Ancient, modern China: A fascinating contrast

About this series

Green Valley’s Larry Backus has been chronicling his experiences in China, the Olympic host, on Fridays. This is the last in the four-part series

Xian (pronounced “she-ahn”), was one of four ancient capitals of China. In 221 BC, King Qin Shihuang conquered six other warring states and united them into one kingdom, thus becoming the first “emperor” of all China.

Although he ruled only for 11 more years, his political and administrative skills enabled him to establish a model for imperial governments, which lasted until the Chinese Revolution of 1911 when the last emperor, Pu-Yi, was deposed.

Xian was the eastern terminus of the famed “Silk Road” which connected Rome with the Far East and served as an avenue for Europeans, including Marco Polo, to trade with and explore China during the 13th century.

The wall has been preserved as part of the history and culture of the city, in contrast to Beijing and elsewhere, where the walls have been torn down in the interest of “progress.” It was delightful to climb up one of the many gate towers and see the wall stretching into the distance, flanked by both modern high rises and traditional Chinese architecture.

Tourists strolled along the broad walkway atop the wall as bicyclists also wove their way along, stopping at umbrella covered vendors to buy food and trinkets.

Just below, in one of the open squares, a brand new car (possibly up for raffle?) sat on a raised dias as crowds swirled by. Nearby, portable seating had been set up as people rested and waited for a musical performance (part of a cultural heritage celebration) and actors dressed as ancient warriors mixed with the crowd - additional examples of the blend of ancient and modern in the city of Xian.

THE EMPEROR’S GREAT TERRACOTTA ARMY: Emperor Qin will probably be best remembered, in modern times, for creating what many refer to as “the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World” - an 8,000 army of “Terracotta Warriors.”

It is said that the emperor believed that life underground after death was a continuation of life on Earth. He therefore had a huge tomb and underground necropolis built for his use in the after life, as well as a life-sized military force (archers, infantrymen, cavalry, charioteers, horses, etc.) of ceramic figures to support and protect him.

They lay hidden underground for more than 2,000 years until rediscovered by a farmer who was digging a well near Xian in 1974.

Even though only a small portion of the entire 22-square mile complex (the army) has been excavated so far, the sheer magnitude and detail of the project are mind-boggling.

How was it possible for ancient artisans and craftsmen to construct such a gigantic structure beneath the surface of the earth, to create all the life-sized animal and human figures (no two faces of the warriors are the same), and then to erase all traces of it above ground? Ancient records suggest that most of the 700,000 workers on the project were killed or interred alive with the emperor, to hide its location.

This first emperor must have wielded enormous power over the people to be able to command construction of this awesome project!

Equally surprising to me was the Herculean effort that the Chinese government has undertaken to protect and gradually open this site for all the world to see. Historical records suggest that within five years of the time that Emperor Qin was laid to rest, the tomb and pits containing the warriors were discovered, looted and burned.

In the process, collapsing roofs smashed all of the terracotta figures into small pieces. The result has been a gigantic three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle which Chinese archeologists and staff have been struggling to put back together for the past 30-plus years.

One can gain only a very limited sense of the magnitude of the efforts by standing at one end of Pit No. 1 which is now covered by a permanent exhibition hall. We joined the crowds of people from all over the world quietly and respectfully flowing around the perimeter of the pit to view the long, narrow phalanxes of figures below us - wondering at the phenomenal effort necessary to create them and the equally magnificent efforts needed to restore them to their original state.

PANDALAND: Most American tourists want to see the Giant Pandas at the Xian Zoo. We watched a young cub clown and cavort in a small tree during feeding time. Not only did he entertain the foreign visitors and a host of Chinese children, he also kept a local TV crew’s attention as he munched on his daily ration of bamboo shoots.

The crew interviewed a member of our group for the evening news, asking what we Americans thought about their pandas. We were amused to find that just as we see souvenir hawkers in American zoos, the kids of Xian were also exposed to an impressive selection of stuffed pandas, panda backpacks and panda purses for sale for just a few Chinese Yuan.

HONG KONG; THE RETURNED PRODIGAL: China ceded portions of present-day Hong Kong to the British in the mid-1800s as reparations from the First and Second Opium Wars. On July 1, 1997, the “British Crown Colony of Hong Kong” was returned to the PRC. It became the “Hong Kong Special Administrative District” operating under a policy called “one country, two systems” - a transitional approach that was established to last for 50 years, until 2047.

While officially a part of China, Hong Kong still retains and operates under its own governmental system (elected Legislative Council and Chief Executive), legal system (based on the English Common Law), and capitalist economy (with the Hong Kong dollar pegged to the US dollar). National defense and foreign affairs are handled by the central government.

We were surprised to discover that our guide, who spoke Mandarin Chinese as do most mainlanders, had to use his English as the principal language for communication with Hongkongers whose Cantonese dialect was so different as to cause confusion. The city did not seem Chinese, nor did it seem British.

Instead, it might best be characterized as an international city more like those in the West. Only time will tell whether the PRC will become more like Hong Kong, or the former crown colony will become wholly absorbed as another dynamic part of the PRC.

WESTERN INFLUENCE: Americans are often concerned that so many of our goods are “made in China” and that we are becoming more heavily indebted to and reliant upon the Chinese.

Cultural integration is a two-way street. We were pleasantly surprised to see many evidences of Western culture, goods and services as we traveled through the country.

English appears to be the second language of choice after Mandarin Chinese (or Cantonese in the south). A surprising number of commercial signs are in English, not just in Hong Kong, but in major cities all over the country. Many street/highway direction and information signs bear both Chinese and English wording.

European and American vehicles were regularly seen on the streets. American fast-food chains were in evidence in many of the major cities.

For example, we were told that 170 Kentucky Fried Chicken locations, 70 McDonalds and 40 Starbucks are to be found in Beijing and environs. Wal-Marts even sell some U.S.-made goods.

China is a place where Westerners can travel and feel almost at home.

DON’T MISS IT: Historians have reported that Marco Polo’s China travel chronicles described what he saw in highly extravagant terms (in hundreds, thousands and millions).

But many of his readers thought that he grossly exaggerated everything. If that is true, I can easily appreciate his predicament. China is truly a wondrous place to visit. Words and pictures cannot adequately describe it.

There is no substitute for going to see for yourself. And if you make plans today, you can even take in the Summer Olympics while you’re there!