Nine Million Tourists Minus Two!

Qinghai-Tibet railway. Photo courtesy of the Chinese government

Tashi delek! and welcome back to the Yellow River Chronicles.   As you know, the YRC is focused on going places and then lying about our experiences when we come back.  This is the heart of all travel stories...changing the facts for dramatic effect and good story telling.  For example, a near miss with a black tip reef shark in the Phillipines becomes ...bad seafood.  And a 5,000 foot sudden drop on an Aeoflot flight became....bad seafood!     It's a much better story that way, don't you think?


So, while we may continue to "stretch a few" in the interest of totally biased journalism in the inimitable YRC style, we are going to "change up the mojo" a little this week.   Instead of talking about a place that we have visited, this week we are going to chat about a place that we will NOT be visiting...Tibet.  We are going to stick to the facts, because this one doesn't need additional seasoning.

Photo courtesy of the Telegraph and the Ambassador

We'll start with a somewhat perplexing article from the UK Telegraph by Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to Britain. published July 26, 2012.

 The title of the article is "Tibet is a better place than it used to be" and you can read the whole article here:  Click here to read the Telegraph article!

The article basically points out that things are just, well, better in Tibet now.  But here's the section that caught the eye of the ever-vigilant YRC staff:

Tibetan culture is not closed. It needs exchanges with the outside world. Certain material conditions are required for such exchanges. Improved transport links is one of them. More than five decades ago, Tibet had neither highway nor railway. Today a highway network centring on Lhasa has been put in place. Its reach is in excess of 20,000 kilometres. The Qinghai-Tibet railway climbs over the Kunlun Mountain towering at 4,600 metres. It has one of the most stunning views of any railway in the world. Nearly 50 million people have travelled to and from Tibet this way. There are also air links between Tibet, and more than 10 Chinese and foreign cities. Last year alone, Tibet received around 8.7 million tourists from home and abroad. At the same time, more and more Tibetan artists travel widely across China and around the world spreading Tibetan culture.

THE BACK STORY:  Late last year, the YRC staff gathered at the sacred cocktail table to plan travel for 2012. It was going to be an unusual year because there were to be perhaps +10 separate visits to Shanghai by friends and family, drawn by the warmth and charm of China as described in the YRC.  

The globe-trotting Gula Family at Jing'An Temple

(This year has already seen visits by the crowd-stopping Tchamwas, the adroit Gula family, the epic tour by Dragon Lady and Her Consort, old hands El Zorro and Jerry Perry Berry, Spin-Spin and Stash and several other planned visits by family and friends.  Pack your suitcase, there is a party going on!)

The planned visit schedule meant that we would have time for ONE EPIC TRIP, headed for...you guessed it, the Open and Very Much Better Tibet Autonomous Region.  We planned to ride the Qinghai-Tibet railway and hike around Tibet for two weeks.  We found a great outfitter, booked the trip, packed our backpacks and then...unpacked them.

Photo courtesy of Corbis. 

We would not be going.   While the good Liu Xiaoming and +8.7 million other tourists will visit the TAR this year, the YRC staff and friends will not.

Travel to Tibet requires a special permit.  It looked like we would get the permits, but then the borders were closed to all foreign travel in early June.  There are lots of good articles on that, but the Wall Street Journal has a succinct version HERE.  


Then in late June, the border "reopened".  The following was released (from China Digital Times):

(Most) Foreigners Can Travel to Tibet

Earlier this month, travel agents told the media of a state ban on foreign travel to Tibet. It seems foreigners are once again allowed entrance, albeit under some curious stipulations. Columbia University Tibetan Studies professor Robert Barnett tweeted a link to an update on the Land of Snows travel blog earlier today:

[...]The early word out of Lhasa and the Tibet Tourism Bureau, which many major news networks across the globe picked up, was that the TAR would be closed until late August or early September. However, the Tibet Tourism Bureau had a meeting today (June 18) and will begin processing permits for foreigners again starting on June 20th. There are still a lot of restrictions. Only groups of 5 people from the same country will have their permits processed. This means that if you are traveling with a mixed nationality group, you probably will not be able to get travel permits. Also, for some reason the Tibet Tourism Bureau has stated that people from Norway, the UK, Austria and Korea will not be able to apply for permits to travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region. No real reason was given today for this by the Tibet Tourism Bureau. Also, when the TAR reopens on June 20th, Everest Base Camp will remain closed. Again, no reason was given for this. Lastly, the Tibet Tourism Bureau has told travel agencies that in order to process permits for the required groups of 5, travel agencies will need to submit proof that 50% to 100% of the tour is paid for in advance. This means that anyone planning to go to the TAR will need to pay at least a 50% deposit before their permits can be processed and may even need to have the tour paid for in full.

