Comments on: Searching for Real China http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/ No-nonsense China Expat & Travel Community Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:53:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Fact or Fiction X: Moving On Up | Lost Laowai China Blog http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-20934 Fact or Fiction X: Moving On Up | Lost Laowai China Blog Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:25:15 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-20934 [...] it that way. Chinese culture is all around you, no matter how many people are around you. As I said before on here, I think that rampant development is the real China, and we are stuck with it for all of its pros [...] [...] it that way. Chinese culture is all around you, no matter how many people are around you. As I said before on here, I think that rampant development is the real China, and we are stuck with it for all of its pros [...]

]]> By: Sam http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-19436 Sam Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:55:58 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-19436 When my wife and I decided to travel around and see China - not realizing that unlike other countries - China is a World in its own!! - Coming from Canada - it was SO different. My wife and I wanted to see the true China. In our experiences, Chinese people are generally very friendly and helpful to foreigners. Honest most of the times also (but in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an etc. you need to be careful). After much research and struggle I came across a Canadian tour company that made our travel and life simple. Unlike other companies - they were not out just make a buck or two from us - being quite sincere and helpful - also charged us much lower than everyone else - their service is quite personal and pretty good. Maybe any of you can get intouch with them - if you are looking to travel and see the REAL China. The person we deal with is Ms.Gloria and their website is www.realchina.ca - interestingly their company name IS 'realChina'. :) When my wife and I decided to travel around and see China – not realizing that unlike other countries – China is a World in its own!! – Coming from Canada – it was SO different. My wife and I wanted to see the true China.

In our experiences, Chinese people are generally very friendly and helpful to foreigners. Honest most of the times also (but in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an etc. you need to be careful). After much research and struggle I came across a Canadian tour company that made our travel and life simple. Unlike other companies – they were not out just make a buck or two from us – being quite sincere and helpful – also charged us much lower than everyone else – their service is quite personal and pretty good. Maybe any of you can get intouch with them – if you are looking to travel and see the REAL China. The person we deal with is Ms.Gloria and their website is http://www.realchina.ca – interestingly their company name IS ‘realChina’. :)

]]> By: Kimberly http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14982 Kimberly Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:26:00 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14982 I don't think I like the "real China" label. It all seems like China to me. Some places are quite Westernized and that gives them a different feel. I've been to the SIP, my dad lives there, and to me that feels luxurious. I live in a city/town outside of Chengdu where I can't get imported goods or Starbucks coffee, but I still consider places that have those things to be China. I like where I live being almost totally immersed in Chinese, but sometimes I think it would be nice not to ride a bus for 1.5 hours to get imported goods. Good thing I like the Chinese food! I don’t think I like the “real China” label. It all seems like China to me. Some places are quite Westernized and that gives them a different feel. I’ve been to the SIP, my dad lives there, and to me that feels luxurious. I live in a city/town outside of Chengdu where I can’t get imported goods or Starbucks coffee, but I still consider places that have those things to be China. I like where I live being almost totally immersed in Chinese, but sometimes I think it would be nice not to ride a bus for 1.5 hours to get imported goods. Good thing I like the Chinese food!

]]> By: Matt M http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14951 Matt M Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:41:39 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14951 I’m a latecomer to this conversation, but here’s my 2 fen anyway… What is real? Where is the real? Of course everything is real and everywhere is real. But the question and the quest reveal more about the zeitgeist than anything. Modernization ushers in more and more feelings of disconnection from tradition and nature. Case in point: One of my students told me that she can appreciate nature more by taking a picture of it with her cell phone/camera. Would she be able to enjoy nature if she couldn’t recharge its battery? Adverts, credit cards, television, and all the pretty modern infrastructure rapidly thrown up in a pellmell rush all contribute to a sense that humanity is living in a field of dreams – an illusion easily dispelled by even the slightest misfortune. So when people say they looking for the real China, I think they searching for authentic experience – stuff that cannot be bought in a mall or provided by a touring group. But then again, maybe not. Maybe I've watched the Matrix films way too many times. I’m a latecomer to this conversation, but here’s my 2 fen anyway… What is real? Where is the real?

Of course everything is real and everywhere is real. But the question and the quest reveal more about the zeitgeist than anything. Modernization ushers in more and more feelings of disconnection from tradition and nature. Case in point: One of my students told me that she can appreciate nature more by taking a picture of it with her cell phone/camera. Would she be able to enjoy nature if she couldn’t recharge its battery? Adverts, credit cards, television, and all the pretty modern infrastructure rapidly thrown up in a pellmell rush all contribute to a sense that humanity is living in a field of dreams – an illusion easily dispelled by even the slightest misfortune. So when people say they looking for the real China, I think they searching for authentic experience – stuff that cannot be bought in a mall or provided by a touring group. But then again, maybe not. Maybe I’ve watched the Matrix films way too many times.

]]> By: Matt http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14731 Matt Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:04:30 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14731 Gotta go with Chris. The real China is anywhere real Chinese people work, live, or play, whether it's the Bund in Shanghai or tiny villages in Sichuan. Gotta go with Chris. The real China is anywhere real Chinese people work, live, or play, whether it’s the Bund in Shanghai or tiny villages in Sichuan.

