One last post on China, though I am putting together some photos that I will be asking Christine for help in getting on the blog at a later time. Nothing big, just some random thoughts and a few photos.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but being invited to and having a banquet in our honor at the Hall of the People was a BIG deal. When one of the speakers, a high ranking official in the education department was near tears as he addressed us from the stage it started to sink in, but it wasn’t until later in sharing with our guide that we realized the significance of the event. The speaker had never been in the building for an event and could not believe that he was on the stage addressing us.
The Great Wall was truly impressive. Seeing it from the air showed its expanse, but being on it and seeing it up close was an experience I won’t soon forget. I was happy that I made it to the top though I felt it the next day with stiff and painful legs. In fact, on the way down my legs were actually shaking at times.
Everywhere we went in Beijing there were people selling things and many in our group were impressed with variety of shopping opportunities. Jewelry, especially pearls was high on everyone’s list. Shopping ranged from high end boutiques to shops stuck in corners. Because we were on a tourist bus, we were targeted by street hawkers on many occasions. It was a different experience for me as shopping has never been high on my list of things to do.
Beijing is a huge city unlike any I have seen in our country. It has an area of 16,800 square meters that spreads over 16 districts and 2 counties. From the top floor of our hotel in every direction all you see are buildings, a mix of old, new, and under construction. Though there are tall buildings, I didn’t see what we call skyscrapers. The tallest seemed to be in the twenty story range. Eighteen million people live in this city with four million labeled by our guide as flowing in and out. That means that there is migration in and out of four million people from the provinces seeking better lives. Many, however, discover that the menial jobs they find are not better than their previous live so they return to the provinces only to be replaced by others seeking a better existence. As I watched those cleaning the streets I can understand why this migration would take place.
In Beijing there are six million cars, none appearing to be older than five years. The government buys the older cars. The only older vehicles are minivans. The most popular models include Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Buick, Audi, and BMW. Though they continue to only allow driving every other day based on license plate numbers, it doesn’t stop traffic jams. I would be remiss if I didn’t share what appeared to be the most popular form of transportation, bicycles and scooters. They were everywhere as was the vast public bus and subway system.
My understanding of China’s need for new power sources and search for cheap and efficient fuel was reinforced. I saw new coal fired power plants in development and use as well as wind farms, solar panels on street lights, and other roof top energy devices both in the city and in the province. I fear that if we don’t create a sense of urgency in our country around the need for discovering and creating new sources of cheap and efficient energy the Chinese and European nations will. In the future those countries that move in this direction will be better positioned for success than are those dependent on fossil fuels.
There were guards in uniforms everywhere we went, on street corners, in shopping areas, at tourist attractions, in the streets, and on the roads. The uniforms were slightly different and I don’t know what each signified, but they were similar right down to the hat. They were usually young, perhaps in their twenties, though some appeared younger, and they rarely spoke to or acknowledged us. They were not armed, they were just present. I believe this presence has an influence on what people say and do in public.
I’ll close with one last piece of information on the public schools. Formal schooling in the primary school starts at age seven. All children, however, go to preschool for two years where they learn to read making the starting age of seven a little misleading.
I have had fun sharing my experiences in these last few posts and hope that they have provided you with some information and a feeling for travel in China.
2 comments:
With regard to your energy comments, my sources state China is building two new coal plants EACH WEEK! Of course this bodes poorly for CO2 emmisions but there again, the Chinese are beginning to recognize the self-destructive nature of fossil fuels. And here is where one might realize a benefit of a totalitarian state (albeit, a minor one)...the Chinese government is beginning to go into one-village-after-another and completely rewiring it, making each based on non-renewable energy sources. They are hoping the coal holds out while they undergo this massive effort but seeing as the recent G-8 in Italy this week agreed to WAAAAAAAY too little, sadly too late (politicians are simply too weak to make the tough decisions), a country like China doesn't need "bipartisan support" and isn't facing private industry spending 1.4 million dollars A DAY to lobby Congress to ignore its people...they just DO IT. Again, thanks for your sharings... "xie xie"
If you are referring to me, I'm ready to help!
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