gates.  That night we attended a Dumpling Dinner and a colorful Tang Dynasty Cultural Show.

Xi'an - Day 4
After a leisurely morning, we visited the serene and beautiful Great Wild Goose Pagoda and Daci'en Temple built in 652 AD during the Tang Dynasty.  In the afternoon we toured the recently opened Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - 16 AD) Yangling Tomb. 

Excavation of the Yangling Tomb has revealed the largest human sacrifice graveyard ever found in China. A total of 5,000 sacrificial burial tombs have been verified, and the graveyard covers a total area of 1.5 square miles. More than 5,000 pieces and sets of various kinds of cultural relics were unearthed including terracotta soldiers and domestic animals.

That evening we boarded a flight to Guilin, our southernmost China destination.

Guilin - Day 5
Guilin, and the surrounding countryside, is absolutely beautiful and our Lijiang Waterfall Hotel was lovely.  The topography of this area with its slow moving rivers and limestone karsts mountains are depicted on silk scroll paintings and tourist brochures so are familiar to many westerners.

We were up early for a cruise on the Li River through farmland, fishing villages and limestone outcroppings.  We were amused to see villagers poling primitive bamboo rafts up the river while chatting on their cell phones.

We disembarked in the 'groovy' village of Yangshuo.  This river town with its small hotels and pizza joints had a 'hippy' flavor that seemed quite familiar.  Its western flavor is likely due to its popularity with artists, hikers, bikers and rock climbers from around the world. 

Spending more time in Yangshuo was tempting, but we opted for a tour of the countryside.  We boarded golf cart-like vehicles capable of navigating the muddy ox-and-cart rural roads. We bumped through the farmlands and visited a farm where the resident demonstrated a soy extraction device, comparable to a ground stone, for making tofu and guided us through the farm buildings and her home.  Like the hutong tour, this 'extra' was one of the highlights of the trip.

That night a few of us took a tour of the Guilin Lakes and the hotel waterfall.  We also boarded a boat to observe night fishing with cormorants.  The cormorants have a ring fitted around their neck so they cannot swallow larger fish.  The birds are trained to catch fish attracted to a lantern hung on the bow of the boat.  The cormorant returns to the boat where the fisherman harvests the catch.  We were told that a fully trained cormorant is more valuable than a water buffalo.

Guilin - Day 6
We had a leisurely start to a rather long day that included the Reed Flute Caves, Elephant Trunk Hill, and the Art Institute.  At days end we reentered the boot camp phase of our tour and boarded the red-eye to Chongqing.  At midnight we were bused about an hour to the boarding site for our Yangtze River Cruise.  This was the end of the dry season so the river was low.  Consequently, we were marched about 100 yards on narrow planks laid on the mud flats.  Workers carrying lanterns and chanting, "Welcome, watch your step", illuminated our path. 

After our rather peculiar arrival we were offered a cup a tea, a warm hand towel and shown to our stateroom sometime around 2:00 AM.

Yangtze River - Day 7
Our first day on the river started blissfully late and slow.  In the afternoon we took a shore excursion to the City of Ghosts dedicated to the afterworld and its ruler, Tianzi.  We climbed Ming Shan Mountain and were greeted by a rather macabre melding of Buddhist Temples and Dante's Inferno - peace and incense alongside depictions of various tortures awaiting sinners in the underworld.

Yangtze River - Day 8
At daybreak, we entered Qutang Xia, the first and most breathtaking of the three gorges.  In the afternoon we cruised through Wu Xia, the second gorge.  We were very fortunate to have a clear day to view the steep canyons and rock outcroppings of the gorges. 

At mid-day we boarded smaller boats for an excursion up the Shennong Stream.  Later we transferred to 'peapod' boats towed by 'trackers'. This was likely a more interesting excursion before the waters rose behind the Three Gorges Dam.  The Shennong Stream used to be a swift flowing river, with wild monkeys; several 2,000-year-old hanging coffins and the trackers were nude.  Now the water is still, the monkeys are gone, there is only one coffin and the trackers wear Nike knockoffs and carry cell phones.

