In all of Beijing, the most fascination place, at least as in my opinion, could hardly be called
a 名胜古迹, aka tourist attraction. On the contrary, the mass transit systems are considered,
well, a part of daily life. Despite the occasional frustration with the lack of a time table and
how long it sometimes takes for a bus to arrive, the public transportation system is incredibly
easy to navigate. The subway is both cost effective and convenient, as it costs only two kuai
(about a third of a US dollar) to go anywhere on the subway line, on which the stops are well
placed around popular destinations.
Around when Beijingers are usually going to and from work, the subways are overwhelmed
with people. There are stories about people who have been swept into subway trains by the
crowds, or missed their stop due to the large number of people between them and the closing
doors. Rumor has it that some people get trapped between the doors because there were too
many people inside the train. Nonetheless, most people are surprisingly considerate about
letting people off the subway train or bus if it is possible. A common phrase heard is "我要下
车. Wo yao xia che. I want to get off the train." No matter whether it is a Chinese citizen or a
foreigner, fellow passengers always make an effort to allow the person to disembark. It’s
simply a matter of communication.
People on public transit also express a key part of the old Chinese culture on the subway
trains and buses: taking care of those who are weaker and deference to the elderly. The
Chinese government has begun a movement that encourages the youth to give up their seats
to the elderly, disabled, and parents with young children on public transit systems. Nowadays,
when an elderly person boards a bus packed with people, someone, usually a young adult,
will offer their spot to their elder. The same goes for families with young children. It’s a core
value of traditional China in Modern China.
After riding the subway a great many times, I have noticed something rather unexpected. On
the buses I’ve ridden in America, I often see my fellow passengers doing anything from
playing games on their phones, listening to music or working on homework. In contrast, by
far the most common transit pastime here is reading books on one’s phone. Most travelers
read while waiting to get to their destination, rather than playing games or watching movies.
This fascinates me, as reading in America is supposedly dying out as technological advances
make movies and TV shows preferable to reading. In China, rather than heralding the
downfall of reading, technology has made it more accessible through smart phones and small
tablets. Of course, books are easier to download for free in China (technically illegally) than
they are in America. In a different scenario, technology and reading actually work together,
rather than against each other.
The first time I rode the subway, I was with my host sister, heading to the Forbidden City to
meet other students. As we were talking, I heard distant music. At first, I thought it was my
imagination, but the music grew louder and louder. I searched for the music and my eyes
landed on man dragging himself across the subway floor. He pushed himself with his hands,
as he sat with his half-formed legs in front of him. He sang a Chinese song into a mic while
passengers occasionally dropped a kuai or two into the tin bucket around his neck. He was
the first beggar I encountered on the subway. Reta explained to me that beggars sometimes
rode the subways for the whole day, buying the 2 kuai ticket to beg on the subways for a day.
Most subway beggars sing into a mic while walking up and down the train.
Most of the people I meet assume I am a Chinese citizen by my appearance. Thus, when I
ride the subway with my classmates, I receive some odd looks at my flawless English. In one
instance, I was riding the subway home with a classmate. The subway was rather packed, and
I suppose we were talking a little above the average volume of Chinese conversations in
public places. As we received odd looks, I voiced a question out loud, "Do you think they
practice their English listening on us?" My classmate laughed and said, "Of course they do.
In fact, I bet the guy next to me is doing it right now." I glanced over and caught the guy
blushing. When my classmate got off at the next stop, the same man approached me and
asked, "Was he your boyfriend, classmate, or coworker?" (Some Chinese people tend to
believe that the only way a Chinese girl could be with a foreigner guy is if they are in some
sort of romantic relationship) From there, we had a pleasant conversation about how he was,
in fact, practicing his listening on us and where he was from. I think it’s safe to say that most
people one encounters on the Chinese subways are at least decent people.
