No stay in China would be complete without a visit to Xi’an – the cradle of Chinese civilisation and home of the world famous Terracotta Warriors. It’s been on my ‘to do’ list since arriving and I took the May 1st long weekend opportunity to jump on a plane and come and see what this place is all about.
Stepping off the plane I realised that I was stepping out into real China. This isn’t the international metropolis that is Shanghai or the capital city spruced up beyond recognition to please visitors to the Beijing Olympics. Here was the China I had heard about - smoggy, bustling, chaotic and very, very foreign.
Xi’an is a lot smaller than other Chinese cities I have been to. It only has a couple of million inhabitants, the majority of which seem to be students. Being a little out of the way I guess not many international companies have set up shop here and so not many foreigners would come to live and work here, but rather just pass through to see what this city has to offer. On top of this, although the enterprising few have outdone themselves in catering for us tourists, this certainly isn’t Disneyland and the city still feels very untouched by western influences.
What is funny about the Chinese is that they have no qualms about staring and pointing and making a scene whenever they see something they think is funny or different. It is quite refreshing that they are so open sometimes, and in a way this kind of innocence and lack of ‘play it cool’ nonchalance that we have in the west is a treat. Simple things I merely take in my stride and glaze over become a big adventure, and how much fun must that be?!
Walking down the street in Shanghai people will occasionally stare at me, but the only time I really get hassled is when I keep it real and ride on the buses. Little old ladies will try touch my face, little old men will stare until their eyes almost pop out and children point unashamedly. In the weekly grind of office to cocktail bar to home, I don’t go on the bus that often so I am not faced with this intrusion enough to annoy me. It is very much still a novelty and admittedly quite flattering to be so funny or different.
My experience here in Xi’an is that the novelty would soon wear off. I still find it charming but the patience of my two 2m tall travel companions may be exasperated. The pointing and giggling is ok but yesterday we were asked to pose for goodness knows how many photographs and people come up and try speak the pidgin English they know, which is a bit of a busman's holiday for me and ever so slightly exhausting.
There I was minding my own business in my true western way, walking between excavation pits at the utterly mind blowing Terracotta Warriors Museum when this mad little Chinese man comes running up to me with his baby. “Beautiful lady, beautiful lady… Please hold the baby for a photograph!” The baby was shoved into my arms, perhaps not very amused and a bit freaked out by this white freckled thing holding him. I wanted to just placate him, to give him back, but had to pose first of all. Bizarre. What they will do with this photo of a random white person (ie me) is a mystery and I don’t know if I really see the point in it, but that is what makes this whole place so foreign.
A new day awaits anyway, and I should go put on some make-up to star in some random Chinese people’s photo albums. My Chinese lesson of the day is: 老外lǎo wài - which means foreigner, and is exactly what I am.
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