I have hit the midpoint of my China trek and what started out as a East to West trek has since transformed nebulously into a Frontier Visit instead. I finally felt that it was a good time to gather my thoughts and attempt to pen down some of the perspectives I have gleaned of China thus far. It has been a sometimes confounding experience, understanding the trials of independent travel here, learning to comprehend the 100 different Chinese accents and just dealing with the enormity that is China.
When Jesuit missionary Louis Le Conte, in the 17th century, wrote that the Chinese ‘are more fond of the most defective piece of antiquity than of the most perfect of the modern…’, he had no clue about the force of modernity that would envelop China in the 21th century. With the Beijing Olympics just around the corner, China has been in a crazed rush to modernize itself (at the unfortunate expense of losing its amazing sense of history, with tacky refurbishments to not to say the least, The Forbidden City and adding ridiculous contraptions such as a tobogen slide down the Great Wall). He is a tad right when it comes to the lack of perfection but that is another discussion point.
China loves modern, so much so that it hankers after modernity without logic, reason or taste. With an average of 8-10% GDP growth in the last 10 years, China has been chasing nothing but highrise buildings, new technologies and seizing all opportunities to be the world’s factory. In another 15 years, China will be the world’s biggest consumer, with a increasing proportion of middle-class affluent rising (Even Galleries Layfette in Paris has started including Mandarin in its shopping signs in-store). The world will soon see a shift as the world’s wealth and economic resources see an astounding shift towards the East. While this sounds like it may come out in some China rising spiel book written by some white dude, it is a reality that i have been experiencing since i got here.
It probably makes sense at this juncture to have an interlude disclaimer that as a foreigner and even though I am Chinese by birth, that is hard to understand the Chinese and make pre-judgements. I understand that a lot of the backpackers and foreign travellers with Asian lust preclude to understand the Chinese having travelled here for 2 months, but there is a wide disparity and huge difference between the provinces, the individuals that inhibit them and really, at the heart of it all, it is really hard to put one’s finger on a culture that practices emotional self-censorship and just doesn’t like to share very much. To even make a commentary requires some historical understanding of how the Chinese mind is formed. And from here on, this
discuter is bordering on all hypothesis…so don’t say i didn’t warn you.
So, what is it with the country that houses a quarter of the world’s population? At heart, it is about food. Historically throughout the years, China has always had to defend its borders against marauders such as the Russians and the Mongols whom craved her lush arable lands . China has to feed some 1.3 billion people on only 7% of the world’s arable land. That is a feat. China has always been about food and survival. Throughout the years, a move from an agricultural existence to that of a gentrified city life has allowed its cuisine to evolve to an art as the world gets to enjoy the delicacies of Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisines. It really was the discovery (probably invention) of rice and the ability to turn that into a sustainable food form that has propelled the survival of its people. And it is with this love for food and the reward of a full stomach that drives the Chinese, even now. Life can suck, things may not work out but as long as one has good food in one’s stomach, then life can at least be bearable. And everywhere you look in China, be it on the remote mountains or on the distant highways, there is always the waft of food smells, however simple, however plain. Starvation just isn’t an option here. And i compare this to the many nights where I was cold and starving in Paris and there is no food shop for miles. China puts the rest of the world to shame when it comes to the stomach. The Chinese’s love affair with food can border on insanity though, as each province aims to outdo each other with the weird. From Jumping duck in Hong Kong to grubs in Xi’an and fried grasshoppers in Yunnan, there is pride in regional cuisines.
And no, China is not about sweet and sour pork - the only places that serve it are for western tourists. There is nothing more apalling than overhearing an American guy on the phone (but Americans are clueless anyways…see George Bush for reference) with his mum telling her that the cuisine of Xi’an is "stuff like sweet and sour pork." I wish foreigners would not create disinformation of this sort. Sweetness in main dishes is an Eastern Chinese trait. In the central parts of China, it is all about Mala, chillied flakes, thick gravy with hot, spicy and heartiness. As one moves from the North to the South of China, the food becomes lighter, the portions become smaller and the taste takes on the possibility of the bland. Food prepartion techniques in Shanghai and Hong Kong are exquisite and fine; a form of cooking that is as tasty as it is tantalizing to view. Attention is paid to proportions, colours, tastes and preparation techniques. The Northern part of China is cold and harsh, the food is salty, preserved often and what I think of as "peasent’s fare" - large steaming bowls of noodles, chillied for taste and meant to fill the stomach. Kim chi is a common site up in Heilongjiang, as is vodka - a gift from Russia. Dumplings are often made with thick skins, having 90% flour and 10% meat. And even this can be a generalization, as China is filled with an alarming mix of cultures, peoples and a mix of everything that has influenced its food. Through trade on the Silk Road, the influence of religion from India/ Tibet, intermarriage between tribes and the changes in dynasties, the food in China, I believe, follows some sort of historical band as common dishes percolate throughout certain parts of China, given historical trading reasons, with subtle differences in each province.
The love for money, prosperity and wealth, is probably another common Chinese trait. In my mind, this is an extension of Confucian philosophy, where constant betterment is drilled into the Chinese psyche. And so comes with the love for spending, acquisition and possession. Everywhere I go in China, there is always something to be sold. Vendors here don’t understand the phrase, "I don’t need it. I don’t want it." They always think it’s just a pricing issue. China’s tourism industry is 90% fuelled by domestic travellers, most of which travel in family hordes of 5 or more, gobbling up more food and spending more money on touristic trinkets than any cheapo western tourist. Being fat is a good thing, it is a sign of wealth, as seen from the numerous portly men, and even the generals represented in the Terracotta army are bigger, stouter and fatter than the foot soldiers. All Chinese emperors were fat men, with heavy jowls and servants to carry them around in comfortable seats. Being fair is a great thing, it reflects that one does not have to slave in the sun, a privilege indeed. My close run-in at the massage parlour confrms that belief. If there is a unifying factor in China, beyond food, it’s money. The most frequent question i get is, "How much you earn in Singapore?" "How much does this cost?" While people will not tell you their name, they will gladly share pricing information and are most eager to know if you are indeed richer than them. All my most intimate discussions with Chinese friends I have made on the road surround money, wealth and the possibility of being rich as an end objective. Shopping is a major pastime here and if something can be charged for, it will be. Mountains and lakes that are most often public goods are highly priced and the domestic tourists spare no expense in shelling out RMB to have a great time. This is somewhat of a confounding notion to western travellers that are used to enjoying mountains, lakes and national parks for free.
Group dynamics is a strange thing. I have often felt that being Chinese has no cache, it is quite different from say, the Japanese, whom give special privileges to their own kinsmen. There is no kinship in China when it comes to money or business. There is a resounding "me, myself and I" mentality. Even a Chinese person from a different province will not get local prices. And such is life. I love it how all over China, popularist slogans such as "Work together for better future" or "We strive to work for the people" are plastered all over, just to remind people that there is such a thing as a wider community. And it is at this juncture that I have to allude to the basic family unit. Chinese love their family units, it’s a Confucian teaching; beyond the family, the Chinese find it hard to comprehend. Hence, community efforts to stem pollution or even to work together en masse to fix prices often fails. It is also this very nature that results in China being probably the closest to perfect competition market that I have ever witnessed.
Part 1. To be continued. Next topics: Love in China, Relationships and Idea of Fun :)
the city scene is still a Kodak moment.
