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Sunday 10 July 2011
Photo - Old Town in China
Window view from a hotel in the old town of Lijiang, Yunnan Provence, a UNESCO Heritage site. The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road.
The town is architecturally beautiful and one can almost, almost, imagine that people lived there once. What I hated about Lijiang -- it was my least favorite place in China -- is that UNESCO converted the entire heritage site into a shopping mall. It is mobbed with people shopping. I suppose one could also imagine that it was a global destination for traders once, and that one only visited because of the fascinating merchandise one could find there. Not so for Lijiang, which had very little to sell above souvenir quality. Moreover, when I visit a heritage site, I am looking at the buildings, streets and cultural artifacts, not at merchandise. I did note favorably that two of the many buildings were dedicated to artisans who were practicing their craft, thereby demonstrating local skills that might have been practiced by the original villagers. Last, I must say that our guide, a beautiful young Chinese student, suggested that we tour a nearby "cultural" center that was newly built to mirror the old town. It too was for shopping. Perhaps UNESCO and the Chinese government could separate the functions?
Very true. Ten years ago, Lijiang looked very much as the photo above, even though there was some 21st century encroachment. Today, as you say, the town has almost doubled in size, where the 'new' part is a remarkable, but obvious, replica of the old. For example, to visit one of the buildings, one could find a very modern hamburger franchise inside. And of course, the streets are filled with ten times the number of tourists. To be fair to UNESCO, they simply recognized the value of the original town and awarded it heritage status relying on a promise by the Chinese government to maintain it. Unfortunately, as with many UNESCO sites everywhere, governments suffer memory losses.
The town is architecturally beautiful and one can almost, almost, imagine that people lived there once. What I hated about Lijiang -- it was my least favorite place in China -- is that UNESCO converted the entire heritage site into a shopping mall. It is mobbed with people shopping. I suppose one could also imagine that it was a global destination for traders once, and that one only visited because of the fascinating merchandise one could find there. Not so for Lijiang, which had very little to sell above souvenir quality. Moreover, when I visit a heritage site, I am looking at the buildings, streets and cultural artifacts, not at merchandise. I did note favorably that two of the many buildings were dedicated to artisans who were practicing their craft, thereby demonstrating local skills that might have been practiced by the original villagers. Last, I must say that our guide, a beautiful young Chinese student, suggested that we tour a nearby "cultural" center that was newly built to mirror the old town. It too was for shopping. Perhaps UNESCO and the Chinese government could separate the functions?
ReplyDeleteVery true. Ten years ago, Lijiang looked very much as the photo above, even though there was some 21st century encroachment. Today, as you say, the town has almost doubled in size, where the 'new' part is a remarkable, but obvious, replica of the old. For example, to visit one of the buildings, one could find a very modern hamburger franchise inside. And of course, the streets are filled with ten times the number of tourists. To be fair to UNESCO, they simply recognized the value of the original town and awarded it heritage status relying on a promise by the Chinese government to maintain it. Unfortunately, as with many UNESCO sites everywhere, governments suffer memory losses.
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