|
"Red Heart Moon" a WEST MEETS EAST China Weblog -- by Kevin Hart
Cross-cultural musings about life straddling the Pacific.
last modified Jun 16, 2004 at 17:43
This massive infrastructure project is commonly referred to as China’s “100-Year Dream”. It all began with Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the founding father of modern China, in the year 1919 when he first proposed a high rise dam that could tame the wild Yangtze waters. In his lifetime there had been some catastrophic floods, and his primary concern was to prevent loss of life and damage in the sensitive, flood prone areas downstream of the 3 Gorges. While some research had been done at the time, China was just getting on its feet as a newly formed republic, and Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s proposal never gathered much steam.
In the late 1930’s, it was an American that led renewed interest in the water conservancy project. An internationally renown engineer, John Savage was commissioned by the US Bureau of Reclamation to work with Chinese officials in assessing the Yangtze resources, and discern whether or not a large scale dam would be feasible, and if so, where would be the best place to build it. He and his team of researchers surveyed 13 different locations in and around the Gorges, and surmised that a dam would indeed be possible, and that an area 34 km upstream of Yichang City would be ideal. First and foremost, it is the only place that has a solid granite base. Most of the gorges themselves are limestone, which is softer and more brittle. Second, there is a natural bend in the river, conducive for building elaborate ship locks that could bypass the concrete structure and cut through the bend. Third, there was the advantage of having a natural island in the river that could be used to create preliminary coffer dams. However, while a great amount of resources went into these studies, the project was shelved again.
Chairman Mao revived interest in the project, and in 1952 penned an often-quoted poem called “Swimming”. One stanza of the poem in particular has become a slogan of sorts, and many Chinese can recite it by heart.
“Still to come is the Western River’s wall of stone,
holding back the rains and mists of the Witches’ Gorge,
and creating placid lakes in steep ravines.
The mountain goddess, if she were alive,
Would be amazed at a world so changed”.
Under Mao, navigation on the river was improved greatly with the removal of shoals and other obstacles. The Xiling Gorge, just upstream of Yichang, was known as the notorious “Gateway to Hell” because of the rapids, whirlpools, and boulders. Numerous ships and lives were lost in this section, and it was not until Chairman Mao ordered the destruction of the major impediments that passage was made relatively safe. However, with regard to Mao’s dream of a high rise dam, it remained just that until well after his passing in 1972.
Li Peng is credited with finally spearheading efforts to finally bring the project to life in the 1980’s. Premier of China at that time, Li Peng knew a great deal about the potential benefits of the 3 Gorges Dam as he had a background in dam building and hydro-electric power production, having studied in the Soviet Union early in his career. A bill was passed to begin construction on the “3 Gorges Water Conservancy Project” in 1992, and in the following year, Li Peng presided over the ground-breaking ceremony.
Here is a travel article I wrote a while back regarding Chongqing’s biggest tourist attraction. For those who have visited and those who have yet to, I hope you enjoy it.
One of the most popular tourist destinations in China is a trip down (or up) the Yangtze River through the famous Three Gorges. If you haven’t had the chance yet, I for one would highly recommend it. It has a savage yet majestic atmosphere about it, and with all the press the Gorges have been getting recently, perhaps now is the time for you to make a commitment of a few days to visit this charming tourist destination. Here are some of the things you need to know in preparing for a trip through what the locals call “Chang Jiang San Xia” (长江三峡).
THE YANGTZE
One of the great rivers of the world, the Yangtze is third largest in both length and water volume. It divides China into north and south, and about 700 tributaries of various sizes empty into it. It spans 6,300 km from its origins high in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau 6,600 meters above sea level, to its estuary near Shanghai at the East China Sea. The Gorges are located about half way downstream, a 640 km stretch of the river from Fengjie County in Chongqing Municipality to Yichang City in Hubei Province. The Yangtze started carving out the 3 Gorges about million years ago, about 40 million years ago, around the time that the Himalayan mountain range began rising and west China became higher than the east. Nowadays, one third of China’s population lives in the Yangtze’s catchment area of 1.8 million square kilometers.
