October 2008 Archives

I traveled to Beijing last weekend for work. The plane touched down on a sunny Friday afternoon, and as I disembarked I was hit with the realization that my fear of the 'good' air quality during the Olympics being merely a temporary façade organized by the government for the sole purpose of not losing face was, in fact, justified. Furthermore, as feared, not only did the improved air quality not last, but it also became even worse once the journalists left and all eyes once again turned away from China. I am sure they were just dying to get the coal plants running again after using all their energy resources lighting up and showing off the city to the world.

I wasn't walking down one of my favorite Hutongs and hawking with vendors of all sorts for more than an hour before my throat started to sting and I couldn't help but join in with the local spitting custom.

Despite this initial negative observation, there were also quite a few positive ones. I don't consider myself to be an expert on Beijing by any means (Although I can now travel to all corners of the city and everywhere I between without a map or a translator) but I noticed quite a change in the people of Beijing since hosting the Olympics. First and foremost, Beijingers (北京人) now hold themselves differently; they walk with more confidence; they dress in newer and more fashionable clothing, and they don't stare at me for reasons of trying to memorize and then replicate me.  It seems like the people of Beijing finally have enough self-confidence to BE CHINESE. Which is so good for me to see. I love Chinese people and their culture (which is quickly also becoming my own the longer I live here). I want them to be themselves...not to be Western. Now I just hope the rest of the country, in time, follows suit.

Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of time to enjoy the fresh, (the air quality actually improved tremendously over the following two days) crisp fall days due to my packed work schedule. However, I did find time to speak to a variety of people about the impeding American election, and moreover was reminded of a topic I have been meaning to write to you about: Politics in China.

In addition, it has been far too long since I shared my love for Chenglish. Therefore, this post will contain comic relief in the form of signs I have seen in China over the last year.



I have found myself involved in more than several conversations in Wuhan this year where I have been shocked by the openness and lack of fear of the Chinese friend(s) spouting out their opinions on China's religion, politics, and environment - none of which is the typical memorized crap that the Communist Party of China (CPC) feeds to any lucid young person when they have been recruited to be a party member - and none of which is at all positive. In fact, these conversations more often than not had me, uncharacteristically wiggling in my seat wondering if someone was listening and worrying there may be consequences to what was being said.  

If you feel as though you may not have the greatest grasp on recent Chinese history, prior to continuing reading this blog, I recommend checking out http://scm.ncsu.edu/public/facts/facs060807.html for a quick and painless review of the last 100 years in China. It explains a lot. But keep in mind, 100 years is not even the tip of the iceberg for a country with a 5000-year history.
 
I preface today's lecture with this information because in talking about politics (or anything regarding China for that matter) it is essential to keep this country's extremely long history in the back of one's mind at all times. So much of Chinese cultural and tendencies are ingrained from thousands of generations of repetition and tweaking.
This imbedded culture in large part involves many religious and philosophical norms that constantly come into play both in the way people live as well as the way in which the country is managed.
A good example is Confucianism. Confucious once said that to steal a book in order to increase ones knowledge is not, in fact, stealing.
I'd say that explains pretty much the entire business ethics and copyright issues between China and the West.

One of the more relevant conversations that I've recently had on the topic of politics in China was with a man who did his PHD on the Communist Party. He explained the answer to my questions regarding what really is the political stance in China perfectly simply. He told me that "The Communist Party of China" is nothing more than a misnomer. The CPC's beliefs and policies have never tended towards Communism and have always been socialism with a spin (read: a longer outlook to the future with more patience regarding change and a few thousand year history of dictatorships in the form of emperors). And yet, although they know this word - COMMUNISM- sends shivers down the spines of the majority of people in what we might call 'The Free World' (also a misnomer), they are too proud to admit the mistake and change the name. 

I have said to many people form all over the world that China is far more right winged in EVERY way than Canada. Yet people in the West see the CPC as some sort of threat regarding human rights simply because there is no perception of democracy in the way we understand it. But if democracy was so great, and it worked all the time, why would we need to be shoving it down people's throats? 

You may be shocked to learn in today's lesson that there is democracy in China. From small villages voting for their village leaders; to the large senate in Beijing voting for laws and policies; to the vote for the student council that just occurred at my school. In fact, there are 8 political parties in China, all which have voting rights. http://english.gov.cn/links/democraticparties.htm

The funny thing is, as with most things in life, democracy and it's benefits depend not only on ones own definition, but furthermore depend on the culture or environment within which the activities are occurring. For instance, the vote that recently happened at my school. Over two weeks of a different number of speeches then votes, the organizer (a slimey little Chinese guy) collected all of the ballots. A few days later, when asked by a foreign teacher who had won he said "I don't know, I haven't decided yet." I have the pleasure of sitting near this controlling man, and when this conversation promptly ended with the foreign teacher taking in a swift breath, looking at me with anger in his eyes, and spinning around to march back to his desk without a word, we were all left to silence. Our thoughts permeated through the room and I know what the other foreign teachers were all thinking.... This is China. Nonetheless, at the very least, the students were allowed to vote and express their opinions. And for the most part, the students who were voted for by the other students are now part of the student council.

