From Beijing to Xi'an--views of China's transformation

our high speed train from Beijing to Xi'an

We’re flying, at nearly 200 miles per hour, through the brilliant green rice paddies of Central China, headed from Beijing to Xi’an on one of China’s many high speed trains.  The plain is pancake flat; the sky a rosy gray, a mix of clouds and the remains of the sandstorm that blew through here yesterday.
The train is clean, if slightly shabby.  A lady with a mop wipes the floors in between stops.  Our first-class seats are wide recliners, so we’re happily able to nap.  The toilets are the squat variety, which I’m not very fond of, but many Chinese prefer, thinking they are cleaner than the sit-down kind.  We ordered hot box lunches which were edible if not gourmet.  All in all, a nice change from the 6 flights we’ll be taking on the rest of our travels in China.
There are a few people working in their fields, but no tractors visible from the train.  Most of the farms are tiny and don’t lend themselves well to mechanization.  China is trying to move farmers to the cities and consolidate agricultural land so it can be worked more efficiently.  This, like so much over the last 30 years, is a massive change in an ancient way of life, moving at a speed too rapid for many people to absorb.  There are thousands of protests, but, in the end, people don’t have a choice.

fields and mountains between Beijing and Xi'an

We keep crisscrossing highways, another example of China’s enormous investment in infrastructure.  As we glide (and this is, indeed, a smooth ride) into the many cities along our way, there are the same skyscraper apartment blocks, seemingly hundreds of yellowish or gray or brown buildings all alike, jutting upward in narrow spikes that look like they’ll bend in a high wind.  I wonder how anyone finds her apartment in the countless tall buildings filling each complex.
Everywhere there are cranes.  China continues its building boom, with housing prices high and credit, provided by government-owned banks, easy to get.  Despite constant speculation about a burst in China’s housing bubble, it hasn’t happened yet, though it’s hard to see why not.  There are thousands of apartment blocks under construction on the outskirts of every city.  And there are hundreds of cities we’ve never heard of, where tourists don’t go, whose populations surpass 5 million. 

Every one  of them seems to be building, building.  Yet many buildings, both apartment and office, are empty.

2 apartment blocks, all alike

 Having denuded its mountains and plains of trees over too many years, China has been on a tree-planting crusade for the last 20 years.  They’ve planted rows of trees along every street and highway and throughout their housing and office complexes.  Even in rural areas, farmers are planting trees to fill empty spaces and block the ceaseless winds.  It’s an important start on improving its environment, but China has so far to go before its air and water are clean. 

At every train station, passengers are reminded “to please get off in an orderly fashion”.  That’s not the usual way in teeming China.  At the Beijing train station this morning, people jumped over barriers and slithered through the long queues aiming for a more strategic position  as we all moved slowly towards each of the several layers of security.  You have to broaden your physical profile in order to hold your place in line.
I remember our early visits to China when we’d see thousands of people waiting outside train stations for days to buy tickets home for Chinese New Year.  That was when there were no highways and few trains.  People might travel for days to and from their jobs in places like the Pearl River Delta, Suzhou, Tianjin and Guangzhou on the few trains that operated then.  Now, there are dozens of choices and, though the stations and trains are crowded, people can get where they want to go easily.  China has done an unimaginable job of transforming its infrastructure in less than 30 years.  And the Chinese people are taking advantage of it with their new cars and new ability to travel to all corners of their country.  It is an astonishing transformation.

Xi'an's terracotta warriors and more

rows of terracotta warriors in pit 1

Most people traveling to China visit the ancient capital of Xi'an, the starting point of the Silk Road. This was where camel and horse caravans laden with silks and jade and other goods began their journey to the great cities of the Middle East and even Europe.  The caravans themselves did not travel the entire Silk Road, but met other traders in cities along the way, such as Dunhuang and Kashgar in the Gobi Desert, where they exchanged goods and sent their wares on their way farther west, returning with the items in high demand in Chinese markets.

