I was already late for my last Chinese lesson when I got on the bus today. We were sitting at an intersection a block away from home when traffic stopped, a police officer strode to the center and everyone started deliberately laying on their horns. Everyone on the bus stood up and I then realized it was 2:28 p.m. The nation was observing three minutes silence to mourn those killed in last week's earthquake, whose magnitude has now been revised to 8.0.
Eight is an auspicious number here - cellphone numbers with multiple 8's are more expensive - but events this year have caused some people to question the superstition. China's worst snowstorm in 50 years hit on 1.25 (1 + 2 + 5 = 8), the earthquake shook Sichuan on 5.12 (5 + 1 + 2 = 8), and protests in Tibet turned violent on 3.14 (you get the idea). The Olympics start on August 8, 2008 at 8 p.m. local time.
China started a three-day mourning period today, which newspapers marked this morning by removing color from their front pages. Flags will fly at half-mast and the Olympic torch relay has been suspended. Also in observance, the government has ordered entertainment and gaming websites to suspend operations and post mourning messages instead. Beijing's Houhai bar district will turn off its music this week, while some movie theaters and KTV (karaoke) chains will shut down completely.
People were still being rescued Sunday, seven days after being buried. On Sunday night my Chinese teacher watched a TV special that included many stories from survivors. She told me about one girl who turned 20 the same day the earthquake struck. Before it happened, she was wondering what she would get for her birthday - flowers, clothing, etc. After a building collapsed on her, she waited several days for rescue teams to find her. In the end, she said, her birthday gift was her life.
China Fun Fact: Officially, the current toll is 34,073 dead and 245,108 injured.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Fenqing
Fenqing = angry youth who display a high level of Chinese nationalism
China Fun Fact: China has 160 cities with populations over 1 million (the U.S. has nine).
China Fun Fact: China has 160 cities with populations over 1 million (the U.S. has nine).
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Longtime reader, first-time fake letter writer
I never read the letters to the editor in China Daily, so it wasn't until recently that I noticed how outrageously fake they are - especially when it comes to recent events. To wit:
I have visited Tibet on three occasions. People there live a happy and peaceful life and their livelihood has been improved greatly.
Each time I visit, I notice new progress. Roads and highways are becoming better and the cities more beautiful.
I am dismayed that the recent violence had disrupted the peace and stability of the people. I strongly oppose such violent incidents that target innocent civilians. I hope it will not be too long before I can visit Tibet again to enjoy the peace and serenity of the region.
"Giuseppe from Italy"
I knew from the very beginning that the riots in Tibet were instigated by some ill-intentioned people to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games.
I watched a CCTV 4 news report in which five innocent girls were burnt to death by the mobs. It was quite brutal and horrifying. In my country, there are not many people who are aware of the fact that Tibetan people are enjoying a lot of autonomous rights.
I hope the Chinese government can bring the situation under control as soon as possible so that the people can return to their peaceful lives. I also think German media needs to take a fresh look at the way they report the news. The untrue reports spread quickly but not the apologies.
"Helmut Matt from Germany"
I felt very sorry and angry about the violent incident in Tibet on March 14. Many innocent people lost their lives in the riots and it has greatly undermined social order and stability in Tibet.
All the evidence shows that the Dalai Lama clique attempted to clash with the Chinese government in order to seek Tibet independence.
But I firmly believe that the temporary chaos will end soon and the Chinese government will handle the situation properly and effectively. The Beijing Olympic Games will be held successfully in August.
"Ricardo Santos from Brazil"
The Qinghai-Tibet railway is one of many examples that show Tibet's economic development and people's living standards have improved significantly in the past few decades.
All this relies on favorable government policies and the support of all Chinese people. Any attempt to separate Tibet from China is against the will of the people.
"Huajin from Spain"
China is a country of great culture and history. The 2008 Beijing Olympics bear special significance for the Chinese people.
The world's attention is on China and we are looking forward to a successful Beijing Olympics.
The games is a world event, therefore to disrupt it is to go against the wishes of the people around the world, and people who love China.
As a religious person, I want to tell Chinese religious believers that they should be careful not to be used by a few criminals who harbor ill intentions. We need to work together to achieve social harmony, national stability and world peace.
"Idris Bu Vadinar from Morocco"
[4/10/2008]
China Fun Fact: In a poll last year asking urban Chinese how much Japan respects China, almost 75% said "not much" or "not at all." President Hu Jintao is in Japan this week - the first such visit in a decade.
I have visited Tibet on three occasions. People there live a happy and peaceful life and their livelihood has been improved greatly.
Each time I visit, I notice new progress. Roads and highways are becoming better and the cities more beautiful.
