Justin vs The People's Republic of China (Yunnan)

Yunnan has to be one of the most interesting provinces in China. From tropical jungles to rice terraces to glistening lakes to towering mountains to remote villages to quaint old towns; it has everything bar deserts! Additionally, the ever-present Han Chinese are underrepresented for once, having only 50% of this province’s population. Relatively underrepresented, anyway. The remainder comprises a swathe of minorities, giving Yunnan a refreshing cultural diversity and colour. This piqued my interest as it seemed far more interesting compared to the blandness of the east’s concrete jungles. But little did I know how much I would love Yunnan, and my original intention to “breeze” through China (in order to get to Central Asia quicker) soon dissipated into a whole month in this one province. And I could easily have stayed more!

[The Battle Begins]

But my entry into Yunnan was not the most pleasant. The friendliness of the Han Chinese in China, and in particular of Chinese officials, is not of world renown. So naturally I was not expecting dazzling bouquets or dancing hula girls with ukeleles on my crossing between the obscure towns of Lao Cai (Vietnam) and Hekou (China).

However, I did not even make it 2m from the entrance, 5m away from Passport Control, when I was confronted by two very official looking Chinese officials blocking my route. As I tried to make my way around them onwards to PC, they in unison shifted to the left and remained right in front of me, with arms crossed and the most frustratingly smug faces on them. Just like in the movies! What a warm welcome! Not impressed with their games, I resolved to annoy them as much as possible.

But first I had to wait no less than 40min for my passport, which was being prematurely and meticulously inspected since I was a suspicious visitor - not white, and a scruffy-looking backpacker to boot. Then the fun began, and some hefty officials demanded I empty my entire bag, and searched everything that could possibly be searched in some way. Cameras, torches, my guitar; they even flipped through each of the 17 books I had to check that none were those "fake books" where the pages are glued together and a hole is cut out where you can store drugs or floppy disks like Neo has in The Matrix. I did everything slowly and fumbled about intentionally just to annoy them, which worked.

But my attitude certainly didn't help my cause. I was then paraded into the "Further Examination Office" where I was frisk-searched by not one but two different officers. But luckily I avoided the mythical cavity search.

By now I was far from impressed. I passed the x-ray machine at Customs hassle-free, and so thought I could finally leave. But no! I was immediately stopped again by some no-nonsense officials motioning me to empty my bag. "What?!" I exclaimed in frustration, as there was no way I was going to that again. But they didn't budge. Then one guy said in English, "Books. Books." They were searching for China LPs to confiscate, probably because of damaging info contrary to the “national interest” of painting China as the most perfect country ever. Initially I was reluctant to comply with a second re-emptying, but my situation was futile - a pesky backpacker against Chinese officials in China - and so I had no choice. Now frustrated legitimately, I made sure to SLAM down 16 of my 17 books, individually, until I got to my China LP.

All this drama about a guide is probably trivial… but it’s the principle! I wasn’t going to let The Man beat me, and confiscate my book! (Even though it wasn’t really mine, I actually “stole” it from a hostel in effect, as I didn’t exchange it for another as customary). So in that single moment, that miniscule of a second (pausing to deliberate would simply raise suspicion), I had to divine whether I would give up to the authorities and become another example forfeiting my China LP; or to risk it and lie that I didn't have one. To lie to Customs, an offence, and one that could me give me much trouble were I caught; were they to afterwards forcibly search my “empty” bag and find a solitary, prohibited China LP just sitting there at the bottom, contrary to what I told them. Remember, this is China, in particular the remote wild west - Communist, iron-fisted, unflinching and draconian - not known for being forgiving to those who even fleetingly flirt with the powers that be.

So I lied.

Calm and cool, masterful in the art, I told them “… No…” But despite such refined skill they looked at me warily, then my bag, then each other. There was obviously no communication between PC and Customs, because PC had already found the book during the first serach. But would they search again? I could see them contemplating it. But they knew I’d been searched already, and with my frustration evident, they seemed not to have the nerve to ask for yet another one. So they said "Ok", and for the last time I repacked my bag and finally stepped into western China.

