Taishan – Mountain of Eternity (泰山)

Taishan – Mountain of Eternity

Jun 11, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

To see the first stop Wutaishan

Taishan (泰山), Shandong Province

The next stop on our How to Reach the Ttop of the World journey will take you to another one of China’s finest mountains. From Nanchang, you will need to head southeast a bit for the wondrous peak of Taishan. This is also one of the magical Five Sacred Mountains. Here, you can test your endurance by hiking up the Eastern Route some 6000 steps to reach the top. Hey, if it were easy, everyone would do it, no? What is waiting at the top will take your breath away – majestic views of Shandong province. This hike is not for the lazy, however, so decide in advance if you want to head up the steps and face the pain you will endure the next day, but with vivid memories of misty cliffs. Once you reach the summit, the splendid temples looking out over the valleys will inspire you and appease your weary body. The mountain is most famous for its breathtaking sunrise and holds the added benefit of an ancient legend that states that anyone hiking to the top of Taishan will live 100 years.

Photo: Hiphoto

There are a couple of different ways to get to this mountain from Wutaishan. If you are in a hurry, take the bus from Wutaishan to Datong or Taiyuan and catch a flight directly to Jinan. From there, either stay over night or take the bus to Tai’an. Tai’an is only an hour and a half away from Jinan and the busses leave frequently from the bus station directly in front of the main train station on Jingyi Lu. The busses leave every thirty minutes or so and cost around 20 Kuai.
If you want to take the train, you can either take it from Taiyuan or Datong to Jinan and then take the bus. Stay in Tai’an for the night. There are not a lot of budget options for hostels and hotels but you can still find some. Check online first for a list of places. If you want to get up there in time to see the majestic sunrise on Sunrise Viewing Peak then the best plan is to head up the mountain and get a hotel up there. There are varying degrees of quality on the mountain so ask to see the rooms first.

The city itself is a nice place to relax when you first arrive, you can spend the day walking around and head over to Dai Temple ( 岱庙), originally made famous by Emperor Qin Shi Huang who used to hold sacrifices there before his trek to the summit. The temple houses a Hall of Celestial Gifts featuring murals of ancient deities and a Han Cypress Courtyard which houses five ancient Han Dynasty cypresses said to have been planted by Emperor Wu. If the idea of old trees doesn’t interest you keep in mind that the Han Dynasty spanned from the years 206 BC to 220 AD!

Photo: MurrayJ3

As noted, this mountain is known for being one of the primary Five Sacred Mountains in China. This mountain is believed to be a place of rebirth and renewal associated with the sunrise. The tallest peak at Taishan is Jade Emperor Summit that climbs 5,029 feet (1532 meters) into the sky. Also one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, the mountain has had several different names before the Spring and Autumn period emperors during the years 770BC-476BC, finally elected to call

it Taishan. Throughout history, and for the last 3000 years, people have undergone pilgrimages to this mountain to share in the sacred environment. In total, the rumor stands that 72 emperors have made this famous journey to the summit where they believed the gods would give them power. In addition, many ceremonies took place in this area including sacrifices and enthronements.

This mountain has fascinating historical legends, mainly because of the presence of specific gods. These deities have made Taishan a spiritually relevant place throughout Chinese history. The first was the God of the Eastern Mountain. People believed that his powers reached all beings, for he controlled life, and the country and its people’s peace and harmony. During the same time period, another god “lived” on the mountain, representing a force against evil and malicious spirits. His name was Shigandang and people revered him so much that they put stone statues of him outside their doors. During the Song and Tang dynasties, people worshipped the new belief that there was a goddess who ruled the mountain. The goddess’s name was Bi Xia Yuan Jun and legend has it she lived in the Azure Clouds Temple on top of the mountain. People believed in her direct influence in all aspects of their lives including wealth, misfortune, and health; even the sex of the offspring was in her hands.

The mountain, along with other mountains in China is noted for the Fengshan ceremony, meaning, “sacrifice to the earth.” The emperors, after their ascension to the throne, would bring their military to the top of Taishan mountain to build an alter for sacrifice in order to represent the emperor’s God-chosen legitimate rule over the people….

To find out where to go and how to hike the mountain, check back of part 2 of this incredible mountain.

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2 Minnesotans, a Saudi, an Israeli and a Mexican: it’s not a joke, it’s an afterparty

Jun 29, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

If I have learned anything after being in China a few years, I think it’s the lesson that you can be friends with people with whom you never thought you had anything in common with. It seems that oddly enough, the only thing at times that expats share is the commonality that they aren’t Chinese. While naturally we all have Chinese friends, I think sometimes it can be surprising to us at how many different friends we can have here in China. This is how you get two Minnesotans, a Saudi, an Israeli and a Mexican, among other nationalities, at an after party in Hangzhou.

In the small Chinese town I used to live in called Zhuji, we had a group of 5 American expats and an older Aussie lady with kids our age. Despite the five of us being American, none of us would have ever meet in the USA under any regular circumstances. People always assume that simply because you are from the same country, you have something in common, but everyone knows how fallacious this argument is. We had a hippie, a jock, a stoner philosopher and a wandering escapist; basically, we only shared the same location, yet we ended up becoming close friends. I tend to believe that most of the expats in China are of a certain personality. Usually in some moment of last minute insanity, we chose to pick up our entire lives, leaving everything we knew behind along with all the people we loved, to move to a foreign country of which we know nothing and no one and not a shred of Chinese. It takes a certain kind of person to do this; these are the majority of the expats who come to China so what you end up with are a lot of crazy, impulsive, outgoing, independent people who are more open about other countries because we are all strangers here.