Now, let's compare this stretch of democracy to the American election - or even Western politics in general. Essentially, the definition of democracy to the West is: we vote if we can be bothered; we vote for the lesser of two evils; we complain once they get elected; we never get involved at grass roots levels, and then we complain nothing ever changes. (I say 'we' as if I am part of this but I will defend myself here slightly and say I have NEVER missed voting in an election, I have never complained about a politician or new policies as I feel they are just doing their best; and I have always spent time and energy educating myself on local and provincial issues if I think they might affect me, my family, my country or the world.) The American election is something I don't even need to comment on. If I were to write much, I would need an entire blog posting and it would be wasted breath anyways. However, I will say that these days I am trying very hard to be positive about the logical capabilities of a country who not only voted for Bush once; but then voted for him a second time. Frightening.

We are told that democracy is so important because it is the only way to freedom (whatever that is...Iraq/Afghanistan, etc...don;t get me started on that!). And as if the current social and health crises as well as that all too obvious economic recession aren't enough to prove to anyone in the West that the people running the show are just clothed apes with power and money. Many Westerners (from what I can only assume at this point is either ignorance or brain damage) push the values of the West onto the rest of the world. These people often use China as an example of the other side of the coin as if it is some sort of repressive, depressing, poverty stricken region whereby government is essentially nonexistent and the people have no hope. Um, sorry but that's Russia. And China couldn't be further from these misconceptions.

For a little more of a blurb on "The Illusion that is Western Freedom", check out http://my.telegraph.co.uk/phil_slocombe/blog/2007/05/08/the_illusion_that_is_western_freedom
Here is a short snippit:
1. The freedom of speech. This is a misnomer in the UK and America, as historically it has been a charter for bigotry, racism and discrimination. It means anyone with a grudge against another sector of society is 'free' to express their vitriol in whatever way they like.
Freedom of speech is often a shield for bigots to hide behind with their closely followed excuse of 'it's my opinion and I'm free to express it.' Yet these people often deny the same freedoms to those on the receiving end of their invective.

2. The freedom of information.  In the West information is tightly controlled by governments that select the information they want the public to know. They use a number of methods to control information, including categorizing files as sensitive, insisting on closed legal inquiries and imposing time restrictions on the release of historical information. Thus, the manipulation of public information is as sophisticated in the West as it is in the East. Why is it that in the West we accept the need to protect our national interest by the non-disclosure of sensitive information, yet China is criticized when it does the same?

3. The freedom of democracy to elect your government.  This has to be most laughable of all the so-called freedoms. In recent times, both Britain and America have elected repressive and incompetent administrations that have virtually bankrupted their countries. The lack of wisdom of the electorate itself is apparent in the re-election of the same administrations time and time again.
One thing of which I am certain is that the bulk of Chinese people are far happier with their lives than the bulk of people in Britain and America, who try to fool themselves that they live in some sort of free land - despite the fact they are under constant surveillance.
What's astonishing is the same people who cry freedom, in echo of William Wallace, elect a government which is equally, if not more, repressive and controlling than the one state party that is China."


I know which system is building a more harmonious and financially stable country. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Keeping China's long history in mind; coupling that with it's extremely colourful more recent history; and mixing in a few facts like how it contains the world's largest population with the third largest land mass, over 100 languages and minority groups and some old (crazy addictive tendencies) and new physical (water and power shortages), environmental (pollution) and social (a massive divide between the rich and poor) issues, I'd say the CPC is doing a pretty good job. I really don't think the Chinese government has much choice in the matter, either. They've got to protect the masses by controlling them at this stage. A society based on emperors cannot turn the reigns over to the commoner over night. Furthermore, the entire world relies on China now. And yet all it seems we do in the West is point the blame at them.

(The last three pictures are serious political propaganda adverts. No Chenglish as far as I saw. These are constant messages given to the people of China.)

I recently read an article written in the New York Times in 1997 which talked about the change of pace and face of politics and thus the economy in China due in large part to the recent death of Deng Xiaoping. Whereby, " Mr. Deng's death has created a tremendous range of possibilities, from a military coup at one extreme to evolution toward quasi-democracy on the other. So long as his heart beat, China was vaguely predictable, but now all kinds of things become conceivable."

