New and Improved
Trip Start
Feb 04, 2007
1
31
107
Trip End
Mar 09, 2008
Xi'an,
China
Monday, May 21, 2007
On arriving in town we once again managed to combine fairly well to secure a hotel for Y80 when most hotels were holding firm at a floor price of Y130 (after opening at Y180+). Claude plays real hardball at these times and it is the one negotiation I always end up regretting getting in the midst of. I can negotiate cameras and trinkets, but dispatching and beating hotel touts is unmistakably her turf.
This has been one of our best hotels yet, with unbelievable pillows, quality curtains, no "in-room wildlife", and a good proportion of The Yellow River being joyously redirected from our showerhead each morning
2 Readers
. Of course, we have now been in China long enough to have overall low expectations from the plumbing, but I now find it quite entertaining explaining in sweeping hand gestures to the floor attendant the nature of repairs required, and knowing that communication has been successful only through the measure of knowing horror creeping across her face. I am left to surmise that the plumbers joined the dentists in being first up for extermination in The Cultural Revolution and that these are professions people still fear to seek training in lest there be a reprise. (Apologies if I've used that line before, but its very front of mind every morning.) There is a beautiful, if pricey, hostel in Xian that we are using as a second home for western breakfasts, English language newspapers, and train and tour information all despite not actually staying here.
It was through this very clear, polite and helpful service (sincerely) that we have now learned that we can't actually make it to Tibet. The train we thought took 29 hours going back to Beijing actually takes 47 hours. And the "Transit Permit" for westerners to cross into the province runs a lazy Y910 (AUD$150) per person - a price that seems to be steadily increasing the nearer you get to Tibet. This makes this among the world's most expensive visas, all for a place that has historically always been part of China apparently, well at least according to the museums.
Its difficult to travel to Tibet as, by most estimations, the government in Beijing is seeking to maximise the Han Chinese presence there and minimise that of meddling Westerners. Tibet was always in the budgetary reach of foreigners by air: that shiny new train they built (which I would greatly like to be on) is aimed at the reach of the Chinese population
All the king's horses and all the king's men
. When Tibet is more like China expect this visa requirement to be relaxed. Poor Tibet. Overflowing with confidence from the straight answers we were getting, we took a recommendation and took their Xian tour to the Terracotta Army and surrounds. We had planned to take the bus. Defences were down. Happy pheremones were floating merrily around. But this was a mistake that no one else should make: to be clear, just_take_the_bus.
Our first stop was a gift shop. Of course. No one bought anything, and god bless the couple of American students who didn't even listen to the sales pitch and just walked straight through to the exit in protest. Little did they know that would be the third best attraction of the day. The reproductions they make look exactly like the ones in the actual pit site, and I wouldn't have minded shipping a couple home I must say.
Our first proper destination - and I use that term in the loosest conceivable sense - was the Huaqing Pool, apparently built during the Tang dynasty (600A.D). We could find nothing that was built earlier than 1980, the main temple being recast in longlasting concrete in 2005, and the central hot springs where the emperor held court and entertained his concubines had been 'improved' by adding a stage and lighting system that emerged from the water each evening for the dinner show
Giant Goose Pagoda
. We were there with about 9,000 local Chinese tourists and an equal number of merchandise retailers creating a layer of noise that was actually tiring. A sole redeeming feature was seeing the lack of irony when needign to shout to your guide "THE EMPEROR MUST HAVE LOVED THE SERENITY HERE" and having her nod in glowing assent. Dollar for dollar - and taking into account that I paid to see Broken Arrow with John Travolta at the movies - this is uncontestably the worst $20 I have spent in my life. I could set fire to money and at least get a curious joy from watching it melt and at least know its not supporting idiocy like this.
Joke of the holiday goes to Claudine at this point: there is a statue to an Emperor's favorite concubine, and its pretty clear she didn't reach the #1 spot by skipping meals. Claude asked if she should be called a porkypine. Maybe you had to be there. Aside from the joke, try to never be here.