Photo courtesy of Land of Snows travel blog

You can read a good summary, at the Land of Snows travel blog.  To sum it all up, some foreign visitors may be visiting Tibet in the future but it is getting increasingly difficult.


You put your application in,
You put your permit out,
You put your visa in,
And you shake it all about,
You do the hokey pokey
and you turn yourself around
That what it's all about.


Sadly, however, the Yellow River Chronicles staff will NOT be visiting:  there is another catch.  Americans theoretically may visit if they meet the requirements above and have Chinese tourist visas. However, Americans with residence visas can not travel.   While a tear or two has fallen into our morning martinis, we are here as guests of the People's Republic and must respect their laws.  It's that simple.  All the snarky journalism in the world is not going to get us into Tibet....but somebody needs to call Liu Xiaoming...


Buuutttt, we are working on a special report on Tibet tourism for those who can tour!  Check it out at the YRC next week and thanks for tuning in!

The Safe and Controlled Version of Subsidence

Hello and welcome back.  And this time, we mean WAAAAYYYY BACK!   To illustrate this week's sexy and fun topic of subsidence, we are going to bring you a YRC FIRST (Cue the Drum Roll!).  Yes, time travel!  But as the saying goes, before we go backward we must first go forwards.

To start this week's missive, this is a depiction of what downtown Pudong will look like when the "Three Brothers" project is finished.  In case you didn't know, Shanghai is now constructing the third of the "Three Brothers", the Shanghai Tower.

Downtown Pudong, 2015.  Photo courtesy of Inhabitat.

Shanghai Tower facts, according to "That's Shanghai"

The Shanghai Tower is well under construction and on schedule to top out at a neck-craning 121 stories and 632 meters tall in 2015.  The building is organized as nine cylindrical buildings stacked one atop another and enclosed in a double-skin façade, the world’s first double-skin building of this magnitude.
Design firm Gensler say the overall concept driving the dynamic design is China and Shanghai’s emergence as major economic and cultural global influencers.  

Shanghai TowerHeight: 632 METERS
Floors: 128
World’s tallest: 2nd (upon completion)
Construction: 2008-2014
Construction cost: RMB 13.8 billion
Elevators: 106

Sooooo exciting!  The Shanghai Tower is built RIGHT NEXT to the World Financial Center, the world's third largest tower and of course, the Jin Mao tower, the world's 13th tallest building.  Total investment in the three giants is over 25 Billion dollars, about the same as the 2010 GDP for North Korea, for you factoids out there.

The view from the Time Machine, 1921

We know what you are thinking.  You are thinking, "where's the time machine?" We now fire up the good old Way Back machine to take us to 1921 in Shanghai.  

There are no towers.  No Pudong, really.  Only wild old Shanghai.  If you read the YRC column on "Sin City"  you would know there is a lot of partying going on.  So you hit a few bars, fire up the opium pipe, listen to some jazz, sober up and get back in the machine.  You step out onto Nanjing Lu and WHAT happens?

Anyone?  Anyone?  Subsidence, baby!!  You step out the the machine wearing your silly party hat and still clutching your now empty opium pipe and...

You fall six feet!  Six feet, people.  Weeeeeeaaaaaahhhh!  THUD!  Since 1921, Shanghai has...subsided or, more clearly, sunk SIX FEET.  Shanghai is officially six feet lower.  Here's why, from Time Magazine:

Soaring to Sinking: How Building Up Is Bringing Shanghai Down

As land-subsidence concerns sweep across more than 50 cities in China, the country's most populous metropolis remains among the most vulnerable

By KATE SPRINGER | May 21, 2012 | 11

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Since 1921, Shanghai, China's most populous city, has descended more than 6 ft.

Shanghai’s skyline glitters with sleek financial skyscrapers and glossy residential towers, but below the city’s lustrous facade lies an enduring problem. Thanks to mass urban migration, soft soil and global warming, Shanghai is sinking, and has been for decades. Since 1921, China’s most populous city has descended more than 6 ft. Across China, land subsidence affects more than 50 cities, where 49,000 sq. mi. of land have dropped at least 8 in.