horse and soldiers awaiting reconstruction

a warrior's face

The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, started his tomb and filled it with magnificent terracota warriors to protect him in the afterlife.  Artisans worked for 37 years to complete the warriors, horses and chariots that filled his tomb.  So far 8000 have been discovered, all smashed into countless pieces and carefully reconstructed by archaeologists and modern-day artisans.  The warriors all had different faces, which makes them seem like they are living their difficult lives even today.
The first time I visited Xi'an, in 1987, there was only 1 pit that had been excavated, covered by a tin roof, with a graveled parking lot abutting the site.  Today, there are 3 pits, carefully protected in large buildings where archaeologists work daily to reconstruct all the soldiers they are finding.

terracotta horses that used to be hitched to a cart

The warriors were discovered in 1974 when a farmer was digging a well and turned up pieces of a soldier's head with his shovel.  The amount of work that has been done since then is astonishing, like so much in China.  Sometimes, that farmer sits in the gift shop signing books, a much easier way to make a living that the hard work of farming that he did for so long.

top of Xi'an's wall

Xi'an is still a walled city, though the city itself has far outgrown its original boundary to become a manufacturing center with 9 million people.  The wall is high and wide, 14 kilometers around, and perfect for a long walk or short bike ride.  You can ride a truly awful bike around the Wall in an hour, but be prepared for a seat that collapses on you or pedals that stick to your shoes and handlebars that aim only for the many holes that pock the surface of the Wall.  Nevertheless, it is one of the really fun things to do in Xi'an and lets you peer down into the backyards of lives of the citizenry.

golden Buddha in the Pagoda

The Wild Goose Pagoda is another enjoyable visit.  Again, 30 years ago during my first visit, it was decrepit with weeds surrounding it and a sagging fence.  Today, it has been restored and is the center of a lively tourist market, filled with shops selling junky souvenirs.  There is an art school and gallery that is part of the pagoda complex.  Local artists sell their art to support the pagoda, which has returned to being a Buddhist religious site, including about 50 monks who maintain the premises and offer tours.  From the top of the Pagoda, you can look out across this large city, though smog obstructs the view.

Wild Goose Pagoda

Muslim Street food stall

At night, it's fun to enjoy a dumpling dinner, a specialty of Xi'an, and walk around the wall or through the busy city streets.  Muslim Street is right by the bell tower and is packed with people enjoying the food stalls every night.

temple just inside the wall

Rainy day in Lijiang--and still beautiful

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on a sunny day--photo taken on our 2010 trip

lower peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the mist and rain

Yesterday we left Chengdu for Lijiang about noon, flying high up to the Tibetan Plateau.  The flight was very bumpy and, just as we were making our final approach to the Lijiang Airport, set in a deep mountain valley, we pulled up as the pilot announced we were going back to Chengdu.  A thunderstorm had developed right over the Lijiang airport and no planes were able to land.

homes in Lijiang's Old City

Back to Chengdu we went, where we waited 4 hours in the terminal for a new take-off and landing slot.  Brian Kwok, our friend and travel agent, is a techie who has an app on his phone that lets him see where flights are in the air anywhere in the world.  There were hundreds of planes flying the Chengdu/Lijiang/Kunming airspace, so no surprise that we were long delayed.
We finally landed in this beautiful place in time to dump our bags in the stunning Intercontinental Hotel whose back gate leads right into Lijiang's compact and charming Old City and head for a very local restaurant for typical Naxi food, beer and barely drinkable Great Wall wine.

food stalls in Lijiang's main square at night

There are 22 minority groups in Lijiang, with the Naxi making up 30% of the minority population. They are mountain people, farmers and herders, whose traditional crafts used to support them during lean times.  The emperors and warlords bought their embroidery, metalware and woodworking.  But, the Cultural Revolution destroyed that because it was "capitalist", so the mountain tribes were plunged back into poverty.

stone courtyard in traditional Naxi house

During Xiang Jemin's presidency of China, he began to rebuild the crafts, helping the Naxi and other minority groups open schools for teaching their traditional crafts.  Today, the teachers also go to the more remote villages to teach the crafts to women so they can supplement their families' farming incomes.  The work is creative and beautiful.
We spent most of the day on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the 18,500 foot peak that looms over Lijiang.  Given the rain, often heavy, we could only see the lower reaches of the mountain, so we're hoping that tomorrow will bring a glimpse of this stunning peak.  Don and I have been here 3 times before, so have beautiful photos of the mountain on sunny days (which I'll add to this blog once I get home).  Nonetheless, we walked on boardwalks through the woods and around a pretty meadow with yaks grazing and 3 dejected horses, including one very young colt, turning their backs to the chilling rain.