I am dismayed that the recent violence had disrupted the peace and stability of the people. I strongly oppose such violent incidents that target innocent civilians. I hope it will not be too long before I can visit Tibet again to enjoy the peace and serenity of the region.
"Giuseppe from Italy"
I knew from the very beginning that the riots in Tibet were instigated by some ill-intentioned people to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games.
I watched a CCTV 4 news report in which five innocent girls were burnt to death by the mobs. It was quite brutal and horrifying. In my country, there are not many people who are aware of the fact that Tibetan people are enjoying a lot of autonomous rights.
I hope the Chinese government can bring the situation under control as soon as possible so that the people can return to their peaceful lives. I also think German media needs to take a fresh look at the way they report the news. The untrue reports spread quickly but not the apologies.
"Helmut Matt from Germany"
I felt very sorry and angry about the violent incident in Tibet on March 14. Many innocent people lost their lives in the riots and it has greatly undermined social order and stability in Tibet.
All the evidence shows that the Dalai Lama clique attempted to clash with the Chinese government in order to seek Tibet independence.
But I firmly believe that the temporary chaos will end soon and the Chinese government will handle the situation properly and effectively. The Beijing Olympic Games will be held successfully in August.
"Ricardo Santos from Brazil"
The Qinghai-Tibet railway is one of many examples that show Tibet's economic development and people's living standards have improved significantly in the past few decades.
All this relies on favorable government policies and the support of all Chinese people. Any attempt to separate Tibet from China is against the will of the people.
"Huajin from Spain"
China is a country of great culture and history. The 2008 Beijing Olympics bear special significance for the Chinese people.
The world's attention is on China and we are looking forward to a successful Beijing Olympics.
The games is a world event, therefore to disrupt it is to go against the wishes of the people around the world, and people who love China.
As a religious person, I want to tell Chinese religious believers that they should be careful not to be used by a few criminals who harbor ill intentions. We need to work together to achieve social harmony, national stability and world peace.
"Idris Bu Vadinar from Morocco"
[4/10/2008]
China Fun Fact: In a poll last year asking urban Chinese how much Japan respects China, almost 75% said "not much" or "not at all." President Hu Jintao is in Japan this week - the first such visit in a decade.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Xinjiang
Last weekend was China's Labor Day holiday, so Niall and I took off a few extra days and traveled to China's western edge (photos here).
Xinjiang (which means "New Frontier") is more Central Asia than Far East, but the Chinese government cares deeply about it for two main reasons. One, it has significant oil and natural gas reserves. Two, it has enormous geopolitical importance since it borders eight countries: Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The giant province is home to the Uighur people, who practice Islam and use Arabic script - although their numbers have dropped below 50% as Beijing has flooded the region with Han Chinese settlers. Xinjiang's situation is similar to Tibet in that the government has spent billions on development while relegating native ethnic groups to second-class status. In recent years there have been sporadic, and sometimes violent, separatist movements, but while Uighurs generally resent Chinese rule many are resistant to the idea of independence. Speaking to Uighur students in Beijing has given me the impression they see their fate as linked to Tibet's, so they're not crazy about independence for that region either.
Having flown into Urumqi (the capital) the night before, we spent last Sunday wandering through the touristy Erdaoqiao Market before heading back to the airport for our flight to Kashgar. One thing I should mention: China has a "one country, one time zone" policy, which means officially it's the same time in Xinjiang as it is in Beijing 3,000 km away. This makes for some very late sunsets. Bus stations, airports and government offices all run on Beijing time, but for the most part people in Xinjiang live on their own schedule two hours behind. What's great about this is each day felt that much longer - I could wake up at 9:00 Beijing time and feel rested, then mentally switch to Xinjiang time in the afternoon and add two more hours to my day. But it can also occasionally lead to confusion, say when arranging private tours with a driver: "What time shall we leave? 8:00? OK - wait, is that Beijing time or Xinjiang time?"
In Kashgar we stayed at a fantastic hotel (the dorms had private bathrooms!), housed in the former British consulate. We saw the Id Kah Mosque and ate at the night market, then left early the next morning on a bus to Tashkurgan, a small town near the China-Pakistan border. The 300-km drive took us along the Karakoram Highway, which transitions from desert to red rock cliffs to snow-capped mountains as it climbs to 3,600 meters.
Once we arrived in Tashkurgan, however, we discovered there was not much to do. It was a long night playing cards in the lobby, but while there we met a man who offered to drive us back to Kashgar the next day for slightly more money than the bus. It was worth it to be able to pull over and take pictures, so we set off along with a young Korean man who was also in our dorm room. The drive back was faster, with the driver pointing out interesting sights; at one point, he told us we were 14 km from Tajikistan.
