Team Six:

Our second day in Beijing was just as culturally packed as the first. Students found themselves with free time to discover this beautiful city and the enriching experiences it offers. Some students became explorers, hiking to the top of a garden to overlook the Forbidden City and the Beijing that surrounds it; others became master Chinese chefs, donning aprons and taking part in some friendly cooking competition; still, others tested their negotiation skills at the infamous Silk Market, searching for the best deals and developing their “no joking price.” We had an incredible day, but what appeared a day of tourism and fun, was actually a day of good old fashioned Cal Poly “learn by doing.”

While some of us chose to sleep through our alarms, others began the trek to nearby Tiananmen Square. Not only is the square a stunning piece of history, it is also a popular tourist location. The square teemed with individuals, stretching to see Mao’s grave and snapping pictures to record they were there.

Those who chose to rest up and those who chose to go to Tiananmen met together a bit later in the hotel lobby. After everyone had gathered for a story about how the Chinese had gone to the Russians for help with preserving Chairman Mao’s body, we started our first official group outing of the day with a walk to the Forbidden City (otherwise known as the Winter Palace). On the walk, it was easier to observe the architecture of the city: built in rings, Beijing’s ancient features are interlaced with modern buildings and lifestyles, contrasting with each other and revealing the beauty of both. We saw shops bustling with renovations and business next to houses with the laundry pinned up outside of the window. At the same time, people rode their bicycles and motor scooters alongside each other outside the Party buildings. During the walk, we also learned that Beijing does not have a center—or downtown—like other cities we may recognize; rather, Beijing has tall buildings dispersed throughout the city with numerous smaller “centers” surrounding them.

As we approached the Forbidden City, we saw numerous trees and flowers, decorating the landscape with pinks, purples, and deep greens. There was also a small man-made water reservoir down the middle of the path, glistening as the sun struck its surface. While only a few visitors and vendors scattered about the outside path, the inner gates were amassed with people milling about the stone courtyard. Purveyors sold lime popsicles and drumsticks, postcards and guidebooks, chopsticks and cold water to the crowds to keep them occupied, entertained, and cool on this slightly warm day. Hot and crowded, this queue of traders and tourists was a sharp and deceitful contrast to the peaceful serenity of the outdoors.

Once we entered, our group scattered to find what interested them most. Some gathered around paintings on scrolls, others journeyed to the great halls, some snapped pictures of the towers, while others sat on a bench to observe their surroundings. The paintings on scrolls included scenes or stories from the ancient Chinese Dynasties, painted with ink onto silk or regular paper. The great halls were unfortunately only viewed from extremely crowded windows, but the windows revealed a snapshot of the time when this palace flourished. The sheer numbers of visiting people were incredible; as a sharp departure from our experiences in the temples of India, there were American and European tourists in addition to Asian visitors. For locals, the palace is a popular visit – it seemed that there were seas of people all wearing the same colored hats. In fact, one of our native Chinese students remarked that going to the Forbidden City for her is like going to an Albertson’s market in the U.S.A.

After the Forbidden City, we were confronted by peddlers from every direction asking us to buy dragon figurines, water bottles, and fake Rolexes. We were free to do as we pleased from here, so some students went back to the hotel, some checked out the nearby hill park, and some went by taxi to the famous Silk Market. The cabbies right outside of the Forbidden City seemed to identify us as tourists and wanted 180 RMB to take us to our destination, but we kept looking around to find a good deal. The taxi ended up being cheaper than the rickshaws—man-powered or motor by about 15 RMB, it also held twice as many people, and it probably got to the destination faster; although riding in a rickshaw is an experience that should done at least one time.

