China - Overview
Trip Start
Jan 16, 2008
1
16
117
Trip End
Jul 28, 2008
Pingxiang,
China
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Foreigners can barely scratch the surface of this mighty land, where often you are left feeling that the Chinese baffle even themselves. But from the blank shock of bizarrely asking for a bus ticket at the ticket counter of the bus station to kids jumping upon you with a cheeky grin holding fistfuls of firecrackers during Full Moon celebrations, the 1.3 billion Chinese have a curious charm.
Always willing to help, the loud squawking Mandarin response is often not massively useful. The language barrier can at times feel insurmountable. You at least get to perfect the iconic French shrug of the shoulders!
The China of the 21st century is a vast juggernaut the world must interact with and crucially China must learn to interact more effectively with the world.
Whether or not you are tree-hugging environmentalist, you cannot ignore the choking pollution that clouds urban China in perpetual haze. Constant traffic jams, relentless horns punctuated of course by a whole range of "flobbing" techniques. It wouldn't be a shock to one day see someone bring up their innards given the force of some guttoral efforts!
On the subject of roads, if someone hasn't already, there could be a useful guide written on how to fathom Chinese traffic lights. Our conclusion was that the "green man" actually means jay walk with extreme caution as buses, cars and bicycles will be approaching from all directions at high speeds!
One thing China does love is a good bout of destruction. Precious relics of ancient and imperial dynasties are fast disappearing. Neatly painted "reconstructions" now take their place. The number of sites under UNESCO protection is probably evidence of the worldwide fear of Chinese cultural policy.
It is difficult to summarise China without mentioning the food. With the family unit the central focus of daily life, meals are truly social occasions. Everywhere you turn you see people huddled together sipping tea or slurping noisly on bowls of steaming noodles. The cuisine varies from province to province but one rule remains sound - all the animal is edible, with muscle tendons being a popular delicacy! The greatest culinary hurdle is consuming hunks of boiled meat complete with bones, gristle and a bit of blood for fun!? Served cold with soy sauce is not quite a Michelin star dream...
Without doubt exploring China is a fascinating adventure littered with some of the world's greatest sights and most varied landscapes. With no time for Yunnan and the foothills of the Himalayas, a return to China is already on the cards.
With a natural yet underlying tension between economic opportunity and political freedom, the future of China is unknown. But the Olympics in August will be one of the defining moments of this great nation's history. The global spotlight will have no boundaries...