After this we went to a pretty good local museum that gives some background to Emperor Qin's Terracotta Army: there are even some original pieces that you can see much closer up than you can see at the main site itself. Despite hordes of people at every other location, this was so dead that I took the initiative and turned the lights on so we could see the exhibits.
After lunch, we eventually make it to the Terracotta Warriors themselves. Give Emperor Qin credit: if you only have 5 or 10 statues made, then you're maybe a trifle eccentric. A couple of hundred and maybe you have an obsession
Hmmmm
. There are thousands of them here, and the effect is like walking into a aircraft hangar and seeing thousands of motionless people laid out beneath you. No half measures for Emperor Qin, and it is suitably grand. Its also somewhat eerie with many of the faces just subtly different (rumoured to be the sculpters reproducing their friends and family). If they were all identical it would be a collection of dummies - the tiny differences in pose and face make them much like people frozen in time. The visit starts with a kind of fun re-enactment of Qin times replete with excellently overacted battle and death scenes, and you half expect to hear Troy McClure's dulcet tones over the 1970's era schoolplay quality production shot in glorious 360Vision. But you leave feeling the magnificence of the time, the murderous bent of his rule and overall its a good warmup for the numerically accurately titled "Pit 1".
Its interesting, and cheering, that only part of this has been excavated and restored. After a few botches when it was first discovered in 1974 (no one read the label about not leaving your new terracotta warriors out in the elements - when first unearthed they were all painted... not anymore... oops), they are taking their time. In some respects, its to be hoped that they don't keep sticking them back together (most/many were broken) - there are enough reconstructed to give you an imposing effect, and equally there are enough left fragmented and still sticking out of the earth walls to give you a sense of 'first discovery' even 30 years later.
To complete the tour we went to the Emperor's actual burial mound
Huaqing Hot Springs
. Another prepaid $10 in tickets to go up, well, a hill with four posters at the top. All day our guide had been merrily chirrupping on about us seeing the Eighth Wonder of the World This and the Ninth Wonder of the World That, and well, something just snapped. She was a recent graduate of a tourism degree. She had been taught about dealing with Americans ("we know you are, hehe, very proud of your country"). She had been taught about Australian culture ("capital is Canberra") and yet she was still brought to fits of uncontrollable laughter at the site of one American bloke using chopsticks. And she had been taught to ask how people enjoyed seeing the Eighth and Ninth Wonder of the World so she could hear the glowing rapture with which China was esteemed by all us laowei.
I told her the Terracotta Warriors were very fine. I told her I was very disappointed to not actually see Mickey Mouse at the Huaqing Pool, as all the other elements of Disneyland were there. She laughed, paused, and asked me to explain. I gently said it was quite disappointing how the restoration had been conducted, and this elicited a response that made it clear she skipped the day that complaint handling was being taught. Her response was in essence that obviously as a foreigner I don't understand or like history, and being out $90 for this very ordinary tour I'll confess to being in no mood to back down..
Huaqing's Hot Springs
. so now things gradually got comically out of hand. Candy had never heard such insolence from any tourist, so I suggested she ask any other person, she could choose. And she did. Our private conversation thus turned into an assortment of people (6 of 6 she chose) trying to explain to her that you can't level a site, recast it in concrete and still say its Tang Dynasty (1400 or so years old). Utter bewildering confusion for her "the old one was very ruin. Now we have made better. Chinese people like new one much better". Triumphant. Yeah, so I laughed. I think you can see where this starts to go horribly wrong. She got very animated for about the next two hours.
I know the worst thing to do as a tourist is seek confirmation that your culture is better than their culture - its possible to do it between any two countries you choose (even North Koreans point to the US problem with obesity). But lets throw political correctness to the wind for a moment: the Chinese are, pound for pound, bloody awful at restoring things. Probably better that a few folks say this to the tourist people and they'll figure there's more dollars in leaving the ruins ruined.
