To the person, it seems to me the question I get asked is "How was China?" My response to that is complicated and there are different reactions to different parts of my experience there. I guess I'll take the cheap way out and express what I saw/learn/felt in a series of bullet points, instead of trying to combine them into one coherent well-crafted thematic essay.
• The first and foremost thing that struck me was how I felt like a foreigner in a foreign land, but wasn't seen as one. I could walk down the street and I would simply go unnoticed. In places like Europe, perhaps it is my self-perception that I'm being looked at like a tourist, but in China I was one of 1.3 billion. Sometimes I could even get away with speaking and they wouldn't bat an eye. However, when it came to having to read something, I totally was nailed and had to confess to being an American. It is truly different to be in the majority as to being in the minority The different is subtle but present. One funny story. I was at an internet cafe, typing an email and I look up and realize there are five people standing around me watching me in awe as I type not in Chinese. Yeah, I outed myself at that point too.
• Yes, China is an economic superpower. It's amazing to see how rapidly China is making progress in a traditional modernization way. We learn in Economics that developing countries start by manufacturing textiles and consumer items and move into high technology goods. China is racing along this path. Why is it happening here is a question I asked myself and lots of others have as well. I'm not a foremost expert, but from what I saw, the people of China are willing to do what it takes to achieve prosperity. They are taking advantage of the fact that the basic tenets of a free-market system are in place, private property rights, justice and then beginnings of meritocracy.
• What about all those left behind in the economic wake? I constantly thought about that. What about those people in the rural areas? The one thing that I heard was that this economic development has made hunger a relic of the past. Poverty surely still exists, but people going hungry is not nearly as endemic as in times past. The rising economic tide isn't raising all boats at the same rate. I wondered if there would be resentment and hostility to this fact. There certainly is a huge urban/rural divide in China and it's growing. I'm not sure how it will play out. It certainly is going to be a major issue in the decades to come.
• Pollution and the environment. Yup, it's huge. First of all, the country needs to install more public trash cans. One just can't help tossing trash onto the ground. It's an ethic that exists and will hopefully change. Environmental standards just aren't up to standards that we have and expect in the West. I guess what struck me as amazing was how the laws that we have implemented herein the West do work. All these emissions standards and regulations do make our air cleaner. What I do know is that we can't mandate China to do what we now know is right. Everyone and every country needs to make mistakes and learn from them. But hopefully, they will be willing work at developing their economy while maintaining the natural beauty and ecosystems that make the place so unique.
• Then there is this trade surplus that China runs with almost every country. From what could see, I don't think the majority of Chinese residents can afford anything that we can offer them. They can manufacture or grow everything themselves and for cents on the dollar. Their lives are simpler and simply don't need as much stuff, so of course they're going to export more and not need to import.
• Lastly, on a personal revelation, I have to say that spending two weeks in China opened my eyes to the fact that all those weird things my parents do and eat are what people do in China. As a child I always looked on it as something kind of extraneous in my American life. It felt like this additional stuff I had attached to my person but I never really understood how the food and the language were comforts to them. I never really understood how difficult it must have been for them to be young adults and simply moved to a completely different culture and have to assimilate. Almost every hour or so I would stop and think, "could I chuck it all and move to this country? What would I have to give up and what would I have to endure?
Overall, my trip to China was more than I could have expected. It was truly something I needed to experience and see.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Li River
Being the geologist that I am, the beauty of the karst topography of the Li River has always drawn my attention. One of the highlights of my trip was getting to see this beautiful place.
We now are going to play a guessing game. One of the great traditions of cruising the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo (which, by the way is much overrun by Westerners,a fact that I found disturbing and unsettling but more on that later) is to look at the shapes or staining on the rock faces to find items that others might identify as well. So, I'm going to present to you four pictures and see if you can figure out what shape or image people see. Answers revealed at the end of the post.
A
B
C
D
Now for the big challenge. Shown below is the rock face of nine horses. Legend has it that if you can find the nine horses you are something special. What that special is, I couldn't figure out in my conversation with John, but well, let's just say you're cool.
