The Southwest Voice

Forty miles to the north of Beijing is the China Aviation Museum. 

Originally called the Air Force Aviation Museum, it has been renamed for visitors –– we were expressly told not to call it by its former name.

There is now an aviation training school for cadets at the location and a large airfield as well.

Built into the hillside of Xiao Tang Hill, the enormous curved Quonset hut which houses the museum and extends about one half mile in length.

There is a virtual timeline of Chinese aviation history within the structure. A reproduction of the first Chinese-built aircraft fills the first room.

Feng Ru is credited with being China’s first airplane designer and aviator.  His original designed bi-plane first launched in Oakland, Calif. on Sept. 21, 1909 –– less than six years after the Wright Brothers’ famous flight –– and surpassed the Wrights’ distance records. 

Ru made two planes in the United States and returned with them to China. He died in a plane crash during an exhibition in Guangzhou City in 1912.

Many of the museum’s planes are Soviet, including the MIG-15, MIG-17 and Tupolev TU-4. There are some aircrafts from WWII, including a P-40 Tomahawk used by the Flying Tigers (see The China Chronicles: Part 1 for more information.) There are also planes from the Korean War and a Tiwanese U2 which was part of the “Black Cat Squadron.”

After wandering within the dark building for more than an hour we exited to see numerous planes lined up outside. The most notable of them was Chairman Mao’s personal aircraft –– our equivalent of Air Force One. Of course, Mao was behind the Cultural Revolution with its anti-luxury doctrine, so the interior is unremarkable.

For true aviation buffs there is much to see, and one of our group even returned the next day when we were free to do as we wished, forgoing the shopping spree that the rest of us had been anticipating.

Because we were limited to having only one large bag for our entire trip through China due to intra-continental travel restrictions, we had to limit purchases to that which could fit inside our suitcases. So although it was sad that our vacation was coming to an end, we were excited to finally hit the stores to do some serious shopping.

Without the assistance of our national guide for the day, we had to handle taxis, meals and the haggling over prices on our own. Our travel agent and city guides gave us ideas about where to head for various purchases depending on what specifically we wished to buy.

My writing the names of the markets on a piece of paper in English and then the national guide placing their Chinese equivalents next to them proved to be very useful. Pointing to our piece of paper, we were able to communicate our destination. All the drivers understood when we asked them how much and a calculator to indicate the price in U. S. dollars (the currency of choice in Beijing) made negotiations easy.

Forget about using maps in China unless you speak the language. The streets are not marked and the labels on the map are far too confusing. The most important part of setting out on your own is making sure you can get back at the end of the day. We found a business card from the hotel where we stayed to be helpful.  If all other communication fails, handing the taxi cab driver a card works.

Besides the trinkets of cloisonné, China is a good place to purchase items made of silk, jade and pearl. There are some great deals to be made, but shoppers need to beware.

The government-owned factories sell these items for a fair price and guarantee their wares to be authentic. For more expensive purchases such as silk rugs or jade objets d’art, unless one is a very savvy consumer, I recommend only buying them at the government-owned stores.

Shipping on larger items can be arranged, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless it is from a government store. Some fellow travelers said their purchases on previous visits never arrived. Having used a credit card, they did have to pay for the items, but it was disappointing not to receive a cherished purchase.

But not all of the factories were reasonable. We went to the pearl factory and were sadly disappointed in the prices and quality. I was fairly confident in my ability to pick out decent pearls, so when we were on the cruise ship, I bought a lovely strand of lavender pearls which were so unique that I couldn’t resist. It turns out that it was a wise decision since we never saw any pearls like them during the rest of the trip.

Besides authentic crafts, there are deals on everything you can imagine.  China is the land of the “knock-offs.” Guicci bags? No problem. Rolex watches? They are everywhere and for as low as $1 a piece. (One person with whom we traveled bought 20 of them.) Checking for workmanship and “kicking the tires,” as it were, is a good idea as looks can be deceiving.

We bought a small silk rug and needed to get an extra suitcase to carry it.  No problem, cheap suitcases can be bought for as low as $10. However, we do not own a suitcase from China any longer. Why? Because it slowly fell apart.

First, the axel for the wheels bent. Then a handle broke. The next thing to go was the retractable handle, followed by the wheels falling off. By the time we got home, the only way to carry the bag was to give it a bear hug.  Oh well, at least the zipper held!

One of my favorite places to go was Hong Qiao Market, a seven-story shopping center with hundreds of different booths carrying everything from clothing and shoes, to luggage and jewelry, cameras and electronics to handcrafted items. A person could easily spend all day just there.

 
Another favorite shopping destination was Ru Pei Pei’s in the Pearl Market, a jewelry store specializing in pearls. The prices and the quality were so good that I purchased quite a few presents for family members there. Hundreds of strands of pearls hang on the walls and shoppers are invited to look them over to make a selection.

There is a work area in the front of the store with six girls who do customizing while you wait. Matching earrings, special claps and special length necklaces are not a problem. Besides the traditional white pearls, they also have pink, black and Tahitian pearls. They even have some costume jewelry at unbeatable prices.   

The most important thing to remember about shopping in China is being prepared to walk away! Make a very low offer and let the clerk counter with a reduced amount. Then offer a little more. The clerk will come back with a little story of how much work it takes to make the item, or the detail in the work or the rareness of the item, but stand firm. Expect to pay about one half of what the initial price is, unless you are a truly gifted haggler.

E-mail Margie at: custer@ix.netcom.com

Look for more of “The China Chronicles” in following issues of The Voice.  Margie Custer is a Southwest resident and writer.