]]> By: Katie http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14691 Katie Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:03:51 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14691 I just posted something similar to my personal China travel blog - people telling me that Shimen, the small town in Hunan where I live and teach, is the "real China," is like someone saying that DeKalb, Illinois is the "real America." The "real China" term was used in my teacher training as a way to change our expectations of our living situation rather than invalidate an experience, but it's still an ineffective label. I just posted something similar to my personal China travel blog – people telling me that Shimen, the small town in Hunan where I live and teach, is the “real China,” is like someone saying that DeKalb, Illinois is the “real America.” The “real China” term was used in my teacher training as a way to change our expectations of our living situation rather than invalidate an experience, but it’s still an ineffective label.

]]> By: East is Relative » Blog Archive » Philosophical thoughts, part 1 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14690 East is Relative » Blog Archive » Philosophical thoughts, part 1 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:00:30 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14690 [...] I’ve also decided that I hate the term “the real China.” When we were in Yangshuo, Owen told us Yangshuo is not “the real China.” If Shimen is the definition of “the real China,” then he’s right, Yangshuo is nothing like that. I’d never heard this “the real [Country]” thing before I got to China. Since then, I’ve also been told that going to Sydney is not seeing “the real Australia.” I find this a very strange concept; it’s like telling someone if they want to experience “the real America,” they should move to DeKalb, Illinois. I guess I’ve never thought there was a “real America” before – DeKalb is just as American as Houston, TX; Seattle, WA; Okeechobee, FL; New York City; etc., etc. What makes one place more “American” than another? More legitimate as an American experience? This is an alien concept to me. Places may be different from one another, but it’s all a part of America, so it’s all legitimately American. As such, I think it’s a bit ridiculous to tell someone that Beijing or Shanghai don’t count as “the real China,” when they have equal parts family-style hotpot restaurants, hutong alleyways, museums, commerce, tall buildings, squat impoverished farm houses, bullet trains and old men pulling carts. If Shimen is “the real China,” then China consists only of thousands of shops selling the same things, 5 fast food restaurants, and 2 large grocery stores. And one outdoor skating rink. Call me delusional, but I think China has a lot more to offer than that, and that doesn’t mean it’s any less “real” just because it doesn’t exist in Shimen. [Edited to add: It looks like I'm not the only one having this thought right now; Glen over at lostlaowai.com just posted a similarly-themed post about "the real China" - go check it out at Searching for Real China] [...] [...] I’ve also decided that I hate the term “the real China.” When we were in Yangshuo, Owen told us Yangshuo is not “the real China.” If Shimen is the definition of “the real China,” then he’s right, Yangshuo is nothing like that. I’d never heard this “the real [Country]” thing before I got to China. Since then, I’ve also been told that going to Sydney is not seeing “the real Australia.” I find this a very strange concept; it’s like telling someone if they want to experience “the real America,” they should move to DeKalb, Illinois. I guess I’ve never thought there was a “real America” before – DeKalb is just as American as Houston, TX; Seattle, WA; Okeechobee, FL; New York City; etc., etc. What makes one place more “American” than another? More legitimate as an American experience? This is an alien concept to me. Places may be different from one another, but it’s all a part of America, so it’s all legitimately American. As such, I think it’s a bit ridiculous to tell someone that Beijing or Shanghai don’t count as “the real China,” when they have equal parts family-style hotpot restaurants, hutong alleyways, museums, commerce, tall buildings, squat impoverished farm houses, bullet trains and old men pulling carts. If Shimen is “the real China,” then China consists only of thousands of shops selling the same things, 5 fast food restaurants, and 2 large grocery stores. And one outdoor skating rink. Call me delusional, but I think China has a lot more to offer than that, and that doesn’t mean it’s any less “real” just because it doesn’t exist in Shimen. [Edited to add: It looks like I'm not the only one having this thought right now; Glen over at lostlaowai.com just posted a similarly-themed post about "the real China" - go check it out at Searching for Real China] [...]

]]> By: Stephen http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14685 Stephen Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:08:21 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14685 I think people say 'real china' when they really mean traditional China or historical China. Because like your quote about America from the show, everything in currently in China is really part of that which is China... expat ghettos and all. I think people say ‘real china’ when they really mean traditional China or historical China. Because like your quote about America from the show, everything in currently in China is really part of that which is China… expat ghettos and all.

]]> By: chriswaugh_bj http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14678 chriswaugh_bj Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:43:31 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14678 I would interpret "real China" as "not expat ghetto"- and in that respect, it's not defined by location, socio-economic class, architecture, amenities or age. It's more about attitude: Are you going to engage with China, or ghettoise yourself? I would interpret “real China” as “not expat ghetto”- and in that respect, it’s not defined by location, socio-economic class, architecture, amenities or age. It’s more about attitude: Are you going to engage with China, or ghettoise yourself?

]]> By: Kai http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/expat-stuff/china-expat-rants/searching-for-real-china/#comment-14673 Kai Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:16:17 +0000 http://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/?p=2107#comment-14673 Nice post, Glen. When people, whether foreign or Chinese, invoke "real China" or "real" anything, I like to think that, most of the time, it's innocent nostalgia and sentimentality. It's good to recognize and remind ourselves that change is "real" too, and not in of itself damnable. Nice post, Glen. When people, whether foreign or Chinese, invoke “real China” or “real” anything, I like to think that, most of the time, it’s innocent nostalgia and sentimentality. It’s good to recognize and remind ourselves that change is “real” too, and not in of itself damnable.

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