Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Xi'an Day 3

In the morning of Day 3 we visited the Great Wild Goose Pagoda. This Buddhist temple was built in the mid- 7th century by the Tang Dynasty. A temple was used to hold translations of Buddhist scriptures brought back by a Chinese monk who had spent a number of years studying Buddhism in India. Originally five stories high, another five stories were added about 50 years later. Today, due to an earthquake, the pagoda is just seven stories tall and stands about 210 feet high.

When we got to the temple, there were a large number of monks lined up at the entrance. We soon discovered that we arrived on a special day and the monks were all part of a procession waiting to greet the head monk of Guangdong Province who was visiting the Wild Goose Pagoda. A large crowd had gathered to try and catch a glimpse of the 101 year-old monk. One of our teachers tried to explain it to us by comparing the monk to Pope John Paul II (perhaps not realizing that he had died a couple of years back), but we got the idea.

After the crowds had died down a bit, we ascended to the top of the Pagoda ourselves. The top floor is very small, perhaps 50 square feet, and was packed with nearly 20 people. It was very hot and we didn't stay long. Climbing the Pagoda was kind of just a thing to do in order to be able to say you did it; we climbed all the way to the top!

After leaving the Pagoda, we were very hungry, but our lunch was delayed by a trip to a nearby government store designed to sell jade to tourists. Government stores are an interesting concept, because I can't really think of something similar that we have in the United States. More than likely if the government wanted to sell trinkets to people, they would contract a private company to do it for them.

Another important thing to remember when traveling in China is that your tour guide is out to make extra money. Very likely the restaurants you eat at and the hotel you stay at all have a relationship with the travel agency and are getting kick backs for having you spend money there. I heard a horror story of a group that went to Tibet with a tour group (usually the only way you can get in, as the Chinese place restrictions on foreign visitors there) and were taken to the same restaurant for dinner each night!

Additionally, your guide will take you to these government stores which are extremely overpriced and will likely be getting a commission off of anything you buy in the store. Generally everyone that is brought into the stores is told about a "special" 40-50% discount off of the marked prices and because of this and the excuse that the government sets the prices and ensures quality, you can't bargain down the prices. The discount is a joke as it is given to everyone (not just your group as they may claim) and almost certainly the goods are marked up even higher just so they can pretend to give you a great discount.

That aside, the quality of the jade sculptures and jewelry certainly seemed to be pretty good, but the prices just are not really worth it. Some of the larger sculptures can cost from a few thousand U.S. Dollars to tens of thousands of U.S. Dollars. You have to wonder who buys the foot-high jade sculpture of a cow with a price tag of $20,000... and then what they do with it? Does it just sit on the end of your mantle? Was it a good investment?

After some time at the store, we finally had lunch and then in the afternoon we had more free time so the teachers asked our guide to take us to a more affordable store since some people still wanted to pick up souvenirs. Instead he took us to a different government store with equally high prices! It actually ended up being an annoying afternoon as everyone (teachers included) were getting frustrated with the guide.

That evening, he somewhat redeemed himself as we visited a nearby hotel for a Western-style dinner. We had spaghetti, french fries, chicken tenders, and other American dishes. The food was clearly Chinese food trying to be Western, but after three weeks in China, it tasted extremely good.

After dinner it was time for our excursion in Xi'an to come to an end and we drove back to the airport. Our plane did not leave until shortly after 10 and we didn't get back to the university in Tianjin until nearly 1 AM. Despite the shopping scams, the trip to Xi'an was great overall, though tiring.

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A final couple of notes of warning to anyone traveling to China:

As discussed, your tour guide is out for kick-backs. I've heard the advice to always ask for a detailed itinerary before making a commitment so that you know exactly what you will be getting. Also, don't buy unless you really feel that the item is worth the price. If you see something you like at a government store, you can probably get it cheaper elsewhere if you have time to look around. If you do buy elsewhere, be sure to check the quality of the item and make sure that the change you receive (if using large bills) is real or better yet, pay with small bills.

Also common sense, but be careful. One kid was pick pocketed while we were in Xi'an. Whenever you are in a popular tourist spot, always be careful with your belongings and be aware of your surroundings. Though China is relatively safe (as punishment here tends to be severe) its always good to be alert when visiting tourists spots wherever you may be in the world.

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