It’s not just the numbers that are frightening: the problem has manifested itself tragically and more frequently of late. Earlier this month, a young woman unexpectedly fell through the sidewalk into a 20-ft.-deep sinkhole while walking along the street in Xi’an. In April, a woman died after falling through the sidewalk into a pit of boiling water in Beijing. Scientists have continuously warned of dire repercussions if the government does not implement more stringent guidelines for urban planning, water usage and carbon emissions — and they expect the situation to get much worse in areas with large-scale, fast-paced construction, like Shanghai.

As progress continues on Asia’s soon-to-be-tallest skyscraper, the Shanghai Tower, the problem has manifested itself in malicious cracks nearby, captured and posted by users of the Twitteresque microblogging site Sina Weibo, then published by ChinaSmack. In mid-February, one blogger posted about a 22-ft.-long crack situated near the 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center, across the street from the highly anticipated tower.

(MORE: A Valuable New Tool Lets You See Where the Sea Will Rise)

In response to bloggers’ concerns, Shanghai Tower Construction, the company responsible for building the tower, issued a statement saying surface cracks were “controlled and safe,” the Shanghaiist reported. Liu Dongwei, chief architect of the China Institute of Building Standard Design & Research, cited groundwater, rainfall and soft soil foundation as the reasons for the settlements. But that’s only partially accurate.

Shanghai has inherently soft soil because of its geographical position at the mouth of the Yangtze River basin and, yes, groundwater accounts for nearly 70% of land subsidence; however, experts say, the weight of skyscrapers and global warming also play hefty roles in aggravating what they call “the most important geological disaster in Shanghai.” Unfortunately, the implications will only grow graver with the pace of development and rising sea levels.

According to a report by the Shanghai Geological Research Institute, the physical weight of skyscrapers accounts for 30% of Shanghai’s surface subsidence. “Usually groundwater pumping is the key factor,” Jimmy Jiao, a professor of earth sciences at Hong Kong University, tells TIME. “But in Shanghai, development is also important because the building density is high, and most of the high-rise buildings are sitting on the areas with soft soil.” Basically, what’s happening is, the weight of high-rise towers presses down on the earth, as if you were to put a weight on a spring or scale.

Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2012/05/21/soaring-to-sinking-how-building-up-is-bringing-shanghai-down/?iid=ec-article-mostpop1#ixzz218qBjfY1

Subside THIS!

Shanghai Tower prepares for descent to center of the earth

So you see the problem with the Shanghai Tower.  Three of the biggest buildings in the world are built on the sand and mud of the Yangtze River basin, in an area that was rice fields ten years ago.

All that weight, concentrated in one city block. Hmmm.  In our feverish YRC minds, we see the three towers majestically sinking into the ground like epic, slow motion pile drivers.   As the rate of subsidence increases, the building's height numbers are adjusted each year, but the sinkage will be reported to be "controlled and safe". 

"The Shanghai Tower, formerly the second highest building in the world, is now nearly as high as the Metropolitan Tower, in Youngstown Ohio.  The Tower features the world's largest basement, which extends over 2,000 feet below ground."

Or, they may simply build new floors on top of the building to keep it at the same height.  Who knows?  We certain are going to enjoy the glacial departure of the Shanghai Tower on it's epic journey to the center of the earth...stay tuned!

Some Answers to Questions and Some Questioned Answers at the Yellow River Chronicles!

Okay, here they are, the answers (?) to the first Yellow River Chronicles POP Quiz.  Score 10 for any "correct" answer or answer that you thought was particularly astute on your part.  Score another 10 for even taking the test and score another 10 for reading another Yellow River Chronicles.  Any scores over...50, get a free beers when you come to visit the 'Hai!

The Questions with equally questioned Answers:

1)		You are getting ready to go out for a night on the town in Shanghai with your main squeeze, Madame SlinkyFox.  Your plans include drinks and dinner with a late night KTV stop.  What do you choose to wear?
	a.	Chairman Mao jacket, duuuhhhh.
	b.	Every night is Halloween in Shanghai!
	c.	Formal evening wear or pajamas
		And the answer is "B!"  Either the circus is in town, or it is Saturday night in the 'Hai!  You see lots of pajamas but rarely do you see formal evening wear.  We are all just...relaxed here.
2)		Western fast food is extremely popular in Shanghai.  However, one chain has a clear lead in market share, number of locations and hours of operation
	a.	Mickey D’s
	b.	Pizza Hut
	c.	Kenny Roger’s Roasters
	d.	KFC