There is no escaping the Olympics anywhere in this country. Even in Kashgar, which is about as far away from Beijing as you can get, signs along the street were plastered with the "One World, One Dream" theme. No sooner had we commented on this than we entered People's Square, where a dance practice was under way. It's not unusual to see people in public squares sweating along to some post-work exercise music, but this was special. Most people wore the same T-shirt - some red, some yellow, blue, etc. - and then they broke into the different-colored Olympic rings. In each ring one or two people simulated a different sport: ping-pong, basketball, running. It looked like they were preparing for the opening ceremony, or perhaps for something similar when the torch passes through Xinjiang over the summer.
On Wednesday we doubled back to Urumqi, our central hub. Once in the air, the pilot announced we were 100 days away from the Olympic opening ceremony. Meanwhile, back in Beijing, our school coordinator had informed all the foreign teachers they were to participate in an event commemorating the 100-day countdown. I hadn't told the school I was leaving, so Brian and Tienie covered for me by saying I'd be taking a Chinese exam. All the teachers at the school, foreign and Chinese, gathered at the track, each receiving an Olympic flag and a Chinese flag. Then they hoisted their flags high and marched around the track four times (about a mile), with video cameras and a few students watching. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and Brian said they received soap and laundry detergent as a reward.
In the afternoon we took another bus to Turpan, about three hours away. Turpan sits in the Tarim Basin, the second-lowest depression in the world (after Death Valley) and the hottest spot in China. The town itself is an oasis and major grape producer, although we were a little early for grape season. The next day we took a private car to see the sand dunes, about 100 km away. The driver pulled off the road and we walked a kilometer into the desert, where the sand stretched into the horizon and we were the only people around.
On the way to Tuyoq, a hokey "traditional" Uighur town (think Xinjiang's Williamsburg), the driver pulled over at a police checkpoint and got out to speak with the officers. When he returned, we asked him why the police stopped him and he said something about the Olympics. Why would that matter in Xinjiang, which is so far away? we asked. "Because they're scared," he said.
We returned to Urumqi once again in the afternoon, then spent an uneventful day there on Friday. The May 1 holiday was also the start of a planned boycott against Carrefour, the French Wal-Mart. The Chinese are très irrités for two reasons: 1) the unfriendly reception the torch received in Paris last month and 2) reports that Nicolas Sarkozy may not attend the opening ceremony (never mind the fact that Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown, Stephen Harper, Ban Ki-moon and all three U.S. presidential candidates have said they will definitely not attend). We stopped at Carrefour after dinner and noticed a sign reassuring customers that the company fully supports the Olympics and has neither directly nor indirectly aided "splittist" groups. We tried to take a picture, but a security guard stopped us. Lines in the store were ridiculous as usual. Even China Daily, which ran a front-page story, admitted support for the boycott was tepid at best.
On Saturday we flew back to Beijing from Urumqi, which wouldn't have been noteworthy except we were all pulled off the plane because one passenger had cancelled at the last minute and the airline wanted to do another security check. Militants reportedly tried to hijack a Beijing-bound plane in March, so I can understand why the airline might be jumpy, but the announcement met with groans from less concerned passengers. We landed in Beijing's brand-new terminal, which is beautiful but requires a long walk from the gate to the baggage claim.
China Fun Fact: Almost 1.4 million Olympic tickets went on sale today.
Xinjiang (which means "New Frontier") is more Central Asia than Far East, but the Chinese government cares deeply about it for two main reasons. One, it has significant oil and natural gas reserves. Two, it has enormous geopolitical importance since it borders eight countries: Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The giant province is home to the Uighur people, who practice Islam and use Arabic script - although their numbers have dropped below 50% as Beijing has flooded the region with Han Chinese settlers. Xinjiang's situation is similar to Tibet in that the government has spent billions on development while relegating native ethnic groups to second-class status. In recent years there have been sporadic, and sometimes violent, separatist movements, but while Uighurs generally resent Chinese rule many are resistant to the idea of independence. Speaking to Uighur students in Beijing has given me the impression they see their fate as linked to Tibet's, so they're not crazy about independence for that region either.
Having flown into Urumqi (the capital) the night before, we spent last Sunday wandering through the touristy Erdaoqiao Market before heading back to the airport for our flight to Kashgar. One thing I should mention: China has a "one country, one time zone" policy, which means officially it's the same time in Xinjiang as it is in Beijing 3,000 km away. This makes for some very late sunsets. Bus stations, airports and government offices all run on Beijing time, but for the most part people in Xinjiang live on their own schedule two hours behind. What's great about this is each day felt that much longer - I could wake up at 9:00 Beijing time and feel rested, then mentally switch to Xinjiang time in the afternoon and add two more hours to my day. But it can also occasionally lead to confusion, say when arranging private tours with a driver: "What time shall we leave? 8:00? OK - wait, is that Beijing time or Xinjiang time?"
