LANDSCAPE China is one of the largest countries in the world and stretches from Siberian taiga and Mongolian steppe in the north through the wheat belt (the northern plains) to the rice bowl (the Yangzi Basin) and on to tropical rainforests. The Chinese word for landscape is shanshui, meaning ‘mountains and rivers’ – the two dominant features of a country that comprises less than 15 per cent arable land. Major waterways include the Yangzi, Yellow and Pearl Rivers. Elevation ranges from a towering 8611 metres (K2) down to 154 metres below sea-level (Turpan Basin) in between the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts. HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL The key to understanding China’s long history lies in the country’s name for itself, which translates as ‘the Middle Kingdom’. An agricultural society surrounded by powerful nomadic groups, China was intrinsically at odds with its neighbours and viewed itself as the civilising force of the universe. Arrogance aside, the impact of traditional Chinese culture in East Asia was undeniable. Nevertheless, the empire was ill prepared when the colonial powers came knocking in the 18th century. The resulting struggle to redefine itself as a modern nation was full of tragedy, from the Opium War (1839–42; when the British forced opium upon China) up to the human catastrophes under Mao Zedong (the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution). This is why China today is so desperate to forget its past – most people just want to get on with living a life that they believe can only get better. PEOPLE China is comprised of 56 ethnic groups, the largest being the Han Chinese, who make up 92 per cent of the population. Most other ethnic groups live in the border regions; others were assimilated into Chinese culture long ago. The country’s official language is based on the four-tone Běijīng dialect, though Chinese can be broken down into 10 main dialects (such as nine-tone Cantonese), and further divided into many regional subgroups. Religion in China has always been a healthy mix of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, each complementing the other. There are also small populations of Muslims and Christians. MARKETPLACE No-one knows exactly where the Chinese economy is going, but wherever it goes, there’s very little doubt that it will irrevocably change the world. Western governments already face massive trade imbalances and Běijīng holds nearly US$820 billion in foreign exchange reserves. And despite all this, the country still can’t seem to create enough jobs to keep up with its vast and rapidly changing society. The demons of the past – drought, floods and corruption – continue to threaten China’s peasants, while new problems – such as inadequate social security and health care – keep cropping up at every turn. The gap between rich and poor keeps on growing, but then again, so does the middle class. As Mao Zedong once predicted, ‘the bourgeoisie is right inside the Communist Party itself’. TRADEMARKS ● Acupuncture ● Chinese characters ● Dust storms ● Firecrackers ● Giant pandas ● Green tea ● Mao ● Martial arts ● One-child policy TEXT CHRISTOPHER PITTS CHINA CHINA IS ALL ABOUT SENSORY OVERLOAD: IT’S A HIGH-DECIBEL, NONSTOP ROLLER COASTER RIDE THROUGH URBAN CHAOS, CACOPHONIC BANQUETS, IMPERIAL REMAINS AND SACRED MOUNTAINS. CAPITAL CITY BĚIJĪNG POPULATION 1.3 BILLION AREA 9.6 MILLION SQ KM OFFICIAL LANGUAGE STANDARD MANDARIN PHOTOGRAPHER CHINA PHOTOS/STRINGER // GETTY SHOOTING HOOPS IN A MONASTERY 80/81 | THE ASIA BOOK 03b-Northeast2-asiabook.indd 80 03b-Northeast2-asiabook.indd 80 19/12/2006 2:57:54 PM 19/12/2006 2:57:54 PM
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LANDSCAPE China is one of the largest countries in the world and stretches from Siberian taiga and Mongolian steppe in the north through the wheat belt (the northern plains) to the rice bowl (the Yangzi Basin) and on to tropical rainforests. The Chinese word for landscape is shanshui, meaning ‘mountains and rivers’ – the two dominant features of a country that comprises less than 15 per cent arable land. Major waterways include the Yangzi, Yellow and Pearl Rivers. Elevation ranges from a towering 8611 metres (K2) down to 154 metres below sea-level (Turpan Basin) in between the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts.
HISTORY IN A NUTSHELLThe key to understanding China’s long history lies in the country’s name for itself, which translates as ‘the Middle Kingdom’. An agricultural society surrounded by powerful nomadic groups, China was intrinsically at odds with its neighbours and viewed itself as the civilising force of the universe. Arrogance aside, the impact of traditional Chinese culture in East Asia was undeniable. Nevertheless, the empire was ill prepared when the colonial powers came knocking in the 18th century. The resulting struggle to redefi ne itself as a
modern nation was full of tragedy, from the Opium War (1839–42; when the British forced opium upon China) up to the human catastrophes under Mao Zedong (the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution). This is why China today is so desperate to forget its past – most people just want to get on with living a life that they believe can only get better.
