Slightly Disappointing Beijing Travel Article

[roddy]

I just can't help myself. I ignored the article for a while as I suspected reading it would make me upset. When I read it, and got all upset, I avoided posting about it as I don't like to whine.

But damn, it's annoying. I mean, go on, just look at it - the smug little title. Like a local, eh? Presumably not one of the locals that collects plastic bottles for a living, but let's soldier on. So how do we live like a local in Beijing . . .

We go to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. So so far we're living like locals who have friends visiting from out of town. Friends who've never been to Beijing before.

Oh, and then we go to Nanluoguxiang - which seven years ago would have been a good call, but now just looks dull. It's a pleasant enough place to wander, but those locals are mostly tourists, either Chinese or foreign.

Next we go to the Great Wall with . . .the Beijing Hikers. Nothing against the Beijing Hikers, even went on one of their trips once. But these are trips aimed fairly and squarely at the ex-pat and tourist market. Nothing local about it, except perhaps when your group of foreigners takes photos of some. Given the costs, any locals that do turn up are affluent to the point of stretching the spirit, if not the definition, of the word.

And then she goes to the Bookworm. 'nuff said.

Ah, that's better . . .

PS To be fair, it's only a travel article, it's written by someone I suspect knows nothing about China, and is definitely written for people who know nothing about Beijing. I should blame the reader for reading, not the writer for writing.

[gougou]

I guess the only thing that's really wrong about the article is the title; if she had written live in Beijing like an expat, she'd be close to the money.

Funny how she takes Nanluoguxiang as an example for the hutongs that "managed to escape Beijing's crazed demolition gangs".

Oh, and I was shocked to see that there was a 7th ring road already. After checking on Wikipedia I am relieved to find out that there is, indeed, not.

[miss_China_so_much]

Roddy, you must be a real local!

The article makes me sad. I lived in Beijing for 10 years before I finally left and I am continuously becoming a tourist! During my latest visit in June 2009, I even found Nan Luo Guo Xiang attractive The bookshop (Bookworm?) sounds very interesting. It sells English books? In my memory, the only bookstore that sells books in foreign languages was Wai Wen Shu Dian. Sigh.... I am a tourist after all :o .

[Brian US]

I refuse to go to Sanlitun again.

[Meng Lelan]

Look how she used the term "deaf and dumb" to indicate something negative. That is not appropriate. I'm writing her to complain.

[anonymoose]

In all the times I've been to Beijing, I don't think I've been to Sanlitun at all. ;)

[jbradfor]

I can't get too upset about this, seems like rather standard fluffy travel writing. And don't forget that in general, the author of a piece does not write the headline.

In fact, if I may be so bold as to critique our leader, I think you're so upset because you view yourself as a "true" Beijing local now and don't like those posers....

Look how she used the term "deaf and dumb" to indicate something negative. That is not appropriate. I'm writing her to complain.

Before you write in, I urge you to read it again. It may be a bad analogy, but I think you're reading it wrong. The full sentence is "It's like having the tiniest taste of what life might be like being deaf and dumb – you can't talk to anyone, you can't understand anything." I think what the author is saying is that being in Beijing and not speaking Chinese is akin to being deaf and dumb -- one can't hear / understand anything, and one can't speak / be understood. A bad analogy, perhaps, but I don't think insulting.

[c_redman]

The "7th ring road" is a newly coined slang for the problem of accumulated garbage around Beijing:

• Beijing to sweeten stench of rubbish crisis with giant deodorant guns
  
• The Seventh Ring of Beijing: Rubbish Dumps
  

[Lu]

And don't forget that in general, the author of a piece does not write the headline.

I think this is important to keep in mind. Once the title is ignored, it's nice enough an article.

I also read the 'deaf and dumb' comment as 'cannot understand what people say and cannot talk to them', which is negative insofar that it is an inconvenient situation to be in, but in my eyes not insulting. But then I'm not deaf, so Meng Lelan's opinion on this should count more than mine.

[roddy]

I shouldn't have read the thing - actually posting about it was somewhat excessive. But it annoyed me a little.

