Chinese Travel Safety

[dave]

I don't think pushing and shoving are good actions even though Im chinese, I think people should have more considerations in their hearts for others, I would not accept the way that people are doing things, well just a little personal thought.

[oregonknl]

Yeah LMark,

 

I think when I first entered China in 1997 (in Nanjing) --- Peiking duck was very popular at the time --- and according to the adoption agency representitive, the reason to hang it on the clothe's line, was because it took several coats of basting, and seasoning, which required drying in between.....

 

..... They were hanging on balconies all over the city!! --- (but I also wondered if it was sort of a one-up-man-ship kind of a thing with their neighbors ---- " LOOK ! we are having Peiking duck!... and you arn't!.....")

 

Also interesting yave, because on that same trip --- when we entered China at the Nanjing (Nanjing is a big military city) --- we got a very pointedly rude reception at customs...

 

On the plane from HK I had been conversing with a US businessman who had been there many times, and he knew what we were in for: .... and he gave really exactly the same advice you did for these situations: "smile, and don't take it personally" That advice has served me very wellin China since then --- (even if it is a little out character --- ha, ha~!)

 

So Johns, I have oftened wondered about Yongzhou --- it is well known in the US adoption community ---- nice place?

 

---- Kim

[warpedbored]

Maybe because Nanning is not a popular tourist destination and not many americans go there but I have been treated well in both of my visits there. People stare at me sure and little children want to practice thier english with me but over all people there have been very friendly. In Guangzhou people pretty much ignored me and in Shenzhen I did get a few dirty looks but no one bothered me.

[Phil & Ningning]

It seems to me that although the official Chinese stance is a bit chilly toward America, the Chinese people really seem to like American people and culture. I don't like the pushing and shoving any more than anyone else, but when I look around it is obvious how it developed that way. There's just too many people to be comfortable. Maybe history taught the Chinese that pushing and shoving is the best chance to get their share of limited resources.

 

Last time I was in Zhongshan, we went to Sun Wen park. It is a very beautiful place, quite suited to photographs and other types of memory-making. We walked through the park for several hours, completely enjoying each other's company. All the while I was shooting pictures with my new digital camera. I think I took about 300 photos that week.

 

Late in the afternoon I happened to spot a guy with a yellow shirt smoking a cigarette. He was a little close to us but I just wrote that off as a cultural difference. Each time I finished taking a picture, I zipped my camera back in it's case securely attached to my belt. We walked. A few minutes later, we sat down under a tree to "talk". As soon as we began "talking", she let out a yelp and I spotted the guy in the yellow shirt running away from us. I chased him, but he was younger and faster than me. What would I have done? Kicked his ass? wound up in jail? I don't know.

 

Sweet Ning spent the rest of that day complaining, "I hates the theeves!". I still have my camera. She had laid her cellphone on her jacket on the grass. Looking back, I realize he was waiting for my camera. If anyone sees a guy in a yellow shirt in Zhongshan talking on a red cellphone, please get it back for us.

[dave]

Dave's wife here, I think that is just the jungle rules of the human world, terrible situation, L'automne vient de partir quand I'hiver vient.

[dave]

Dave's wife here Again!! Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah, Babida-babida-babida, that's all folks!!

[natrigon]

A couple more yuan.

 

I've been around China as well. Great country, great people as a generalization. Ya, there are pick pockets, purse snatchers, break-ins, murders and the like. Same here in the US, same in Canada, Brazil, India well I guess all over.

 

In my travels I have been always treated well ny the Chinese. I got many stares in the the small cities and less in the big cities. Once in CQ train station there were a group of thugs roughing up random Chinese people for small money as the police stood by and did nothing. I was traveling with my fiance and her sister, I knew it would soon be "our turn". I asked when they come here can I break their nose etc or would the police then arrest me? I was told "yes, you should not let them hurt you". As it turns out when my turn came I gave him the "Bruce Lee" stare. His friend backed him off and no harm.

 

So even though I had that one minor bad issue it was not directed at me because I am an American, but because I might give up money easy like some Chinese people did. So far five trips, one small issue. Ya, I have had for worse here in the good ole USA.

[Davter]

A couple more yuan.

 

I've been around China as well.  Great country, great people as a generalization.  Ya, there are pick pockets, purse snatchers, break-ins, murders and the like.  Same here in the US, same in Canada, Brazil, India well I guess all over.