CHOOSING YOUR VESSEL
With a great variety of ships to choose from, you would be well served by doing some research before snapping up the first ticket that comes your way. All major hotels and travel agencies in the Chongqing area offer ticketing services, so you can check with them about the various categories and classes of ships. Top of the line companies include Victoria Cruises, Regal Cruises, and President Cruises, with standard fare from Chongqing to Wuhan ranging from 3,000 RMB to 5,000 RMB (about US $360 to $630) depending on the company, ship, season, and travel agency mark-up. This should include food, accommodation, and excursion fees. There are also a number of lesser quality ships that can offer relatively comfortable accommodations for a much cheaper price. For those on a real shoe-string budget, there are the passenger ferries that can save you a bundle, if you have no objections to sleeping on a mat on the floor and having to put up with the sensual bombardment of live chickens, all night gab sessions by your local roommates, incessant clouds of cigarette smoke, and less than hygienic food preparation. You may likely have to miss a whole or a part of a gorge, as these ferries are not technically tourist vessels and don’t stop except to pick up or drop of passengers.
For the better cruise lines, I wouldn’t recommend booking on line; even if it can be done successfully, you will be paying more. It is best to deal with a ticketing agent face-to-face, and like with most purchases in China, you may be able to swing a good deal with a little research, persistence, and those well-honed bargaining skills you develop after being in China for a while! If money is not a consideration, most ships have a number of “Shangri-La” and deluxe suites available to make your sightseeing all the more comfortable. You can book upgraded suites in advance or once you check in. Victoria Cruises is now developing the Eastern Yangtze cruise that continues on from or starts in Wuhan. The ship travels mostly at night and offers extended shore excursions to Lu Mountain in Jiujiang, picturesque Yellow Mountain, and the green South Capital of Nanjing before arriving near Shanghai. This trip entails a further 4 days downstream from Wuhan, and if you have the time, is a great way to see the sites while traveling in comfort. You can visit their self-titled website for more information.
DAY 1 – EVENING DEPARTURE
On the typical cruise, the ships leave port in Chongqing around 9 or 10 pm, but some leave in the morning. As an independent traveler (known as an “FIT” in the tourism trade), you will have to navigate your way down to the right dock in Chongqing. The docks are sequentially numbered, with the smaller numbers being closest to Chao Tian Men (Heaven’s Gate) right at the tip of the Peninsula downtown sandwiched between the Yangtze and Jialing River. If you are not familiar with the city and don’t know where the ship is, try to find out as soon as possible. Some ships dock on the Jiang Bei side of the Yangtze across the Jialing, and occasionally even on the north bank of the Yangtze, making it very hard to get to. Watch out for the ubiquitous porters known as the “Bang Bang” Army. If not supervised, they can be extremely aggressive and may well try to wrest your baggage from you and carry it to the ship, or escort the elderly down the stairs (willingly or otherwise) and all the way to the ship in hopes of making a few RMB. If you do happen to be traveling heavy and need the help, a rule of thumb for foreign visitors is 10 Yuan per bag. Be clear on the price first or a shouting match may ensue. Most of the better ships will have their young staff on shore waiting to receive guests. Look for them if you have any trouble.
Once safely aboard with room key in hand, the cruise director or river guide will give an orientation introducing key staff members, an overview of the cruise, the facilities aboard, and the all-important tipping policy. Most ships have a tip box located strategically near the front desk, and proceeds from the tip box at the end of the cruise are distributed equally among all the staff, which could number up to 120. Service staff also accept personal tips, and will work hard in anticipation of that little extra bonus. Local guides and bus drivers on the shore excursion will appreciate a tip of 5 or 10 Yuan for their services. Just don’t expect the highest quality of English; theirs is a cut below what you hear in Beijing or Shanghai. If you can make out two thirds of their Chinglish, consider yourself fortunate.