The Silk Market is an indoor retail venue that leases space to vendors (apparently at a very high cost). It has multiple floors, including a tailor shop on the third floor. Similar merchandise can be purchased at multiple shops within the Silk Market, and bargaining is essential. Therefore, the key is to realize that an item can be found somewhere else easily (possibly cheaper), determine where the dealer’s price points are, and then try your luck at another. Many men in our group purchased tailored-to-fit suits that were made of good quality material, all at a reasonable price. Many women were not left in the cold—they could be found bargaining for silk scarves, silver bangles, pearl necklaces, crystal earrings, and a plethora of clothing items. The copyright and trademark problems of China are rampant in the Silk Market, though they don’t seem to be enforced by anyone. There are Nike workout clothes, Dolce coats, Tommy Hilfiger dress shirts, and Abercrombie T-Shirts. The guys that bought suits joked about how one of the choices they had to make was whether they wanted an Armani or Hugo Boss label sewed onto the inside of their coat. While it may seem that shopping for knock-off souvenirs doesn’t come with a valuable business lesson, this is far from the truth: actually, we can learn a lot from these Chinese business men and women. One thing learned in negotiations class in the winter is to cultivate your Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), and to determine your counterpart’s, as well. This way you know when to walk away and you know how low your partner will go before walking away. Often, we were asked what our “no joking price” was. This was an attempt to determine our BATNA. We also practiced the art of highballing and lowballing price points. A good rule of thumb is to never buy anything unless it is less than 20% of the asking price. By starting low, you can concede and your opponent can concede, eventually ending up somewhere in the middle (though here, much closer to the bottom). It is our opinion, if one can handle the harsh merchants of the Silk Market, then many business negotiations will be a breeze.

After we finished our shopping, we came back to the hotel in taxis and shared stories about our bargaining prowess and beautiful accoutrements with our classmates. About twenty of us signed up for the China Hutong experience and needed to meet the group in the hotel lobby later that afternoon to leave for the next adventure. We piled four to a taxi and made our way. Two of the taxis got lost, so a few of our group mates had the pleasure of having an adventure before the actual Hutong adventure even began. Hutong is translated to mean “narrow alley” and refers to a grouping of alleys that host businesses and residential homes. Many Hutongs are threatened with demolition since they represent the “old China” rather than the age of modernity; in fact, the Hutong we visited is the last one protected by the government. In addition, the government is helping to fund the Hutongs’ up-keep, which may be why cameras are posted throughout—to help prevent their investment from being vandalized.

The Hutong experience began with a tea workshop where our host led us through the history of tea and its benefits while his partner served us several samples of tea: white, oolong, green, and lychee-infused green tea. It was interesting to learn that tea should only be steeped for a few seconds rather than minutes in order to evenly distribute the tea flavor and reduce the bitterness. Also, they reused the same tea leaves many times in order to extract different flavors from the leaves; it was a far cry from the Lipton Tea bags we were used to having back in the states.

Next, our hosts sent us in groups of two on a scavenger hunt. We were given a compass, and 5 RMB, and our task was to experience the village firsthand by shopping for produce and baked goods in different ‘wet’ markets, speaking with restaurant personnel and locals, and experiencing the village setup. Larger than we expected, the Hutong alleys led to more alleys which lead to gates with houses inside. When we finished our hunt, we were invited to enjoy one of our items on the list—a sweet and delicious sesame-seed bun filled with red bean paste.

Our food expedition then went on to having different members prepare different parts of our dinner. Some of the items were prepared for us to save time. The dinner menu included: salad, grilled lotus root and potatoes, three dumpling varieties, two spring roll varieties, quiche, garlic bread, barbequed meat on skewers, and of course dessert—peach crumble and apple cake topped with crushed espresso beans. Preparation was filled with laughter, fumbles, and good team work. Enjoying the meal together that we each helped prepare was a great way to end the Hutong experience with fellowship and fun.

The experience at the Hutong was about more than just enjoying good company with good friends, it was about getting familiar with the culture and practices of the area that you are operating in. It was about learning to adapt to new and unfamiliar circumstances, and still having the courage to do your best to come out on top. After the event, we all achieved a new found appreciation for the kinds of medical benefits Westerners and Easterners take from tea and exercise, and it gave us a better idea about why people here act the way they do. It was a very welcome respite from the extremely stressful (though practical and enjoyable) event at the Silk Market. There is no doubt that the students that had the opportunity to experience both events will endeavor to see them both again in the future.