Worldwide there are always clashing cultures, countries, and religions. History is always a factor, as well as worldwide ongoing conflicts. However there are certain instances in China where being an expat in China has removed the sense of judgment people normally possess at home. I think many times in your own country, the reality is that you stick to people and places that you know and therefore you are always in a venue with other like minded individuals while here we are all forced to go to the same events and bars. This makes a huge difference and you can get so many races, cultures, nationalities and sexual orientations all together and see what happens.

Here you find yourself sitting around a table with people literally from 10 different countries and backgrounds and totally different professions and pre-China lives. But here our lives have all come together, albeit for only a short while. You have people from England, Germany, US, Italy, Libya, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Colombia, etc. all getting together to go to a music festival in the middle of China. After a while, you stop noticing how unique it is until you return to your own country and realize everyone at the bar is also from your country.

One of the most interesting cultural experiences I have had in China was in Hangzhou. Hangzhou has a fairly small expat population and a limited variety of venues you can go and hear decent music. We had started out the night at “Maya Bar” with some Israelis who were friends with my Colombian friend in Yiwu. It was Thursday, and “In Club” Hangzhou used to have Latino, Arabic, Indian, Caribbean nights weekly which was truly one of the weirdest, coolest smorgasbord of people you can imagine. They warmed everyone up with a buffet coupled with an open bar to get all these people meshing and dancing more easily. However, as opposed to many of the events in Hangzhou, Thursday night’s “weird cultural combo parties” ended at 2am and everyone had to figure out what to do afterwards. So one night, it was an especially interesting mix of people because a large group of Mexicans were having a “bad fashion” party on the first floor and coming up to dance with everyone else upstairs. I was wandering around in between the two parties marveling at the salsa music one minute and Turkish pop the next followed by Caribbean maraca songs the next. My friend, who was also from Minnesota, and I were with the Spanish speaking-Israelis and the rest of the Mexicans when we met a vivacious Jordanian girl who was studying in Hangzhou. I went outside to use the phone and noticed a guy sitting on bench extremely bored and started talking to him where we established that this was funny because he was Saudi and I was American and not a usual combination at a bar.

Soon the clock struck 2 and they started kicking everyone out, my Minnesotan friend came up with the grand idea that since he had tons of beers at home, we should just get all the Mexicans and go to his house. I invited the Saudi guy and his 2 Moroccan friends along with the Mexican guy and the Jordanian girl. The taxis pulled up and we hopped into a cab only to realize the Spanish speaking Israeli was in it and we had just barged in on his cab, and so I immediately without thinking invited him along forgetting the fact that it is not necessarily wise to try and mix Israelis and Muslims given all the conflicts in the Middle East. But after several beers and cheap “In Club” alcohol you tend to forget these details. I suddenly realized my error, and immediately asked them if it was OK to which the Spanish-speaking Israeli replied, ”but of course, we are neighbors!” So there we were, two taxis filled with enough cultures, religions, and origins to make literally novels of ethnic jokes that start out: so a Mexican, a Minnesotan, a Jew and a Saudi walk into a bar…

For a group of people who before that night didn’t know each other at all, we ended up staying up late into the night talking about everything, practicing the languages we knew and discussing our sentiments on China and our weird experiences, while drinking beer after beer and laughing at each other’s slurred stories. We danced around the apartment to what most of us in China use as a stereo: an iPod and some Chinese market-bought speakers. It’s surprising how you can get a Jordanian girl and an Israeli dancing salsa while an American girl simultaneously teaches the newfound Saudi friend. Yeah, life is weird here in China, and cool at the same time. Where else this would have happened I don’t know, but we ended up walking away from the after party with a new group of friends that I still have to this day three years later.

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China’s Cycle of Friends

China’s Cycle of Friends

Jul 27, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

I remember last year during the Olympics, around the months of May and June people slowly started to leave Beijing. Since the visas weren’t getting extended past July 1, literally three fourths of my friends had to leave. It seemed like during the week there were at least 3 going away dinner parties and then on weekends there were another 3-5. It seemed like every new amazing person that I met that year would be mercilessly removed from my vicinity one after one. But it wasn’t just for the Olympics; everyone that lives in China for a while can tell you that it happens every few months. After living in China in one spot for a while, you learn how many people you can truly connect with in such a short while, the whole time knowing that you won’t know them very long. Each six month period brings wonderful people, friends to teach you something in life, people you instantly become close with or even people who could have been more if you had gotten the time to find out. But no one stays here forever; all these people usually leave. Thus starts the cycle of friends in China all over again.

Photo: Scarleth White

Eventually, maybe we end up getting to a point when we stop wondering what we are still doing here in China. After a few years, maybe we’ve even forgotten what brought us here in the first place. For some, we were bored in the same environment we had always known and needed to break away, others had a sudden panic that our lives were ordinary and we needed a drastic change immediately to evade stagnation. Or, like what seems to be a large majority, those who came out of relationships with an imperative willingness to change our whole lives and our surroundings in an attempt to escape or find something new in a China far, far away. Sometimes it’s this crazy and irrational impulse that can lead us to new horizons. Unfortunately, we set out on these irrational impulses alone. This is undoubtedly because most sane people are not willing to pick up their lives and move to China when offered a job with 2 weeks notice.

Suddenly, we find ourselves here in this strange land, with no one familiar, having left behind years of ties of friendship as well as our family blood. Moving to a new town in your own country is hard enough, but moving overseas to another country, especially one with culture and language so distinct, is daunting; some may even say absurd. So we create our own little communities and “families” here, and meet people with whom we had no idea we had anything in common. It’s odd how much you can connect with people from all different backgrounds from all over the world and grow surprisingly close in such a short period of time.

Things move faster here, in general. Life, the traffic, the days, the weekends, the construction, it’s all in constant transformation. Here, one day a building could be a gym or a restaurant, the next day it’s a barbershop. At home, relationships take years to form sometimes or at least many months at a time. Here, it seems like there is an “on” and “off” switch that either clicks or doesn’t with the right people. You can travel with people for only one month of your life and find you feel much closer to that person than you have in years.