This whole charade took about 2.5hrs. But what really irritated me more than having to empty my bag twice and be frisked search twice was that they did it to me, and not any of the white tourists who proceeded hassle-free. And why do I claim it was all because of colour, and say “white?” Because during this escapade I saw in the Further Examination Office only one other person in the same situation, with all his stuff sprayed on the floor, and a murderous look on his face. A dark Indian guy!

So my first impression was filled with a deep antagonism and detest for all officials in China. Although a simple development, this immediate negative attitude initiated an entire scorn for the Chinese as I learned more about their devastating presence in these western fringes. So I decided to embark upon my own personal battle with the tourism authorities in a pointless but fun rebellion, and so far;

Justin: 1 / China: 0

But the ironic thing is that on the next day at the bus station, the lone security guard waved me over to his desk and pulled out his drawer to reveal a couple of China LPs for me to peruse - formerly confiscated and now black market - clearly obtained for a suitable price from the border guards just 100m down the street from the immigration office. I didn’t even have to lie before!

The system works.

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[Yuangyang Rice Terraces]

My first stop was at Yuanyang, a small town in the middle of the Yunnan jungles in the south which is the economic “centre” for many villages scattered in the surrounding hills. We were quite high up and often in the mornings the mist was so thick that you could not see 5m in front of you (and that is not an exaggeration). Visiting the surrounding villages was like stepping back into time; with rocky ramshackle houses, communal water basins and wells, donkeys rambling, lazing pigs, tethered goats and sheep, little children everywhere and old men in blue Mao suits sitting around contemplating the world and smiling at me (they didn’t care about my colour!) But although rustic, these minorities are a savvy bunch, and have started charging $7 just to enter their village in order to see the rice terraces! So we told our driver to stop about 100m away from the entrance, and we just walked past the village outskirts and managed to roam around the rice terraces with freedom.

Justin: 2 / China: 0

And then there are of course the rice terraces that are this area’s backbone. They are absolutely magical at sunrise and sunset when all the palettes of the moving sun reflect upon the flooded rice paddies, layer upon layer, valley after valley. Sunrise in particular was breathtaking, when the valley started from a night-time navy blue, to purple, to red, to orange, to yellow, imitating a stained glass window of nature. But my photos can only suffice; and unfortunately my photos usually suck.

[Dali]

Dali, home of the Muslim Bai people, used to be a backpacker’s haven, but is now simply a maze of tourist alleys thanks to the swarming influx of cashed-up Hans from the east. But Han influence doesn’t stop there, since Dali’s would-be beautiful backdrop (an imposing 4000m chain of mountains to the west and the dazzling and life-sustaining Erhai Lake to the east) is consumed by the pollution haze of a Chinese economy in overdrive.

But the best part of Dali was not the interesting people or beautiful old town, but the success of my ongoing battle with the authorities. They caught on only recently that their rich citizens from the east are price-inelastic, and will pay whatever amount they charge to see the sights simply because these people are obsessed with “having seen the sights”. But since most of the tourists are Chinese who love to throw money to display their wealth, the authorities make windfall profits and disregard these complaining, pesky, frugal foreigners. And although I don't mind paying fees when due, many of the fees in Yunnan are either completely unwarranted and opportunistic, or if they are for legitimate purposes are almost always astronomically unreasonable. Just one of many examples: one day I hired a bike, and instead of paying the local fee of about A$4 to cross Erhai by boat, I was told that my fee was 150 yuan (about A$35 - and I remember that price because it was printed on the ticket). Indignant, I just went home.

But my magnum opus performance was at the Three Pagodas, Dali’s premier attraction. And premier money-maker, charging $30 to simply enter the (albeit pretty) grounds to see them. It used to be free. Hence I decided that if I wasn’t going to see it for free, I wouldn’t see it at all. So I managed to sneak in through a back entrance, sliding my way through the side gate under the distracted eye of a useless security guard, and then wandered around for about 2hrs. It was rather pleasant, and undoubtedly sweetened by the fact that I didn’t pay, for something I didn’t care about, when everyone else did!