The Chinese public transportation system is a well-run product of careful planning and
construction. It is still expanding, in fact. I expect that one can safely get almost anywhere
worth going on the subway lines and through the bus system. If you ever ride Beijing’s
subways, my advice is to keep your eyes open. You may notice something that will surprise
you about China.
a 名胜古迹, aka tourist attraction. On the contrary, the mass transit systems are considered,
well, a part of daily life. Despite the occasional frustration with the lack of a time table and
how long it sometimes takes for a bus to arrive, the public transportation system is incredibly
easy to navigate. The subway is both cost effective and convenient, as it costs only two kuai
(about a third of a US dollar) to go anywhere on the subway line, on which the stops are well
placed around popular destinations.
Around when Beijingers are usually going to and from work, the subways are overwhelmed
with people. There are stories about people who have been swept into subway trains by the
crowds, or missed their stop due to the large number of people between them and the closing
doors. Rumor has it that some people get trapped between the doors because there were too
many people inside the train. Nonetheless, most people are surprisingly considerate about
letting people off the subway train or bus if it is possible. A common phrase heard is "我要下
车. Wo yao xia che. I want to get off the train." No matter whether it is a Chinese citizen or a
foreigner, fellow passengers always make an effort to allow the person to disembark. It’s
simply a matter of communication.
People on public transit also express a key part of the old Chinese culture on the subway
trains and buses: taking care of those who are weaker and deference to the elderly. The
Chinese government has begun a movement that encourages the youth to give up their seats
to the elderly, disabled, and parents with young children on public transit systems. Nowadays,
when an elderly person boards a bus packed with people, someone, usually a young adult,
will offer their spot to their elder. The same goes for families with young children. It’s a core
value of traditional China in Modern China.
After riding the subway a great many times, I have noticed something rather unexpected. On
the buses I’ve ridden in America, I often see my fellow passengers doing anything from
playing games on their phones, listening to music or working on homework. In contrast, by
far the most common transit pastime here is reading books on one’s phone. Most travelers
read while waiting to get to their destination, rather than playing games or watching movies.
This fascinates me, as reading in America is supposedly dying out as technological advances
make movies and TV shows preferable to reading. In China, rather than heralding the
downfall of reading, technology has made it more accessible through smart phones and small
tablets. Of course, books are easier to download for free in China (technically illegally) than
they are in America. In a different scenario, technology and reading actually work together,
rather than against each other.
The first time I rode the subway, I was with my host sister, heading to the Forbidden City to
meet other students. As we were talking, I heard distant music. At first, I thought it was my
imagination, but the music grew louder and louder. I searched for the music and my eyes
landed on man dragging himself across the subway floor. He pushed himself with his hands,
as he sat with his half-formed legs in front of him. He sang a Chinese song into a mic while
passengers occasionally dropped a kuai or two into the tin bucket around his neck. He was
the first beggar I encountered on the subway. Reta explained to me that beggars sometimes
rode the subways for the whole day, buying the 2 kuai ticket to beg on the subways for a day.
Most subway beggars sing into a mic while walking up and down the train.
Most of the people I meet assume I am a Chinese citizen by my appearance. Thus, when I
ride the subway with my classmates, I receive some odd looks at my flawless English. In one
instance, I was riding the subway home with a classmate. The subway was rather packed, and
I suppose we were talking a little above the average volume of Chinese conversations in
public places. As we received odd looks, I voiced a question out loud, "Do you think they
practice their English listening on us?" My classmate laughed and said, "Of course they do.
In fact, I bet the guy next to me is doing it right now." I glanced over and caught the guy
blushing. When my classmate got off at the next stop, the same man approached me and
asked, "Was he your boyfriend, classmate, or coworker?" (Some Chinese people tend to
believe that the only way a Chinese girl could be with a foreigner guy is if they are in some
sort of romantic relationship) From there, we had a pleasant conversation about how he was,
in fact, practicing his listening on us and where he was from. I think it’s safe to say that most
people one encounters on the Chinese subways are at least decent people.
The Chinese public transportation system is a well-run product of careful planning and
construction. It is still expanding, in fact. I expect that one can safely get almost anywhere
worth going on the subway lines and through the bus system. If you ever ride Beijing’s
subways, my advice is to keep your eyes open. You may notice something that will surprise
you about China.
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