PEOPLE China is comprised of 56 ethnic groups, the largest being the Han Chinese, who make up 92 per cent of the population. Most other ethnic groups live in the border regions; others were assimilated into Chinese culture long ago. The country’s offi cial language is based on the four-tone Běijīng dialect, though Chinese can be broken down into 10 main dialects (such as nine-tone Cantonese), and further divided into many regional subgroups. Religion in China has always been a healthy mix of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, each complementing the other. There are also small populations of Muslims and Christians.
MARKETPLACENo-one knows exactly where the Chinese economy is going, but wherever it goes, there’s very little doubt
that it will irrevocably change the world. Western governments already face massive trade imbalances and Běijīng holds nearly US$820 billion in foreign exchange reserves. And despite all this, the country still can’t seem to create enough jobs to keep up with its vast and rapidly changing society. The demons of the past – drought, fl oods and corruption – continue to threaten China’s peasants, while new problems – such as inadequate social security and health care – keep cropping up at every turn. The gap between rich and poor keeps on growing, but then again, so does the middle class. As Mao Zedong once predicted, ‘the bourgeoisie is right inside the Communist Party itself’.
TRADEMARKS● Acupuncture● Chinese characters● Dust storms● Firecrackers● Giant pandas● Green tea● Mao● Martial arts● One-child policy
TEXT CHRISTOPHER PITTS
CHINACHINA IS ALL ABOUT SENSORY OVERLOAD: IT’S A HIGH-DECIBEL, NONSTOP ROLLER COASTER RIDE THROUGH URBAN CHAOS, CACOPHONIC BANQUETS, IMPERIAL REMAINS AND SACRED MOUNTAINS.
CAPITAL CITY BĚIJĪNG POPULATION 1.3 BILLION AREA 9.6 MILLION SQ KM OFFICIAL LANGUAGE STANDARD MANDARIN
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SHOOTING HOOPS IN A MONASTERY 80/81 | THE ASIA BOOK
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RICE TERRACES BLUR THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN LAND, WATER AND SKY IN YUANYANG, YÚNNÁN PROVINCE
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ALL DOLLED UP: LONG HORN MIAO GIRLS IN TRADITIONAL COSTUME TO CELEBRATE THE FLOWER DANCE FESTIVAL
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THE BASE OF THE ORIENTAL PEARL TV TOWER IN FUTURISTIC SHÀNGHǍI
82/83 | THE ASIA BOOK
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CHINA
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THE CYCLE OF LIFE CONTINUES: TIĀNĀNMÉN SQUARE AND THE FORBIDDEN PALACE
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HIS CUPS OVERFLOWETH: A MAN RECEIVES TRADITIONAL CUPPING TREATMENT
FROM THE TRAVELLER
This is a reconstructed section of the Great Wall north of Beijing. Within the courtyard behind the wall there were tourist amenities and a general sense of artifi ciality. This prayer tree seemed the most visible symbol of traditionalism I saw in China. Whatever the state of spirituality or religion there remained an understated and genuine expression of tradition.
SHAMUS BRENNAN // USA
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RANDOM FACTS● The Tao Te Ching is the second-most-translated
book in the world after the Bible.● Wu Zetian (r AD 690–705) was the only woman to
ever become emperor in China.● There are 64 strokes in the most complicated
Chinese character (zhe, meaning ‘verbose’).● The giant panda needs to spend 10 to 16 hours a
day eating, because its digestive tract is ill suited for its staple food, bamboo.
● China hopes to achieve a population growth rate of zero by 2050.
URBAN SCENEShànghǎi is the fastest-growing city in the world. It’s an intense, high-octane metropolis that lives for glitz, glamour and money. Běijīng, however, remains the country’s political and cultural heart. It cooks up the propaganda, sends out the directives, allocates the funds and even nurtures artistic communities – albeit not intentionally.
WILD THINGSDespite a growing list of major environmental problems and a continuously shrinking wilderness, China still has some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. There are over 30,000 species of plants, and a number of fascinating – though unfortunately endangered – animals. Tigers, monkeys, yaks, pandas, leopards and camels are the most popular mammals, but don’t forget the cranes, ibis and other birds.
