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A weekend at the Ming Tombs

By Paul Surtees (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-05-06 09:15

On my first visit to China in 1997, and wishing to thoroughly explore the famous and ancient Ming Tombs, located some 50 km away from Beijing, I arranged to spend the weekend in that area.

Paul Surtees. The photo (in front of China's flag) was taken at the Hong Kong Govt Office in London, last June, where Paul co-hosted a function. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

That experience taught me a lot about China, in additional to historical things.

After a full day's sightseeing, I proceeded to a nearby small town, where I was to spend the night, before continuing my visit to the ancient remains the next day. I checked-in to that place's only hotel, and seemed to be their only guest. Indeed, I had to wake up the reception desk clerk, upon my arrival there.

I then decided to take a look around the small town, to fill up the time before sleep. On my tour, I was, at first, pleased to see a variety of what I though were pets, though in admittedly rather small cages, near the doors of a large building. They had there little cats, dogs, a type of lizard, snakes chickens and ducks. However, when I looked more closely, I discovered that the building was a restaurant, and those animals were the menu!

Moving swiftly on, I passed a barber's shop, and thought I might as well get a haircut there. I was ready to sit and wait my turn, but when the barber saw me he immediately pushed another man out of his chair, mid-haircut, to get started on me. Facing the difficulty of explaining what sort of haircut I desired, since we neither of us spoke the other's language, I kept a look-out through the large shop window as passing townsfolk went by. When I spotted a man with the type of haircut I wanted, I greeted him and gently led him into the barbershop, as a model for what the barber was to do to my hair.

It says a lot about the tolerance and innate courtesy of this unknown local man that, once he understood his unexpected role, he kindly and smilingly stayed in position for the whole performance.

I can only imagine that the people of that town rarely saw foreigners, because I soon became the centre of interest for dozens of staring people. Many of them crammed in to the barbershop, and others stood looking through the window as the haircut was done. Even more to my amazement, when I paid and left, they rushed to grab samples of my hair that had fallen as cuttings to the floor.

In those days, I had plenty of red (auburn) hair; perhaps not a common sight in rural China. So their collection of it possibly represented the same interest in something unusual and even exotic, as someone else might pick up a discarded multi-coloured snakeskin, from the forest floor.

After an indifferent meal at a non-zoo-like alternative restaurant choice, I returned to my hotel, ready for a hot bath before bedtime. But turning on the taps produced only dribbles of water – and cold water, at that. So I called the room attendant and indicated the problem.

By mime she got me to understand that there was to be no bath water ("mayo") that night.

Unimpressed by this, I sent for her boss; then the boss next above, until finally I had five layers of hotel manager installed my bathroom, all repeating this "mayo!’'

The hotel's General Manager was called at last. This imaginative and very helpful lady solved the problem instantly. Even though the hotel was virtually empty, in each guest room had been placed the usual litre-sized thermos flask of boiling water, with which the hoped-for guests could make tea. The GM got a dozen otherwise unengaged room attendants from around the hotel, to collect all these and to empty them, one-by-one, into my bathtub!

Such understanding and extra helpfulness is rarely to experienced, even in international hotel of the greatest luxury. I was mightily amused by this little scene, as indeed were the hotel workers themselves, with amused smiles all round. It was very nice of them, and I was grateful; though all refused my proffered tips.

But I will never forget my visit to the Ming Tombs, and that's because of these extraordinary first experiences in China, in a little town just nearby.

The author now lives in Hong Kong, and is a regular contributor to the opinion pages of China Daily.

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