Imagine yourself to be a western journalist and you have to write something that involves understanding censorship in China. Mission impossible, it seems.

The news fact in a news article in a Dutch main stream news paper is the fact that "China silences media reports about train crash investigation". The article, based in information leaked to the China Digital Times website, clearly suggests that it is forbidden for journalists to follow any other information in this matter other than the official info.

This all sounds very North Korean, but as the article mentions, the imposed censorship does not seem to work, as some media do still report on the issue. For example the English languaged Global Times. What the article does not mention is that, at least if I am correct, the Global Times is state controlled. And in that case censorship might be a bit more subtle than the news article reads.

Also, the article says that bloggers still cover the issue, and that the internet if full of rumors about an aledged cover up about the train crash. There are supposed to be pictures on the internet in which workers are burrying car wrecks. Now, if you look at the picture of the accident scene (left, same picture as in the article), it is crystal clear that there is now way a car can be involved in the train crash. High speed trains generally run on elevated tracks (bridges if you will), cars don't just fly up to them. Perhaps the AFP journalist that wrote this article does not know China very well?

Just a tool

The problem is: the western reception of censorship is totally different than the Chinese reception of the word.

In the western world, censorship is something bad. It is repressive, and used by evil forces that don't want the truth to come out. Censorship is a threat to one of the western mind's most loved human right: freedom of information or freedom of press.

In China, censorship is a tool that governments and journalists can use to prevent choas and madness in society. It can prevent possibly dangerous rumors from spreading, rumors that can harm society and the people. Free press means that one can publish anything, no matter if it's true or not. In this respect, censorship is good.

This difference in perception is totally ignored in western news articles about Chinese censorship. Apparently, the world's leading press agencies see their interpretation as universal, as the only truth. Even though Chinese authorities and media act on the other perception of censorship.

It makes me wonder what is more important to western press: trying to understand and publish stuff like it really is, looking at them from different possible angles, or just playing to the so called universal truth according to western minds?

The war in Libya once again puts West and East in opposite camps. The war is not only fought in Libya: there is a battle going on in public opinion as well. Western media report on how allied forces are now fighting for the good cause, Chinese media on the other hand are doing their best to stress their governmentx92s opposition to this western x91blood thirstx92, and how the western decision to pick up the arms and go to war, is wrong.

The well known western based blog Ministry of Tofu picked up reports from Chinese netizens that, in the Ministry of Tofux92s paraphrased words: x93China Central Television has been skewing the public opinion with their slanted report and even lies:x94

"It is said that on Thursdayx92s CCTV Channel 4, though the camera captured Libyan people in the city of Benghazi cheering the coalition forces by holding a banner that reads x93Vive le Francex94. (Long live France) However, the broadcasterx92s Chinese voice-over said, this is Libyan outcry against coalition forcesx92 bombing of the city.x94

Distorted reports

This reminds me of a passage I wrote in my bachelor paper about two years ago. In this paper, I investigated Chinese critique towards the way in which western media covered the 2008 riots in Tibet. In many cases, the Chinese criticasters had a point, to express it mildly.

In my paper, in one of the examples I focused on, a criticaster claimed that Oakland Tribune and the Westdeutsche Zeitung (Germany) published a picture on their websites that showed policemen carrying around x96 not wearing x96 monkx92s outfits. The papers wrote that this picture showed Chinese policemen impersonating Tibetan monks. According to the criticaster, this could not have been true because the policemen were wearing old uniforms that had been replaced by new models years ago.

Is this an example of skewing and lying by western media? I am not sure. For Chinese criticasters it may be tempting to interpret it that way, but as a westerner I can imagine that the average (illustration) editor or journalist simply does not know what an actual Chinese police uniform exactly looks like, and that it is tempting to jump to the wrong conclusion. It may be just ignorance. An ignorance that causes distorted reports, thatx92s for sure, but not created on purpose.

Understanding French

Now back to the Libya report broadcast by CCTV. x93Skewingx94 and x93lyingx94 do implicate that CCTV reported in this way on purpose, not by accident. This means that the author of the article, as well as the critical Chinese netizens, assume that the reporters or editors who put together the news item, have looked carefully at their captions and understand French. This assumption, however, should not be taken for granted. In China, where people who speak and understand French are still quite few, it is doubtful that the ones who put together the news item in fact do understand enough French to notice that this was in fact a pro allied forces protest, and not a pro Khadaffi protest.