MYTHS & LEGENDSOne legend whose echoes continue to resound is the story of the mythic sage-king, Yu the Great (?–2061 BC). Yu spent 13 years of his life travelling the countryside, building dykes and dredging silt,
in an attempt to end the Yellow River’s devastating fl oods. The controversial Three Gorges Dam is essentially a 21st-century adaptation of Yu’s legendary undertaking – harnessing nature is a critical part of every ruler’s job description.
CUISINE Chinese cuisine is generally broken down into four schools: northern (Běijīng duck, hotpot), eastern (braised seafood), western (lots of chillies) and southern (dim sum). Rice is the main staple, though in the north, noodles and dumplings are more prominent. Food is central to Chinese life: one common greeting is, ‘Have you eaten yet?’
WRITINGChinese characters originated over 3500 years ago as symbols written on turtle shells used for divination. During the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) the script was standardised, eff ectively unifying a country that spoke mutually unintelligible dialects. After the communists came to power in 1949, they simplifi ed the writing system, greatly improving the country’s literacy rate. There are nearly 50,000 known characters; you need to know a minimum 3000 to read a newspaper.
ON FILM● Raise the Red Lantern (1991) by Zhang Yimou is a
lavish, chilling concubine’s tale.● Farewell My Concubine (1993) by Chen Kaige
weaves an epic tragedy from opera, opium and the Cultural Revolution.
● Devils on the Doorstep (2000) by Jiang Wen is a darkly comic take on the Japanese occupation.
● Beijing Bicycle (2001) by Wang Xiaoshuai: The Bicycle Thief meets the Middle Kingdom.
● Blind Shaft (2003) by Li Yang is a blistering social critique wrapped in a coal mine thriller.
ON PAPER● Diary of a Madman is a short story by Lu Xun, the
father of contemporary Chinese literature.● Rice by Su Tong is a twisted, gripping saga of a
provincial urchin.● The Garlic Ballads by Mo Yan depicts peasant revolt
distorted by magical realism.● Playing for Thrills by Wang Shuo is a murder
mystery with urban slackers.● Red Dust by Ma Jian details Kerouacian wanderings
through 1980s China.
FUTURE DIRECTIONSChina is the world’s fastest-rising superpower, which worries a great many people. No-one wants an authoritarian, one-party system with a record of human rights abuses to start calling the shots. Many developed nations also fret over the country’s growing appetite for natural resources – who’s going to provide all the power necessary for 1.3 billion people anyway? But to be fair, Běijīng has a long way to go before it can throw its weight around like Washington does. China’s future will be dictated by its massive population: its greatest resource, but also its greatest challenge.
LABOUR OF LOVE: AN ELDERLY WOMAN WRITES BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES
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ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCES
● Turning your legs to jelly while tramping along the Great Wall
● Picking up tai chi tips at dawn in Běijīng’s Temple of Heaven
● Staining your favourite shirt trying to dip dumplings
● Immersing yourself in traditional art in the Shànghǎi Museum – then stepping outside to meet China’s future head on
● Climbing into a landscape painting on the misty crags of Huang Mountain
● Bargaining for Mao memorabilia
● Coming face-to-face with the imperial past at the Terracotta Army
● Trying to outsmart monkey bandits on sacred Emei Mountain
X i n j i ƒ n g
T i b e t
BEÌJ¹NG
Shàngh†i
Macau Hong Kong
Xi’ƒnNánj¸ng
Kashgar
Ürümqi
Lhasa
Nánn¸ngGu†ngzhŸu
H†ik¡u
FúzhŸu
Huangzhou
ZhèngzhŸuLánzhŸuX¸níng
Hƒ›rb¸n
Sh›nyáng
Chéngd¥
Yínchuƒn Tiƒnj¸nDàlián
W©hàn
K¥nmíng
TA I W A N
V I E T N A ML A O S
N O R T HK O R E A
S O U T HK O R E A
J A P A N
M Y A N M A R
I N D I A
N E P A L
K Y R G Y Z S TA N
B H U TA N
K A Z A K H S TA N
R U S S I A
M O N G O L I A
MAP REF // O6
BEST TIME TO VISIT APRIL TO MAY, SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER
84/85 | THE ASIA BOOK
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A CLOAK OF SNOW COVERS THE VILLAGE OF ZHŌNGDIÀN
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TWO KUNG FU STUDENTS GET THEIR KICKS INSIDE THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE, HÉNÁN
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A PANDA CUB DISPLAYS ITS SENSE OF FUN AT A RESEARCH CENTRE
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