I don't rate myself as any kind of old Beijing hand or local - sure, been here a few years, but I don't go hunting down hidden gems or anything. In fact I may have been disappointed by the article as it didn't have any good ideas I could steal.

Some of my thoughts on touring the city are here, for anyone who hasn't seen them already and is interested.

[phyrex]

I refuse to go to Sanlitun again.

Obviously, you don't like Macs! ;)

[roddy]

I'm not a Sanlitun regular, but I think (for summer nights at least) like Houhai it's one of those places which is fine if you know where you are going and get in and out. There are plenty of decent options there. But turning up because the guidebook said this is where all the bars are and just trying places at random is no good as a lot of places are shabby, and the crowds and touts make wandering around looking for somewhere unpleasant. Although for some that's all part of the 热闹.

I suspect Sanlitun is now nicer than I think it is, anyway. Been down at The Village a couple of times and that seems pretty nice.

I'm going to edit the title, I feel bad about it.

[cui ruide]

Not really replying to the article or the criticism of it, but more so the Sanlitun (pre)judice. I admit, I'm not an oft-goer to Sanlitun, but it does have some very nice things to offer amid the commotion. Frankly, I think it's a little narrow-sighted not see Sanlitun as much a part of Beijing as the Drum Tower or any little 小区 at the corner of blahblah-beijie and what-what-qiao. This isn't your father's China anymore--it may however be something like your grandfather's: cosmopolitan and indigenous, ancient, modern, Chinese, non-Han Chinese, and Western. A lot of different folks call this place some kind of home now.

[greenarcher]

Besides the massive size of the city, the scorching heat of the sun during summer and the greatly inferior northern Chinese cuisines which comprises the majority of Beijing restaurants, I love Beijing.

It's cold most of the time; you can do both summer and winter sports; shopping is great for both clothes and electronics; there's the old China and the new places like Sanlitun and 798; there are places to party and places to relax and unwind like Beihai and Houhai; public transportation is cheap and convenient; cost of living is relatively inexpensive; lastly, I feel very safe with the city.

Now if I can only land a job in Beijing before my semester is up.... :unsure:

[roddy]

Frankly, I think it's a little narrow-sighted not see Sanlitun as much a part of Beijing as the Drum Tower or any little 小区 at the corner of blahblah-beijie and what-what-qiao.

Certainly agree with this. You do hear people talking about the 'real' China, but it's all real. Some of it just happens to be real and new. I can see the appeal of seeing things which are ancient and perhaps disappearing, but the whole full-scale assault on the future thing that parts of China have going on is pretty fascinating too. Privilege to be seeing any of it.

[Brian US]

I've just been hanging out with the wrong crowd. I know every invite I get to Sanlitun will involve a solo cab ride from Wudaokou to a bar with 30+ kuai drinks, and an even more expensive solo cab ride back. I do appreciate the food carts and small stands with three kuai beers on the main bar street. I tend to offend people with carrying a flask of 二锅头， more so when I offer them some.

[Jamoldo]

NLGX is not THAT bad. Sure there are tons of tourists, expats etc, but hang out there on a weekday afternoon when school gets out and one definitely sees very locals kids being picked up by their very local parents/grandparents and riding off on the trishaws. At least they did back in April '09. Went again this time about a month ago, but was too late in the day. I think if one wanders around enough and pokes into the "other" lanes around it there is still some "genuine" hutong to be seen, with narrow alleys, hanging wires, dead ends etc. The other thing is that there are plenty of young, hip (and wealthier) Beijingers who hit the area who will pay for the coffee or tea or meal with friends there. I've seen that every time I have gone.

What irritated me (and I was only a resident for about 1.5 years so my knowledge is probably quite outdated) was just the author's tone of voice in the piece. It seemed to be quite obnoxious more than anything else, and really really bugged me.

There are plenty of places where one cannot read/write the language and needs the business card (ahem - Japan - just to name a neighbor country), since not many people speak English. Anyhow, there are always better sources and hopefully those who go in the future will know others who have lived or live in town or have been before.