Justin: 3 / China: 0

The next day Danielle and I went to the mountains to stay at a really cool and cosy hostel lost in its forests. We avoided another A$10 to simply enter the mountain by sneaking around the ticket office, bush-whacking our way through the grasses and forest for about 20min, after which we were quite lucky to come back across the trail to continue up the mountain. Go team!

Justin: 4 / China: 0

[Lijiang]

Home to the Naxi people, this is China’s Prague. Lijiang’s old town is an amazing turn of almost-medieval alleys winding and crashing and knotting into each other in an unforgiving labyrinth. Ingenious streams meander beside the cobbled paths channeling water to the houses on the fronts for drinking, washing and bathing. However, all these colliding mazes ensured that there was not one time when I wasn’t lost! But as if a Prague in China was beautiful enough, throw in some 4000m permanently-snow-capped mountains as the encircling scenery, and you get one picturesque town.

The Naxi, along with the Mosuo people of Lake Lugu (in northern Yunnan, which I unfortunately did not have time to visit but is apparently awesome) are probably the most fascinating of Yunnan’s minorities. They number among the last few matriarchal societies in the world! Yes, matriarchal; and the traditions stemming from this unique occurrence may fill the ladies with a tantalising how-come-we-don’t-have-that-much-power lusting, and the men with a thank-God-we-don’t-live-there fleeting consideration.

I really wish I had stayed longer, but the lures of wild peaks in Yunnan’s Tibetan regions were too strong against the quaint architectural feats of the towns, so I forewent many of the no-doubt-excellent activities around Lijiang to hit the mountains. A hard decision, but a good one.

[Tiger Leaping Gorge]

My first of two treks in Yunnan was Tiger Leaping Gorge, possibly the greatest name of any place anywhere in the world. After seeing so many dismal and long-winded English translations in China, it made it all the more appealing.

Unsurprisingly, to enter the park for TLG another excessive entrance fee is required. On the way we there we contemplated ways in which we could again bypass the ticket office, but unfortunately the Chinese sussed it out and planted the office right on the road deep down in the valley. I can’t remember how much the fee was though, I conveniently forgot thanks to the student discount I received with my fake ISIC card obtained in Bangkok.

So technically, this tally should now read: Justin: 4.5 / China: 0.5... but you know, you can't win half a game… so we’ll just call it: Justin: 5 / China: 0.

Benefit of the doubt…?

But either way, whether you pay full-fee, half-fee, or by some genius circumvent the fee altogether, TLG is one jaw-dropping experience. Although not the most untouched and serene treks because so many people undertake it, there's a reason so many do. It is the deepest, narrowest, and apparently even longest (but just barely) gorge in the world. From the thundering mountain-fresh waters of the mighty Yangzi below, to the dizzying heights of the peaks above is 4500m. Add to that the fact that at its narrowest the gorge is simply 20m across at parts (as stats say). You cannot fit it all in one photo, and you actually have to crane your neck up and down to see it! Danielle (still here with me weeks later!) would often mock me afterwards for my state of disbelief at TLG; I often just stopped in the middle of the trek, shaking my head in wonder.

And to cap off a brilliant few days gallivanting through this gigantic statement of nature, I had an absolutely riveting game of poker with some Israelis I met. I came 2nd, but went down swinging!

[Zhongdian and Deqin]

I then spent a week in this fascinating part of the Yunnan-Tibet border, but will save these adventures for my next blog on Tibet. I think it apt to do the Tibetans some justice and include all their brothers together in the same blog, instead of mercilessly cutting and pasting them all over the place as seems to be the whim in China these days.

And lastly, I have to admit that I do not have such a perfect record in my personal war with the tourism authorities… for in Leshan, later in Sichuan province, I failed in my hapless attempts to scale the walls encircling the park holding the world’s largest Buddha statue. The walls were too wet after morning rains, so I gave up and paid. Of course, I only paid the half-price student discount thanks to my ISIC card, but nevertheless that was one battle I certainly lost. There was some consolation, though; the statue was very big indeed! :)

Justin: 5 / China: 1

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Part of trip: Asia Overland

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