Usually here in China, you come here alone, with only your own explanations of who you are. In some ways, it is nice to be able to start fresh where no one knows you. Everyone is able to leave out unpleasant phases in their lives that ended up forming who they are today. Your presentation of yourself is more of a finished product because no one is familiar with how you grew up and what experiences formed you. The unfortunate aspect is that no one knows anything about your past and you constantly have to take little steps to open yourself up and explain how you arrived at this point. Everyone has stories, but in China, people’s pasts always seem more surprising for some reason.

As I said before, regardless of these short periods of time, the circumstances under which you meet people here create some of the strongest friendships and close feelings for people you never even knew existed in the universe six months ago. The loyalties of these friendships and common understanding can be really incredible when you think about how different your lives are back in your own countries. In a way though, I think quality over quantity is always the better option, although it makes it sad in a way. Most of these people you do end up keeping in touch with over the years, but hardly ever see again. Most people tend to settle when they go back home, while here they try to keep things as lively and unsettled as possible. People who live in China joke that monotony in China is almost unacceptable and definitely not OK. This is why you tend to meet exciting and interesting people who relish uncertainty on a day-to-day basis and come to expect the unexpected.

In the end, last hugs and tears do not negate that having met these people for such a short period of time is worth the loss of not having them physically present in China anymore. People still make a difference and still leave an imprint on your life. For all the people past, present, and future, we hold a bond in China that will not change only because we aren’t in the same place. As Tennessee Williams notes, “Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”

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Oh No You Didn’t…Bitten by a Prostitute?!

Oh No You Didn’t…Bitten by a Prostitute?!

May 11, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

Guys, here is an article for the weary traveler. It’s a topic that doesn’t come up much, but here is a story nevertheless which will make you think a bit more before you act. It’s a subject that we don’t discuss much, but it’s still considered the world’s oldest profession. In case you still aren’t following here guys, it’s prostitution. Despite being illegal in most places in the world, it’s still an issue everywhere. The real problem is that men in general are better able to spot prostitutes in their own countries so as to not end up in unpleasant situations where there was a “misunderstanding.”

Photo: JackVersloot

In addition, many men, while on vacation, tend to let their guard down a bit. Whereas they might be suspicious of a beautiful woman alone at a bar in their own country, they throw caution to the wind abroad. And let’s face it; most of the time, men have a hard time turning away women, let alone a beautiful bombshell that shows the slightest interest in them. And everyone knows it, there are many absolutely stunning women in Asia with beautiful skin and long flowing hair. You don’t have to be in China more than an hour to realize that many Chinese women are truly beautiful.

So we have a recipe for destruction here; you have some of the most beautiful women these guys on vacation have ever seen, and you have men who are unfamiliar with the country and culture so therefore aren’t suspicious of even the strangest of behaviors. A beautiful woman wants to talk to me? Who is she? Who cares?!

Even though prostitution is illegal in China, like everywhere else in the world, it exists, albeit subtly. Whereas in New York, you might see someone 4 blocks away and know within seconds that they are a prostitute, in China it is much more subtle. Sometimes the girls are innocent looking, cute, dressed nicely and not provocatively. Most of the time they look like regular women so it’s truly difficult to suspect anything and many times, they won’t come directly out and tell you what they are doing talking to the likes of you.

There was even once incidence in China with a foreign tourist where it wasn’t until they got back to her hotel room that she told him what she had in mind. She seemed innocent enough; they met at the chuanr BBQ stand. They were both standing around having a beer and eating lamb kebabs. He was with several friends while she was alone. She started talking to him and they hung out a few hours after his friends went home and chatted over beers. Realizing where this was headed, they both elected to go back to her hotel room to have a few more beers. After things started getting a bit more heated, she stopped him to ask about the money. He stopped and stood up, asking what she was talking about. “Yes, I need the money first,” she replied with a “You-should-know” look on her face.

When he realized that she was a prostitute, he stood up and reached for his clothes. She started to protest and yell at him that he knew exactly what he was doing and she wanted the money. When he got up and started for the door, she positioned herself against it so that he couldn’t open it. Exasperated, he told her to get out of the way and let him leave, but she wouldn’t budge. He tried to reach the door handle around her, wrenching her out of the way with his arm. Grabbing his arm in protest, she bit his arm, hard. “Get off me!” he cried, as he managed to wedge her away from the door and open it as he ran out and down the stairs. “Stop him! “She screamed after him, “He stole my money!” As he ran down the flights of stairs he thought he had made it safely out of the building until two security guards tackled him and strip searched him, only to find that all he had were two crumpled 20 RMB notes in his back pockets. They hauled him down to the police station where he was strip searched again and finally let go several hours later very unhappy and defeated.

Photo: Deeners

While this wasn’t his fault, there is a moral to the story. Guys, when you are traveling keep your wits about you. Be as cautious as you would at home. At the end of the day you have to remember that when you travel you must be cautious about everything, because as a wise man once said, “Here’s to women. Would that we could fall into her arms without falling into her hands.” — Ambrose Bierce.

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Intro to Chinese Manners at the Restaurant 101

Intro to Chinese Manners at the Restaurant 101

Jun 08, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

To see our previous article on Chinese Etiquette: Lost in Face click here.

We have already provided you with insight on eating in a Chinese restaurant, because one of the most important rituals in any society is the practice of eating together. In China, this is no exception. While every society and culture has things that you can and can’t do, it seems like in China, years and years of society has created rules and practices that foreigners would not suspect. As this is an important meeting and social occasion while traveling, it’s important to learn more about what is or isn’t considered polite so that you don’t make a fool out of yourself or offend someone. Chinese table etiquette is full of subtleties and unintentional errors we could commit that could shock Chinese people, while on the other hand, some Westerners are horrified by what is considered OK at the Chinese table.

