Taiwanese tour groups returning from trips to Tibet have warned potential visitors to be prepared for aggressive harassment from street vendors there.
Tourists have told tales of extortion and even beatings by vendors when they refused to purchase goods.
A man surnamed Lin (
The group was mobbed by vendors at every bus stop.
Some of the vendors turned violent when the visitors refused to buy their goods, he said.
At Yamdrok Yumtso Lake the group was surrounded by dozens of sellers, Lin said. He agreed to buy a stone bracelet and necklace, but after the vendor tried to cheat him by switching items, Lin refused to buy it. The vendor then struck him with the stone necklaces.
Another woman from the same group said that she was kicked after refusing to buy trinkets and had to request the intervention of the tour guide. The atmosphere grew tense as the Taiwanese group refused to back down. Another Taiwanese tour group finally arrived and the vendors dispersed.
Other groups have reported that locals demanded money for taking pictures of temples, though the groups had bought entrance tickets. If visitors didn't pay, they were followed and harassed.
Another Taiwanese tour guide reported that while his group was boarding the train to leave Tibet, the local guide and bus driver refused to let the group go.
The local guide demanded compensation because the group hadn't visited small markets and had asked to change hotels, which was an insult to Tibetans, the guide said. The incident was eventually resolved with an apology from the group.
The report did not say if the vendors in question were ethnic Tibetan or Han immigrants to the region.
Mainland Affairs Council figures show that about 3 million Taiwanese travel to China on business or as tourists each year.
Research commissioned by the council showed the main problems in China are lack of safety precautions for travelers, overbooked transportation, counterfeit goods, infectious diseases, changing itineraries, poor accommodation and disputes over tipping.
In the report, researchers suggested that tourism agencies in China and Taiwan work together to eliminate illegal tour operators.
The council said that travelers should not lower their defenses just because Taiwan and China share the same language.
Before leaving for China, tourists should buy adequate insurance and thoroughly research travel information and details of emergency services, the council said.
Chang Chih-chung (張執中), a professor at Ling Tung University who contributed to the study, said that Taiwanese also should keep their money out of sight and avoid high-risk behavior such as visiting prostitutes.
Hsu Shu-ling (許淑玲) of the China division of the Taipei Association of Travel Agents said tourists who are treated poorly should present evidence of the mistreatment to their local travel association.
The association would then convey the information to China's local tourism bureaus, she said.
If Chinese tour operators were found to be at fault, the association would work to have Chinese authorities issue a written warning to the operators, she said.
If the Chinese authorities failed to respond, the association would discourage travel to the area the problems occurred in, she said.
Tourism Bureau Secretary-General Wu Chao-yen (
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS