Issue 158

China's heart and soul

22nd October 2007

After her A levels, Katie Mossman decided to travel with a friend. However, the countries that regularly top Backpacker's 'Most Popular' lists didn't seem original enough. She was intrigued to go somewhere with completely different cultural norms to the UK. Here, she reports on her visit to China's capital city, and hosts of the 2008 Olympic games; Beijing.

Even after all the planning and all the travel books I had read, I was still not prepared for the huge culture shock I was going to receive upon arriving in Beijing. After a long and turbulent flight with a short stop in Vienna we arrived at Beijing Airport. We were lucky enough to be able to stay in a small apartment in Beijing because we knew someone who regularly travelled there and I couldn't wait to go sleep after almost 24 hours of travelling.

However, lunch was first, so we sat down in a small traditional style restaurant, and looked at the menu. After guessing from blurred photos we finally decided on a selection of dishes. Unfortunately this spontaneity backfired as we were served a huge array of unrecognisable food. However one thing I did recognise was the boiled chicken's feet right in front of me. Not being a big meat eater anyway, just the sight turned my stomach but not wanting to offend anyone I gave it a try. The good thing about Chinese dining is that it is polite to leave food so your host knows you are full and I was very grateful that this was the case.

I would recommend trying Peking duck. This is closest to the 'English style Chinese food' you will find. You are given a whole roasted duck to carve between you and pancakes, plus plum sauce and spicy vegetables. For the less adventurous eaters, noodles are a good, cheap way to eat. All food in China is ridiculously cheap but takeaway noodles from a street stall cost as little as 5 Yuan (32 pence) and come in such huge portions you may want to consider sharing.

There seems to be this myth that eating food from street stalls when travelling will make you chronically ill. Although there is a certain amount of risk with these things, street eating is a fun and cheap way to eat. The trick is to go where the locals go - if you find a place with lots of Chinese families eating then join in. The food at these stalls is usually barbequed there and you get your food in a bag to walk around with. There are some things I would not recommend, such as some crunchy bug type things I was dared to try, but there were barbequed vegetable kebabs and spicy belly pork which was delicious. The major plus for me was that eating this way I actually knew what the food looked like before ordering instead of randomly choosing from a Chinese menu.

After a couple of days I was becoming used to being stared at in the street because of my blonde hair and pale skin but I was still shocked when on a regular basis people would ask me to be in their photos! At first I was flattered (if a little freaked out), until I realised that people did it because to them I looked weird. I was not only the ethnic minority, but one so rarely seen by villagers that when they came to visit Beijing seeing a white person was a tourist attraction - a signifier of being in a big city.

Simply walking around was fascinating, Beijing is so modern, yet so traditional. The rich drive BMWs whilst the poor ride push bikes down the motorways with their possessions (sometimes including their children) strapped to the back. I couldn't get used to the way I was harassed by the poor, begging for change whenever I walked out of a shop. The poverty is terrible and in poorer parts of town - out of the centre - there are people starving on the streets yet nobody does anything about it. Even I was guilty of turning a blind eye.

By far the most fascinating day was spent in the Forbidden City where I was amazed at China's history. To be honest I had done little research and so spent the whole day learning things which many already know. Chinese architecture is so intricate and the old buildings inside the Forbidden City are under continual maintenance and in perfect condition. The Emperors' throne and chambers are kept behind glass and the whole place has an eerie feeling of loneliness even when crammed with tourists taking photos of anything and everything.

After a few days of visiting temples and historical sights, including the beautiful summer palace and the Temple of Heaven, I decided to have a bit more of a light hearted day at the Zoo. Beijing Zoo is huge and harbours all sorts of animals from all over the world. The conditions these animals are kept in was far from perfect and in some cases a little distressing - the thing that most surprised me was the small enclosure in which they kept their national treasure, the Panda. However, it was mostly an interesting day.

Of course the 'must do' in Beijing is the Great Wall of China. We arranged our own transport there by taxi which worked out quite expensive (about £25) but regular coach trips can be booked at travel agents for about £5. However, hiring a taxi ensured we had as long as we liked there. Although we went on a particularly hot day and the heat of the stone was almost unbearable, it was an awe inspiring trip and one not to be missed.

As for evening activities, my advice would be to spend time over meals and do not drink to excess. Being seen drunk in public is not the done thing in Beijing - a woman can get in a lot of trouble for public drunkenness and, as a tourist, I was careful not to upset anybody. There are many little bars in central Beijing and most are very welcoming as long as you remember your basic Chinese please and thank you's. Try to see some live music if possible, either modern or traditional, sometimes found as street performances in Tiananmen Square (the main square next to the Forbidden City) or in little bars.

After three weeks we left Beijing for Shanghai but I found my trip to Beijing very worthwhile and hope to return someday. It is definitely a place a little off the main 'gap year' track and in my opinion that makes it all the better!

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