Keeping the people happy


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Asia » China » Beijing
June 23rd 2007
Published: June 23rd 2007
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I understand the responsibility I took when I started this site, the same responsibility that a journalist has, giving the people the whole story in a timely fashion. Lately I have not been doing this. I want you all to know that I am trying, but the past few days have been quite stressful, aggravating, and the overall sense of a complete let-down by a few major sites in China.
I don't like having expectation when I travel. What most people say and think, is just that, their opinion, which is always flawed. But when you think of something like the Terracotta Army, you think it must be great because so many people see it and talk about it. Randy and I had very different feelings.
I guess it is amazing that 2000 years ago, hundreds if not thousands of people were mobilized to mass produce 8000 soldiers, and then place almost all of them in battle formation to guard the tomb of China's great leader. But it sounds much more romantic than it looks. From what it looks like, it should be called "The Decapitated/Slaughtered Boy-Scout Troop #439" (no offense to Boy-Scout Troop #439). Again I am being very cynical here. I think it is more the build up of a historical event that gets to me. I can remember going to a exhibit back in Utah years ago about the Terracotta Army, and hearing how cool it was. But now I think it was all just propaganda, forced on the world by the great country that is China. With a voice of 1.3 billion people, it is one that is hard to ignore. And I think this is just what China wanted to bring money and a focus onto it's country through tourism.
For those of you that have been to the tourist sites in China, I'm sure you have come to the conclusion that these sites have been built specifically to take your money. If there is a blueprint for the Terracotta Army park I would love to post it and describe in detail how they turned three relatively close vaults of soldiers into miles/KM of useless shit. I am too cynical, and my feeling of tourist sites in China has been destroyed by the people that occupy them.
Anyway out of time I'll update soon.

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