Just as ignorance may very well have played a big part in the distortion in the Oakland Tribune or the Westdeutsche Zeitung, the CCTV-case may have sprung from an overdose of ignorance as well.

But if CCTV was or was not indeed x93skewing and lyingx94 is in fact not my point. What struck me most while reading the Ministry of Tofux92s article, was how easy it seems to be to fall back in handling double standards. When western media distort the x91truthx92, it seems easy to find excuses or even deny the distortion at all (and choose to believe that anything western media say, is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth). The assumption is clear: western media – nor their sources! – would never deliberately distort the 'truth'. When Chinese media distort the x91truthx92, however, we are immediately prepared to believe the distortion was done on purpose, and thus to regard this as some sort of propaganda. 

Donx92t get me wrong. There may be propagandistic policies involved. But Chinese are people too, so they also simply make mistakes. Misinterpreting French could be one of them. (And I wonder if the misinterpretation by at least two major western newspapers of the picture of Chinese policemen carrying around monks clothes was ever rectified.)

When I came to China last year, the idea of setting up a Chinglish photoalbum on my Facebook page was very tempting. Except for one or two that were just too brilliantly funny, I managed to resist the temptation. Ix92m glad I did: I have mixed feelings about the whole Chinglish thing.

It seems so unfair: youx92re Chinese, you study your ass off to get a decent level of that language from the other side of the world that is so completely different from your own, and in the end all you get from foreigners is laughed at, instead of a fair portion of respect. I have been studying Chinese for over four years now, and I still make many mistakes. Some of them are just as brilliantly funny as some Chinglish is. But I never, ever got laughed at by a native speaker. Not even once. The amount of x93Oh your Chinese is so good!x94x92s x96 uttered out of politeless or not x96 are countless.

x93Hi, my name is Megatronx94

I stumbled across a post on Tomx92s China blog (great blog, by the way!) the other day, about the English names Tomx92s students have granted themselves. The names Salt, Lady Gaga, Snoopy and even The Transformersx92 Megatron (picture) are not unheard of. I couldnx92t help myself: I laughed.

But on the other hand: what is actually so funny about this kind of names? Americans call their friends and loved ones Sweety all the time, so what can be wrong with Salt? Many people nowadays name their daughters Beyonce, so what is wrong with Lady Gaga? If Mickey and Donald are okay, and if Tom and Jerry are okay, then why not is Snoopy?

You may laugh at this, but bear with me and think about it. Why are girls named Rose and Jasmine, but not Sunflower or Daffodil? Why can a girl be Summer, but not Autumn? April or May, but not October or January? If Jade or Jaden are okay, then why canx92t you be a Marble? Why are there girls named Charity, while Brave is considered Chinglish? For someone who has not (enough) grown up with English names around him or her, there is no way to know what name is appropriate and what name will get laughed at.

In fact, there is not a big surprise in the way Chinese sometimes choose their English names. Chinese people may just very well be named x93Red Ironx94 or x93Beautiful and Cutex94 or x93Leisurely and Self-Confidentx94 x96 only not in English, but in Chinese. No wonder Chinese try to catch these senses into one single English 'name'. Red Iron may transform into Megatron, Beautiful and Cute may think of the name Snoopy, and the silent but couragious girl in Tom's post, who may be named Leisurely and Self-Confident, may call herself Brave.

"Hi, my name is Golden Panda"

So if I continue on this train of thought, I wonder about foreignerx92s Chinese names. I think they end up making the same mistakes, only the other way around. I was first Chinese surnamed ?, but changed it when I came to Beijing and the people at my language school told me they were expecting a girl, for the radical in? means x93jadex94 and is not or hardly used for boys. (I opted for the less elegant ? instead.) Another example: one of my classmates called himself ???; his Chinese girlfriend must have found her blonde foreigner very cute and cuddly and named him that (itx92s like Golden Giant Panda (only the Panda is written in reverse). When he found out the more mature Chinese tended to roll their eyes upon hearing his name, he changed it to something more regular (and not related to pandas).

So, to make this story short: please do not laugh at Chinese for their Chinglish. English is a hard to learn, illogical and very inconsequent language. Any foreigner whose native tongue is completely different and who makes an effort to learn English, deserves respect.

Now, if you will excuse me: I promised to QQ my friend Pluto.