Photo: mastermaq

I should note that with younger people these general rules may not apply, but if you meet some older people and wish to be respectful you may want to adhere to these general tips. First and foremost, whoever invites is usually who pays. While sometimes in America, for example, people make a huge spectacle of “fighting” over who will pay the bill, even if he or she has no earthly intention of paying but makes a spectacle anyways. However, it is considered rude if you don’t offer at all. In addition, in restaurants it’s usually considered a bit strange for ten people to all pay separately.

Photo: Andy Armstrong

This should be a no-brainer, but when going out to eat in China, learn how to use chopsticks! Also, the number one rudest thing you can do with your chopsticks without even realizing it is stick them into the bowl of rice. Why? Because it symbolizes death. Yep, how’s that for unintentialy offending a very nice group of people you just met? I am always curious, however, at how much leeway you get as a stupid foreigner who may not know what the rules are. Additionally, do not tap your chopsticks on your bowl or cross chopsticks with people and don’t wave them around while you talk and use them to point.

One of the things that are harder to get used to is not putting your bones in your bowl after getting the meat off. Chinese dishes are filled with little morsels that you have to gnaw on and you may be a bit shocked to see your friends spitting out the bones onto the table. This is perfectly acceptable, as is sucking on a shrimp shell and cracking it between your teeth before letting it fall out of your mouth in a flapping movement. Do not, however, pick your teeth without covering your mouth. This is considered extremely rude and disgusting and you will notice that even in the shabbiest or the nicest places that this is something that no one does.

Let the host tell you where to sit and allow them to serve you first. Many times, if you still have food in your bowl they will keep filling it up for you. The host will usually order the food at the beginning; sometimes they will ask you what you like. It’s polite to sample everything. It you don’t like something then find something else that you like and maybe comment on how much you like it. If you are the host of the meal, make sure that you order more than enough for everyone at the table or you will look like a stingy idiot. Try to order a variety and remember that seafood is considered to be one of the higher quality and therefore more expensive dishes.

f you are going with a group of younger people, many times they will keep filling your drink over and over. Be sure to reciprocate the gesture by not just filling up your own beer but filling everyone else’s first before your own. The entire meal, people will keep filling up your glass. If you don’t want to get drunk very quickly, don’t drink all that’s in your glass or it will be filled up immediately.
Photo: JohnSeb

As a general rule, it’s always better to watch everyone else and see what they are doing, that way you don’t mistakenly eat the bamboo wrapper of a rice ball thinking it’s edible, or get leaves all over your face trying to drink the tea. This rule applies everywhere in the world, but especially in China. Stay tuned for the next article pertaining to Chinese etiquette, which is as baffling as the Great Wall’s construction to us, when it seems there are so many innocent ways to go about humiliating yourself or being offensive without trying. Maybe it’s better we don’t understand the concept of “face” so well or we would notice how often we lose it!

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Top 5 things NEVER to Ask the Laowai

Top 5 things NEVER to Ask the Laowai

May 11, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

Recently, in our Chinese Media section, we published an article called, May I Practice My English? which explains to Chinese people how to start up conversations with China’s foreigners, or laowai. The article includes many tactical points on what topics expats are interested in like weather, China, etc. While I don’t agree completely on the suggested topics, I feel what is missing from this article is a list of things NOT to do. These are simple cultural differences which, while no harm is meant, can be the difference between meeting a friend or having someone shrug you off. Therefore, here is my list of important points that Chinese people should NOT do if they want to make friends with random laowai.

Photo: VikNanda

1. Do not ask if you can be friends. This kind of directness when applied to friendship with the laowai seems too much of an initial commitment and that kind of candor can scare the laowai away. Friendship to us is not something that you vocally agree on, but rather something that is earned.

2. Do not ask if you can practice your English. For laowai that have been in China a long time, this can simply make he or she feel used and they will simply say “No”. Remember, that laowai can make good money giving simple conversation classes where they do just that, so some will simply refuse to chat with you for free as odd as this sounds.

3. Do not ask about money. This is a big cultural no-no. In Western cultures, people feel quite uncomfortable when asked how much their salary is or how much they paid for something, unless they got it at a great price. Most Westerners believe a discrepancy in salary will hurt their friendships so they will refuse to answer this question. Asking will make him or her feel cornered.

4. Do not tell girls that they are beautiful when you first meet them. While this is truly flattering as a comment, it is considered a bit odd to most laowai girls who will get embarrassed and not know what to say. They can either say thank you, which makes them feel silly, or argue with you, which is also uncomfortable.

Photo: Wootang01

5. Do not call or text too much. This is not a question but important nonetheless. Send a text only when you have something to say. Texting 20 times a day just to say hi can seem invasive for many Westerners. Usually, we text only to make plans or if we are sharing a story or news of the day.

Texts like “What’s up?” are used to see if the person is available to hang out usually. If the laowai replies, “not much, you?” do not reply, “nothing.” The laowai will become confused and have nothing to text back. If you follow up by texting the exact same thing an hour later they could even get annoyed.
Also, texts like “I see,” are conversation killers; there is no way to respond.

In addition, most people don’t feel comfortable with texts from people they don’t know that say,” I miss you.” I miss you is something that sometimes foreigners don’t even say to their friends at times, so it’s reserved for close friends and relatives. Saying it to someone we met once in a coffee shop is not commonplace.

Good luck! These simple tips will help clear up some cultural and language barriers between Laowais and Chinese people and help them make friends!