Generally speaking, most ships arrange buffet style breakfasts and lunches. A variety of dishes are prepared and kept warm in chaffing dishes. If you want to avoid the lineup, you may come down 20 or 30 minutes after the restaurant opens. Dinners are sit-down, and the food is brought directly to the table where you can jockey for the best tasting dishes by spinning around the “lazy Susan” to your best advantage. Arrangements can be made free of charge for vegetarians, but any extra dishes ordered off the menu must be paid out of pocket.
DAY 2 – SHIBAOZHAI (Precious Stone Fortress)
If you are heading downstream, the first excursion quite likely will be the famous red pagoda of “Shibaozhai” the morning after a full night’s sailing. Called the “Pearl of the Yangtze”, this charming 12 story pagoda overlooks the Yangtze and is built to lean against a natural rock cliff. Many ships stop here, so it can get rather crowded in busy season, so make sure that after the walking tour, you return to the correct vessel! At the top of the cliff, 9 stories up the pagoda, lies a Taoist temple with a rich history, and a famous old salamander that lives in a small moat. The climb to the top is well worth the effort, and will provide some needed exercise during a cruise which is otherwise spent sitting and eating.
Most ships pass through the first gorge late that afternoon. The coal-mining town of Fengjie and historic Bai Di Cheng (White Emperor City) are near the entrance to the Qutang (Chew-Tang) gorge. Only 8 km long, it has the highest peaks, and takes only 15 to 20 minutes to navigate. Here you can see clearly the “tracker paths” carved right out of the limestone walls. Before the advent of motorized vehicles on the river, coolies were hired to pull ships upstream. This back-breaking work was extremely hazardous and many trackers lost their lives over the centuries to the dangerous rock embankments and unforgiving torrents of the river. The Gorge ends right at Daxi Village, sight of recent excavations that have unearthed artifacts dating over 5,000 years.
DAY 3 – Lesser 3 Gorges
The following morning’s excursion entails a boat trip through the well-known “Lesser Three Gorges” of Wushan County. Passengers transfer to smaller vessels and take a 3 to 4 hour trip up a tributary of the Yangtze called the Daning River. Before the 3 Gorges reservoir was raised to its current level of 138 meters above sea level in June of 2003, this excursion was done in small “sampans” that were able to navigate the clear rushing waters and accommodate up to 40 passengers. Now, much of the Daning is flooded as well, and larger ferry-style boats holding up to 150 make the trip much more comfortable. Some lament the fact that the scenery is not as spectacular or pristine as before, but it still makes for a wonderful outing. Some ships (especially those traveling upstream) take similar trips along the Shennong River near Badong. The reservoir does not extend inland quite as far, so there is still a chance to see a part of the tributary in its natural state and board smaller wooden “pea-pod” boats. Experienced “trackers” pull passengers part of the way up some light rapids, then guide the boat downstream as it floats back to the reservoir area.
After lunch, the cruise ship sets sail through the Wu (Witches) Gorge, certainly the most impressive of the three. This is home of the legendary 12 peaks, the most famous of which is Goddess Peak. The river guide aboard your ship will tell you the legend of how an immortal once visited the earth, and having become so enamored of the Yangtze and 3 Gorges, eventually lost her status as a deity and turned to stone high above the river, where to this day she perches high on her peak
Chongqing is a city entirely unique in China. Its hilly topography, ubiquitous stairways, enclosed harbor, and sprawling high-rises give it a very 3-D quality. While this, the newest of China’s Direct Municipalities, may boast an aggregate population of 30 million people, the downtown area is surprisingly small, and is not terribly difficult to navigate.
