Chinese tourists illogical
I recently visited the Shanghai Expo, and while I was impressed with the often splendid and informative displays, perhaps the thing I found the most unforgettable was the illogical behavior of the millions of Chinese tourists who roamed the pavilions. The deliberate yet nonchalant ignorance displayed by my fellow countrymen greatly embarrassed me, especially in front of foreign visitors and Expo-related workers.
I was greatly saddened by the fact that most people chose to completely ignore the valuable opportunity to learn about foreign cultures and instead focused on superficial activities such as obtaining photos and commemorative “stamps” from each pavilion. Their behavior really makes me wonder whether Chinese people’s prevailing mentality regarding tourism means China is not quite ready to receive something as educational and globally-minded as the World Expo.
For example, the Africa Pavilion, where 42 countries set up booths, practically became a stamp-collectors paradise. Most visitors, holding their “Expo passports” (often two or three per person, and sometimes even five or six), simply lined up at the stamp tables in front of the various country’s booths for stamps, leaving the the booths themselves completely empty despite their informative multimedia and artifacts on display. Often being the only person examining the displays, I frequently looked on in dismay as the staff members responsible for disseminating information to visitors became permanent “passport stampers,” monotonously facing an endless line of eager stamp collectors.
The situation is a reflection of the discrepancy between official statements regarding the purpose of the Expo and the actual attitude of the Chinese visitors. In theory, the Expo stresses common global values on sustainable urban development and the creation of common urban culture across the world with the slogan “Better City, Better Life.” Yet the reality on the ground could not be more different. With any exhibit that they actually bothered to examine, the Chinese tourists loudly dismissed it as not interesting because “it’s not how things are in China,” tellingly communicating to foreigners that the common Chinese person refuses to accept any “common values” that are not at least somewhat similar to what exists in China.
Unfortunately, the situation at the Expo is a genuine reflection of all Chinese tourists abroad. Especially in the case of developed countries, Chinese tourists’ top priority has been and continues to be shopping for brand name goods, followed by visiting sights of nature. At cultural sights, Chinese tourists continue to be comparatively rare, unless the sights themselves are extremely well-known. In contrast, besides seeing famous sights, foreign visitors to China often venture into many ordinary communities to get a better understanding of peoples’ everyday lives.
So, until the day the majority of Chinese tourists value quality over quantity and the cultural over the superficial, these tourists will cause nothing but embarrassment, damaging their country’s image, both in the eyes of foreigners and self-conscious countrymen, both on the Expo grounds and whichever foreign tourist spot they choose to visit.
SU XIAOCHEN
San Diego, California
Wake up KMT
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said that reconstruction projects at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport should have started 10 years ago (“Ma presses attack on DPP,” Aug. 9, page 3). Wasn’t the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) just out of office 10 years ago? Did Ma expect former president Chen shui-bian (陳水扁) to have these projects done from the get-go? Ma has been in office for over two years and renovations at airport have only just begun. There have been some pretty bad accidents there lately and apparently a disgruntled architect to contend with as well.
Moreover, Ma continues to say that Chen’s corruption case proves that corruption is rampant in the Democratic Progressive Party. However, as a faithful reader of the Taipei Times, most of the time I see KMT officials being removed, brought to court, or dealing with gangsters.
Since the KMT came back to power, most corruption cases involve the KMT.
It is time for Ma to wake up and face the music.
The airport has more problems than just reconstruction projects — partying in the control towers and falling bridges to name just a few.
The recent case of judges and prosecutors being detained over a case where an appeals court freed a KMT member is not in itself unexpected.
HARRY ADAMOPOULOS
Taipei
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