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Your Chinese Dumpling Mamma- Mamma Zhong Guo’s Serves it Up

Your Chinese Dumpling Mamma- Mamma Zhong Guo’s Serves it Up

Jun 15, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

Small towns all over the world have that reputation for kindness and hospitality, and it’s a well known assumption that people are more likely to be helpful and friendly in small villages rather than in big cities. China is no exception, and for one year I came across some of the most wonderful Chinese people in the small town of Zhuji, particularly our Chinese Dumpling Mamma-“Mamma Zhong Guo.”

However, everyone knows that small towns also have their pitfalls. For one, everyone knows what you are doing. In a “small” Chinese town of 1 million, being one of five or six foreigners definitely gets you more attention than you prefer. Secondly, as a teacher in a small town, everyone is interested in what you’re doing. This includes what you are buying at the grocery store, or what time you are going home. Foreigners go to Zhuji for several reasons only: to teach, or to buy pearls and socks for wholesale export. Therefore, if locals see you repeatedly, they know that you teach. You can get into a taxi at night, and the driver automatically chirps your address at you. If a foreigner exits the train station, the trici-car-axi guys yell out the name of the school you work at, etc.

Zhuji is small and peaceful. It’s a wonderful little Chinese city, but there isn’t much diversity in terms of places to go after 7 or 8pm. There were only 2 or 3 bars and they closed quite early, and in the winter, when we couldn’t go hang out in the city square we had few options in terms of where to go. So, we had our local dumpling place that most foreigners would not set foot in.

Our beloved dumpling place, which we dubbed Mama Zhong Guo’s (Chinese Mamma), was a meeting spot we frequented no less than 4 times a week. It was a family run place located on a small street corner. There was only one main room with 4 tables and one small backroom with a round table that could seat 8. Each of the table was equipped with its own fan hastily fastened to the wall above and each table was dressed with a little set of vinegar and the best hot red chili oil in the city.

The family did not speak Mandarin, only Zhuji–hua, which proved very interesting outside of Zhuji because our vocabulary was amplified by communicating with and imitating Zhuji locals. For example, I remember one particular day I wanted tea and I almost pulled my hair out saying cha in every possible tone while they looked at me blankly. I finally found a can of tea, wildly pointing, “Look! Cha!” Mama Zhong Guo looked at her husband knowingly and shook her head as if to say, ”ahh silly foreign girl.” She pointed to the can and slowly mouthed a second toned, “ZOOOOOUU,” and punctuated it with a satisfied head jerk. I was at a loss of words. Zou sounds NOTHING like Cha, what had I been learning from that book? In addition, my favorite scrambled egg and tomato dish, xi hong shi chao ji dan, became xie ha zi cha ji deeeeee yaaaaaaaa. In Zhuji, they love to put the yeas at the end of absolutely everything for added emphasis and complication. It sounds nice and flows well, unless you have studied Chinese before and realize the futility of your past efforts. Additionally, once you learn to imitate the Zhuji dialect, Beijingers will accuse you of sounding like a Chinese farmer.

Mamma Zhong Guo herself or her husband would cook anything you could think up, since there wasn’t that much of a menu. There were about 15 kinds of dumplings, but the best were the spinach and pork ones. For everything else, she would let you simply tromp into the kitchen and point to whatever you wanted, then ask if you wanted it spicy or not. There was a cooler with everything from lamb legs and mysterious frozen organs, to cold beverages. It was the only freezer they had, and when we arrived, they would take the bottles of beer and load them up for us since they knew we would hang out there all night. The other display was a sort of open refrigerator and had varying qualities of vegetables, tofu shapes and meat lining the shelves. It was always better to check yourself and see what was good that day and then ask them to fry it up for you.

Photo: Prattflora

In the doorway of the restaurant, there was a fresh vegetable stand with enormous leafy greens fresh from the market. Next to the huge rack of beets, celery, leek, etc, was a big bucket. The bucket was full of very confined and suicidal fish that tried every once in awhile to flip themselves out much to the delight of the family cat who would paw it a bit before Mamma Zhong Guo tossed it back into the bucket.

Gramma Zhong Guo was a tiny little woman who weighed no more than 90 pounds. She quietly tottered around the restaurant passing out rolls of toilet paper instead of napkins and bringing extra hot chili sauce upon request. She found wondrous amusement in everything we said and tried to repeat it even though she couldn’t understand any Mandarin either. I always tried to imagine all the things she had seen in her life. But this little woman was tough; there was no doubt about it.

On time, we were sitting outside munching on boiled peanuts and soybeans when we saw her bare handedly thrash her arm into the bucket of fish. With two hands she wrestled the enormous writhing fish with eyes of fire and determination. With two hands paralleled and grabbing the fish, she swung in one smooth motion and flung the fish as hard as she could-into the middle of the street. No-it wasn’t dead. She realized this and waddle-hopped off the curb to try again. She pinned it down with one foot and mercilessly grabbed it again with two hands and flung it down again as hard as she could. Yep, that did it; the fish was dead. She squatted (amazingly limber for such an old lady) down on the curb and removed a pocket knife from her apron and proceeded to shave off the scales of the fish and gut it right there in a few minutes flat. We were all deeply impressed at her abilities and strength although not sure we wanted to try some of the fish they fried up that night.

The wonderful thing about that place was how at home we felt when we were there. They treated us with a warm curiosity and patience I haven’t really seen since. In Beijing, there are plenty of friendly places to go to, but these people would run to the butcher shop for us if we wanted a certain meat that night, they would invent special dishes for us like rice cakes with meats and veggies. They didn’t mind whipping up another batch of boiled peanuts after all the other customers had left. All in all, it was like having the neighborhood sandwich shop in your hometown; but in China, instead it was the dumpling place on the corner. Despite the occasional cockroach or a man spitting on the floor, or the initial notion that the dumplings just might give me hepatitis, this was truly our favorite place in town to hang out with the cheapest and most delicious food, nicest family, and most local feel with the genuinely best dumplings I have ever tried. When there was nowhere else to go, there was always Mamma Zhong Guo’s Dumpling Joint where you could feel local and get that small town hospitality you only read about, right in Zhejiang.