It is well deserving of its various nicknames such as “Mountain City”, “Foggy City” and “Hot Pot City”. Because of its uneven landscape and the curvature of the Yangtze （长江）and Jialing （嘉岭江）Rivers, getting your bearings takes some time. Locals never know what is north, south, east or west; Chongqing is decidedly not laid out on a north-south grid like many flat-lying cities. However, there are only a few major roads leading in and out of downtown, and you are bound to get to know the ropes well if you spend any time there. Finding your way to any of the well-known sites of the city is pretty easy, and almost everyone can tell you what number bus to take. If you are wandering around the downtown area and really can’t find your way, just hop in a taxi. The price for the first 5 km is a mere 5-Yuan, with small increments after that. The roads can be very steep and winding, and you may confuse the Jialing for the Yangtze when you are near a waterfront. While you may be surprised to see no bicycles on the streets you will know why. There are a few private and government sedans and jeeps on the roads, but the vast majority of the vehicles are the yellow cabs and buses of various styles. You may want to try avoiding the smaller “bread buses”; some drivers are more concerned about making up time than passenger safety. Sometimes they speed off while people are still trying to get on board, and they seem to enjoy playing chicken with their competitors, cutting them off whenever they can and trying to get to the next stop first to collect the waiting passengers. They don’t call them “say goodbye to the living” buses（送命车）for nothing!
Traffic conditions should improve drastically over the next few years as they complete the new roads (滨江路) on both banks of both rivers. Better yet even will be the new 3-phase light rail system that will really modernize transportation in Chonging. The first line linking downtown with the outskirts is expected to be ready by the end of 2005.
Except in summer when the sun blazes down and temperatures often exceed 40 C (hence it being called one of China’s furnaces), fog and haze are almost constantly permeating the air. Because of the protective hillsides, there is very little wind, and the evaporation of the river water adds to the humidity the city is so well known for.
While there may not be as much sunlight as you would like, the fog and damp air do have their upside. The women in Chongqing are famous for their wonderful complexions and sleek figures. Just wander around the huge pedestrian mall known as Jie Fang Bei (解放碑) downtown and you will see the truth to this. People watching is a favorite activity of locals and foreigners alike, and the stylish fashions (including some semi-transparent outfits that even in more progressive western countries would be considered rather risqué) make for an open-air fashion show atmosphere at all times of day. Unlike North America with its rather heavy-set populous, Chongqing people are especially slender. Low fat content in the local cuisine, and the constant necessity for climbing stairs here, there and everywhere keep most people fit and trim.
In the downtown area, there are several attractions worth a visit. Right at the tip of the Peninsula downtown is Chao Tian Men (朝天门) “Gates Facing Heaven”. This is the starting point or terminus for most Yangtze River Cruises. A few years ago they did up the whole area to look like the bow of a ship facing the confluence of these two mighty waterways. Before its completion in 1998, Chao Tian Men looked like an oversized anthill. It was a hazardous mess of stairs, potholes, clay (and mud galore when it rained), and was navigated at all hours by porters, vendors, and passengers trodding to and from the ships. Now the upper level is a large open air square, great for picture taking when it is clear, and there are inexpensive markets nearby selling a wide range of goods from the usual tourist paraphernalia of maps, binoculars, umbrellas, hats, etc., to clothing, art, stationary, and of course, Sichuanese snacks. There are a number of ticketing agencies in the area as well for all classes of ships plying the Yangtze.
The commercial center of Chongqing is Jiefang Bei, which means “Liberation Monument”. Built around a clock tower constructed to celebrate the victory of the Communist forces over the KMT Nationalists in 1949, the obelisk-like structure is now dwarfed by the office buildings, department stores, and upscale apartments rising around it. The whole area has been turned into a huge pedestrian mall over the past few years and the area off-limits to vehicles continues to expand.
Spend some time on Gourmet Street, where you can try practically all of what Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine have to offer in just a few blocks of restaurants, food courts, and outdoor stalls. This is the street leading away from the McDonald’s (Chongqing’s first). Look for the bronze statues of the family eating long noodles right in the middle of the road. If you go during lunch or dinner hours, be prepared for the hoards of people trying to bud in front of everyone else to get served. Weekends especially can be overwhelming for the number of people in this area, and for the unaccustomed foreigner, this can really be culture shock with a capital S. Once you get used to it, it can almost be fun, winding your way through the masses and craning your neck checking out the various characters you pass by. People-watching is a popular pastime here, and the locals have a funny name for it; “打望”, similar to “craning your neck” in English.