Find nine horses
Moon Rock Hill
The backside of the 20RMB bill
See anything familiar?
ANSWERS: A) Horse facing left and a rider facing backwards B) Apple C) Tortoise walking uphill D) Rooster
We now are going to play a guessing game. One of the great traditions of cruising the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo (which, by the way is much overrun by Westerners,a fact that I found disturbing and unsettling but more on that later) is to look at the shapes or staining on the rock faces to find items that others might identify as well. So, I'm going to present to you four pictures and see if you can figure out what shape or image people see. Answers revealed at the end of the post.
Now for the big challenge. Shown below is the rock face of nine horses. Legend has it that if you can find the nine horses you are something special. What that special is, I couldn't figure out in my conversation with John, but well, let's just say you're cool.
ANSWERS: A) Horse facing left and a rider facing backwards B) Apple C) Tortoise walking uphill D) Rooster
Sanjiang
I wish more of the biking was like the picture above, but, alas, it wasn't. The ride from the Rice Terraces to the city of Sanjiang was a beautiful stretch along a river. The first third of it was a beautiful and easy ride, but due to some pretty major road construction, we weren't allowed to ride and so again, we resorted to stashing our bikes in the van and driving to Sanjiang.
Sanjiang isn't really all that exciting a place, however, it is the launching point to visit the Dong minority. China is predominantly Han. It would be like saying the United States is majority Caucasian. I am Han Chinese. The country or China has numerous minority groups that speak their own dialects and cultures. It's just that they all look pretty much Chinese to most people.
Leaving the Dong minority village, we headed back for some time in the town of Sanjiang.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Rice Terraces
Day 2 of biking started out on a long mountain pass that I was NOT ready for in the least. I tried my best to not resort to using the van service for a ride to the top of the pass. I could see the top, it was about three turns away but I was exhausted and got a ride (in the air-conditioned van) and then enjoyed a five mile downhill. Our destination was the little town of Pingan. We biked to the base of the mountain, drove up a couple of kilometers and then hiked up the last half hour to a small little village clinging to the side of a mountain. However, the scenery was worth the effort.
The "Dragon's Backbone" Rice Terraces
These terraces was the genesis of my week long fascination with rice. Up until now, I always though that the kernels of rice grew below the surface and upon harvest the plant would be picked and then the rice removed from the roots. However, it isn't that way at all. We see the rice here about halfway from planting to harvest. As the plant matures, sprouts, much like what wheat looks like, begin to form on the plant and it is within these sprouts the rice kernels develop. The rice plants seen here will eventually turn yellow in color and eventually be harvested in early fall.
Myself and John Yang, my biking guide
At the lookout point, we see the traditional meeting technology!
The town of Pingan, adjacent to the "Dragon's Backbone" Rice Terraces
Rice ready to harvest
An old-fashioned method of getting the rice off the stalk. The foot pump spins a drum upon which are mounted little "fingers". I took a hand at this, but I couldn't get the coordination right. The man in the picture laughed.
These terraces was the genesis of my week long fascination with rice. Up until now, I always though that the kernels of rice grew below the surface and upon harvest the plant would be picked and then the rice removed from the roots. However, it isn't that way at all. We see the rice here about halfway from planting to harvest. As the plant matures, sprouts, much like what wheat looks like, begin to form on the plant and it is within these sprouts the rice kernels develop. The rice plants seen here will eventually turn yellow in color and eventually be harvested in early fall.
Chongqing to Guilin
The cruise ended at Chongqing and we disembarked at 830AM. However, my flight to Guilin didn't actually leave until 8:55PM, therefore I had an entire day to explore Chongqing. The city has great historical significance in recent Chinese history as it served as the capital of the Kuomintang as it battled the Communists for political control of the country. The best way to describe Chongqing is that it has the geography of Pittsburgh and the economy of Detroit. It is situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and another river and is a major manufacturing center for the entire country.
After dropping off my backpack at the airport, I found a bus to take me back to the core of the city. I explored the city as best I could in the midst of intermittent showers. Western China has been experiencing heavy rains, and thereby downstream flooding, this summer. There was something really exciting/frightening walking around an unknown foreign city. I never felt so alone on this trip than I did this day.
