By Robert T.Tuohey
Having lived in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, for some eight- and-a-half years, I think it's not unreasonable to call me a pretty fair judge of the place. In the time I've been here, I've seen everything from the size of the roads to the quality of the water improved. In fact, I can even remember when there were no convenience stores, which now dot the city. Or, to use another example, when our Internet connections were about as predictable as a baby's bottom--now it's all broadband.
Yet, despite all these developments, for the foreigner (prey to guidebooks and the Internet) or the Chinese citizen (repeating run-of-the-mill non-wisdom), the name Taiyuan conjures up just one dusty word: pollution.
Well, folks, I'm here to tell you that there's a whole lot more to Taiyuan than just smoke.
To begin with, the city is nearly ideal in terms of area-size in relation to population density: The 2.8 million people here can comfortably fit into the 7,000 square km of the city. This ratio, in combination with the economic boost of the last few years, permits the residents here to enjoy a wide range of goods and services at moderate prices, and yet not deal with the overwhelming, unmanageable aspects found in mega-cities.
True, in major cities of modern China almost anything you want can be bought-but first you've got to go through the fiasco of finding it. Now, maybe in Taiyuan that latest model MP3 that simultaneously clips your toenails and washes the dishes isn't available right this minute--but we will have it in a month or so. And not only do I know exactly where to look, but it'll only take us 20 minutes to get there.
You see I want a city that is hard to get lost in; a city that makes you feel at home. With one big thoroughfare, Yingze Dajie, moving from east to west, the train station is at the top and the old bus depot way down at the other end, you always know where you are.
Naturally, with a city this size, getting around is not much trouble. On weekends, I get downtown by walking, always taking a minute or two to pause on the Fenhe Bridge. Here people feed the fish in the river below and fly exotic looking kites. It's always worth a stop.
And public buses in Taiyuan do not resemble over-stuffed sardine cans.
Ok, let's get something to eat. As Shanxi is famous for noodle dishes, there are a great number of restaurants of this type. Though it's been eight years, I still have yet to complete the list of noodle possibilities. I'm working on it.
I must mention Taiyuan vinegar! If you haven't tasted Taiyuan vinegar, your tongue has missed something. I will state flatly, hands down, nowhere else in the world, nay, the universe, could there be better vinegar than the Taiyuan variety.
Foreign foods, of the fast or regular speed, we've got as well. Finding a McDonald's or KFC in Taiyuan is about as tough as finding eggs in a chicken coop. Downtown also has a few good coffee shops.
As mentioned, shopping in Taiyuan is quite reasonable. Supermarkets, clothing stores, and media shops are all within easy reach. The Foreign Language Bookstore, while unable to compete with the big boys in Beijing, is nonetheless quite good.
All these favorable conditions, psychologists tell us, affect people's outlook. Maybe that's why the people of Taiyuan are so friendly. The pace of this city is not breakneck, not hectic. Consequently, people tend to behave with a bit more patience and more civility.
So, yes, we do have a problem with pollution in Taiyuan (although over the last few years the severity has lessened), and no, you can't make as much money here as you would in Beijing or Shanghai (but, then again, prices are not so high here). Still, Taiyuan has something about it that has kept me here this long, and the way things are looking I'm probably going to be around for some time to come.
The author is an American lecturer living in Taiyuan
(Beijing Review December 3, 2007)
