China's Mysteries Revealed
Written: Sep 13 '00 (Updated Apr 05 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots to see, Beautiful historical buildings
Cons: Run-down areas, Communism
The Bottom Line: Definitely worth the trip!
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| murasaki's Full Review: China |
Review Topic: China is a land of many contrasts, from the opulence of the old dynasties to the modern excess of Hong Kong, from the abject poverty of many of its people, to the Communist overtones.
I spent eleven days touring Guilin, Xian, Beijing, and Hong Kong on one trip, and five additional days in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. To travel in China, one must have a visa. I traveled with a tour group of seventeen from Okinawa, Japan, made up primarily of service members and their families. Because the Communist government would, shall I say, make our visit difficult if members of our tour group were listed as being in the US military (especially pilots), our tour guide gave everyone an alternate occupation on the visa. I was listed as a teacher. While going through customs and having our passports checked, we had to line up in a certain order. We also had to go through customs/immigration at every city we flew into, even while taking domestic flights between cities in China.
In addition to the stringent immigration requirements, our group was also assigned an international guide and a local guide while in mainland China. Our international guide, Yin, was with us for the entire tour of mainland China. Yin was very personable and lots of fun while the two other guides in Xian and Beijing were not as outgoing and did not seem suited for jobs as tour guides, though they knew their history. I am also half-convinced that our Beijing guide was a Communist spy. She managed to get around to everyone and ask about our occupations as well as questions about the military bases on Okinawa.
Since my tour was a package deal, I do not have information on the entrance fees for individual sites while traveling in China; those and the majority of our meals were included as well as transportation, airfare, and hotel costs.
Our tour started in Guilin and ended in Hong Kong. As we progressed through China, the conditions of the cities improved. Apparently, the Chinese government has invested funds in Beijing infrastructure to use as a showplace and ignored most of the rest of China. Xian was in better shape than Guilin, largely due to the popularity of the Terra Cotta Warriors with tourists. Guilin seemed very dilapidated. Our guide tried to explain there was a lot of construction going on, however, it appeared to be more destructive than constructive.
Guilin - The main attraction in Guilin is a cruise on the Li River. Along the river are many interesting rock formations, all with fanciful names of the supposed “picture” the rocks make. On the cruise you have the opportunity to try some rot gut--I mean whiskey--with a snake or worm of some kind in it. At the end of the river cruise we alighted in Yangshuo and had our first taste of being besieged by Chinese peddlers selling everything from scroll paintings to masks to tacky T-shirts and silk scarves.
While in Guilin, some of the members of our tour watched a folk show. I was extremely jetlagged and retired to the hotel, but those who went raved about the music and dancing at the folk show. We also had time for a foot massage. Reflexology is practiced widely in China though I found the massage a little too vigorous, but I’m not fond of Asian-style massage in general.
Xian - We started at the Banpo Village, a 6,000 year old excavation site. Unless you’re really into archaeology or Cro-Magnon man, skip this.
The Terra Cotta Warriors are the big draw to Xian, even though there is so much more to this city. The Terra Cotta Warriors are only partially excavated, just small portions here and there within a large complex. (None of the workers at the active excavation site seemed to be applying themselves diligently to their tasks either.) Other artifacts are displayed in the museum, but I must say that gazing out across this army of silent soldiers is impressive all on its own.
In Xian, we also visited the Reed-Flute Cave, so named for the abundance of reeds nearby that the locals now make into flutes and sell to tourists. The cave itself has amazing rock formations and the lighting at certain points along the passages was very professional and well-planned out. The cave is huge and has many open areas, so no need to fear an attack of claustrophobia.
Our tour also included the Big Goose Pagoda (a temple) and a nearby art museum. My favorite place, though, was the Winter Palace that a Chinese emperor had built for his concubine who was reputedly very beautiful--beautiful enough to make him bankrupt his empire. The palace is well-preserved and beautifully laid out, complete with an alabaster sculpture of the concubine, though the small lake within its confines was a tad murky.
Beijing - Arriving in Beijing felt like arriving back in civilization: wide roads, regulated traffic (though still heavy), and more of a cosmopolitan feel to it. Guilin, in comparison, was downright countrified.
The Forbidden City has vast courtyards and identical red roofs that go on and on. You will not be able to see much inside the buildings, but the outside is still impressive--be prepared for a lot of walking. The Emperor, Empress, and concubines’ quarters seem small by Western standards. All those rooms, 99 it’s said, and the Emperor, Empress, and concubines lived nearly on top of one another. The rooms themselves were not particularly well-preserved and the glass through which we peered was extremely grimy. I was more enchanted by the detailed dragons on the corners of the eaves, reputed to scare away evil spirits.
The Temple of Heaven is where the Emperor went each year to pray for a good harvest and other auspicious events. The sidewalks leading up to the Temple are filled with older Chinese people writing Chinese characters on the squares with calligraphy brushes and water--their daily exercise. Other groups were taking dancing lessons or practicing calisthenics or martial arts.
We approached the Summer Palace by boat from across the lake. The palace was beautiful to behold as we sailed up to it. Most of the tourists were crowded around the marble boat, one of Empress Tzu Hsi’s excesses, but I liked the intricate and vibrantly colored designs painted on all the rafters above the covered walkways.
The Beijing Zoo was simply horrendous. The tourists and Chinese were crowded around the panda cages. The pandas themselves seemed very apathetic, to the point that some people speculated they were drugged. Inside and out, their living areas weren’t very clean. The rest of the zoo was a huge disappointment and even less well-kept than the pandas’ habitat.
