Beijing: The Culture

Beijing is China’s capital and one of the oldest cities in the world. It hosts some of world’s most famous historical tourist attractions, such as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, etc. The Great Wall is only 1.5 hours away and there are plenty of inexpensive and fast ways to get around town. If you chose this place as your destination, you are in serious luck.

This is the place for you if being around people doesn’t bother you. There is an endless supply of entertainment, shopping, and tourist sites for you to explore. In fact, you definitely will not run out of new places to enjoy in two months of stay. You will be utterly shocked by the mass of new skyscrapers everywhere. Beijing is essentially comparable to New York City: a lush jungle of entertainment for the rich and those who like to adventure. With that said, let me quickly tour you through the culture shocks and the reality of Beijing.

Beijing has a sea of people everywhere. By everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. Tiananmen Square can be considered the heart and center of Beijing, with “rings” of massive artery highways built around it. 20 years ago, there were only 3 Rings. Today, there is the possibility of a 6^th. Tsinghua University is located in northwestern 5^th Ring. Everywhere you go, there is

a ton of people. Subways, buses, and sidewalks are almost always jam-packed with people. With so many people, there is always something going on.

One Friday afternoon, I was riding the subway to visit some friends and relatives. The subway was intensely crowded that afternoon, like any other day. It was here that I witnessed a fist-fight between two grown men. It started off as an argument over a single, vacant seat. Soon, the argument escalated into a fight and there was a circle of people just watching. I was puzzled as to why no one attempted to break up the fight, and was almost about to squeeze into the pack and break it up myself. Suddenly, we came to the next stop, where the two men went outside and started fighting again. Later, I asked several people about such incidents and they all said that it happens all the time. One must never attempt to break up a fight, they said, for the “peacemaker” will often end up getting bruises as well.

Beijing is a place where everybody minds their own business. You will often see people squeezing into buses, cutting into lines, and pushing others out of their way. Get used to it, it happens all the time. You do not have to join in the act of doing so, but if you don’t, expect to be frustrated as endless hordes of people take advantage and cut in front of you. It really is a dog-eat-dog world in Beijing. You can continuously stare at someone who pushes you out of the way, but they will simply ignore the fact that you are even there. Every time that you are given the initiative, you should take it. This is possibly the most disturbing difference one has to live through.

Pollution and trash is another thing to get used to. The tragedy of the commons scenario is in full bloom here at Beijing. One time, I saw someone throw away an ice cream cone wrapper on the grass even though a trash can was only a few steps away. I would not recommend following this trend, only to take heed. You will commonly see streets littered with light trash. Pollution-wise, the situation has steadily improved over the years. You may never see a perfectly blue sky with white clouds, but you will see a few days of cloudless pale-blue sky. During a dry week, the visibility is truly terrible as if there is constant light fog.

But one important thing for a Westerner to take heed is the importance of being polite to those who are providing service. This is especially true when taking a taxi. Beijing’ers are known for being very prideful of their heritage and culture. Some taxi drivers enjoy taking advantages and this includes taking intentional detours for Westerners who do not know any better. When dealing with a rude Westerner who is constantly mocking the city or culture, this pushes one’s motivation even more. This is also true for bargaining. There are many ways to bargain, and being polite is one of the best ways. A friend who was part of REU 2008 learned to chat lightly and make jokes with the sellers, and he turned out to be one of the best bargainers I have ever witnessed. What you certainly don’t want to do is bargain for something that you don’t want in the first place. Another student did this while we were visiting the Forbidden City, and a fight almost broke out when he said “no” after the seller had finally met his demands.

But enough of the negative culture shocks. What you really want is entertainment and that is what you will find here.

Food. The food is absolutely to die for in Beijing. Forget all those westernized Chinese restaurants that you go to in the US. The real Chinese cuisine is what you can find in Beijing. I won’t even get started on the dishes, because I know I won’t finish. It’s extremely important to find someone trustworthy who knows the place and could tell you where all the best restaurants are. You likely will get hooked even on the dining hall food on Tsinghua, which is exponentially better than the dining hall food you would normally find in the States. It’s extremely cheap food too. For example, a plate of dumplings costs less than 3 yuan, which is less than 50 US cents. I have rarely ever spent more than a dollar on a single meal of dining hall food. And trust me, it’s good. Plus, there’s beer.

Anyway, do not get stuck on dining hall food, even though it’s the best dining hall food you will probably ever have. Go out, have some fun, and devour some of the best cuisine in the world. It’s really not too expensive when you go with a group, you will hardly spend more than 10 dollars on any single meal. One more thing, try the McDonalds and KFCs in Beijing. Guaranteed, you will hardly believe that it’s the same McDonalds and KFCs that you have known. They just seem to put much more care into the food they prepare here.

You should spend at least one night at WangFuJing, the commerce center of Beijing. There is plenty of shopping to do, but the one best thing that I found about it is the sidewalk food parlors that they open at night. Grilled squid, lamb, and strange yet delicious stuff like scorpion are only some of the stuff you will find there. They grill it right in front of you, and you eat it right on the spot. Stuff is cheap, delicious, and worth trying. WangFuJing at night is essentially an entire block devoted to entertaiment.

Definitely visit the major tourist attractions and bring your camera. After you have done so, you may choose to visit some of most famous bars, dance, and karaoke clubs in China. Beijing was the host of the 2008 Olympics and much refurbishment was done to polish the city. The Bird’s Nest and Water Cube will probably be open when you are there. Take advantage of the service in Beijing. This is the type of service that you will not find in the US. A haircut that includes multiple washes, drying, and a head massage would only cost around 10 to 15 yuan. The waitresses enjoy serving you in restaurants and the associates enjoy assisting you in shopping malls. Communication is key, as people tend to enjoy serving those who are more sociable.