3)		Hard to believe, but the most popular Western fast food joint in the 'Hai and the greater People's Republic, is KFC.  This from the Harvard Business Review: In the Harvard Business School case "Yum! China," professor David E. Bell and Agribusiness Program director and senior researcher Mary Shelman examine how Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut, outperformed McDonald's and became the largest restaurant company in mainland China.  The evening goes well and you do indeed end up at a late night Karaoke place.  You decide on a Chinese mainland classic and sing:
	a.	Yue liang daibiao wo do xin
	b.	Hotel California
	c.	You Shook Me All Night Long

4)		While it is true that Hotel California is played almost everywhere and is a very popular KTV song, the chinese classic "The moon is my heart" is chosen frequently, particularly with the older set. You are waiting patiently at a busy street crossing.  The light turns green and the pedestrian walkway sign now shows a glowing green walking person.  You should:
	a.	Wet yourself in fear, turn, and flee homeward
	b.	Proceed across the street in a dignified and orderly manner
	c.	Move like iced lightning, dodge like a lawyer and watch your six like an assassin

5)		While our hearts tell us that the correct answer is "A", you can actually cross the street in the 'Hai by following the moves in answer "C".  You will die if you follow "B". There are many examples of duplicates, copies or fakes in most markets in Shanghai.  What is the best way to determine if an item is fake?
	a.	If you have purchased it on the mainland of China, it is a fake
	b.	Tourists are carrying shopping bags full of the same item
	c.	A medium size will fit on a gopher
	d.	There is an official seal of authenticity from a Chinese government regulatory body

6)		Ho HO!  Yes, you can tell by all of the answers, but the BEST way is "D".  Nothing says "FAKE!!!!" better than an official Chinese seal of authenticity. Which of the following items will you NOT find as part of the standard outfit worn by American tourists visiting Shanghai for the first time:
	a.	Brand new, white running shoes
	b.	An over sized t-shirt with the name of a plumbing company
	c.	Four or five pairs of glasses and sunglasses, hung from various lanyards around the neck A “Free Tibet” t-shirt
		This one is probably not even funny, but you will see no references of any kind to ....that place, here.

7)		While excellent and quite inexpensive, Chinese beer has a very low alcohol content. What is the labeled alcohol content of a bottle of Tsing Tao beer?
	a.	6.7%
	b.	Your horse has a kidney infection
	c.	3.5%
		None, it’s a FAKE, dummy! In this, any answer but "A" is correct.  Chinese beer is extremely tasty on a hot summer day, but has almost noooo alcohol.  Leaves more room for baijiu that way!

8)		You are visiting an eco-retreat in a remote Chinese province famous for its bamboo groves and mountain vistas.   In the evening, as you approach the resort, what is the first thing you see?
	a.	Blue mountains with epaulets of snow
	b.	Gentle pines bowing like geishas to the wind
	c.	Neon, baby!
		A group of hikers wearing “Hello Kitty” garb The Chinese are very fond of neon.  You find it in caves, on most buildings, on boats, and in nature preserves.  You will see A, B and D, but the FIRST thing is usually the neon.

9)		The Chinese are fond of things that are re nao.  A restaurant is good if it is re nao.  A street market on a Sunday is best if it is re nao.   A public park on the weekend will usually be re nao.  Based on what you have learned from the YRC, what does the phrase mean, literally?
	a.	Good value
	b.	Hot and noisy
	c.	Calm or serene
	d.	Fake!
		Yes, there is a fake "Fake!" answer.  Does that make it true, because two negatives make a positive? Maybe...score another 10 points just in case, but the answer is 'B", hot and noisy.  When served in a Chinese restaurant, you usually get a deafening roar with the Gong Bao Chicken 宫保鸡丁.  And yes, KFCs are re nao.

10)		An attraction in China (not Shanghai) was described as follows in the brochure.  What was the attraction?  When in rainy season, it seems a sensational giant dragon under moist vapor like to kiss you cool and comfortable.
	a.	An ancient meditation cave
	b.	A Ming Dynasty bath house
	c.	The showers at a highway rest stop
	d.	An underground waterfall
		A car wash As much as we like the answer "C", the brochure described "D", an underground waterfall in southwestern China.

11)		Which of the following was not one of the Toxic Food items in the Chinese press this year?
	a.	Pork that glows in the dark
	b.	A condom in a container of yogurt
	c.	Exploding watermelons
	d.	Hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde used to produce counterfeit beer
		Cooking oil recovered from sewers BONUS QUESTION!!  Score 10 if you answered ANY of the above.  They were all reported in the media.  Pass the stinky tofu, darling! That wraps this UP, rock stars!  Thanks for reading the YRC and taking the test and we'll see you next week!  We're icing down the beer right now...