All in all, the Terracotta Warriors are a highlight but its best seen without subjecting yourself the full circus of a tour
Sea of faces
. I'll own up, it was on my pushing we splurged. I think this is another financial decision I need to start leaving to Claude. * * *
(First outing for Claude's New Camera. Should be Best Photos Ever. No pressure dear.)
* * *
Went to Xian Post Office today. They weighed the package, then totted the bill quite efficiently on an abacus. Just not something you see everyday. And another simple thing where I don't really understand the underlying principle.
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The Terracotta Warriors were hugely impressive as well as being just, well, the teensiest bit odd.
It really makes you wonder what kind of a guy Emporer Qin was to build this 6,000 strong army complete with Golden Chariots, Terracotta Horses, Archers, Infantry, Generals, all with shiny, new working weapons in their hands to protect him ...
Terracotta Warriors 1
. in death. To keep the whole thing mysterious and to ensure noone knew the secrets of his Underground Army and treasures, all the "volunteers" who slaved over its production were slaughtered upon its completion. And they knew they would be.... No wonder its estimated to have taken 38yrs to create. I'd be slow too.Candy, had commented that the farmer who originally discovered the Underground Army (whilst digging for a well) visits the complex 6 times per month. She was hopeful that he would be here today. We were asking what the farmer did when he visited, because "surely he is now rich after discovering one of China's top tourist sites?" (the entry fee is not cheap). "Oh no, the government didn't pay him anything. But he is allowed to sell his special book when he visits".
No sooner had she explained this we turned the corner to come face to face with a small, wrinkly old man sitting hunched in a depressing cubicle wearing, oddly, mis-matched oversized Rockstar/Dame Edna purple sunglasses. [They didn't really go with his general weather-beaten, monotone outfit]. Surrounding him were pushy sales staff screaming out the price of a glossy Terracotta Warriors book which had been translated into every language known to man. There were posters surrounding him with his photo (sans glasses) which proudly proclaimed "The man who discovered this Wonder of the World"
Terracotta Warriors 2
. He sat pen in hand autographing the book as the queue jumpers all fought to be the first in line to purchase. We picked up the book, looking for some reference to him inside - a photo, a description, his name (which was on the posters). Nothing. This had nothing to do with him.
He hadn't written it, he hadn't co-written it, I don't think he'd even read it. There was no doubt that he was, in fact, a discoveror of the tomb, but we were trying to figure out whether he was just being paid the standard 3Y per hour to come in and feign book involvement. Because, hey, a job's a job and there are plenty of elderly people in the street begging for money and food in China.
This was a little bit sad.
We arrived in Xi'an and once again allowed ourselves to get touted to a hotel. As per usual, we pretended we hadn't a care in the world and were not in the slightest bit interested in finding a place to stay. (I mean why would we be, when we could be lugging our 17kg packs around in the hot sun...) Our tout - Peter - led us through a leafy park "just 10 more metres......
Terracotta Warriors 3
. erh... just 10 more.... erh... just 10 more metres" filled with people dancing to music on one side and small squads of people doing Tai Chi on the other side. [I love watching this]. We even passed a bit of sword-work from a small group practicing some kind of martial art. Peter boasted, "see, this is FREE park. No charge to come in". This was odd, because he really meant it. We tried to explain that parks are generally free and that it was only China that seemed to request a cover charge. He brushed our comments aside. This was the first time that I made the connection: All the parks I have visited in China have had an entry fee. Often they housed some other attractions (which had separate fees) - but I hadn't actually pieced together the fact that many of the parks over here are pay-per-use. What a bizarre concept.
Later on, I found a book shop with 7 floors of books on Xi'an's main street - potentially one of them might have some English books. As Kate Bush' song about Heathcliff is beginning to make more sense to me now that I am most of the way through 'Wuthering Heights', I thought now is the time to locate my next read.