I did duck into a hotpot restaurant to partake of Chongqing's famous hotpot cuisine. The waitress didn't understand my Chinese and the menu didn't have pictures. I conveyed to her the idea that she was to bring me whatever and I would try it. So, I must confess here, that I understood that hotpot meant that one cooked their meal in a specially made contraption that had boiling water and that it was quite spicy. The Chongqing definition of spicy is sinus clearing, burn your mouth, panting and sweating spicy. And that doesn't start describing it. Plus, the waitress brought me some stuff I couldn't even swallow. I am proud to say that i am an adventurous eater, but I still have no idea what the black squid looking like stuff was. The waitress giggled when she saw what state I was in and how much food was left over when she came to clean up the dishes.
In Chongqing, I also saw some indications that the Chinese have more disposable income than in the past. I saw people walking their pets and I saw advertisements for orthodontists.
That evening I flew to the city of Guilin in Guangxi Province. It is the gateway to the great karst topography that most have seen in pictures of China. The first day my biking guide John and I took a tour through the city. We went to a couple parks, but must interestingly, we found a market. Here's what's for sale.
After dropping off my backpack at the airport, I found a bus to take me back to the core of the city. I explored the city as best I could in the midst of intermittent showers. Western China has been experiencing heavy rains, and thereby downstream flooding, this summer. There was something really exciting/frightening walking around an unknown foreign city. I never felt so alone on this trip than I did this day.
I did duck into a hotpot restaurant to partake of Chongqing's famous hotpot cuisine. The waitress didn't understand my Chinese and the menu didn't have pictures. I conveyed to her the idea that she was to bring me whatever and I would try it. So, I must confess here, that I understood that hotpot meant that one cooked their meal in a specially made contraption that had boiling water and that it was quite spicy. The Chongqing definition of spicy is sinus clearing, burn your mouth, panting and sweating spicy. And that doesn't start describing it. Plus, the waitress brought me some stuff I couldn't even swallow. I am proud to say that i am an adventurous eater, but I still have no idea what the black squid looking like stuff was. The waitress giggled when she saw what state I was in and how much food was left over when she came to clean up the dishes.
In Chongqing, I also saw some indications that the Chinese have more disposable income than in the past. I saw people walking their pets and I saw advertisements for orthodontists.
That evening I flew to the city of Guilin in Guangxi Province. It is the gateway to the great karst topography that most have seen in pictures of China. The first day my biking guide John and I took a tour through the city. We went to a couple parks, but must interestingly, we found a market. Here's what's for sale.
The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River
After my day in Hong Kong, I flew up to the "small" town of a mere 4 million called Yichang. It's the largest city in the western portion of Hubei province and situated directly downstream from the Sandouping/Three Gorges Hydroelectric Project. However, it is also located right at the end of the eastern most of the famous Three Gorges of the third longest river in the world, the Yangtze. In China it is known as the Chiang Jiang which translates to the "the long river." Fact: One-third of all Chinese live in the Yangtze River basin. The translates to one in every twelve persons in the world that lives in the Yangtze River basin.
I arranged to take the cruise upstream to Chongqing, which was 4 nights and 3 days of cruising. Victoria Cruises is an American owned company catering to English speakers. The boat can carry up to 300+ passengers. Our sailing had a total of 64, so it was quite an intimate sailing. I was a total anomaly being a young, non-married passenger. I don't think they really had any idea what to make of me. My dining partners were couples from Canada, New Zealand and Dallas, TX. You guess as to which set contained the least urbane member.
The cruise used to be all about the scenery of the gorges. However, since the mid-1990's, when the Chinese government elected to build the Sandouping Dam, the dam itself, as well as it's effects, is a major component of the trip. The positive aspects that are touted are the 26 generators that will supply China with a large proportion of it's electricity, flood control and improved navigation for those upstream.
The 1.4 mile long Sandouping/Three Gorges Dam. It is 18 meters wide at the top and 130 meters wide at its base.
