Learning from Canada

July 10, 2010

The China Daily reported that China and Canada plan to double trade. “I have agreed with Prime Minister Harper that we should take active measures to make our countries’ two-way trade volume reach a target of $60 billion by 2015,” Hu Jintao said in Ottawa.

President Hu Jintao shaking hands with Prime Minister Harper

While the US pressures China to do something about North Korea, sells modern weapons to Taiwan and hosts the Dalai Lama at the White House, which all upset China, Canada works to build a relationship and earned approved destination status (ADS), so Chinese tourists may travel to Canada in organized, pre-sold tour groups.  Canada’s tourist industry hopes to see $100 million a year increasing tourist revenues and creating jobs.

Canada also signed several energy cooperative agreements involving oil sand, nuclear energy and gas. In addition, one agreement might mean more Canadian food products being sold to China, which creates more jobs for Canadians since so many were lost when the US Sub Prime Mortgage crises caused a global economic meltdown. 

Why can’t the US find constructive ways like these to do the same—shrink the trade imbalance with China and create jobs at home without irritating Beijing?

See Doing Business in China

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. 

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Don’t Drive in Beijing—Take the Subway

July 8, 2010

Believe me when I say to avoid driving in Beijing (or taking a taxi) unless it is midnight and the city is sleeping.  According to Belinda Goldsmith writing for Reuters, Beijing is one of the three-worst cities to drive in.

We’ve been stuck in Beijing traffic watching the taxi’s meter adding yuan to the bill when we could have crawled faster.  The other choice is Beijing’s subway built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which we prefer. It’s fast and efficient. Wear a money belt though.

Beijing Subway Map

Guangzhou (once known as Canton by the West) subway map

Chongqing Metro Map

Shanghai Subway Map

Information about getting around in Xian

Last time we were in Xian, the subway system was under construction. I learned that of the four lines planned, line one is scheduled to be running by the end of 2013 and line two by the end of 2011.

According to Michael Wurth’s Blog, Xian was boring and “very” hot. Wurth talks about renting a tandem bike and riding it on the wide, ancient Xian city wall claiming to make the ride in under 4 minutes, which is surprising since the wall runs about 17 kilometers.  Personally, when we were on the wall, I enjoyed the experience but we were there in the Fall and the weather was perfect.  If you want to visit China, plan for the Fall or Spring and avoid any of China’s national holidays.

See Visiting Xian

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. 

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The Prince’s Garden

June 26, 2010

These photos were taken inside Prince Kung’s (1833-1898) palace and garden (once called Gongwangfu). This palace is in Beijing’s Beihai district. Prince Kung was Emperor Hsein Feng’s (1831-1861) younger brother.

As Inspector General for the Emperor of China, Robert Hart, known as the Godfather of China’s modernism, lived in the same hutong that Prince Kung lived in.  The Forbidden City was on the far side of Tiananmen Square.

Robert Hart, the main character in “My Splendid Concubine” and “Our Hart”, often met Prince Kung in this garden.

After 1950, for several decades, this palace and the garden became a communal home for many Chinese. In recent years, the garden, considered one of the best in China, was renovated and is now a tourist attraction, which attracts thousands of visitors daily.

To design a proper Chinese garden one must build a big place in a small space.  Prince Kung’s garden and estate is surrounded by a high wall and outside is Beijing.  Once inside, it is easy to forget that outside the walls is a crowded city. It was also easy for the Qing (Manchu) royals to forget about what was happening throughout China.

Discover The Summer Palace

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.

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Getting Rich is Glorious vs. China’s Health Care System

June 26, 2010

Until reading this post from “Danwei”, I didn’t know that medical vultures had landed in China to drain ignorant people’s bank accounts as in the US. When in China, my family, friends and I have always used the domestic health care system when needed and we have no complaints.

“Danwei’s” post, China’s private healthcare racket, offers a warning to stay away from the private clinics that have appeared over the past 15 years. “The desire to grind out as much profit as possible from patients means that China is now one of the most expensive places in the world to have private healthcare.…

“Most companies coming to China simply adopted United States-style pricing, given the company packages and generous medical insurance that were standard for their clients, wealthy expatriates.”

The red cross indicates this high rise in Shanghai is a hospital and looks similar to ones we've been to in China.

Here are a few comparative costs between China’s domestic health care (not private) and the US. A urine test in the US cost us $267—in China, that cost was 20 yuan or about $3.  To see a US doctor cost us $185—in China, the cost was 15 yuan or about $2.  In the US, we had to wait a week or longer for the lab results—that is if we were even called. In China, the results were back in less than half-an-hour.

If you are planning to travel to China, read Danwei’s post about private health care and use the domestic system. Learn the facts and save some money.

See China’s Health Care Today

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the author of the award winning concubine saga. When you love a Chinese woman, you also marry her family and culture.

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Going Underground in Guilin

June 15, 2010

After checking into our Guilin hotel in Southeast China near Vietnam, we hired a taxi and visited Reed Flute Cave (Ludi Cave), which is in Northwest Guilin.

Photo by Lloyd Lofthouse

Reed Flute Cave was named during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD) due to reeds (Ludi Cao) growing near the cave’s entrance, which are still used to make flutes.

Photo by Lloyd Lofthouse

There are historical stone ink inscriptions inside the cave dated to 792 AD.

Lucky Turtle Photo taken by Lloyd Lofthouse

Millions have walked these paved pathways. Reed Flute Cave has been an attraction for over a thousand years and the tour lasts about an hour.

Photo by Lloyd Lofthouse

During Times of war, the local people would hide in the cave. One grotto, the Crystal Palace of the Dragon King, could hold a thousand people.

Photo by Lloyd Lofthouse

Crown Cave was the second underground attraction, but it was late and the next day we were on our way to the Li River.

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of The Concubine Saga. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.

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