When I came to China last year, the idea of setting up a Chinglish photoalbum on my Facebook page was very tempting. Except for one or two that were just too brilliantly funny, I managed to resist the temptation. Ixe2x80x99m glad I did: I have mixed feelings about the whole Chinglish thing.

It seems so unfair: youxe2x80x99re Chinese, you study your ass off to get a decent level of that language from the other side of the world that is so completely different from your own, and in the end all you get from foreigners is laughed at, instead of a fair portion of respect. I have been studying Chinese for over four years now, and I still make many mistakes. Some of them are just as brilliantly funny as some Chinglish is. But I never, ever got laughed at by a native speaker. Not even once. The amount of xe2x80x9cOh your Chinese is so good!xe2x80x9dxe2x80x99s xe2x80x93 uttered out of politeless or not xe2x80x93 are countless.

xe2x80x9cHi, my name is Megatronxe2x80x9d

I stumbled across a post on Tomxe2x80x99s China blog (great blog, by the way!) the other day, about the English names Tomxe2x80x99s students have granted themselves. The names Salt, Lady Gaga, Snoopy and even The Transformersxe2x80x99 Megatron (picture) are not unheard of. I couldnxe2x80x99t help myself: I laughed.

But on the other hand: what is actually so funny about this kind of names? Americans call their friends and loved ones Sweety all the time, so what can be wrong with Salt? Many people nowadays name their daughters Beyonce, so what is wrong with Lady Gaga? If Mickey and Donald are okay, and if Tom and Jerry are okay, then why not is Snoopy?

You may laugh at this, but bear with me and think about it. Why are girls named Rose and Jasmine, but not Sunflower or Daffodil? Why can a girl be Summer, but not Autumn? April or May, but not October or January? If Jade or Jaden are okay, then why canxe2x80x99t you be a Marble? Why are there girls named Charity, while Brave is considered Chinglish? For someone who has not (enough) grown up with English names around him or her, there is no way to know what name is appropriate and what name will get laughed at.

In fact, there is not a big surprise in the way Chinese sometimes choose their English names. Chinese people may just very well be named xe2x80x9cRed Ironxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cBeautiful and Cutexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cLeisurely and Self-Confidentxe2x80x9d xe2x80x93 only not in English, but in Chinese. No wonder Chinese try to catch these senses into one single English 'name'. Red Iron may transform into Megatron, Beautiful and Cute may think of the name Snoopy, and the silent but couragious girl in Tom's post, who may be named Leisurely and Self-Confident, may call herself Brave.

"Hi, my name is Golden Panda"

So if I continue on this train of thought, I wonder about foreignerxe2x80x99s Chinese names. I think they end up making the same mistakes, only the other way around. I was first Chinese surnamed xe7x8ex9b, but changed it when I came to Beijing and the people at my language school told me they were expecting a girl, for the radical inxe7x8ex9b means xe2x80x9cjadexe2x80x9d and is not or hardly used for boys. (I opted for the less elegant xe9xa9xac instead.) Another example: one of my classmates called himself xe9x87x91xe7x8cxabxe7x86x8a; his Chinese girlfriend must have found her blonde foreigner very cute and cuddly and named him that (itxe2x80x99s like Golden Giant Panda (only the Panda is written in reverse). When he found out the more mature Chinese tended to roll their eyes upon hearing his name, he changed it to something more regular (and not related to pandas).

So, to make this story short: please do not laugh at Chinese for their Chinglish. English is a hard to learn, illogical and very inconsequent language. Any foreigner whose native tongue is completely different and who makes an effort to learn English, deserves respect.

Now, if you will excuse me: I promised to QQ my friend Pluto.

Besides eating both Chinese and western food at considerable prices, strolling along endless series of souvenir shops and partying in clubs and bars, Yangshuo is a perfect base for bike (day) tours. We rode to the Dragon bridge and back.

Hiring bikes is easy in Yangshuo, as lots of places put bicycles out for rent. We rented a pair of 21 gear bikes for a mere 10 RMB (1,20 euro) per bike, at the Yangshuo Backstreet hostel.

To get to the Dragon bridge, we took the main road. Annoying, yes, but it kept us from having to return the same way back as we came. If you have more time you can avoid the main road, by taking smaller roads along the Dragon river, and returning along the other side of the river. In our case, this was not possible.

