We know it might get boring if we talk about every single conversation we had with some friendly Chinese. So, once and for all, we’ll give a summary: we had thought the great contact to Chinese was at least partly due to the company of a native speaker. However, Chengdu was the first station in China where we travelled on our own without Wu Jiqing. Of course, having large conversations is much more difficult and telling a taxi driver where we want to go has become a challenge. Nevertheless, we are maybe even more surprised now about the friendliness, helpfulness and open-mindedness of the Chinese we meet. Those speaking at least a little English are keen on practising their language skills and making friends with us. And the others are also interested in talking with us. Although often “hello” is the only word they know, they do not hesitate starting the communication with exactly that word. And by drawing and using signs and hands it works better than you may think. On the other hand, when we need some help or service from them (for example buying train tickets or ordering meals), they are extremely patient and creative. They will call someone by phone who can speak English, draw some images or search for a map. And if you move just two blocks away from the touristy zone, they are super happy a western citizen visits them – and they laugh at our apparently awful Chinese accent.
The first day in Chengdu (where we were housed at the Mix Hostel) we spent walking around and exploring the every day life. Chengdu is an unspectacular but nice city, there is no smog and it has a rather relaxed atmosphere. We liked the “People’s Park” most, a place where the inhabitants enjoy their weekend with a wide variety of activities: dancing, singing, doing maths with the best professor ever, drawing letters with water, watching shows and colliding with their row-boats on a pleasant lake. We also visited the “Wenshu Monastery” and experienced once more the religious life in China, which seems quite strange to European eyes. There are millions of gods and holy places for different tasks, God of Education, Shrine of Wealth, Buddha of this city, Temple of that Province, …. Even young people and students take the opportunity to worship them once they are there, hoping that this old tradition may give them luck as well. Nonetheless, they would not go to such a place only for praying, but if they are there anyway, it cannot cause damage to give it a try. Apart from that, religion does not seem to play any role in the society, it is not even religion in the sense we would understand it, with a clearer approach to explain the most important things and some moral demands derived from the explanations. Here in China, it appears to us that instead of religion there is rather an accepted form of superstition. Continue reading