The great mall of China

The world's oldest existing civilization may not be Y2K ready,

but it's always ready for shopping bugs

YOU'D never realize how China is the

world's most population nation until

you spent an afternoon in the city

central or Tiananmen Square, the

world's largest city plaza. There, you'd

be just a drop amidst the sea of

humanity.

That was the experience of the Chinese

Embassy's guests when they came in

time for the 50th anniversary of the

People's Republic of China last

October. Philippine Airlines chair Lucio

Tan chartered a flight between Manila

and Beijing to bring Filipino delegates for that occasion.

Culture shock

Any foreigner would get a culture shock at Beijing's airport and

how the baggage was handled. Instead of you having to pick it

up at the carousel (there was hardly any), the Chinese airport

personnel just dumped the entire luggage in one corner where

everybody had to scrounge to look for theirs.

Shoemart must have made a killing on those canvas Echolac

suitcases because just about everybody who took that flight

had them in navy or black. We didn't see a single Louis Vuitton

despite the fact that the passengers were well-to-do friends of

Tan.

Fall had just begun. Beijing is normally cloaked in smog, but

when we were there, the skies were blue and the clouds were

billowy white. The Chinese embassy billeted their guests at the

Harbour Plaza, which was close to the airport and also at the

Lido Place where the expats live. This was to ensure that we

wouldn't be trapped by the roadblocks around the parade in

Tiananmen Square.

Western mega-malls and humongous plazas surround Beijing.

The main shopping centers opened two years ago.

The Wangfujing shopping district has become a tourist

attraction even among the locals because it has the largest

selection of stores. The best bookstores are found there

although you'd find the latest titles in Hong Kong and

Singapore for foreign books. Wangfujing has got everything

except cars and the world's largest McDonald's.

The best toys are found at the Beijing Department Store. The

Green Department Store devotes an entire floor to houseplants,

plant food, gardening supplies and books.

Giant malls

The Sun Dong An Plaza is a massive mall that you'd need a map

to find your way around the maze. Chinese brands with Western

names are mixed with the imported labels. On a holiday, expect

half a million people crammed into that six-story building.

Upscale shopping is found at Jinyu Hutong - Goldfish Lane to

foreigners- and Dongsixi Dajie. After indulging in Gucci and

Dior, you'll be arrested by the contrast of street hawkers selling

roasted chestnuts and sticks of tiny candied apples.Nothing beats the shopping

experience with outdoor

markets and curio shops

where you can get crafts

and kitsch at a bargain.

The Silk Market is a favorite

destination for shoppers.

Vendors bark their wares,

ranging from apples,clothes, beddings, silk and export overruns. The place is

notorious for designer fakes, but tourists love them anyway.

Even the ubiquitous Nikes look suspiciously phony. The prime attraction is the haggling of prices. If the tourist

walks away after bargaining and doesn't get what he wants, the

vendor will run after him or her and agree to sell the product on

the buyer's terms.The Friendship Store was once the domain of western

foreigners and their special money. Now it takes renminbi (the

Chinese currency) and credit cards. Filipinos might find the

prices more expensive than the stalls, but they can be assured

of quality from the traditional Chinese tonics to paper cuts,

silks, dried fruit, umbrellas, lacquerware and combs.

The paying system in China is different. First there's one receipt

for every item. The Chinese find it uncomfortable to be adding

all your purchases in one bill. If you bought 10 items in one

store, you'd have 10 receipts.

Then the clerk sends you off cashier to pay who, in turn, gives a

receipt before you return to pick up your purchase. Then if you

make another purchase, you'll have to repeat the process.

Great Wall

Aside from the shopping, a trip to China is incomplete without

seeing the Great Wall, which extends 3,000 kilometers from

Northeast China through at least 7 provinces. More than 20

kingdoms and dynasties built this monument in 2,000 years to

shield China from invaders and nomadic tribes. The

construction began in the 5th century BC and lasted until the

16th century.What is so great about an old wall of stones, clay, blocks and

bricks? It is China's pride and any Chinese will make a

pilgrimage to see this wonder of the world. The tour guide will

take you to the Great Wall in Badaling, the most touristy of all.

You'd probably remember the hordes of tourists and rows of

buses, and souvenir stalls more than the experience of climbing

up.

Guidebooks suggest visiting other parts of the Great Wall even

though portions of it are crumbling. Although the climb is bold,

bucolic scenes and valleys of flowers surround these sections.

The Summer Palace, the largest imperial garden in China

encompasses hills, lakes, pavilions, terraces and elaborate

walks.

On a holiday National Artist Arturo Luz brought has camera and

took pictures of the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. The

images that you see on this spread capture the bright colors of

China and the lines and forms of the restored buildings around

the Wall.After the big clean-up for the Oct. 1 parade, Beijing has tried to

maintain its beauty and banned non-residents from the streets

(read: beggars, street vendors and stray dogs.)

By now, the weather is down to 14 degrees Celsius, which is

nothing compared with winter when the thermometer registers a

negative reading. The Chinese have started wearing their itchy

thermal underwear while the expats have been loading on their

lip balms and wearing their Marks & Spencers. Some of the

brave locals still wear minis with thick stockings and boot.

Although the world is claiming to be Y2K ready, China seems

oblivious to it all. The Chinese have not been totally reliant on

computers despite its leaps in modernity. They still prefer to do

things manually.--Marge C. Enriquez