***

China Explorer> Intro to Chinese Manners at the Restaurant 101
Expat Corner> You Met Your Expat China Friends on…MySpace?!
Expat Corner> Sick in China – Medical Misadventures in Zhuji

Putuoshan Island 普陀山

Putuoshan Island 普陀山

Jun 30, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, www.eChinacities.com

Right outside of Ningbo and Shanghai is one of China’s isolated treasures, Putuoshan Island. The island is in the East China Sea, technically part of Zhejiang Province, and is home to only 3000 residents, small enough to walk across in only a few hours because it’s only about 12 km wide. It’s easily accessible from Shanghai and is only 5 hours away if you take the ferry to get there. It’s a lovely island with plenty of hiking and places to relax, but there are also temples that you can visit as well; in addition, Putuoshan Island offers some of the best and freshest seafood around. It’s another excellent place to visit when you are fed up with the pollution of the city and the annoyance of car horns blasting into your ears day and night. Your solace here is that you are relatively alone and you can find peace and quiet; and what’s better than hanging out on an island? Next time you have a free weekend head to Putuoshan Island for that much needed retreat and reflection.

Photo: harryalverson

The island’s beaches are frothy with sandy colored water, and while they don’t look as appealing as a Sanya beach, they are relatively unpopulated and are good for taking your shoes off and strolling along the beach or climbing the cliffy shores. The rocky ledges are punctuated with little pagodas and perfect for a picnic or deep thoughts. On the island, there are temples, shrines and monasteries which house around 1000 devout monks on the island. Because of its remote location, Putuoshan’s prices are not as cheap as other places, but its distinct character and charm make it a worthwhile weekend destination. It is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, a list that includes Wutaishan, Emeishan, and Jiuhuashan. In 2007, they insitutued a fee of 160 RMB fee for tourists at the point of embarkation but the entrances to the temples are extra.

Photo: harryalverson

There are three Buddhist temples on Putuoshan: Puji, Fayu and Huiji. Fayu Temple is located at the very foot of the Buddhist Summit Mountain called Fodingshan. The temple is famous for its Nine Dragon Screen, which is actually an interwoven carving of dragons made from 60 separate blue pieces of stone depicting dragons swarming in unison after a pearl. Constructed in 1580, the building is the second largest temple on the island with 294 halls and rooms.

The Puji Temple is the most famous on the Putuoshan Island because of its age and design. It is also the largest and was built in the year 1080 AD and remains the main spiritual heart of the island. Curiously, the entrance is on the side of the temple. According to the legend, the Emperor Zhuang disguised himself as a humble peasant and attempted to walk through the main entrance only to be turned away. In a moment of ire, he declared that no one would ever enter through that main middle door again. In front of the Puji Temple is a beautiful lotus lake, called Haiyin Lake — or lotus flower pool in Chinese. The monks release turtles and fish into the blue waters of the pool and they have hence dubbed it the, “setting free pool.” In the mornings, the Haiyin Lake has numerous dedicated Tai Chi enthusiasts down by the early morning waters of the pool. If you are up early enough, from 4:30AM to 7AM, the monks have rituals inside the temple, which the visitors can watch.

Photo: Jim Parkinson

The least crowded of the three Buddhist temples on Putuoshan Island is Huiji, which is only accessible by a cable car ride or by hiking up to the top of the hill. The scenic views from this temple are best on the island and devoid of people. The monks chanting in the temple gives a mystic allure to the area that is truly special.

There are two main beaches on Putuoshan Island, the 100 and 1000 Pace Sand Beaches. In the summertime, you can even camp on the 100 Pace Beach and fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. All around the island you can also find delicious and small eateries where you can get some of the freshest seafood you have tried in China. This island is also a paradise for vegetarians who will enjoy the plentiful selection of vegetarian restaurants, since the island itself is Buddhist.

This is one truly hidden gem for a weekend vacation that will blow you out of the water. Find a bit of relaxation at one of China’s most historically spiritually enlightening of places, Putuoshan.

To get there
By Ferry:
You can only reach Putuoshan by ferry from Shanghai or Ningbo
To Ningbo, you can only buy tickets for the day of travel so make sure and go early!

Ningbo Ferry Ports:
Jiangbei Wharf (Ningbo Port Passenger Transport Center )( Jiangbei Matou / Ningbo Gang Keyun Zhongxin )
Ferries from this terminal mainly take passengers to Putuoshan Island, though visitors should note that if they would like to take their car, they must travel from Zhenhai Wharf. Tickets cost RMB60 for a one-way ticket.
Opening hrs: 5:50 am – 3:50 pm
Add: 200 Zhongma Lu, Ningbo
Tel: 0574- 8735 6332

From Shanghai:
Wusong Passenger Transport Centre in Northeast Shanghai
No. 251, Songbao Rd., Baoshan District
Tel: 021-56575500
12-hour night ferry
3-hour high-speed ferry (leaves mid-day).

By Air:
Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport lies north of Zhujiajian Island and is accessible from most major Chinese cities.