dejected horses in the rain

Then to the Naxi village for lunch at another very local restaurant with windows open and no heat. But a couple of cups of hot tea and some delicious Naxi food warmed us anyway.

pictograph of pregnant woman

The village is a center for teaching crafts, and therefore for tourists, so has many shops and restored homes, cobbled streets and some level of prosperity.
The Naxi writing is pictographs, some that clearly tell you what they mean.  Most young people haven't learned the written language, though they speak the language as a matter of course, so some of the elders are teaching pictographs to them. 

Mufu Mansion buildings

As with so many cultures that have been suppressed, Naxi culture is enjoying a comeback.
Lijiang itself has a wonderful Old City, built about 700 years ago of wood, close-packed traditional homes and shops.  The cobbled alleyways are closed to vehicles, fortunately, since tourists clog the streets when the weather is reasonable.  The Mufu Mansion is one of the tourist highlights, but just wandering through the narrow streets is the best thing to do in Lijiang.

Traveling in China once again

ceremonial hall--Forbidden City

A year ago, my brother and sister-in-law told me they’d like us to plan a trip to China for them and some friends.  So, now, here we are once again, my brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law and 5 additional friends, in this remarkable country.  Don and I first visited exactly 30 years ago (see an upcoming blog about how we've watched China’s transformation into the world’s second largest economy) and have returned 20 times since then.  We continue to marvel at what China has done over that time.

Great Wall meandering across the mountains near Beijing

Beijing is a must-see city.  Though its broad avenues are a driver’s nightmare now that the city has 7 million cars, seemingly on the streets all at once, and generally terrible air quality, it is center of Chinese history and culture.  The Great Wall is an hour away—and a thrill to see no matter how many times I’ve visited.  The Summer Palace is a monument to imperial decadence and a favorite destination for Chinese (and all) tourists.  There are museums, art districts, excellent restaurants, a few superb temples that survived the Cultural Revolution, supermalls, the infamous and enormous Tiananmen Square and the magnificent and huge Forbidden City.  And much more.

panorama of Forbidden City courtyard under surprisingly blue skies

We got lucky this trip.  A sandstorm blew through Beijing the day before we arrived, but the winds also cleared the air of the oppressive smog that usually covers the city.  I’ve never seen blue sky in Beijing before, but we enjoyed 2 days of clear air.  My past photos of the Great Wall are murky, but this time, we could see sections of the Wall that had been hidden by the smog on previous visits.  We climbed as high up the steep wall as we could go breathing easily.  One tip here, visit the Wall in the afternoon when the swarms of tourists are smaller.  By the time we left about 5 p.m., there were only a few people on the Wall, whereas in the morning, crowds make it difficult to move on the lower sections of the Wall.

children playing at the Summer Palace

This part of the Great Wall has all been rebuilt, but that doesn’t detract from its power.  It is a marvel of human effort and folly, built at the expense of a million lives and destined to fail at its objective of keeping China safe from Mongol conquerors.  Near Beijing, the Wall meanders over very steep limestone mountains.  In its earlier form, it was built of earth with mud-brick watch towers.  Today, it is made of limestone filled in with concrete.  Its steep, irregular steps are an effort to climb and fortunately deter most of the tourists from its higher reaches, giving us freedom of movement above the first watch tower.  Nonetheless, there were women in spiked heels clambering up even the ladder-steep sections, breathless and excited.  In a few days, we will fly to Jiayuguan where the wall began, far out in the Gobi Desert.

temple and lake at the Summer Palace

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, home of the emperors, are at the heart of the city.  In the last 30 years, Beijing has grown to 23 million people, so the city has moved far out from its center.  Every couple of miles, there is a ring road circling the city, connected to the other ring roads by wide boulevards literally overflowing with cars.  They are about to begin construction of the 7^th ring road and still the city has built way beyond even this farthest point. 

outer wall and moat of the Forbidden City

Beijing is about to host the heads of state of the Silk Road countries.  China has a major push underway to expand its influence throughout Central Asia via its “Silk Road Initiative”, ostensibly to encourage tourism along this fabled trade route, but also to create a sense of common history and destiny.  So, security was beginning to be even tighter than usual as the city prepared for its high level guests.