Dragon bridge itself was actually not that gelivable (impressing). Itx92s not big, and tourism has spoiled the sensation of being in a x91real Chinese placex92 for the most part. We were harassed by some locals desperately trying to put us on one of their many bamboo boats, as well as by a guided tour that in fact did get on some bamboo boats. However, scenery is beautiful here.

To return to Yangshuo, we followed small roads and narrow paths along rice fields. Locals here we very friendly to us, and pointed us in the right direction x96 sometimes even without our asking x96 without the urge to squeeze some money out of us walking (cycling) money trees. (Yes, I know: in a sense we actually really are walking money trees, and yes I know: if positions were reversed, we would do the same.) This bike ride was totally great.

Upon entering Yangshuo, we parked our bikes and entered a local restaurant. This way we found out where the cheap (and charming) Chinese restaurants are in Yangshuo x96 on biking distance from the center of town. When parking our bikes, my girlfriend almost got pick-pocketed for the first time in China (by now, we both had been in China for about a full year). A Chinese guy positioned himself behind my girlfriendx92s back, and continued by carefully aiming for her pocket containing her camera. I saw this just in time to slap the guyx92s hand. Claiming to just want to fribble with one of the end of the break wires (yeah right!), he walked off. I canx92t help but wonder if pick-pocketing is somehow connected with to the huge rise in the amount of rich tourists Yangshuo undoubtedly has seen in the past few decades.

Besides eating both Chinese and western food at considerable prices, strolling along endless series of souvenir shops and partying in clubs and bars, Yangshuo is a perfect base for bike (day) tours. We rode to the Dragon bridge and back.

Hiring bikes is easy in Yangshuo, as lots of places put bicycles out for rent. We rented a pair of 21 gear bikes for a mere 10 RMB (1,20 euro) per bike, at the Yangshuo Backstreet hostel.

To get to the Dragon bridge, we took the main road. Annoying, yes, but it kept us from having to return the same way back as we came. If you have more time you can avoid the main road, by taking smaller roads along the Dragon river, and returning along the other side of the river. In our case, this was not possible.

Dragon bridge itself was actually not that gelivable (impressing). Itx92s not big, and tourism has spoiled the sensation of being in a x91real Chinese placex92 for the most part. We were harassed by some locals desperately trying to put us on one of their many bamboo boats, as well as by a guided tour that in fact did get on some bamboo boats. However, scenery is beautiful here.

To return to Yangshuo, we followed small roads and narrow paths along rice fields. Locals here we very friendly to us, and pointed us in the right direction x96 sometimes even without our asking x96 without the urge to squeeze some money out of us walking (cycling) money trees. (Yes, I know: in a sense we actually really are walking money trees, and yes I know: if positions were reversed, we would do the same.) This bike ride was totally great.

Upon entering Yangshuo, we parked our bikes and entered a local restaurant. This way we found out where the cheap (and charming) Chinese restaurants are in Yangshuo x96 on biking distance from the center of town. When parking our bikes, my girlfriend almost got pick-pocketed for the first time in China (by now, we both had been in China for about a full year). A Chinese guy positioned himself behind my girlfriendx92s back, and continued by carefully aiming for her pocket containing her camera. I saw this just in time to slap the guyx92s hand. Claiming to just want to fribble with one of the end of the break wires (yeah right!), he walked off. I canx92t help but wonder if pick-pocketing is somehow connected with to the huge rise in the amount of rich tourists Yangshuo undoubtedly has seen in the past few decades.

The boat trip from Guilin to Yangshuo is very popular among tourists and there are various ways to do this cruise: Chinese style with Chinese tourists and Chinese food on board or Western style? To or from? The whole trip or in part? Stay in Yangshuo or take the bus back to Guilin?

We choose the option of cruising all the way from Guilin to Yangshuo, on a boat with only Chinese tourists and a Chinese speaking staff and guide, and with Chinese food. We booked it through our hostel (Backstreet Youth Hostel) for 245 RMB (about 28 euros) per person, more than 100 RMB cheaper than the Western version of the tour. We ignored the hostelx92s warnings about x93bad foodx94 and less than comfortable boats on the Chinese style cruise.