The article mentions a few other things we are only seeing now. Whoever wrote it was quite a visionary.
"One measure of the frailty of the Communist Dynasty is that the name already is a bit of a misnomer, for China is not a Communist country in any meaningful sense. It is run by a Communist Party, but the principles governing China are not Marxist-Leninist but Market-Leninist. In other words, China is a marriage of a market economy and Leninist dictatorial principles. China's Communists today care not about Communism but about power. The bottom line is: We'll stay in power, and everything else is negotiable. There may be more Marxists in New York than in Beijing. Deng Xiaoping effectively transformed China from an ultra-leftist country to an ultra-rightist country, and today the Communist Dynasty governs not by socialism but by something close to a dictionary definition of fascism. China's underlying dynamic, with its combination of vibrant free enterprise, state-owned companies and authoritarian political system, has little in common with Maoism but has great parallels with Franco's Spain or Park Chung Hee's South Korea or Pinochet's Chile."

After a full day of EmeiShan hiking - an increase in 2000m of altitude and a land distance of at least 10km - I bid farewell to my new friends and headed off the next morning to Chongqing.

On the bus ride there, the garbage got full and so the bus driver slowed slightly along the highway and a passenger dumped the garbage onto the side of the road. Now, I have a adjusted to a lot of cultural differences here in China, but I will never get used to the blatant ignorance and disregard for the environment. Where does he think that garbage goes? And what's more, if they're just going to throw it onto the side of the road, my dilemma is: at this point should I just throw my garbage out the window myself rather than bring it to the garbage can? Obviously I could never do this. I would feel awful. I might as well drop kick a puppy. But still, I am baffled by this every single time it happens.
However, then I got to thinking about North America and the movie "Anchorman", which is based in the 70's and the characters just throw their garbage all over a park in San Diego. And as usual, I reminded myself that North America is not that much further ahead than here. I mean, it was really still only 60 years ago where there was slavery in the US. I need not say that is more inhumane than throwing garbage. I know in China these habits will change quickly. In fact, plastic bags here are already abolished and trendsetting young women are carrying around "I am not a plastic Bag" purses everywhere they go. Albeit they normally say "Imanot a plsitac bag" or something equally hilarious due to the Chenglish and lack of quality control. It is still the thought that counts.


Up to this point of my National Day Holiday, the trip had been much less fun and impressive than I had anticipated. I was a little lonely, and disappointed. I had not planned on spending any time in Chongqing; it was merely a stopover on the way to the three rivers gorges and their main dam. But, when I arrived to my hostel, nestled in CiQiKou, the ancient town of this massive city, I was wide eyed, bushy-tialed and instantly changed my plans.

This is the street my hostel was on, which got nuts at night with locals making candy.
In the day, artists write out their calligraphy down the old alleys.



And this was the view from my window. The incredible Yantze River. The hostel was also cool because I was the only foreigner. It was mostly full of Chinese college students traveling around and I had to get in on a bit of their opinions and of course some fun Chinese lessons.

Chongqing vibrates with energy. And it reminded me of how we imagine the world to be in the future. People really do drive in the air. I took this picture from the back of a motorbike taxi.


Chongqing is a main port city on the Yantze, thus there is constant traffic of people, goods, and culture in and out.
I would not be doing the city justice if I failed to mention it's claim to fame: The biggest city in China.
With the same population as Canada, it also appears to contain the same amount of infrastructure, pollution, industry and economic flux. 

For my first full day in Chongqing, I woke up to rain. However, it was not a surprise as the lonely planet guide said that Chongqing has 2 seasons: foggy and rainy. SO I had already planned the day accordingly. I hopped out of the bus in the downtown core and bought a $1.50 umbrella from a hawker. Then I proceed to an Ahrat temple, where I lit some candles and incense, and prayed for consciousness, gratitude and love.


This temple had all that I was expecting (but didn't find) at LeShan and EmeiShan. There was a spiritual presence and calmness in the air that just washed over you as you walked though the doors; allowing you to slough off the busy street you just left, and all the worries the real world crates.

After the Arhat temple I proceeded to walk through the city centre, and of course stopped for a coffee at one of the 4 starbucks in the middle. Then I went to the Three Rivers Gorges Dam Museum. I'm a museum girl, but not normally when I travel. It has to be a rainy day and I usually have to be alone. Although this museum was fairly commercial, the wing dedicated to the Three Rivers Gorge Dam construction was unbelievable.
By the early afternoon I was getting blisters so I took a taxi to Mao Zedong's ( and other Communist Party members) old "house". And lets just say I didn't take any pics there for personal safety reasons.

My flight didn't leave until the afternoon on my last day of adventure, so I figured I would spend the morning checking out a very unadvertised area two hours West of Chongqing called Dazu. I bargained with a motor cycle taxi at the bus station, who turned into a great guide, and we drove about 10km, out along a beautiful winding road through rice paddies, which finally ended on the top of a sacred mountain.