In Kashgar we stayed at a fantastic hotel (the dorms had private bathrooms!), housed in the former British consulate. We saw the Id Kah Mosque and ate at the night market, then left early the next morning on a bus to Tashkurgan, a small town near the China-Pakistan border. The 300-km drive took us along the Karakoram Highway, which transitions from desert to red rock cliffs to snow-capped mountains as it climbs to 3,600 meters.Once we arrived in Tashkurgan, however, we discovered there was not much to do. It was a long night playing cards in the lobby, but while there we met a man who offered to drive us back to Kashgar the next day for slightly more money than the bus. It was worth it to be able to pull over and take pictures, so we set off along with a young Korean man who was also in our dorm room. The drive back was faster, with the driver pointing out interesting sights; at one point, he told us we were 14 km from Tajikistan.
There is no escaping the Olympics anywhere in this country. Even in Kashgar, which is about as far away from Beijing as you can get, signs along the street were plastered with the "One World, One Dream" theme. No sooner had we commented on this than we entered People's Square, where a dance practice was under way. It's not unusual to see people in public squares sweating along to some post-work exercise music, but this was special. Most people wore the same T-shirt - some red, some yellow, blue, etc. - and then they broke into the different-colored Olympic rings. In each ring one or two people simulated a different sport: ping-pong, basketball, running. It looked like they were preparing for the opening ceremony, or perhaps for something similar when the torch passes through Xinjiang over the summer.
On Wednesday we doubled back to Urumqi, our central hub. Once in the air, the pilot announced we were 100 days away from the Olympic opening ceremony. Meanwhile, back in Beijing, our school coordinator had informed all the foreign teachers they were to participate in an event commemorating the 100-day countdown. I hadn't told the school I was leaving, so Brian and Tienie covered for me by saying I'd be taking a Chinese exam. All the teachers at the school, foreign and Chinese, gathered at the track, each receiving an Olympic flag and a Chinese flag. Then they hoisted their flags high and marched around the track four times (about a mile), with video cameras and a few students watching. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and Brian said they received soap and laundry detergent as a reward.
In the afternoon we took another bus to Turpan, about three hours away. Turpan sits in the Tarim Basin, the second-lowest depression in the world (after Death Valley) and the hottest spot in China. The town itself is an oasis and major grape producer, although we were a little early for grape season. The next day we took a private car to see the sand dunes, about 100 km away. The driver pulled off the road and we walked a kilometer into the desert, where the sand stretched into the horizon and we were the only people around.
On the way to Tuyoq, a hokey "traditional" Uighur town (think Xinjiang's Williamsburg), the driver pulled over at a police checkpoint and got out to speak with the officers. When he returned, we asked him why the police stopped him and he said something about the Olympics. Why would that matter in Xinjiang, which is so far away? we asked. "Because they're scared," he said.
We returned to Urumqi once again in the afternoon, then spent an uneventful day there on Friday. The May 1 holiday was also the start of a planned boycott against Carrefour, the French Wal-Mart. The Chinese are très irrités for two reasons: 1) the unfriendly reception the torch received in Paris last month and 2) reports that Nicolas Sarkozy may not attend the opening ceremony (never mind the fact that Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown, Stephen Harper, Ban Ki-moon and all three U.S. presidential candidates have said they will definitely not attend). We stopped at Carrefour after dinner and noticed a sign reassuring customers that the company fully supports the Olympics and has neither directly nor indirectly aided "splittist" groups. We tried to take a picture, but a security guard stopped us. Lines in the store were ridiculous as usual. Even China Daily, which ran a front-page story, admitted support for the boycott was tepid at best.
On Saturday we flew back to Beijing from Urumqi, which wouldn't have been noteworthy except we were all pulled off the plane because one passenger had cancelled at the last minute and the airline wanted to do another security check. Militants reportedly tried to hijack a Beijing-bound plane in March, so I can understand why the airline might be jumpy, but the announcement met with groans from less concerned passengers. We landed in Beijing's brand-new terminal, which is beautiful but requires a long walk from the gate to the baggage claim.
China Fun Fact: Almost 1.4 million Olympic tickets went on sale today.
Sexy Beijing
Thought I'd throw up a link to this Sex and the City spoof, which takes on dating, politics and other issues where cultures collide using SJP's trademark "I couldn't help but wonder..." narration and hilarious man-on-the-street interviews with Beijingers. Start with "Looking for Double Happiness" and "Beijing Caucus."
China Fun Fact: 100,000 Chinese and foreign nationals will volunteer at the Olympics and Paralympics.
China Fun Fact: 100,000 Chinese and foreign nationals will volunteer at the Olympics and Paralympics.
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