Now you need passports to get into the most popular attractions, matched to your entry tickets so scalpers can't buy low and sell high.  Security is always tight around Tiananmen Square where foreigners can pass through easily, but Chinese must wait in long lines to get through security and into the square.  On one side is the enormous Great Hall of the People, where President Richard Nixon was hosted at a huge state banquet when he visited China in 1972.

Great Hall of the People

Most Chinese live in tiny apartments or single rooms, chilly in the winter and stuffy in the hot summers.  

women singing at the Temple of Heaven

Retirees (who often must retire before reaching 60) spend much of their days in the parks and temples with friends, exercising, playing cards and talking.  The Temple of Heaven is a haven for Chinese who fill their days there with a variety of social activities.  Now, the government has installed exercise equipment to add to the tai chi many Chinese practice every morning.

Round temple at the huge Temple of Heaven

The adorable pandas of Chengdu

8 month old panda baby 

Chengdu, China's Panda Breeding Center is pure joy.  We're here leading a group of 11 of us on a very busy trip to China, so I'm going to be blogging out of sequence, starting with the adorable Giant Panda babies we visited today.

There are about 2400 Giant Pandas alive in the world today, about half of them in captivity in zoos, breeding centers and panda reserves where these charming animals are protected.  The Giant Panda was on the road to extinction before China started capturing injured and starving animals in the wild and putting them in what amounts to protective custody.

a wistful little guy

Pandas are solitary creatures, setting up territories in bamboo forests.  Several factors have led to their near-demise.  Female pandas ovulate only once a year.  If the female is not near a male, she does not breed that year, losing a precious opportunity to reproduce.
Newborn babies are tiny rat-like creatures, 1/1000th the size of their mothers.  A first-time mother may not know what to do with her baby, which has almost no hair, unformed ears and closed eyes, a totally helpless, but squirmy and screechy infant.  So, the baby may die from neglect or injury.
The bamboo forests of China are nearly gone, so many Giant Pandas have starved to death.  They can only absorb about 30% of the food value of the bamboo, so have to eat large quantities of a vanishing resource to survive.  While they also eat meat, they are slow-moving animals who can rarely catch prey.  China has set aside reserves of bamboo forest and is trying, slowly, to move some of the pandas it is breeding into the wild.  Last year, they released a male and female after several years of living in semi-wild conditions.  Only the female survived.  The male was done in by a would-be mate who apparently did not appreciate his advances.

babies are playful

Last year, 24 babies were born at the Chengdu breeding center, with an amazing 23 surviving. The babies are taken from their mothers at birth to protect them and put in incubators. They are put with their mothers 2 to 3 hours daily to nurse.  In between, the handlers milk the mothers by feeding them honey-dipped bamboo sticks through the bars of their enclosures while a second handler actually milks the mother, who happily cares only about the honey and bamboo.

mother panda enjoying her bamboo

Chengdu is hot and humid in the summer and cold and frosty in the winter.  The pandas prefer the winter in their fluffy black and white coats.  In the summer, they could die from the heat, so their handlers move them inside to stay cool during the middle part of the day.
We watched as handlers coaxed the 6 to 8 month old babies into their arms to cart them to their large inside enclosures.  When the babies saw them coming, they raced up the trees to avoid being taken inside.  With a lot of wheedling, they eventually clambered down from the trees and allowed their handlers to cuddle them in their arms.
This breeding center also raises red pandas, related to raccoons.  They have enclosures, but frequently run along the walkways greeting the thousands of visitors.

red panda

baby escaping from handler

deciding it's time to come down

on its way

giving in to its handler

Santiago de Cuba, where Castro's revolution began

Fidel Castro announced the success of the revolution from the main balcony of this city hall in Santiago de Cuba

We talked to people who looked at Cuba and Cuban/U.S. relations from an American point of view as well as with Cubans who gave us their perspective (my last blog).  I have summarized these conversations below.