Of course, no visit to Chongqing would be complete without braving the spices of its trademark dish, hot pot. You will not need to look far to find a place to try it out; the aroma of the spices seems to permeate the whole city, and you just have to follow your nose. This boiling cauldron of chili peppers and Sichuanese peppercorns will certainly leave its impression on your taste buds, and some people like to attribute the fiery temperaments of the locals to this dish. Herbalists say the various ingredients help prevent arthritis, which have led to studies supporting this supposition. Few people here suffer from joint problems. Foreigners sweating over the fire pot often joke they can have dental work done at a cheap price afterwards, because no freezing would be required because of the numbing effect of the peppercorns. If you are squeamish at first, give yourself some time; it is an acquired taste and you may well grow to crave it like the locals after a while. You might want to save the duck’s intestines and tripe (cow stomach) for future visits, and there are plenty of yummy ingredients that will make for a positive first experience. Potatoes, tomatoes, tofu, mushrooms, alfalfa sprouts, and beef strips are my personal favorites. Certainly, one of the best aspects of life in Chongqing is the cuisine. There is a tremendous variety of fresh local produce, all reasonably priced and tastefully prepared. And no, it is not all burn-your-tongue-off hot. Traditional Sichuanese food has many different flavors, and nowadays so many new offerings on the menus that even the locals have trouble keeping track of them new all. Feel free to experiment!
In Jie Fang Bei, the Metropolitan Center (大都会) is a huge shopping and entertainment complex. You can’t miss the colorful sign and outdoor television suspended on the pedestrian mall side of the building. You may want to pick up some western toiletries at Watson’s (屈臣氏), or enjoy a coffee in one of the cafés on the first or second floor. Wai Po Qiao （外婆桥） is a good restaurant serving Sichuanese dishes at a decent price. Upstairs on the 6 floor there is an ice skating rink open all day, movie theatre complex (Hollywood features, mostly dubbed in Chinese unfortunately), and food court similar to what you would see in a North American shopping mall. The 5-star Harbor Plaza Hotel is part of the same complex, and boasts the highest building in Chongqing (for now). Other high-class hotels in the area include the Chongqing Hotel (重庆宾馆) with its traditional architecture, the posh Marriott Hotel (万豪), and the newly-opened Hilton (稀尔顿) in Liang Lu Kou (两路口).
The side streets offer some interesting exploring, from Chinese “Dollar Stores” to high-end boutiques, Taiwanese Bubble Tea shops, beauty salons, and massage parlors. The prices for these services are very reasonable, and there is nothing like a foot massage after a long day walking all those stairs. The skills of masseurs and masseuses vary greatly; so if it is your first visit, insist on someone experienced, you will be happy you did. Most such establishments are regulated by the local authorities and are usually on the up-and-up (but may provide “extra” service at a price for interested clientele).
You are likely to be solicited by black market money exchangers as you pass by the many banks in the area. All banks have signs saying, “Illegal money exchange strictly forbidden”, but the practice continues to flourish and everyone seems to turn a blind eye. There is a limit on how much foreign currency the Chinese can purchase before going abroad, so supply does not meet
Yesterday, I went to the local hospital to have my eye checked. For about 10 days now, I had a small growth in the corner of my eye, and no matter what eye drops or cream I used, it stayed red, swollen, and irritated. Turns out I had a sty. There was a big line up waiting to see the doctor, but because I had registered earliest, I pushed my way to the front and he took me first. He figured it out right away, but it was rather unnerving sitting there with not only him, but also the other 15 patients who had been impatiently waiting for him to return from his lunch break. There are no private cubicles or waiting room in most Chinese clinics or hospitals, so patients either wait in the crowded corridors or right in the small doctor’s office. In this case, most were crowding around me, debating as to what I had, and what would have to be done to fix it. Fortunately, he took me aside to a private operating room across the hall, away from the other staring eyeballs, where he gave me a local anesthetic, opened a tiny seam in my eyelid, and removed the built-up fluids that were causing the unsightly growth. Now, a couple of days later, there is a slight scar where he made the incision, but he did a great job and it should be invisible in no time.