 

In my travels I have been always treated well ny the Chinese.  I got many stares in the the small cities and less in the big cities.  Once in CQ train station there were a group of thugs roughing up random Chinese people for small money as the police stood by and did nothing.  I was traveling with my fiance and her sister, I knew it would soon be "our turn".  I asked when they come here can I break their nose etc or would the police then arrest me?  I was told "yes, you should not let them hurt you".  As it turns out when my turn came I gave him the "Bruce Lee" stare.  His friend backed him off and no harm.

 

So even though I had that one minor bad issue it was not directed at me because I am an American, but because I might give up money easy like some Chinese people did.  So far five trips, one small issue.  Ya, I have had for worse here in the good ole USA.

I agree there are always people like that all over the world, but everything exists in the world is reasonable, isn't most of people live in the countryside are very nice even in here United States, I visited some villages, they live peacefully and happily, you can feel the life that it suppose to be, they are so nice and honestly, that really surprised me.

[johns]

Yeah LMark,

 

I think  when I first entered China in 1997 (in Nanjing) ---  Peiking duck was very popular at the time --- and according to the adoption agency representitive, the reason to hang it on the clothe's line, was because it took several coats of basting, and seasoning, which required drying in between.....

 

..... They were hanging on balconies all over the city!!  --- (but  I also wondered if it was sort of a one-up-man-ship kind of a thing with their neighbors ---- " LOOK ! we are having Peiking duck!...  and you arn't!.....")

 

Also interesting yave, because on that same trip --- when we entered China at the Nanjing  (Nanjing is a big military city) --- we got a very pointedly rude reception  at customs... 

 

On the plane from HK I had been conversing with a US businessman who had been there many times, and he knew what we were in for: .... and he gave really exactly the same advice you did for these situations:  "smile, and don't take it personally"    That advice has served me very wellin China since then --- (even if it is a little out character --- ha, ha~!)

 

So Johns, I have oftened wondered about Yongzhou --- it is well known in the US adoption community ---- nice place?

 

---- Kim

Yangshou

 

Very nice!! Great (Pijiu yu) beerfish. Not the best place for learning Chinese though. English spoken by many..

 

Is that a good or bad thing. hmmmm.

[IceBreaker]

I felt totally safe and at ease everywhere I went in China (5 towns so far.) I have been to the Philippines and oh my God, that place is so dangerous! What a difference! The security there is so shocking in some areas, with security guards readied with guns at at nearly every shop, bank, street corner....metal detectors and guards with guns at the entrance to every shopping mall. I felt very threatened there but China seemed so safe.

 

As for public opinion of the USA, maybe it's not our people, it's George Bush! My first encounter with a stranger in China was pure curiosity, as he said, "where you from?"

"I'm from America. Do you know about our country?"

"No no, just president Bush. Bush very bad!"

"oh Yes, I exclaimed, very very bad" I sighed.

 

A few other I met in China also show dislike for Bush. I can't blame them a bit.

 

What a sad thing when the main conception aobut our country by folks of a distance land is about George W-- a failure in leadership. We have got to get rid of him! Everyone, please vote in 2004.

 

Well I'm off topic, but anyway the most curious experience to me was visiting a small village where my fiancee is from. Most of the locals had never seen a foreigner before. Passing downt the street they stopped to stare at me, or yell "helloooo" as I pass by, come up to practice their english or offer me a cigarette, swarms of adorable school children surrounded and followed me. That's hard to get used to the lack of personal space.

[mtbdude]

... the most curious experience to me was visiting a small village where my fiancee is from.  Most of the locals had never seen a foreigner before.  Passing downt the street they stopped to stare at me, or yell "helloooo" as I pass by, come up to practice their english or offer me a cigarette, swarms of adorable school children surrounded and followed me.  That's hard to get used to the lack of personal space.

i have gotten the "hello" in fushun, a small town south of chengdu, where yan's parents live. and the stares, that just seem to be curiosity.

 

in may, yan and i were walking down the street in chengdu, near her apartment, which ain't in the greatest neighborhood, but i was still surprised to hear the "halllooo", so i turned and looked, and there were 3 guys standing there laughing. when i looked one shouted "f--- you!", to which all three laughed uproariously. the guy shouted it several more times as we kept walking away.

 

wasn't quite expecting that in a big city. i don't know what it was ever like there before, but this little anecdotal sure seems to jibe with what we all keep hearing -- the u.s.a. ain't very popular these days.

 

they seem to have their own version of the redneck, but i honestly don't feel unsafe in china.