More Reflections on China

As we head back from our two weeks in China, I’ve been thinking a lot about the uncomfortable nature of traveling. Forget the long lines and interminable waiting that have become synonymous with flying; I’m talking about the critical cultural differences that define regions of the world and unite or separate people. In America, we value our privacy and alone time; tourism is a way to relax and commune with nature. In China, whether you’re born in Chung-du (population 9 million) or Chingdao (population 7 million), from day one you are exposed to massive crowds everywhere you go. That’s why squeezing fifteen people into an elevator is no big deal, the roads are a free-for-all, and every tourist site is jam-packed with people…and no one bats an eye.

This brings me to Beijing, where we had a very mixed experience. Whereas Shanghai mixes the enormous buildings of New York; the palm trees and high-rise apartments of Miami; and the cutting-edge, beacon-of-the-future aspects of Tokyo, Beijing has none of the charm or accessibility of Shanghai. The roads are jammed constantly, the sites are all under renovation for the 2008 Olympics, and—most disturbingly—a thick haze hangs over the city because there is no wind to push away the pollution. The haze is suffocating: we couldn’t see more than a half-mile in any direction, and the sun was just a vague yellow dot.

While in Beijing, trouble pursued us everywhere like a cat chasing a mouse. At the hotel where we stayed, a really fancy place just blocks from Tian An Men Square, we had all sorts of issues with communicating our needs to the hotel staff. The tour company we hired, which was very reputable and popular, wasted our precious time by stopping at every factory and demanding that we shop for jade, freshwater pearls, and every other kitschy Chinese souvenir. And we spent an hour in traffic trying to get to Chabad on Friday night for services. Although we saw a lot of historical sites in Beijing—the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Tian An Men Square, the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall, etc.—none of them were stunning enough to overcome the sense of frustration and anxiety that we felt during our trip there. The city will be beautiful and fantastic for the 2008 Olympic Games but, for now, I recommend spending as little time there as possible.