This experience was very similar to a visit I paid to a throat doctor a while back in Chongqing, when there must have been 40 people crowding around me, all trying to peer over the doctor’s shoulder into my mouth. The doctor did not seem to mind at all, making light of the situation and even chatting with them about my situation. The spectacle of the Sore-Throated Foreigner became the source of lively debate and unexpected entertainment for them. Getting stared at all the time on the streets is something you just try to get used to, but having your individual body parts receiving such scrutiny at such close range by so many people can be very unnerving.
So, the term “public” in this case certainly gives a whole new added dimension and richness of meaning to the word!
With the advent of the open-door policy, China is adopting many western ways, both good and bad. One of the most lamentable has to be adopting of western diets, including thick slabs of black pepper steak, creamy mashed potatoes, spicy deep fried chicken, triple-decker hamburgers, maple-walnut doughnuts, and countless other processed foods void of any shred of nutrition.
The Chinese owe their considerable longevity in great part to the traditional diet of rice, vegetables, and fish. There are currently much lower incidents of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease in China than in the West, and diet must have a great deal to do with it.
However, now with personal incomes soaring in the cities, dining and snacking on western food is all the rage. McDonald’s restaurants are popping up more often now than traditional noodle shops in the big cities, while KFC still dominates the fast food market nationwide. Milk, butter, and cheese, virtually absent from the dinner table in years past are now becoming a regular fixture. Snack food companies like Frito-Lays, Cadbury’s, and Wrigley’s are now vying for space with traditional snacks like sunflower seeds and shrimp crackers on the grocery shelves.
10 years ago, one rarely saw overweight Chinese anywhere. Nowadays, children especially, with little immunity to the marketing savvy of Coca-cola, are bearing the brunt of this national gastronomic shift, and it shows. Pudgy elementary kids are still the butt of jokes, but there seems little shame yet here, where many may think that “Fatty’s” parents must be rich enough to let him eat whatever he wants. I sincerely hope it never becomes a status symbol of wealth.
It has received some government attention and concern, and the private sector is now taking notice of this modern day social phenomenon. For helpless parents who cannot stop themselves from spoiling their “Little Emperors and Empresses”,(most often their only child) there are even fat farms for kids now. The TV ads they run border on comical; an obese little 12 year old Ming Ming gasping and sweating up a storm on a treadmill while the teacher eggs him on, a studious 15 year old Xiao Hua being tested on her recollection of the proper levels of cholesterol and blood pressure.
Well, the only bright side of all this is while there are plenty of Westerners earning a living in the stables of traditional Japanese sumo wrestling, Chinese might be inadvertently breeding the next generation of grapplers for this heavy-weight sport.
I just saw an interesting movie called “The Life”, a stark portrayal of life on Skid Row in the infamous East End of Vancouver. Having worked just next door to that forsaken neigbourhood for a couple of years, I sat riveted to the TV screen as Hollywood did its take on the lives of its inhabitants, a motley collection of pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, junkies, struggling businesses, social workers, and the city police that tries to keep a lid on things. With some of warmest winters in Canada and very liberal government policies, it has become a haven over the years for the addicted and downtrodden from all over the country.
Just over a few blocks from this semi-contained chaos is Chinatown, also a very historic and culturally significant part of what is otherwise one of the most visually stunning and culturally diverse cities on the continent. With over 130 years in the country, the Chinese have contributed so much in making Vancouver what it is today, and continue to lead in developing its economy and populating its streets with new immigrants. Unfortunately, the new businesses have moved out to the suburbs of Richmond and Surrey, leaving the old Chinatown to wither alongside the weary bodies of the helpless addicts a few alleyways down. Various organizations like the Chinese Merchants Association, the Chinese Benevolent Society, Chinese Cultural Centre, and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden are all dismayed by the continuing deterioration of the neighbourhood, and lobby the government to adopt stricter measures in cleaning up the mean streets.