We were picked up in the morning and taken to the boat. Even in low season there were about four boats for the same cruise, all filled up. The boats were not at all so discomfy, but as to the food: the stuff that is included in the package is very basic x96 if you want a real meal youx92ll have to order it on the boat and pay for it in cash. The boats have a top deck that allows you to fully admire the river, the countless karst peaks along the borders, and life on and around the river (although I sometimes had the feeling tourism turns local people into not much more than animals in a zoo x96 rich tourists taking photos of poor people just doing their daily laundry while perhaps realizing that this will never be the other way around).

The boat trip lasts about four hours and is still more than worth wile. The scenery is absolutely astonishingly beautiful and unique. In spite of the zoo-ishness and the street sellers that will harass you upon arrival in Yangshuo, this cruise is extremely recommendable.

Details:

• Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo.
• 245 RMB (about 28 euros) per person.
• About 4 hours.
• Included: comfy seat inside, very basic Chinese food, Chinese speaking guide, and Chinese tourists occasionally shouting x93hello!x94 in your face and chuckling x93waiguorenx94 under their breaths.
• We booked the cruise in our hostel, and got picked up there in the morning.
• We took hundreds of pictures during the boat ride alone. (Yes, itx92s that beautiful.) 

Our travel guide book advices anybody who doesnx92t have much time in Guilin to visit the Qixing Gongyuan (7 star park). The book was right: the park has a bit of everything that is worth seeing in Guilin. Only smaller.

Instead of going to the Reed Flute Cave, you can visit a similar cave inside the park (the cave requires an additional entrance fee though), but this cave is not as spectacular as the real thing.

As an equivalent for any karst peak in or around Guilin, Qixing park offers you its own peak that resembles a camel. Whoever likes hiking, can stroll along the 137 hectares of the park, including a hill/small mountain. Nature lovers can enjoy the (I suspect man-made) little waterfall x96 expect to be bugged about fees for taking photos here.

For those who just want to have fun, there is x96 like in every self respecting park in China x96 also a fancy fair with merry go rounds, small rollercoasters, bumping cars and a haunted house. (However they require extra payment.)

Guilin (as well as its surroundings) is dotted with karst peaks. They seem to just randomly rise up from among the houses and roads, like giant, rocky fingers out of a pool. The scenery is quite unique (especially for someone like me whox92s from a totally mountainless country).

Itx92s possible to climb some karst peaks, but itx92s a good idea to be picky about which to climb and which to ignore. Views from the peaks are equally great, but admittance fees vary greatly. The Solitary Beauty Peak for example, according to our May 2005 Lonely Planet accessible for a mere 15 RMB, turned out to require 88 RMB (11 euro) to climb. Granted: price is including a visit to the Wang Cheng palace, but ask yourself this question: did you come to Guilin for a palace or to see some unique karst peaks? If the answer is the latter, then you might as well climb the Fubo Shan, which costs only 30 RMB (4 euros; used to be 15 RMB as well).

Climbing a karst peak basically means climbing a lot of stone, man-made stairs x96 a feature a lot less unique in China than the karst peaks themselves.

Perhaps the most extraordinary stuff Guilin has to offer is the Reed Flute Cave. Itxe2x80x99s a set of caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites, bathing in flashy green, red and blue lights. I know this sounds quite camp, but the unnaturalness does in fact not at all spoil the experience.

The caves are reachable by bus, but take my advice and cycle there instead. We hired our bikes at our Backstreet Youth hostel. The bikes were not state of the art but still okay for the laid back ride to the caves. And very cheap: 20 RMB per bike, no deposit. (The Lonely Planet warned us about excessive deposit sums and even shops that demand that you hand in your passport.)

Once we found the ticket office and paid the rather high entrance fee (90 RMB), we got in. We were added to one guidexe2x80x99s group. Itxe2x80x99s advisable to tag along with a guide who can point out that the one rock looks like an elephant, another like a bunch of grapes or a melon, and yet another one like Buddha xe2x80x93 without a guide, the shape stalactites tends to be open to interpretation. But a guide is only useful if you understand (some) Chinese. The guides speak very clear Putonghua by the way.

The biggest open space inside the caves is the setting of a music and light show xe2x80x93 nice ambiance.

When we were there, a new cave had just been opened and we were required to pay an extra 5 RMB per person. In this cave we saw turtles, some small, some big, some made of stone and covered with money.

Details:

• Bike rental: 20 RMB per day, no deposit, at the Backstreet Youth Hostel.
• Entrance Reed Flute Cave is 90 RMB (some 11 euros)