Where To Stay:
* Purple Bamboo Hotel, tel +86 58 0669 8001
* Putuoshan Hotel, tel +86 58 0609 2828

***

Related Links

China Explorer> Buddhist Mountain – Enchanted Wutaishan
China Explorer> Taishan – Mountain of Eternity
China Explorer> Urumqi’s Sapphire – Tianchi Lake 天山天池

Roam about the Classics at National Center for the Performing Arts Beijing July 2009

DATE: Jul 04, 2009 – Jul 11, 2009 19:30

VENUE: National Center for the Performing Arts

[ Ticketing Information ] [ Program Schedule ]

The National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing presents “Roam About the Classics” this July 2009, starting the 4 and 5 starting with Spain’s prized ensemble from the Canary Islands, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, or Tenerife Symphony Orchestra. Presently, the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra continues to thrive as part of the Asociación Espanola de Orquestas Sinfónicas (Spanish Association of Symphony Orchestras). On July 7 and 8, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra will perform lead by Conductors Chen Zuohuang and Christian Ehwald. On July 10 and 11, the show continues with Classics & Dreams: Concert by Kunzel & China National Opera House Symphony Orchestra. Remarkably, this concert will be broadcast live at large screens around Beijing such as in Wangfujing, Worker’s Stadium, etc so that all of us may share in this amazing display of classical music.

First Beijing Summer Concert

As a unique segment elaborately planned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) for the performance season this summer, “Roam About the Classics” will unavoidably lead one to compare it to the likes of London’s Promenade Concert (Proms) and Berlin’s Waldbühne. London’s Promenade Concert (Proms) has been popular in Britain for 114 years and Waldbühne has been in vogue for 25 years in Germany. However, Beijing has never had a similar music festival in which people can enjoy music without restriction in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, “Roam About the Classics” will undoubtedly fill such a space. July is the hottest month in Beijing, so the other purpose of promoting “Roam About the Classics” by NCPA is to create a kind of fashionable way to spend summer. Firstly, “Roam About the Classics” concert will include three famous orchestras from home and abroad, four well-known conductors and six concerts. More than 50 excellent music works by 39 famous composers will be presented in one week.

July 4 and 5: The Tenerife Orchestra opens “Roam Around the Classics”

The Tenerife Orchestra opens “Roam Around the Classics” in Beijing July 4, 5 led by Chinese maestro Lü Jia, who led them in eleven of nineteen concerts last year. Most of the credit for the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra’s success is normally attributed to Victor Pablo Pérez who became the ensemble’s conductor after 1985. Since its creation, the orchestra has created over 30 recorded albums through labels Auvidis, Decca or Duetsche Gramophone, winning them international awards and fame such as best recording of the year by both Ritmo and CD Compact.
They will be performing classic pieces by Mozart, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Stravinsky, including widely recognized and adored melodies such as Firebird, Le nozze di Fígaro, Oh! Mio babbino caro, and the William Tell Overture.

Check the program schedule of The Tenerife Orchestra

July 7 and 8: Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra: Igniting Occidental modern craze and outlining European classical brilliance

Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra on stage July 7th and 8th will also be extraordinary. Chen Zuohuang, the Musical Art Director of the NCPA along with famous German conductor Christian Ehwald will take turns to conduct the Orchestra, presenting distinctive individualistic works. On Jul. 7th, classical works of British and American contemporary composers such as Bernstein, Gershwin, Copland and Britten will be performed to ignite the pure Occidental modern craze; on Jul. 8th, the Orchestra will turn 180 degrees to draw the outline of flourishing and gorgeous European classical brilliance: Hungary’s boldness and unconstraint, Czech’s lightness and cheerfulness as well as Norway’s greenness and vibrancy that make the whole concert an arbitrary tour of music.

Check the program schedule of Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra

July 10 and 11: “Prince of Film Music” performs together with China National Opera House Symphony Orchestra to change the opera hall to a “three-dimensional cinema”

The last performance of the concert is offered by Erich Kunzel, coined the “Master of film music”. In the two concerts on July 10th and 11th, Kunzel will continue his love for film music and move a series of classical melodies from behind the screen curtain to the stage. From them, the whole stage of the opera hall will be changed to a huge simulated “three-dimensional cinema” holding more than 2000 audiences through special effects. Regarding how to make the change happen, NCPA has expressed that it will keep it a secret temporarily. Wonders are far beyond that. Another success trumped by Kunzel, the 73-year-old conductor master for dominating in the world music circle for many years is to re-perform familiar classical music in brand new instruments so as to form the unique personality of the musical composition.

 

Find information about Ticket and National Center for Performing Arts

Ticketing Information

Price: VIP　300　200　120　80　50 RMB
Getting Tickets from the National Center for the Performing Arts
Buying tickets in person
The box office of the National Centre for the Performing Arts is located at the north entrance of the centre. It is open between 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day. We accept cash, American Express, Master Card, Visa and Union Pay debit cards. Most overseas international credit cards are accepted.
Booking tickets over the phone
Call +86 10 6655 0000 between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. A delivery service is available or tickets may be collected 24 hours after placing your order. Please remember to bring your order number when picking up your tickets.
Group tickets:
86 10 6655 0893
86 10 6655 0105
86 10 6655 0891
Office hour: 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Freaky or Funny? Crazy Chinese Taxi Stories

Freaky or Funny? Crazy Chinese Taxi Stories

Jul 01, 2009
By Andrea Hunt, eChinacities.com

Taxi drivers all over the world tend to be a bit sketchy at times, and I have to say the first arguments I ever get into in another country inevitably stem from the taxi driver trying to rip me off. This has happened to me in Mexico City and Rome, Buenos Aires and London. In this way, you become quite capable of yelling obscenities over miscellaneous unwarranted meter charges, unnecessary detours, and the link. Other times in taxis, you find yourself in the weirdest and most awkward situations. This situation is usually exacerbated by a language barrier. In China, this rule is no exception. Occasionally, there are some pretty strange taxi situations you encounter with taxis in China that leave you with some colorful and crazy Chinese taxi stories.

Photo: Andrew Currie

Most taxi drivers in China generally astound me with their driving abilities and many of them are really cool people. Usually their reflexes are flawless, I have seen them swerve without flinching around a female driver who thought it would be a stellar idea to cross over 3 lanes on Beijing’s third ring road, slowing down to 20 miles an hour, to take a right exit. Another night, our taxi narrowly escaped three accidents in 20 minutes as drivers in front of us simply merged into our lanes or stopped in the middle of the highway, blatantly disregarding the fact that we were in the middle lane. Usually, the drivers are quick, and masterfully weave through the lanes of traffic, albeit faster than you would like at times, but still chatting away with you about the latest current events or about other topics like Led Zepplin.