There are 4 transitions underway in Cuba:
1.  The political transition that will happen when Raul Castro steps down on Feb. 24, 2018.  While he is stepping down as president, he is also head of the Communist Party, the military and the Council of Ministers.  He hasn't said what he'll do about these other jobs.  So, Cuba is experiencing its own political turmoil as various candidates juggle for position to succeed Raul Castro.

1.    
  

symbol of the outgoing generation of leaders

child in shop door--Cuba's future leader

22.     The economic transition—the government wants a human-based social system in which the government provides health care, education and basic food supplies.  But, it’s hard to maintain full social programs when you have an aging population.  Twenty percent of Cuba’s population is over 60, so the private sector is becoming ever more essential to help provide for them.  While there are over 200 economic areas that are open to private business (taxis, restaurants, bed and breakfasts), they do not play a big role in the economy.

3.     

new economy--selling plantains on street

 The generational transition--from the aged Castros to a younger group of potential leaders, resulting from Fidel Castro’s death and the looming handover of power from Raul Castro to a new, and younger, president.  The younger generation of Cubans wants new economic opportunities.  They are less committed to the revolution and more interested in providing for the well-being of their families and themselves.

bodega (ration store) with little on shelves--old economy

          4. Then, of course, there is the technical transition where even Cuba is slowly moving into the internet age.  While it is still very difficult to connect to the internet—slow, very limited connectivity—there are now 300 areas in the country, including parks and plazas, where people can get access to the internet.  And they are full of people on their smart phones, on the internet.  Prices for internet access are still high for the average Cuban, but are coming down.

primary school classroom--triumph of the revolution

Cuba’s dilemma is how to maintain the gains of the revolution while moving into the future it’s younger citizens demand.

Since Pres. Obama opened the door to more diplomacy and exchange opportunities, the number of people-to-people delegations has grown dramatically, with an increase in American tourism of 84% from 2015 to the end of 2016.  Last year, 600,000 Americans visited Cuba.  This is a huge benefit for the Cuban economy and has generated thousands of private businesses, ranging from bed and breakfast lodging to guiding to private transportation and restaurants.

woman scavenging--still a long way to go

The U.S. and many Cuban Americans want to support the private sector in Cuba.  Ultimately, Cuba needs  a stronger currency and greater transparency if it wants to attract foreign investors.  In communications, direct mail service was implemented in 2014.  Before, mail had to be routed through some other country, such as Mexico or Panama, often taking 6 months to reach the U.S.  Even the cargo carriers are exploring their opportunities in Cuba.  And 4 major U.S. phone carriers now have roaming agreements in place with Cubatel, making calls from Cuba to the U.S. on our mobile phones quite a bit cheaper than even a year ago.

Since the partial opening in late 2014, the U.S. and Cuba have signed 22 memorandums of understanding, each of which had to be carefully negotiated by the 2 parties, and has sent over 50 high level government officials, including, of course, Pres. Obama to Cuba.  More American businesspeople are coming to Cuba and more Cubans, to the U.S.

woodblock print by artist with 10 year U.S.visa

Remittances total about $3.4 billion a year from the U.S. to Cuba and are the third biggest source of foreign exchange.  The government is worried about the growing discrepancy between rich and poor, particularly since this gap tends to divide the country by race and geography.  They can’t tax remittances, but they do tax the importation of goods and the profits of private businesses.  The private sector is pretty cautious and tends to stay on the right side of the law, keeping good records of their profits.

The president can’t just eliminate the U.S. embargo; only Congress can lift the sanctions.  Pres. Obama’s executive orders regarding Cuba resulted in a lot more activity between the 2 countries, such as the agreement that permitted scheduled flights from a number of U.S. cities to several Cuban cities, a huge improvement over the charter flights that used to service Cuba.