I find it incredibly amusing that whenever I ask in local book shops for "English? English?" they inevitably drag me to the "How To Speak English" section
Terracotta Warriors 4
. This has happened numerous times in many different cities. Haven't they worked out that I already know how? That perhaps the reason I am looking for English books and the reason I had to undertake charades upon enquiry, might be that I can't actually speak Mandarin. Therefore, even the Mandarin books which teach locals how to speak English are also of no use to me. [I am also curious as to who is actually buying the "How To Speak American Slang?" book which has been in this section in every Vietnamese and Chinese book shop I've visited. "Yo homey, wat up?" Hmmmm].Another favourite past-time (I've discovered) is hanging out in large local supermarkets. [If this kind of thing would bore the pants off you please end your reading here. That is, Iain stop reading now!]. I can happily pass a few hours wandering the aisles picking up packs and trying to work out what's inside.
The Chinese supermarkets have huge sections devoted to dried stuff (some of which is impossible to work out what it once was); there is the health tonic sections where you seem to add water and delightful, hot globby stuff is made "health and tasteful to kings"; there is the obligatory locked up section. This is devoted to the high end merchandise, the really expensive imports
Terracotta Warriors 5
. Yes, the Dove, Cadbury and Ferrero Rocher chocolate boxes which retail for about $15. Can't exactly understand why this is, as there are lots of things that cost much more? The whole time I have been in China there has been one yoghurt brand on some kind of special sale. In Australia this might mean a fixed gondola end, an off-location display and perhaps a temporary price reduction. In China this means about 7 people sitting on chairs next to the fridges screaming into overly loud megaphones and waving the yoghurt packs around furiously. There is often a large crowd gathered, stepping on each other's shopping to get to the front of the, of course, non-existent queue. [Interestingly the yoghurt is sold in little pouches. I drank a little plastic jug/sachet of mandarin yoghurt last night. Tasty].
I can't forget to mention another subtle difference I've noticed between Australian supermarkets and Chinese ones. That is the lack of rollerskates on selected members of staff in Australian supermarkets. Yes, they are the clunky, 4 wheeler variety - no slimline rollerblades over here - this might actually make it easier to avoid collisions. Staff seem to be paid to whiz around an already chaotic and overly crowded store just avoiding the precariously stacked teetering towers of packaged goods
Terracotta Warriors 6
. I'm not actually sure what value they are adding? But it is exciting!You've got the 'asphyxiation of live sea creatures' section; the 'chopping through carcasses of various beasts' section (and not behind sneeze guards or anything resembling something that could be considered hygienic - just on a big, bloody bench in the middle of the supermarket floor). You've got your slippery 'cutting up fruits and melons' section with mandatory weigh stations (also just in the middle of the floor) and your huge delightful 'bready station'. [No, just because the bun looks like it has sweet pink fairy floss sprinkled on it doesn't mean it's dessert. Who knew they have pork floss over here?]
If you were looking for chocolate milk and you know what the tetra flavoured milk packs look like (from all the bus ads) - would you think chocolate was inside the yellow, red, blue or green pack? It's really tough? I've still never worked this one out. Luckily another brand marked 'chocolate' in English - so all is OK.
I've found the KFC flavoured chip section (I'm sure KFC know nothing about this despite a big face shot of the Colonel on the front) and Beboi (the Nivea for men range knock-off which has copied the packaging perfectly - even down to silver hot stamping and identical fonts and colour schemes). I could go on, but I fear I'd lose even those of you who chose to read on despite the warning at the top....
A little frustrated that Tibet is now wholeheartedly out of our reach and our revised (somewhat inferior) plan is to spend a little more time here and then catch up on all the things we never had a chance to see in Beijing. On the plus side - Bless You Qantas Frequent Flyer Program - for they have helped us secure flights all over the globe. Next flights: Beijing to Madrid!
