Trysts with the Wonderland

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The fast-pace of change which has resulted in cultural transformations all over the world is also openly visible in China but the visual treat for one's eyes from its colourful milieu is hardly seen elsewhere. From skyscrapers to malls to traditional hutongs and aboriginal villages, everything about this country seems ensconced in mysteries waiting to be unravelled. My first rendezvous with China (zhong guo) in 2008 as part of the III India-China Youth Delegation from India, acted as a teaser, enticing me to come again and again and explore the liveliness of Chinese culture. Besides the royal treatment enjoyed by the delegation: meetings with top-shots, stay in posh-hotels, rich food and spectacular cultural extravaganza, it was the first face-to-face interactions with common Chinese people which thrilled me most.

Bhavna Singh [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the length of the ten days journey from Beijing, Fuzhou, to Guizhou and Shanghai, for the first time I realised how similar the two cultures were and how inherently receptive the common people to each other. The visit to the Great Wall brought along a reverie of history transplanting me from the current times to the era of the 13th century, when China faced threat from Mongol invasions. Having studied history I could not stop myself from wondering about the techniques, masonry, architecture and the quality of material used during the construction and the amount of hard work it would have required in the climatic conditions of those times. I could only afford to gasp in wonder!!!

The Imperial palace, the Forbidden City and the Beijing Opera auditorium were equally mesmerizing. The beauty of the Imperial palace was doubled by the picturesque newly wedded couples busy in photo-sessions along the small canal surrounding the palace. The golden and red architectures of the Forbidden City appealed to my aesthetic self while history obviously remained at the backdrop of my mind. The high-tech architectural component of the Opera theatre and the use of water in the building was extremely fascinating.

Shanghai on the other hand posited an extremely modern city with the Pearl tower, the high speed Maglev, (where disappointingly I and my group missed the highest speed but enjoyed the second highest) and fancy Skyscrapers. While Fuzhou reminded me of Goa (India), and admittedly, a parallel comparison with India was unavoidable for me. Guiyang was the most touching experience of all for me. The conversations with the students at the university were not only cordial but the expanse and infrastructure of the university which rated only average in the overall Chinese university rankings, took me by surprise. The playground seemed nothing less than an Olympic track, and the classrooms nothing short of corporate business chambers. During our stay, the government had arranged for house-stays for all members of the delegation and I was most fortunate to be hosted by a wonderful family. The community structures were highly impressive, playgrounds within the societies where kids could be seen playing at late evening timings. Later I learnt that sports after dinner were developing into a mass culture rapidly in China. In addition, the spic and span swimming pools and community structures added to the vibrancy of life in smaller cities.

The few Chinese words I knew that time were "ni hao" and "xie xie" and also most comfortably "duoshao qian?" And the moment I uttered these words, expressions full of surprise and admiration would greet me from the vendors and passerby's. However, I soon realised how insufficient that was to be able to go around travelling or marketing on your own. After a few successful and a few failed attempts I would return with my group to the Hotels showing cards to the taxi drivers. The honesty and straightforwardness of the taxi drivers took almost all of us by surprise. Despite the language barrier, the warmth of the Chinese people was unmistakable. The punctuality and discipline of the people could draw admiration from anybody across the world. As the 10 days passed, I bid adieu to the country I had thoroughly enjoyed being a guest of with a heavy heart.

However, my next chance to visit China came very soon afterwards as a part of a workshop I had to attend in Chengdu in December 2010. The days were far too few and there was so much to be seen and absorbed. This was the first time I discovered that there was one thing that the Chinese also gasped about- the big Indian eyes!!! I was happy to see that the two countries did share a mutual sense of respect for each other's on both similarities as well as differences. But due to shortage of time I could not spend much time visiting the countryside, which I would have loved to.

My prayers were soon answered and yet again I packed my bags for China. It was during my third visit in November 2011 as a part of an NGO Delegation to Beijing, Changsha and Shanghai that I realised how enthralled I felt every time I visited China. The visit to Shaoshan, the birth place of Chairman Mao, was particularly rewarding. Having read the selected works of Mao Zedong, over and over again as a part of my course work, I had been intrigued by his personal and professional life. This visit seemed an eye-opener in that sense. The reverence among the citizens paying tribute to Mao near the Statue on the Bronze Square was commendable. The way the provincial and the central governments had preserved and maintained his ancestral house is worth mentioning and with the mass weddings being conducted in the city it is today nothing short of a pilgrimage site.

I gained a closer understanding of China and its people during this visit as the schedules were relatively relaxed and the host organizations went out of their way to make the delegates feel comfortable. It was heartening to see that the people were more willing and open to discuss and share on topics which might have earlier been considered taboo or a sense of apprehension might have prevented them from mixing too much. This was indeed a welcome change. Visits to county level and village level schools and old age-homes gave a clearer picture on their functioning which was undoubtedly highly systematic and meticulous befitting of China.

A visit to the local community center in Shanghai was most inspiring. Citizens from all walks of life indulged in activities of their choice from singing, dancing to creative art and painting. And I knew I had learnt something I would love to replicate back in India. This time I left bidding zai jian to my Chinese friends with a lighter heart but heavier memories and knowing that China would be again waiting for me. For China has mesmerizingly managed to weave and preserve its past and present together, which beckons to me. Ganbei to more cooperation and friendly exchanges between China and India, especially, for more singing and dancing to come on the river cruises in Shanghai!

The author is a Research Officer in the China Research Programme at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), and a PhD Research Scholar at Center for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She was a part of the third 100 members India-China Youth Delegation to China in 2008 and a member of the NGO Delegation from India in November 2011.

The opinions expressed do not represent the views of the China Daily website.

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