Economy

Indian guides get tips for speaking Mandarin

By Wang Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-17 14:24

The Sujata Temple, a religious site in Bakrour village, Bihar, India, now proving to be attractive to Chinese tourists. Locals with a basic knowledge of Mandarin can earn 1,500 rupees ($33) acting as guides for two days - enough to feed a family of four. [Photo / China Daily]

Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India - Anuj Kumar took lessons in Chinese in the city of New Delhi for just six months but it was long enough to give him an advantage as a senior guide in his hometown, a destination for pilgrims in the Indian state of Bihar.

As a native of Bodh Gaya, a place famous for Gautama Buddha's attainment of "enlightenment", Kumar now specializes in taking Chinese tourists around the religious site.

Although his Chinese pronunciation and vocabulary are limited, the 1,500 rupees ($33) he charges for a two-day guide service is enough to enable him to feed his wife and two sons.

"There are more and more Chinese people coming here, so learning Chinese gives me a good advantage," said Kumar, 35.

He said because of China's increasing economic power, Chinese has taken over from Japanese and South Korean to become the most popular language for locals to learn.

"Not only adults but also small children want to learn Chinese so they can get tips from Chinese tourists," he said.

India has long benefited from the fact that English is the main language of global business. But as China's economic power has grown, the trade and personal communications between India and China have also developed.

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According to official figures in India, more than 100,000 Chinese tourists visited India in 2009, up from 70,000 three years ago. As the Buddhist tradition in China has a history of nearly 2,000 years, Bodh Gaya and neighboring Nalanda, site of one of the world's first residential universities and written about by the famous Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang in the 7th century, have become favored destinations for Chinese tourists.

Ghayam Bahadul, owner of a handicraft store near the site where Gautama Buddha attained "enlightenment", said his store used to attract mostly Western tourists. "But now, Chinese tourists are coming and they buy a lot of stuff here," he said.

According to Kumar, there are altogether 11 Chinese schools in Bodh Gaya, most of them for children. Adults have to take courses in big cities such as New Delhi to learn the language.

He said one of his sons is now taking the same course that he did in New Delhi. "After his graduation, I will send him to China on business," he said.