On the other side, the locks, which have a set for upstream and downstream travel. The Panama Canal only has one set of locks.
There are a series of 5 consecutive steps in the locks. At the moment, only 4 are in use as the reservoir behind the dam is being filled to its capacity.
Entering lock 1. Eventually four ships would traverse the locks with our ship.
One of the doors of the lock from my cabin window as we moved from one lock to the next.
So I've discussed the benefits of the dam. However, what have been the tradeoffs? We have all heard about the thousands of cultural and historical artifacts that have been submerged. The environmental impact is yet unknown, however it is a certainty that the river morphing into a reservoir will have some impact. However, it is the 1.3 million or so residents of the flooded areas of the 400-mile reservoir created by the damming of the river that seems to me to be the biggest story.
Cities flooded were usually rebuilt above 175 meters above sea level, which will be the reservoir's height upon completion of the dam. Former city dwellers were given subsidized prices to purchase new apartments. Residents who were farmers in the flooded region were also given the subsidized price to purchase places to live in a newly built city adjacent to their land. In speaking with a couple of the guides we had, the consistent story I got was that the younger people who were displaced were certainly affected, but they were quickly adaptable (and perhaps more amenable to) urban life. However, it was the older subsistence farmers who were uprooted from their homes and land who suddenly found themselves in cities with no skills or economic opportunities. These are truly displaced people.
A new city built above 175 meters
A common site along the Yangtze. These structures are built for landslide and erosion control
The Yangtze is the artery for coal mining and transportation
I want to end with the beauty of the Three Gorges. It's impossible to show you the immensity and grandeur of the place. To be on a boat with the walls of the gorge all around you is something one must experience. Pictures don't do it justice. However, I'll post some of the best shots.
Sailing upstream along the "mini three gorges"
As a Geology major, here is a requisite shot of an exposed cross-section seen in the Wu Gorge.
The new city of Fengdu (The city of ghosts) on the far side. The former city, in the foreground, has already reverted to grassland and will soon be flooded.
Paying homage to Buddha
The Qiling Gorge at sunset
I arranged to take the cruise upstream to Chongqing, which was 4 nights and 3 days of cruising. Victoria Cruises is an American owned company catering to English speakers. The boat can carry up to 300+ passengers. Our sailing had a total of 64, so it was quite an intimate sailing. I was a total anomaly being a young, non-married passenger. I don't think they really had any idea what to make of me. My dining partners were couples from Canada, New Zealand and Dallas, TX. You guess as to which set contained the least urbane member.
The cruise used to be all about the scenery of the gorges. However, since the mid-1990's, when the Chinese government elected to build the Sandouping Dam, the dam itself, as well as it's effects, is a major component of the trip. The positive aspects that are touted are the 26 generators that will supply China with a large proportion of it's electricity, flood control and improved navigation for those upstream.
So I've discussed the benefits of the dam. However, what have been the tradeoffs? We have all heard about the thousands of cultural and historical artifacts that have been submerged. The environmental impact is yet unknown, however it is a certainty that the river morphing into a reservoir will have some impact. However, it is the 1.3 million or so residents of the flooded areas of the 400-mile reservoir created by the damming of the river that seems to me to be the biggest story.
Cities flooded were usually rebuilt above 175 meters above sea level, which will be the reservoir's height upon completion of the dam. Former city dwellers were given subsidized prices to purchase new apartments. Residents who were farmers in the flooded region were also given the subsidized price to purchase places to live in a newly built city adjacent to their land. In speaking with a couple of the guides we had, the consistent story I got was that the younger people who were displaced were certainly affected, but they were quickly adaptable (and perhaps more amenable to) urban life. However, it was the older subsistence farmers who were uprooted from their homes and land who suddenly found themselves in cities with no skills or economic opportunities. These are truly displaced people.
I want to end with the beauty of the Three Gorges. It's impossible to show you the immensity and grandeur of the place. To be on a boat with the walls of the gorge all around you is something one must experience. Pictures don't do it justice. However, I'll post some of the best shots.
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