But sometimes, the situations go from odd to downright bizarre or even creepy and you suddenly have a weird Chinese taxi story. For example, one time I had just returned via train to Zhuji and I got into a taxi outside the train station. There were tons of cabs and tricicaraxis waiting as well, and the cars were all jammed in a row. The taxi started the engine and prepared to leave only to realize there was an unoccupied tricicaraxi in front of us. The driver was a younger guy, about 25 years old, with long tousled hair falling over his ears and into his face. He impatiently smacked the steering wheel, blasting the horn repeatedly at the anonymous perpetrator who was blocking us. An older man emerged with his hands in the air with a look of annoyance on his face. My driver screamed at him to move the tricicaraxi but the old man yelled back something in dialect to the presumed effect of, “chill out! I’ll move it in a second!” Whatever the response was in dialect, it was unsatisfactory, and the driver inched forward and bumped the tricicaraxi, nudging it a few feet forward. The old man was pissed. His eyes glazed over and he tried to brace himself on the tricicaraxi but the driver slowly kept driving forward. The old man ran over to the driver’s side (thankfully not to mine) and opened the door, and reached into the car in an attempt to pry the driver out of the car. The driver stopped yelling and a fiery-eyed dialogue ensued. The driver managed to push the old man out of the way and shut the door, driving forward again but by this time he had knocked the tricicaraxi out of the way. The old man, unwilling to be defeated in some effort to “save face”, lofted himself onto the hood of the car. But the driver refused to stop, and I sat there stupidly unable to do anything while the driver moved forward, the old man clinging like a barnacle to the hood of the car. The driver screeched to a halt and the man fell to the ground and we sped away as my taxi driver yelled obscenities out the window. Young Driver 1 – Old Man 0. Poor guy, I seriously hope he didn’t get hurt.

On another occasion, I was in the taxi and on my daily 45-minute commute to work when the taxi driver was asking me the usual but annoying questions like if I liked Chinese food, how long I’d been in China, and so forth. He asked if I liked Beijing Opera music. I lied and said yes and so he went on and on at how culturally relevant it was for Chinese people. In actuality, I only like Chinese rock, punk, or metal bands in Beijing. Suddenly, he turns and looks at me, and starts screeching at me with the most ear piercing sounds I have ever heard in an Opera-like serenade. I wanted to throw myself out the window. With the abhorrence I’m sure my mother felt towards the metal music I blasted in my room at 6am on schooldays in high school, my poor ears instantly empathized with one who is subjected to music that they greatly despise. Sometimes there is nothing you can do about it; some music never grows on you, and the crooning taxi driver with his Beijing Opera tortured my poor ears for a good 30 minutes. Sometimes good intentions are ill received and it just creates a weird taxi story.

One time after a concert there were no available taxis because it was late and all of them had been snatched up. There were several illegal taxis, and while I am not saying this was a superb idea, we saw no real ones so we decided to take one.  I haggled the price down to 50 RMB; we were really far outside the city so that seemed like a pretty good deal. Meanwhile my friend had been negotiating and the driver was trying to get her to agree to pay by the km. I reconfirmed 3 different times that it would be 50 RMB and we got in. About fifteen minutes into the drive, the man points to his odometer and tells us that it’s 2 RMB per kilometer, it had been 30km. WHAT!? Oh nooooo pengyou! I told him that was a bunch of crap and that he said 50 RMB so it was 50. He pointed to my friend and said, “She said 2RMB per km.” I promptly told him that she only briefly discussed it with him and that I didn’t care what they had discussed because he and I had agreed on 50, three different times. He sat there and argued for what seemed like an eternity, adamantly refusing to go down in price. We told him we weren’t paying that much; he screeched on the breaks. There was probably not a lot of intelligent thought in the next action, but we all got out of the car on the side of the road. I would never do this in the US by the way, because someone will chop you up into pieces, but China is safe so, despite being a bad idea, we got out and started walking away from the car. The guy stayed in his car wondering what we were going to do. We stood about 30 feet away waiting in the darkness for a taxi to come along. And we waited. And waited. I think about 20 minutes went by when the guy got out of the car to tell us again that he wanted to charge us 2 kuai a kilometer, which wasn’t going to work. Out of sheer principle, we were not going to give into his shenanigans and my friend was drunkenly trying to be belligerent both in Chinese and English but the guy wouldn’t leave. So we waited some more and finally what seemed like an eternity later headlights appeared in the distance and a beautiful blue and yellow Beijing taxi pulled up. We practically leapt and ran for it and jumped in, very happy to have been saved from beside-the-highway abandonment on highway-middle-of-nowhere-China.  In the end, we ended up paying 80 RMB to get home in a real taxi, and know what? It was worth every penny. Stay away from the illegal taxi pirates.

The list of weird incidences goes on and on, from having a taxi driver stroke your beard to one chasing after your friend with a brick because he threw up in his car, to a driver who twitches like he is in serious need of a straightjacket, everyone has their own China weird taxi stories. Taxis are a necessary part of life here in China when you can’t drive a car. Like everywhere in the world, you are bound to happen upon some weird taxi situation and encounter some weirdoes here and there creating the weird taxi stories.  The situations might be odd, uncomfortable, funny, shocking, or freaky, but alas, you have no recourse.  You are at the mercy of these taxi drivers and you never know what’s going to happen as they flip up the sign and the meter starts running as they pull out into the highway…all as usual or China crazy taxi story?
Related Links
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Taxi Driver: Shanghai Stories
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