This is my walk from Xi Jiao Hotel to Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. These videos are about ten minutes each and nothing exciting happens. There is no sound because I was talking throughout and have no idea what I’m saying. I’ll try to fix that sometime. For now, just feast your eyes on lovely Beijing.
Update 2009: Video offline.
If you ever ask me if I’ve seen a house in China I’ll say no. I’ve been here three weeks, traveled via train from Beijing to Xi’an and have yet to see a proper house. I have seen what I would term shacks just outside of Beijing. These are decaying brick structures that look filthy and dangerous.
Inside of the cities that I’ve visited, all I’ve seen are apartments of varying quality. The worst are smaller versions of the shack I just described. The nicest look like dirty versions of condo housing at a theme park like Disney World. Generally, the apartments have bars or windows enclosing back rooms filled with laundry drying, stacks of cardboard, and what looks like garbage to me.
I’ve heard the apartments are OK inside, but I’m skeptical. There are some pictures up of some of the housing and I’ll post more sometime soon.
I’ve seen Chinese scroll art at most of the markets in Beijing and Xi’an. I’ve always thought it was kind of tacky, but would make a good gift – the kind of gift you give someone and they say thanks, but it’s kind-of an awkward moment. Then years later while visiting their house for fondue or something you go downstairs and see it hanging, tattered and abused, on their basement wall. It’s basement art – appropriately kitschy.
I’ve been studying intellectual property in China for a few weeks and have already highlighted the complete failure to enforce IP rights effectively. The most egregious example being the Silk Market, which has seven floors of counterfeit goods. Anywhere you look you can spot a dozen trademark violations. Yet, apparently the market continues to thrive.
Here is some data from the People’s Daily Online:
What baffles me is that the article says,
The Beijing Xiushui Clothing Co. Ltd. was planning to cooperate with Taiwan businesses to set up a new Xiushui Market in Taipei
How can the government sanction such activities when they know the market sells what it sells?
How are you celebrating Friday the 13th? We have a couple horror movies to watch here: Ghost Rig and Vacancy. Actually, we got six DVDs for 25RMB ($3.50US). Not bad.
OK, here’s a quick list of China news stories I’ve come across in the last couple of days:
“Who wants a Hover Wingle?” – Could China have picked a better name for the first Chinese-made car? I think not. The cars are selling very well in Europe, not for their horrendous safety record, but because they’re so damn cheap.
“Beijing Censors Silence Influential Newsletter” – The headline should read, NPC doesn’t like idea of free media. With only CCTV, I don’t like the NPC.
“Billions of Rats Invade China” – This isn’t that new, but it’s gross. I can’t imagine what a billion rats would be like. It makes me want to leave the country.
“Cardboard Chinese Food” – Great, I heard about this eight hours after eating dumplings twice in one day.
“Chinese Internet Usage Rivals U.S.” – Yeah, and they only have a billion more people than us.
“China Executes Former Watchdog Chief” – So, this is what happens when you take bribes for food.
“A Virgin Mary-themed Urinal? Online in China” – Forget Summer Palace, forget Terracotta Warriors, forget Forbidden City – seeing stuff like this is what makes a trip to China worth while. However, I don’t think I’ll be down that way.
(This post makes me realize that I get most of my news – especially while traveling – from blogs. And it all seems credible. That’s kind of weird.)
Today, we found the Muslim quarter in Xi’an, which is located just northwest of the Bell Tower. The Muslim quarter is several blocks long and lined with many street-food vendors and market-type shops hawking imitation terracotta warriors, tea sets, Chinese clothing, etc. We bought some Chinese sweets for 5RMB (less than $1US) and then had steamed lamb dumplings and spicy cold noodles. Lunch cost 18RMB (less than $3US for two people) and we were stuffed.
Depending on where you eat here, food is very very cheap from an American perspective. We’ve had Mexican food in Beijing and paid 193RMB. That was the most expensive meal to date, which is probably equal to a reasonably priced meal at a sit-down restaurant in the US. A large Pizza Hut pizza and two soft drinks cost 100RMB (about $15US). McDonald’s was not as cheap as I would have anticipated. For a cheeseburger meal and a McNugget meal, it cost about 47RMB (about $7US). Still not bad.
Today, we had Tall Iced Chocolate drinks at Starbucks after lunch, which cost 42RMB. This seemed shockingly expensive after only paying 18RMB for lunch. But… but… but… in the 95* heat and humidity and without a proper dessert in site for weeks, they were very good.