Yellow River Chronicles and Reading Comprehension!

Photo courtesy of Zuma Press

Yellow River Chronicles Pop Quiz!  Put away your books and notes, it's time to test your learning from the Chronicles.  Ten points for each correct question and no points lost for "wrong" answers!  Let us know how you think you did and we'll have the answers next week!

Yellow River Chronicles POP Quiz!

Instructor:	YRC Staff	Name:	(Type Name Here)
Class:	Life on the Other Side	Date:	July 6, 2012
Period:	Friday Afternoons	Results:	(Self Scoring!)

Instructions

You know the drill, people.  Multiple choice tests ROCK.  Advanced test guessing studies show that teachers have a tendency to “hide” the correct answer between two “distractors”, so B or C are always a good guess, with C having a slight edge.  Hint hint.

The Questions:

1)		You are getting ready to go out for a night on the town in Shanghai with your main squeeze, Madame SlinkyFox.  Your plans include drinks and dinner with a late night KTV stop.  What do you choose to wear?
	a.	Chairman Mao jacket, duuuhhhh.
	b.	Every night is Halloween in Shanghai!
	c.	Formal evening wear or pajamas
2)		Western fast food is extremely popular in Shanghai.  However, one chain has a clear lead in market share, number of locations and hours of operation
	a.	Mickey D’s
	b.	Pizza Hut
	c.	Kenny Roger’s Roasters
	d.	KFC

3)		The evening goes well and you do indeed end up at a late night Karaoke place.  You decide on a Chinese mainland classic and sing:
	a.	Yue liang daibiao wo do xin
	b.	Hotel California
	c.	You Shook Me All Night Long

4)		You are waiting patiently at a busy street crossing.  The light turns green and the pedestrian walkway sign now shows a glowing green walking person.  You should:
	a.	Wet yourself in fear, turn, and flee homeward
	b.	Proceed across the street in a dignified and orderly manner
	c.	Move like iced lightning, dodge like a lawyer and watch your six like an assassin

5)		There are many examples of duplicates, copies or fakes in most markets in Shanghai.  What is the best way to determine if an item is fake?
	a.	If you have purchased it on the mainland of China, it is a fake
	b.	Tourists are carrying shopping bags full of the same item
	c.	A medium size will fit on a gopher
	d.	There is an official seal of authenticity from a Chinese government regulatory body

6)		Which of the following items will you NOT find as part of the standard outfit worn by American tourists visiting Shanghai for the first time:
	a.	Brand new, white running shoes
	b.	An over sized t-shirt with the name of a plumbing company
	c.	Four or five pairs of glasses and sunglasses, hung from various lanyards around the neck
		A “Free Tibet” t-shirt

7)		While excellent and quite inexpensive, Chinese beer has a very low alcohol content. What is the labeled alcohol content of a bottle of Tsing Tao beer?
	a.	6.7%
	b.	Your horse has a kidney infection
	c.	3.5%
		None, it’s a FAKE, dummy!

8)		You are visiting an eco-retreat in a remote Chinese province famous for its bamboo groves and mountain vistas.   In the evening, as you approach the resort, what is the first thing you see?
	a.	Blue mountains with epaulets of snow
	b.	Gentle pines bowing like geishas to the wind
	c.	Neon, baby!
		A group of hikers wearing “Hello Kitty” garb

9)		The Chinese are fond of things that are re nao.  A restaurant is good if it is re nao.  A street market on a Sunday is best if it is re nao.   A public park on the weekend will usually be re nao.  Based on what you have learned from the YRC, what does the phrase mean, literally?
	a.	Good value
	b.	Hot and noisy
	c.	Calm or serene
	d.	Fake!

10)		An attraction in China (not Shanghai) was described as follows in the brochure.  What was the attraction?  When in rainy season, it seems a sensational giant dragon under moist vapor like to kiss you cool and comfortable.
	a.	An ancient meditation cave
	b.	A Ming Dynasty bath house
	c.	The showers at a highway rest stop
	d.	An underground waterfall
		A car wash

11)		Which of the following was not one of the Toxic Food items in the Chinese press this year?
	a.	Pork that glows in the dark
	b.	A condom in a container of yogurt
	c.	Exploding watermelons
	d.	Hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde used to produce counterfeit beer
	e.	Cooking oil recovered from sewers