That night we entered the largest lock system in the world.  The five-level, double lock is 1-mile long and capable of raising or lowering ships 370 vertical feet.

Yangtze River - Day 9
After a rather restless night navigating the lock system we toured the Three Gorges Dam visitor center.  In the afternoon we passed through the third gorge.  That night we participated in a Talent Show - don't ask - and prepared to disembark in Wuhan the following afternoon.  We slept extremely well our last night on the ship.

Yangtze River-Wuhan - Day 10
The next morning we found ourselves back in boot camp mode as we were rousted out of bed at dawn.  We soon discovered why we slept so well.  Our ship had not moved all night.  Apparently, the fog was so thick that the navigational authorities closed the river for safety reasons.  Our guides called in troop transport and we were marched over narrow planks and up steep stone stairs to our awaiting buses.  Actually, while the four-hour bus trip to Wuhan was rather tedious, accessing the buses in the rain and in a city clearly not accustomed to western tourists was a bit of an adventure. 

That rainy afternoon we visited the Hubei Provincial Museum.  The Museum's highlight is the tomb of the Marquis of Yi.  The Marquis died in 433 BC and was buried in a lacquer tomb along with his concubines, his musicians and musical instruments, and his dog.  His tomb actually has a doggie door.

Shanghai - Day 11
After a night at the Wuhan Riverside Hotel we grabbed an early morning flight to Shanghai.  Our first stop was the very sad and neglected Panda Zoo. 

After we checked into the beautiful and comfortable Four Points Sheraton Hotel, we joined fellow travelers for drinks.  We decided to forgo another night of Chinese food and hit the Burger King across the street.  It was a welcomed change of pace.

Shanghai - Day 12
After breakfast we were off to the Shanghai Museum of Art and History, the Silk Rug Factory, the Yuyuan Gardens and the Shanghai Bazaar.  The Museum was wonderful and really deserved more time.  That evening we attended an acrobatic show.  If you haven't seen six-motorcyclist race around the inside of a sphere - well, you just had to be there.  It is still unclear to us how they came out alive.

Shanghai - Day 13
In the morning we were off to Suzhou, the Venice of China.  Suzhou is noted for its canal system and its silks.  After a cruise on the Grand Canal we visited the Master of the Net's Garden, the Silk Factory and the Embroidery Institute. 

The Silk Factory was very interesting and we actually purchased a silk filled comforter.  Because the comforters are made from somewhat rare double cocoons, they are not exported. The Embroidery Institute was fabulous.  Until one sees how these works of art are made they cannot be fully appreciated.

Shanghai - Day 14
A free day!  There were numerous things we could have done on our free day, but since Susan is a transportation enthusiast there was really only one choice.  Maglev!  The Maglev Train to the airport boasts a top speed of nearly 270 mph.  Travel time from station to the airport is 7.5 minutes.  The next day's trip was well over an hour.

After Maglev we headed to the five-story 'knock-offs' market.  We endured about 15-minutes of being pursued by the most aggressive mosquitoes we have ever encountered before heading for the door and a cab back to the hotel.

We wandered our neighborhood and the very interesting supermarket, joined some fellow travelers for an early dinner, hit happy hour, and then prepared for our departure.

Shanghai - Home - Day 14
Reveille sounded at 4:00 AM.  Bags out by 5:00.  6:00 AM board the bus and head to the airport - ever so slowly.  Did we mention Shanghai traffic?  It makes Los Angeles look like free flow. 

David raced us to the Air China counters in hopes that we would get good seating.  Alas, while we were the first to the counter the agent cared little about Bill 6'4" legroom dilemma.  Happily, Edy and Janice (they were immediately granted the title of angels) switched their bulkhead seats with us and we had a comfortable flight home via Beijing.

Home:
As with any vacation we were happy to get home.  We are still digesting our trip and marveling at our experiences.  Not to be smug, but we feel our exposure to a totally different culture has given us a broader perspective than we had before we left.  Will we return to China?  Perhaps.