It is painfully obvious to everyone that something more needs to be done, but what exactly, and how? Many locals point their fingers at the three levels of government for not cooperating enough over the years, and basically sweeping the problem under the carpet. I have personally heard city officials complain about the lack of effort made by federal departments, and vice versa. The Chinese community is especially vociferous in its objection to the double standards that exist for that area where crimes of delinquency, loitering, drug abuse, vandalism, and prostitution receive a mere slap on the wrist whereas the same behaviour would receive much stiffer penalties on the West Side. Plans to set up “Safe Houses” and needle exchange programs in the area to prevent infectious diseases like HIV have met with strong opposition among the Chinese. They maintain that this would encourage drug abuse and attract even more users and pushers to the area. While the government has thrown money into rehab programs and social welfare institutions, people on the streets have seen little benefit, partially from a lack of willingness to get better by the individuals, but also from the lining of the pockets of the direct recipients.
In Asia, there is little in the way of such a “Bleeding Hearts” mentality, and very severe sentences are dispensed for drug related offences. In British Columbia, many immigrants feel the Canadian government is simply too soft on the problem. Those people lying in the alleys made their own choices, so why should the rest of society end up paying for their mistakes? The cost of treatment is so high and the rate of success in rehabilitation so low that other ways to combat the problem need considering. Is there no way under the sun that the city can get them to stop congregating in that area? For Chinatown and neigbouring Gastown, that is the crux of the matter.
What should be the proud, colourful, and historic heart of the city, has now become a dilapidated eye-sore and a source of fear, shame, and embarrassment for many Vancouverites. Without some drastic rethinking of government policy, I fear that this wound will just continue to fester.
There probably isn’t a China blogger on the planet who hasn’t chimed in at some point or another about the vile habit of littering the streets with huge gobs of saliva everywhere.
Here on the largest city on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, this situation actually seems worse than in other major urban centers. Expatriates here have coined the name “Chongqing Cough” which causes so much respiratory irritation, and this contributes in great part to the unsightly rash that plagues the urban landscape. While all this gross-out talk might put you off your dinner, imagine what it is like for us to have to view and navigate around these clumpy little hurdles everywhere in the city. Because of the relatively poor air quality caused by heavy industry that, dust created from the constant demolition of city blocks, and by the construction projects that quickly replace them, people have to clear out their lungs and sinuses in any way they can. The simplest and quickest is to just let fly wherever and whenever. Spit bombs deface the pavement, drip off the ubiquitous stairways, and even defile indoor areas like bus station floors, elevators, and even the occasional hotel lobby. Avoiding being caught in the crossfire is an art here, and I have been lucky so far, in spite (or perhaps because of) being such a broad and easy target. Prelude to most projectile emissions is the internal rasping/growling/scraping obscenity of a noise that warns bystanders to steer clear.
During the SARS breakout last year, the authorities in Beijing tried to fine its citizens for public spitting, but it did not work very well and seemed to be more of a publicity stunt than anything. How do you enforce a fine for violators who quickly slip away, become hostile, or simply have no ID or money on their persons? Easier said than done.
In Japan, the air is much cleaner granted, but people still carry cloth hankies that serve a duel purpose. It nestles snuggly in ones breast pocket, and is very handy for wiping one’s forehead clear of sweat during the humid summer months. Furthermore, if caught without tissue, it can be used to whisk away any offending viscous substances that may surface. That idea would be very foreign to the Chinese, who would see it as less hygienic than spitting on the ground, as the hankie would have to be washed well at home and then (egad!) reused??!! Well, Japan sure is a different society. Those people over on that long skinny island wear masks to prevent spreading their own germs when they have a cold. That strikes as bordering on humorous for most Mainlanders.
I suppose the best (and perhaps only) way to wean the masses off this unfortunate practice would be to clean up the air and making “Chongqing Coughs” a thing of the past. However, old habits die hard, and I wonder if even in the most pristine of environments, future generations of Chinese won’t still be littering the ground with their mini-mucous mounds. Oh yeah, cutting down on the cancer sticks would also do wonders, but I already wrote about that.
|