Chinese Tourism (Pictures)

OR WHERE IS MY TOUR GUIDE?!?!

On my recent trip to Zhangjiajie National Park, in Hunan Province, I noticed something odd. Chinese tourist spots are not like their American counterparts. Being one with nature in China is not like being one with nature in America. And Chinese tourists do not behave like any tourists I've seen before. Which means that most things you'd take for granted while traveling just did not exist or happen. Like easy-to-understand maps. Or having a hotel in the park that did not require you to lug your luggage up a mountain to sleep at. However, if you wanted to stay seated while two men carried you around in a chair, you could do that. Let me show you some of the travel differences I noticed while visiting the karst peaks in Zhangjiajie. May my photos enlighten, inspire, and perhaps cause some culturally-insensitive giggles.

First off, everyone wants to travel with a tour guide and a group in tow.

They even have schools to train the guides, perhaps on how to keep to the Party line.

Since few travel without a guide, we couldn't find a useful map. These people all speak Chinese, and don't they look confused? When in China, not going to a major tourist attraction, either go with confusion and angst or go with a guide.

We wanted to go hiking, but there aren't any trails. Just paved walkways and stone steps.

If steps aren't your thing, you could take an elevator up one of the main mountains.

Or take a sightseeing trolley.

Or, for the right price, be carried.

We noticed that Chinese people love having their pictures taken at all of the famous scenic spots.

Especially for money by someone else.

They also love taking pictures with Caucasian strangers. This man just came up and posed next to me without asking first. Deciding to capitalize on the situation, I had someone take a photo of us on my camera, too.

And if beautiful karst mountains don't thrill you, visiting the inspiration for the Hallelujah Mountains from Avatar would, right?

Except that these are not the mountains that James Cameron based Avatar's floating mountains on. The Yellow Moutain (in Anhui Province, China) is.

But that doesn't stop Zhangjiajie from capitalizing on their apparent likeness.

What can I say folks? Culture makes us do some weird things. I'll admit this post makes me giggle a lot. But how funny am I when I'm just acting "normal"? How funny are you?