Big global companies are looking into Cuba—and Cuba favors the larger companies.  The government doesn’t really want start-ups or smaller companies without the resources, staying power and patience of the multinationals.  The medium and smaller companies are having a hard time getting opportunities in Cuba.  Most decisions go to the top of the government and tend to sit there. For the smaller companies, getting meetings with officials is very difficult.  They can’t set up relationships easily, often have trouble getting a visa and get slow or no responses to their inquiries.  So many of them just give up.

outside art market on the street

American multinationals and other potential investors have been telling the government that interest in Cuba won’t last if it continues to be so difficult to do business there.  But, the government doesn’t believe it.  Now their opportunities for foreign investment are smaller than before.  The major industries that are opening to foreign investment are airlines, telecommunications, cargo carriers, manufacturing, agriculture and the hospitality industry.

clinic examination room, Playa Giron

Cubans now have the same requirements as the rest of the world to get U.S. visas.  To get a non-immigrant visa, you must be able to prove you will not stay in the U.S.  The assumption is that everyone wants to stay in the U.S.  However, it is much easier for some Cubans to get visas than others.  Artists we met told us they have 5 or 10 year visas with multiple entries allowed.  The U.S. has made big efforts to encourage free expression through art, music and writing in Cuba.

Cubans can praise but not protest government policies.  The government reports that there are 70 to 100 people in prison for expressing political views.  If you talk to Cubans about human rights, the Cubans say that socio-economic rights (access to health care, housing, education and food) are human rights.  They point out that police are killing black men in our cities, so who are we to talk to them about human rights.

children watching clown--Museo de Bellas Artes

Cuba has a very old population for a developing country, with 20% of people being over 60.  They have the demographics of Switzerland but the economy of Haiti.  To deal with the problem of providing social services to their aging population, the government has raised taxes.  On incomes of more than $25 per month, they levy a $2 tax.  They are bringing back the income tax which hasn’t been in place since before the revolution.  Because they export so many doctors and other medical personnel (their largest export), it has become harder to access health care.  There are now 60,000 doctors working overseas.

Exceptions to the U.S. embargo include medicine and agricultural products (Cuba imports $500 million in food every year from the U.S.).  The Cubans would prefer to manufacture their drugs here.  There is real scarcity in pharmacies.

mosaic boat with revolutionaries--Jose Fuster neighborhood

The American side of the “small tractor company” story varies a bit from the Cuban side (see my blog on Cubans’ views of the U.S.).  This company planned to manufacture a very small tractor in Cuba priced to meet Cuban budgets and sized for Cuban fields.  The company thought it would be able to open a factory in a planned duty free zone by the Havana port.  But, the Cubans finally turned it down, saying the tractor was too small to be of much use, had no advanced technology, and didn’t generate enough jobs.  Of the 400 companies that have applied for licenses in the duty free zone, only 18 have been approved.

unemployed man outside bodega

People who start private businesses like paladars and bed and breakfasts buy their goods for these businesses mostly in the U.S.  There is a “Samsonite express” between the U.S. and Cuba, with Cubans making their livings by going to the U.S. with 10 to 12 suitcases, loading them with U.S. goods, then returning to Cuba with their haul for their clients.  The remittances from the U.S. to Cuba go right back to the U.S. to buy these goods and don’t do much for creating jobs in Cuba outside those small businesses.  The customs agents will often let 7 or 8 large suitcases to get in duty-free and then dig through the 8^th or 9^th or 10^th bag and charge duties on the goods they contain.

A bus boy in a tourist restaurant makes much more money than a doctor or engineer, so there has been a big move to the tourist industry.  This is a problem for the government which pays for the education of its professionals, only to lose them to lesser jobs that pay so much better.

living room of farmer's home with photo of Che Guevara

The Communist Party will determine the next president.  There are several front runners, with the current Vice President at the top of the list for the moment.  He is a party man who believes in the existing mission of the party.  The Foreign Minister is another possibility, also a party man.  And then, there’s Alejandro Castro, son of Raul Castro, who might be in the running.  This will be tricky for the party since the Castros have insisted they will not allow a dynasty to be established in Cuba.  Soon we’ll start seeing a bigger public face of the expected top candidate.

Young people don’t have a lot of interest in politics.  They’re much more concerned about starting families and earning enough money to support them.  They have always thought they could just leave if things didn’t go well.  But now, with the lifting of the “wet foot, dry foot” rule that allowed any Cuban who set one foot on American soil (even if the other foot was in the water off the sandy beach), they will have less opportunity to go to the U.S. and may become more interested in Cuba’s policies.

paladar (private restaurant) in Vinales Valley