[updated Jan. 2012] Reading and listening to so many negative, one-sided, manipulative, smug and condescending voices on things China recently (and they were just my own!), I feel like simply writing a brief note reminding myself of why I like living in Xi’an.
First and foremost, I like the people that surround me on a day-to-day basis, the Xi’anese. They are a matter-of-fact bunch, a straightforward lot, and a generally supportive and friendly collection of people. I generalise on the basis of the impressions that have been planted within me during the last three [5] years. I like Xi’an, I like the people and I like living here. [although there is too much traffic now and too many shopping malls] We of course must take into account the fact I am a Laowai (老外) and thus I am treated, generally, with a slightly friendlier and more helpful hand than some members of the Chinese community might experience. Though, this may also depend on the extent of each individual Laowai’s forbearance in the face of things China and Chinese.
That said, the warmth I receive and feel is not solely based upon my own interactions, but on those friendly exchanges between locals and neighbours that surround me; the often straight-forward resolution of a dispute without recourse to violence; a smile when a near accident occurs; the quick banter between work mates and the open and caring offering of advice or support between friends; how uncles and aunts are so easily embodied in strangers; youthful style expressed without too-much self-consciousness; street cleaners working with an often hard-to-believe diligence; and how easily a broad smile crosses the seemingly most hardened and mistrusting of faces.
This place, for me, isn’t reminiscent of the increasingly insular and anti-social societies we have begun to talk so much of at home, neither is it easily explained away as distinct from the Chinese Communist Party or, for that matter, the political history of China. For good and bad it is what it is in its entirety.
Xi’an is also evolving. I have been here for more than three [5] years and things have changed – I won’t say moved forward as that too easily gives an impression of development and ‘it’ being an a priori ‘good’; it is not that straightforward. However, more and more Chinese and foreign companies are establishing headquarters here, while car use has escalated to such an extent that I actually have to sometimes wait before crossing the road and even, on occasion, sit on my bike at one of these new large road junctions staring up in bewilderment at a digitally displayed time counter, for a whole 90 seconds!
There are more venues for leisure than there were upon my arrival. Bars and cafes have been added, mostly chains from abroad but some independent places are now beginning to spring up. The same applies to the choice of western food, though the selection of Chinese food is as comprehensive as ever. Xi’an has its own renowned dishes (yang2 rou4 pao4 mo2- 羊肉泡馍, hu2 lu tou2-葫芦头 and rou4 jia2 mo2 肉夹馍 or Roger Moore to the newly initiated ) but being roughly in the centre between North and South, it also has a good selection of regional foods and a genuine choice between rice and noodles.
Old areas have been renovated and re-landscaped, while new areas have been built. In fact, whole districts have emerged in the time I have been here, most noticeably Qu Jiang and the Chang’an District – that incorporates the new University campuses. There are more parks, more cinemas, now at least two or three lakes, there is a concert hall and theatre, art galleries are beginning to emerge, book shops are finally starting to sell more and more English titles, even a number of book groups and book exchanges have been created ( see the Village Cafe notice board for the former and Xianease.com for the latter), and there are a few charitable organisations beginning to offer opportunities for volunteering.
There are also now at least three Xi’an city guides (China Grooves, New Dynasty and Xianese.com) that can help the fresh off the boat and the old hands alike: get themselves about, find work, borrow a book, drink a pint, have a tooth extracted, dance into the early hours and generally take advantage of this great city, over and above the everyday street life of it all.
Educational facilities in schools have improved and Xi’an is increasingly being seen as a centre of education, science and technology. The impressive Chan Ba river district continues its development, with the Xi’an World Horticultural Expo having been held there in 2011. Trees are being planted on a daily basis, Da Yan Ta and Xiao Yan Ta still stand in all their splendour, while traditional musicians are still found scattered around these ancient monuments and Xi’an’s green and leafy garden retreats.
Also, for all those whose Chinese is developing nicely, there is always the chance of dropping into Bei1 Lin2 (碑林) to check on one’s progress. If that isn’t enough the 1200- odd km stretch of the Qing Ling Mountains are just a couple of kilometres outside of town. And as the Xianese.com boys were telling me recently, there is no better way to discover them than by motorbike. That may well be something for me in 2012, as may be the realisation that, with a good Shaanxi woman by my side and all the above, I am settled and settling here in Xi’an. However, who knows? I could be living in an English seaside town this time next year and singing its praises, but, for now [still], I doubt it.