As I said, this place is sparsely written about. However, I did find this on the UNESCO website, describing it along with their justification for deeming it a heritage site:
 
"The steep hillsides of the Dazu area contain an exceptional series of rock carvings dating from the 9th to the 13th century. They are remarkable for their aesthetic quality, their rich diversity of subject matter, both secular and religious, and the light that they shed on everyday life in China during this period. They provide outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism."

Criterion (i): The Dazu carvings represent the pinnacle of Chinese rock art for their high aesthetic quality and their diversity of style and subject matter.

Criterion (ii): Tantric Buddhism from India and the Chinese Taoist and Confucian beliefs came together at Dazu to create a highly original and influential manifestation of spiritual harmony.

Criterion (iii): The eclectic nature of religious belief in later Imperial China is given material expression in the exceptional artistic heritage of the Dazu rock art.

The best part of Dazu, was I hardly had to share it with anyone. Along with the fact that the air was so clean and the sun was shining just right, I think this might be my favorite picture from this year's China adventures so far.


 



P.S. I had my first real date with a ChInese guy last night. I have butterflies in my stomach just writing that! Ha ha. He is shorter than me and so cute! It was so fun and a really interesting experience. We went to dinner and then I got completely side tracked in an arcade with some of the most amazing video games I've ever seen. We played in the arcade for 4 hours and he beat me at everything (motorbike racing, drumming, dance dance revolution, air hokey...every corner I turned I was like "whoa! lets go play that!") but I was actually really trying to win! He went with the flow and just kept laughing at my crazy mood swings of being extremely excited about playing a new game and then mad that I lost. I think chivalry is non existent in China. But really it is just between strangers. He opened the door for me everywhere we went; pulled out my chair; ordered for us; paid for everything; grabbed my elbow and yanked me out of traffic a few times; moved me over to walk on the building side of the road so he was closer to traffic; ran down a taxi in the rain for us; then took the taxi to my house with me to make sure I got home safe and then immediately took the taxi all the way back across town home. It was the way men should act on dates but North American men have completely forgotten that or something. Then, this morning he sent me a little text message saying good morning in Chinese (早上好！） and then I got an email this afternoon， just saying hey （吃了吗？）. These are the sort of thing that aren't difficult to do but they just make my day knowing someone is thinking of me.

I could get used to this!

This past week was the National Day Holiday here in the PRC. To Chinese people this means remembering when their country became The People's Republic of China, and often traveling to see family.
To me, this means:
1. I get a paid week off work;
2. I have time to explore parts of the country I have wanted to for a while;
3. I will battle crowds of millions of Chinese tourists everywhere I go.

Remember last year Gina and I went to Beijing for this holiday? Wow, I can't believe that was a year ago. This year I had a few things I wanted to check off my list: The Giant Pandas in Chengdu, hiking at EmeiShan, and seeing the Three rivers gorge dam.
Unfortunately - and quite uncharacteristically - I did not fulfill all three goals. This was due in part by choice, since I was so overwhelmed by battling hordes of people after five days I said "Swan le" (算了) and gave up.
But I had quite an experience nonetheless. And here I will tell you about it, of course! 


Si Chuan 四川, Literally means 4 rivers. And is a very large province just to the West of the province I am currenltly living in, Hubei. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan. I flew into Chengdu on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

(Aside: On the plane I met a brilliant Chinese-born-Canadian man who owns a fuel cell company in Wuhan with whom I had a mesmerizing talk with. And I wondered....why is it that every man I meet who I find interesting and who I feel has something to offer me is not only over the age of 40 but also married with children?!?)

As usual, upon arrival to my destination, I dropped my bags at my hostel and started walking. I noticed a few things about Chengdu from the get-go. Chengdu is the home of KungFu Panda (the greatest movie of 2008) and there are a lot of similarities (you'll just have to see it). The city is modern, bright, and less polluted than Wuhan. However, there was a lot more yelling "laowai" and "hellloooo!" at me. Many incredulous looks and kids crying at the sight of a long-nosed-round-eyed-'Waiguoren'. And the honking...oh the honking.... I was reminded of a few things I hated about China by the end of my stint last year...and a few things I am thankful for in Wuhan (honking is illegal). The city itself reminded me a bit of Osaka just in the flow of hustle bustle and the development around the river.

Chengdu touts to be the epicentre of Hot Pot, and was the epicentre of last year's earthquake. The province of Sichuan is famous for 3 things: giant pandas; face-changing opera; and spicy food. On my first full day in Chengdu, I took part in all three...and was certainly not let down.  

Although I was slightly concerned that the Giant Panda Breeding Centre would be more like a zoo than an educational centre, the only thing that was zoo-like were the people.

Were they ever cute (the Pandas, not the people). And so much smaller than I expected; a bit smaller than a brown bear. There are less than one thousand wild pandas, and this was one of several international breeding centres aimed at evading their impending extinction.