Chapter 13 (Taiwan)

In Chapter 13, we learned about Taiwan (Republic of China), and I thus researched for information regarding Xian's relationship with Taiwan. I came across a very interesting article published on July 24, 2013, by the South China Morning Post that contrasted Xian's transportation system with that in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei. The article, titled "Taiwanese tourist in mainland China ignored by more than 20 taxis," described an incident that occured on July 22nd, when Liu Hsiang Mei, a traveler from Taipei, arrived in Xian and tried to hail a taxi to take her to her hotel. However, as the article states:

Various taxi drivers stopped to ask her where she wanted to go, but after hearing that her destination was only 1.3 kilometres away, the drivers either rejected her outright or said the roads were bad or they were unsure of the route. At least seven empty taxis also passed Liu without bothering to stop, and after waiting for over an hour and hearing rejections from more than 20 drivers, Liu was forced to carry her luggage to her hotel by foot.

Below are pictures of Liu as she unsuccessfully tried to hail a taxi in Xian and subsequently walked to her hotel on foot:
 



The Chinese news agency, Xinhua, has subsequently conducted an investigation into Xian's taxi system, and they concluded that there are serious issues with it, with waiting times sometimes as much as fifteen minutes, and some reporters complained that empty taxis would drive by and "ignore them completely."

This incident has caused an outcry on Sina Weibo, where bloggers have begun to speak out against Xian's transport problems. The article quotes a blogger who claimed, "The number of Xian taxis who refuse potential passengers is unparalleled." Other bloggers also complained about Xian's bus system, such as one individual who said, "Compared to Xian bus drivers, Xian taxi drivers are relatively decent. Bus drivers treat their passengers like cattle, always telling them to move backwards [to the end of the bus] in a rude tone of voice...These people believe that...in a state-run public transportation world, they are the 'masters.' This is a deep-rooted problem in our society."

According to the article, the general attitude among the commentators on Sina Weibo was that "this sort of incident 'would never happen in Taipei.'" The article quotes a citizen from Shenzhen who stated, "I just came back from Taipei yesterday. I sat in taxis several times and met many drivers... They all had a good attitude and would chat with me and introduced me to local places. Taiwan's service industry - we really have a lot to learn from them!" After reading this article, I am inclined to agree. Since I regularly ride my city's bus, I personally feel that Xian's transportation system is appalling, and I hope that this incident leads to reforms in the the city's public transit system and to improvements in their employees' attitudes. Hopefully, Xian can learn from Taipei's example.

(Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1289778/taiwanese-tourist-mainland-ignored-more-20-taxis )

Chapters 11 & 12 (Hong Kong & Macau)

In Chapters 11 and 12, we learned about the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. I subsequently researched information regarding Xian's relationships with Hong Kong and Macau. Since Xian is the capital of Shaanxi Province and it is such a prominent city in China, I was interested to learn more about its transportation network and accessibility, including how citizens in Xian can travel to Hong Kong or Macau and vice versa.. According to an article by ChinaHighlights.com, the city of Xian is served by Xianyang International Airport, which is located about an hour outside of the city. The airport was opened in 1991, and as the article states, "The rapid growth in air traffic in north western China has led it to require further investment. Xi'an Xianyang airport will see its airport terminal building expanded with new investment buying boarding bridges, air conditioning equipment, and other passenger terminal building equipment." 

According to the article, the Xianyang International Airport is the fourth largest airport in China and it provides several flights to China's major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Urumugi. The article also states, "There are also a few flights to Lhasa and international flights to Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan." Thus, Xian is connected to Hong Kong and Macau through the Xianyang International Airport, which is pictured below:

As I researched information regarding Xian's transportation network, I was surprised to learn about an airplane crash that occurred from the Xianyang Airport on June 7, 1994. A news report published by the New York Times on that day described the incident:

The aviation problems today began when a Russian-built Tupolev-154 operating as China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303 took off from Xian shortly after 8 A.M. Ten minutes later the control tower at Xianyang Airport lost contact with jet, which crashed 18 miles southeast of the airport. The official New China News Agency said tonight that none of the 146 passengers and 14 crew members survived. The official dispatch said 133 were mainland Chinese, 3 were Hong Kong residents, 1 was from Taiwan and 9 were from elsewhere.

The cause of the crash was eventually determined to be a maintenance flaw. I had never heard of this plane crash before, and it is very tragic that none of the individuals on the plane survived.

(Sources: http://www.chinahighlights.com/xian/transportation.htm,
  http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/07/world/jet-crash-in-china-kills-160-another-flight-is-hijacked.html )

Chapter 10 (Urban China)

In Chapter 10, we learned about China's urban development and its urban geography. Within this chapter, we also learned about the development and organization of China's cities throughout history. I was particularly interested to read about the organization of traditional Chinese cities, since the textbook states on page 274, "Today, remnants of traditional Chinese city planning are still visible in the inner cities of Beijing, Xi'an, and Nanjing." Thus, I subsequently researched for information regarding Xian's historical development and organization.

According to an article by TravelChinaGuide.com, Xian, historically known as Chang'an, served as the capital of thirteen dynasties and it represents the "cradle of China." The article quotes a traditional saying in China, which describes Xian's historical significance: "Go to Shanghai and you will find a 100-year-old China; go to Beijing and you will find a 1000-year-old China; go to Xian and then you will find a 3000-year-old China." Through these 3,000 years, Xian has established itself as one of the most ancient and significant cities within China. As the article declares, "Together with Athens, Cairo and Rome, Xian is among the four major ancient civilization capitals of the world." This is truly remarkable!

In the Chapter 10 Lecture, we learned that city walls were significant features in many Chinese historical cities, so I researched for more information regarding Xian's City Wall (which is featured as a background for this blog). According to an article by China Odyssey Tours, which is a Chinese travel agency, "Xian's ancient City Wall is the most intact ancient Chinese wall in existence." Because Xian served as the capital for thirteen dynasties, the need for a defensive structure was imperative in order to protect the capital against threats. The City Wall encircles the inner part of modern-day Xian. According to the article, "The City Wall seen today was constructed on the foundations of the city walls from the Sui (581-617) and Tang (618-904) Dynasties, during the reign of Emperor Hongwu (1370-1378) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1627)." The Wall includes four gates located on the north, south, east, and west sides of the Wall. The article also states,

The wall is 13,912 meters in circumference, 12 meters in height, the foundation is 18 meters in width, and the top of the wall is 15 meters wide...The ancient City Wall features a series of watchtowers, turrets, crenels and gate towers, all surrounded by a moat. These features make up an integrated city defense system. In 1983 Shaanxi Province decided to do a large scale restoration of the wall to restore it to its original appearance. They added a park around the outside of the wall and restored its ancient gate towers.

Today, Xian's City Wall serves as a major tourist attraction and, since the top of the wall is a wide roadway, it even serves as the venue for the international sport called "The Marathon of Xi'an City Wall." Below are a few pictures of the City Wall in modern-day Xian:









(Sources: http://www.cits.net/china-guide/destinations/silk-road/xian/ming-dynasty-city-wall.html ,
               http://www.chinaodysseytours.com/xian/xian-ancient-city-wall.html )