Happy Days and it’s still only Winter…
Tags: Xi'an
西安
the xi’anese you mentioned in your article, is the reason l love this city too:-)
Yep Tao, they do make it an easy place to like, generally of course. Cheers. Enjoy.
fob here…did my china travelling last year. saw the whole damned place give or take. in xi’an for the long haul. don’t regret choosing the place. you’re right, ofcourse, it’s the people.
if you get a moment mail me. i’m a fellow writer, teacher, expat dosser from mighty yorkshire.
I mildly agree but I note you’ve not really identified any qualities intrinsic to the city itself, of which there are a few. For example, the world’s worst ghost train in Xing Qing park. Having lived in several places in China,I find the openness and straightforwardness you mention to be a common trend, with discernibly more Westernised reserve such as that found in a Shanghai subway carriage or a Hong Kong branch of M&S being an exception.
I think the improvements you refer to are part of a nationwide effort that can be found in cities even on the very fringes of China. One of the best art galleries I’ve seen was in Kalamay in the far North West and Hailar’s Gengis Khan park has to be one of the best executed examples of a continual variation on a theme that’s being rolled out almost everywhere, like the overnight expansion of a successful fast food chain. Parks ostensibly designed for the edification and relaxation of the masses on a conscious level, on a sub-conscious one perhaps to suggest that disparate and warring tribes, castes, cultures and states with a lot or nothing much in common were always in fact part of Han China, which I guess is one way of seeing things and useful for social cohesion.
I agree that it’s interesting to see it all happen and heartening to see the city become a more sophisticated place but you could pick so many 2nd tier cities in China and get a similar experience. So I believe your post says more about your evolving outlook and possible hopes to encourage one in others than it does xi’an. Much of life is just about how you choose to look at something, and the negatives we see, are perhaps a reflection of issues inside of us. But if one can measure relative likeability in pure, statistical terms look at how long people typically come here for. The fact that you talk about bread and butter things that almost all cities deliver nowadays perhaps betrays that xi’an lacks enough to really attract the average backpacker for more than 3 days- which is enough to see what is unique to xi’an- in the face of the culture and diversions and beauty other cities around the world have to offer. My manipulative, smug two cents. It’s all words, words, words.
Mildly agree, disagree, wholeheartedly agree – it is all good James. I think you are right it certainly does come from an evolving outlook, but I can’t quite agree that I am trying to encourage a particular view in others. I say this simply on the basis that whatever I write I try to be honest with myself and write what I see and think, doing so from base motivations, not ulterior ones. I am fully aware people make up their own minds on things. These Notes just represent my outlook, other people will take from them what they will.
I am not interested in a crap ghost train so I don’t write about it, I am not interested in highlighting, at every turn, daily examples of ignorance and rudeness – it doesn’t interest me to do so. But, I do see all these things and they do form a part of where I am coming from. As an impression it may well lack depth, and it may well be that this basic impression of Xi’an could be found elsewhere with regard other cities, but the morning I sat down and wrote this Note they were the words that came out and represented my own thoughts on things here. We all interpret things differently, these are just the Notes I have ended up writing.
You won’t find me claiming Xi’an to be the be all and end all of a China trip or that it is a must see world city, I just think it is a chilled place to live. In many ways there’s not much to do at all really, I hope I didn’t mis-represent that fact. But, just like maybe many other so-called second tier cities you can wander around and enjoy a simple Chinese life, whatever that means, if you so choose. And I do. It is what is, and people will take what they take from the words I’ve written. Personally, I like living here and tend to show that, we all know the negatives, or most do, but as you say, it is a matter of personality how we deal with them. That’s the beauty or disaster of it.
Words, words, words, indeed! I like writing them, and I appreciate yours. Take it easy. Richard
ps. I was recently actually thinking about re-visting this Note and writing something else about Xi’an generally. I’ll see what I can come up with next time. Cheers James.
While I’m being mildly agreeable I should add that I think it’s a very helpful and aesthetically appealing website. A great find.
Good man.