Travel China | All That Noises

Travel China | All That Noises

What happens if if one billion Chinese jump at the same time? You should ask what if one billion Chinese talk at the same time.

I don’t want to find out. Everyone talked in China. That wasn’t the end of it. More than chit chat, they produced noises.

I love big cities. I can’t imagine living in the countryside, waking up and falling asleep to the sounds of roosters and crickets. I love the sounds and the fast pace of big cities. But I seriously doubted it after coming to China and listening or being forced to listen to an entire population who couldn’t stop talking.

I don’t mean the kind of talk when one socialize with others which I enjoyed and found lacking in the western world. What drove me nut was the production of noises. (We’re talking about the people who are skilled at mass manufacturing.) Men, women and students stood in front of their shops giving a speech about why you should eat or buy from their shops. Those with weak vocal spoke into the speakers. Oh better yet, they recorded themselves, cranked on volume controls, and hit replay.

Ok, I know I violated travel rule no. 1: visit a new culture and expect it to be similar to somewhere else more comfortable. China gave me a new love I hadn’t had before: for the first time I realized I loved the Czechs, who weren’t generous with noises and talked only when necessary. I wished sometimes the Chinese behaved the same and shut up. In busy metro stops, security guards loudly grabbed people attention to get them to either get in line and screen their bags. At end stops, where Czechs would just wave their hands if they saw someone still sitting inside, Chinese had to shout.

Most people come to the museums to enjoy a quiet moment and slowly digest what they see. Nope, it’s not going to happen in China where guide is a booming business. I don’t mean the audio tape you rent, listen with a headset and bother no-one, I mean the Chinese army who guide visitors on site. Some only talked to their groups as how guides should do, but with so many people, they had to scream. In many places, each of them carried a mini speaker, talking while walking.

By the way, I violated another travel rule: be a tourist, visit touristy sights and get angry when there were too many tourists.

In China, everyone has a message to say and they make sure they are heard.

It seemed Chinese could not do without sounds. There were TV screens on public buses showing commercials with sound switched on. On long-distance train, in sleeping area, each section was equipped with a TV broadcasting commercials, movie and comedy shows. When the TV wasn’t switched on, then some invisible radio was on broadcasting Chinese music. It was nice for a couple hours, but not when you wanted to get some sleep. The music got switched on the moment you I entered the train, turned off only at 10 p.m. and then already on again at 7 in the morning.

I went to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, and after just 15 minutes of walking, I met a couple who carry a mini stereo playing music while walking to the temple. On my hike to Mount Huashan, I ran into group of young Chinese who shared their music to fellow hikers. Hello, what happened to earplugs? (They produced most of these things anyway.)

Throw into the mix honking from buses, cars, motorbikes and bicycles, and you hear China.