How to Travel China - A Guide for the Uninitiated - 西方人在中国!

Nanjing - City with a tragic past

2011-12-14T00:45:00.000+10:00

While visiting Nanjing in 2010 I was made aware of the atrocities committed on the Chinese people by the invading Japanese in 1937.

Some of you may have heard of the Nanking Massacre (the name of the city was changed to Nanjing some time late during the 20^th century).

In 1937 Nanking was the capital of China. Approximately 300km west of Shanghai, it was a prime target of the Japanese Imperial Forces.

Nanking at that time was surrounded by a massive city wall. The Japanese succeeded in breaking through the wall and invading the city itself. According to Chinese records, as many as 300,000 (three hundred thousand) Chinese people were killed. Many more were left injured and traumatised.

After WWII Nanjing recovered and is now a city of more than 8 million, with an additional 5+million in the entire province of Jiangsu.

I visited the Nanjing Massacre Memorial and was amazed by the shear size and detail the memorial displays. If you decide to visit (and you should!!!) please treat it with the honor it deserves.

It is a very solemn place, and local Chinese treat it with reverence. I was struck by the many artifacts such as Japanese weapons and other items left behind by the invading forces.

There are photos of victims covering huge walls, audio recordings of witness commentaries playing in the background, and letters documenting the events during the invasion.

The most disturbing, yet telling, part of the memorial is the hall that was built over a shallow mass grave following executions. You can walk around this grave covering approximately 400 square metres (that's my estimate and I could be wrong...nonetheless it was impressive.


Skeleton in the original ground, around which is built the memorial

The official website dedicated to the Nanjing Massacre memorial is http://www.nj1937.org/english/default.asp

I also visited Janzi Ji (Swallow Rock) on the banks of the Yangtze River, on the outskirts of Nanjing. It was the site of part of the Nanjing Massacre where it is reported that Japanese soldiers forced men women and children to jump to their deaths by forcing them off the cliff face.

Hobbit steps leading to a small monestary at Janzi Ji (Swallow Rock)

Me on the steps Janzi Ji

View of Yangtze River

From the top of the cliff face you can look over the Yangtze River. If you go in summer, make sure you take drinking water! There are little shops at the base of the hill, near the main road, so buy a couple of bottles and be prepared for a hike. Like many historical attractions in China, the steps leading up and down the cliffs are so narrow in some places you almost need to have the feet of a hobbit to negotiate them safely.

Apart from the dark history, it’s a quiet, out of the way “tourist attraction” that apparently doesn’t get over crowded by tourists. I guess one reason is transport to and from the site is hard to pinpoint. Well, we caught a taxi there, which was easy enough. However getting back meant walking for a mile or so and jumping in front of the first poor unsuspecting taxi that appeared.

From time to time a local cabbie in a little 3-wheeler can be found. (It's more like a lawnmower with a roof, and two guys in the backseat is a tight fit. Assurances to eachother that we don't think of each other "that way" were repeated a few times...particularly when we hit a bump in the road while hurtling along at a face-breaking speed of 20 miles an hour). We found one, jumped in the back seat and went up the road adjacent to the river to find another walkway, and caves meandering through a mountain.

Our local "taxi" driver. It's a snug fit for two burly guys to fit in the back, especially when we hit a bump in the road.

My Beijing experience

2011-12-04T20:57:00.000+10:00

Me at Beijing Airport, Christmas day 2010... Although China doesn't officially celebrate Christmas, the jolly Chinese Santa and his little helper were wandering around handing out Christmas candy.

One of my many cab drivers around Xingtai. Very friendly and chatted constantly, in Chinese! I had no idea what his name was, or what he was saying...But just called him "Dennis".

I've been to China seven times since Sept 2009. And each time has been an incredible experience!
Here are a few tips:
1) Taxis: Make sure the cab has a working meter! And if it is working, make sure they turn it on! There are many taxis that are just private cars targetting ignorant foreigners. The real taxi drivers will have their ID clearly showing on the dashboard, and will NEVER ask for money up front. The cost of travelling by taxi is minimal - perhaps $3 or $4(US) to go 4 or 5 blocks.
2) Safety: The upside of a communist state is that violent crime is very low! I have walked through the streets of Beijing, Nanjing and Xingtai (all in different parts of China) in the dead of night, and felt completely safe. The police take a tough stance on crime and the locals will respect the law all times. Just beware of petty crime. I haven't experienced it, but I hear pickpockets can be a hassle, especially in tourist magnets like Tianenmen Square.
3) The language: If you can't speak it fluently, be careful....You may make a fool of yourself. The language is heavily reliant on the accent of each syllable. Don't worry as most Chinese are very accommodating... They may not understand a word you say, but will try to make sense of the situation for you. You may even find a stranger will overhear your half-insane ramblings and have at least a rudimentary grasp of English enough to bridge the gap for you.

4) Tipping: Don't! I have heard that it can be seen as an insult for a westerner to give money away. Chinese work hard and long hours, and for us comparatively rich westerners to throw it away in such a fashion is just showing off. Even when catching a taxi, and the fare comes to, say, 24 RMB (about $US4) and you give the driver 25 RMB you will always receive change.

5) Driving yourself: DON'T...EVER! I have never seen such a disorganised bunch of chaos in even the worst peak hour traffic. Although I have never seen any sort of road rage on China roads, everyone honks their horn as if they just got it for Christmas! Indicators in cars are just pretty lights that are never used... Traffic lights are more of a suggestion than anything else, and most "new money" Chinese (of which there are millions) have just bought their very first car and possibly obtained their license as an afterthought. Their previous vehicle was probably a push bike. Then you have the "young money" drivers. These guys cruise extremely fast, erratically and with no regard for road rules in their brand new Mercs, BMWs and Volkswagon Passats. The cool colour is black! They are emulating their Party Member dads, and apparently (so I am told) have the same privilege of immunity to the law.
You also have the maze-like roads to navigate. Regardless if you happen to be able to read Chinese written characters on road signs, the new China is growing exponentially, and so are their roads! Read a road map that's perhaps 12 months old and you can be sure to find that it is somewhat out of date
..... Just catch a taxi. It's easier.

These tips are from my experience alone. Other people may have contradicting views. Overall the people are great to deal with, honesty is rife, and you will laugh at yourself for getting that phrase wrong when trying to impress the locals with your grasp on the language.

Cheers!