Coming into contact with the Chinese culture and its history gives one a perspective on the European history and an understanding for the people for whom humbleness, rankorder and respect are fundamental things. The last emperor resigned 1911, and in 1949 most of the former forbidden places and buildings were opened for the general public.
In February the leaders for the Norr-Chi Association were invited to Tongling, the sister city west of Shanghai in the middle of China. Together with the vice chairman of the municipal board Anne Westerlund 7 women interested in Tai Chi and Qi Gong went on an 11 day trip to China. This trip was possible to make because the Skelleftemayor Lorentz Andersson took a letter from the association to the mayor in Tongling when the first Skellefte-delegation went to Tongling in May 1998. The Tai Chi association in Tongling has 3000 active members and ours has 200 in the two years old association.
We had interesting visits to a big company and a TCM-hospital, kindergarten with lovely and happy children and planned lunches and dinners with politicians and other men in top positions. The local-TV supervised us in many different places even when we, on request, were singing two midsummer songs at the big official dinner with 150 persons. We spent the last 5 days in Beijing with an interesting and full schedule. We were so busy that we didn’t have time to change clothes, not even before the acrobatic show nor before the emperor dinner in the revolution museum next to the Big Square (Tienman Square). Our two young guides did a great job taking us around in a minibus and in that way we were able to see some great things and nice restaurants.
We visited one of the four most famous monasteries. We had to climb 3000 steps to reach it. On the Great Wall some of us climbed 2000 steps and passed 7 watchtowers. And at Fragant Hill, a beautiful mountain resort we climbed 1000 steps.
Many groups in Tongling showed us their program, first outdoors in the morning together with many others and later in a great performance where we were also asked to perform! We accepted, even though we were not dressed for it. Our costumes with double layers were too hot in the heat, 85 F-25 C and high humidity. After the performance I apologized at a dinner to the vice mayor and they sent a tailor to come and take our measurements and 38 hours later we all had nice red Tai Chi shirts and white, wide pants in SILK! We hope we can invite someone from Tongling to teach us Mulan Fan next summer! In Beijing we participated ourselves as Tai Chi groups were close to our hotel.
We got well prepared and very good food. Green tea was served at every meal and the teapot would circle on a table-carousel in the middle of a big table. On the disc 10-20 different dishes were placed with different chopped foods and woked dishes and were eaten with chop sticks. In the end the soup and the rice came on the table and the meals were finished with watermelon. Almost no bread was served. We ate everything and we believe it was more than 100 different dishes served, and we felt so good all the time. We tasted pig-ears, frog, duckfeet, scorpions, lobster, lotus flower root, turtle and even more common food as pork in sweet and sour sauce, tofu, omelet, fish and chicken with nuts. As water and fresh vegetables are not supposed to be consumed by westerners it was perfect that the hotels kept hot boiled water at the hotels and mineral-water was available to buy everywhere.
China is in a state of rapid change and we could see it all the time and everywhere. It is a big contrast between the modern and the old traditions. It is a nation with a 4000 years old history and 1.2 billion people and with more than 600 million farmers. The farmers seem to work hard with old fashioned tools but everyone seems to be happy and show joy and pride in their work and way of living. Despite the crowds in Beijing we were never pushed and never encountered dishonest people, only curiosity and much friendliness.
Creditcards work very well in bigger stores and US dollars in cash are the easiest to change into Yuan. Only some hotels accept traveler's cheques. Buying things is complicated both in friendship-stores and in department stores. When you have decided to buy something the salesman gives you a three-part slip so you can pay at a cashiers “cage” and return with two stamped slips and then you’ll get the item you bought and paid for. Buyers' cards are handed out at the entrance and you get a bonus if you purchase more than 100 dollars worth of goods. When you find state owed stores the price can be 1/5 of the started price in a private store. Bargaining is in most cases a sport.
Things we saw a lot of: Rice and cornfields, lotus flowers, fresh fruit, bikes, minibuses, cellular phones, constructions, small kids with holes in their trousers (instead of diapers), thick brooms, cleaners, and relatively long and beautiful people.
p>Things we saw less of: smokers, fat persons, beggars, ladies with “small” feet, toilet paper, children 5-15 years old, westerners, revolution uniforms and horses.To be able to experience the 50th celebration of the New China with all the flowers and fireworks and lantern shows were privileges we shall never forget. The trip was worth every penny and made us long for the next trip. We are planning it for the members of Norr-Chi in the year 2002.
Monica Tjerngren [Back to the top]