I visited Tiananmen Square at night when the huge clock counting down the days and seconds until China regained control of Macao was particularly visible. There isn’t much to look at in Tiananmen, but it’s a part of China’s history, recent and past, and a testament to outward Communist “might.” Our tour guide had planned our itinerary to avoid a military demonstration/celebration taking place in Tiananmen Square during a few days of our tour.
Though we saw other attractions in Beijing, including an acrobat show, the best part lies outside of the city: the Great Wall. When people talked about “climbing the Great Wall” before I went to China, I thought they were using a misnomer. However, yes, one climbs the Great Wall—step after step after step. The older couple in our group and the kids tired easily and did not climb very far. The rest of us climbed as far as we could go and the views from the top were worth the climb. The section of the Wall we climbed was particularly well-kept and fairly free of peddlers; the vendors mainly kept to a section of booths at the entrance.
Hong Kong - For both of my trips to Hong Kong, our group stayed on the Kowloon side of the colony, rather than on the island. Chinese New Year was quite a spectacle, but be prepared for a large number of the shops to close for nearly a week. The Stanley Market on Hong Kong Island, close to the top of Victoria Peak, is easily reached by bus. The main bus terminal is just outside the Star Ferry Quay. Stanley Market has all the souvenirs you might have hesitated to buy on mainland China--for a higher price.
For serious shopping—-rugs, pearls, jade, electronics, and the like—-I recommend the Navy Fleet Arcade. The Fleet Arcade is located a few minutes’ walk from the Star Ferry Quay on Hong Kong Island and also has a post office for sending all your extra purchases back to the States at US postal rates; it’s supposed to be just for service members, but no one checked my ID. The Kowloon Tong Mall on the Kowloon side, opens onto the Kowloon Tong subway station and has many Western-style stores (like Gap). I did not like the night markets--the Ladies’ Market has garments and jewelry, and the Temple Street Market has electronics and cameras. I was far too skeptical and anxious about being ripped off to purchase anything at the night markets, except a fortune. The fortune-tellers do not speak English well enough to give a satisfactory fortune so save your $50 HK.
The most interesting parts of Hong Kong, for me, were the Flower Market and the Bird Market. One can smell the Flower Market a few blocks before reaching it on the walk from the subway stop. Go all the way through the Flower Market to reach the Bird Market. Not only are birds for sale, but all types and sizes of bird cages, to fit any budget. Naturally the bird cage I had my eye on was over $200 US, with bird’s eye maple inlaid in mahogany—-I resisted and didn’t buy it.
If you are interested in Chinese antiques, Cat Street and Ladder Street on Hong Kong Island are lined with dozens of antique stores (the walk is a little far so take a taxi from the Star Ferry Quay; the ferry is about a quarter to ride across from Kowloon and the taxi was less than $50 HK). Until recently, if you bought an antique more than 120 years old, you could not take it out of China and the item would be confiscated when you went through immigration at the airport (no refunds--they’d let you buy it, just not leave with it). This rule has been relaxed somewhat; however, check with the consulate if you are planning a trip to China and are interested in purchasing antiques.
Aberdeen is a floating village of houseboats and restaurants and you can take a water tour for about $7 US. This was a waste of money. The water around the houseboats, which are permanently anchored, is dirty and polluted and the tour was a bare fifteen minutes and not terribly interesting or scenic. We also went to the mall at the top of Victoria Peak, mostly for the view which is breathtaking, day or night. I preferred going in the day so I could see the wealthy houses that lined the curving drive to the top of the peak.
While I stayed well within my spending money budget on mainland China, I blew it both times in Hong Kong. I have a weakness for wool rugs and jewelry that I shamelessly indulged while in Hong Kong. I dealt primarily with a reputable jeweler who frequently comes to Okinawa so I knew who I was dealing with. Some jewelry is supposedly triple gold-plated and will withstand a scratch test, but isn’t genuine 14/18-karat gold. In Hong Kong, it’s easy to spend money and easy to be ripped off: buyer beware.
Food - I’m a fan of Chinese food, however, while on mainland China, most of the dishes seemed meat based and all of the vegetables were cooked. I began craving fresh fruits and vegetables after the third day of such heavy food. Hong Kong is much more Westernized and fresh fruits were served along with breakfast and Western style food was a welcome relief.
Factory Tours - Tour groups are required to visit a certain number of factories while in China: jade, fresh-water pearls, cloisonné, silk rugs, terra cotta pottery, and various others. Our tour guide advised us to not buy large amounts from the factories since the prices in the factory stores, while touted as discounted, were in fact marked up from the price you could bargain for on the street.
Bargaining - On mainland China, bargaining is part of the fun. Some places in Hong Kong, especially the night markets and Stanley Market, will allow bargaining. The malls and Fleet Arcade are less flexible with their prices. When visiting the markets or accosted by peddlers (at every single tourist attraction—you will get tired of it), bargaining is expected. In some cases, when I really wanted the item the merchant offered, I would pay the asking price. The people seem so poor and though they may get away with charging me a mark up, it did not seem sporting to haggle over a measly 10-20 Yuan (about $2-4 US). When I didn’t want a particular item, I was more likely to bargain to see how far down I could drive the price.
Bathrooms - This topic bears mentioning just so you will be prepared. Avoid the bathrooms in high traffic areas at all costs: the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Big Goose Pagoda, etc. The bathrooms are foul whether they have running water or not. Use the facilities at the hotel or wherever you stop for lunch. (Hong Kong is completely fine in this regard.) If you do have to use a public bathroom, make sure you have a small package of tissue with you at all times. The bathrooms generally don’t have toilet paper and will definitely not have hand towels. I also carried a handkerchief with which to dry my hands.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience in China despite the Communist manifestations and feeling like I was “under cover.” China has much to offer even the casual tourist with its lavish history and ancient grandeur.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
murasaki
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