If Dongzhimen intersection is a maze, Xie Liang is the
gatekeeper.
The self-appointed road guide has been helping Chinese and
foreigners navigate their way out of the inner-city labyrinth for
over five years, at an average rate of two 'customers' per
minute.
The 77-year-old, who describes his sore throat as an
occupational hazard, has a new mandate now that more foreigners are
flooding the city.
"The most urgent task I have right now is continuing to brush up
on my English," he said.
Caught up in the tidal wave of enthusiasm that is building ahead
of the Beijing Olympic Games, Xie is aiming for official
recognition by the time they get under way.
"If my health allows, I would very much like to be an Olympic
volunteer in 2008."
Every day between 8:30 AM?and 6:30 PM, Xie can be seen at
the entrance of Dongzhimen bus station in downtown Beijing.
Dongzhimen intersection has 50 bus lines, two subway lines and
crisscrossing flyovers, making it easy to get lost in.
It is also an important transportation hub. Many of the 100,000
passengers who pass through require some help untangling themselves
from this urban web.
"If you get lost or need directions, please ask me, the
volunteer," reads the English text on Xie's signboard. The message
is written in English and Chinese.
While his services have occasionally seen Xie run afoul of
profiteering road guides angered by the encroachment onto their
territory, he said he has managed to win them over.
Xie, untrained and fueled purely by his enthusiasm for the job,
carries a surprising air of authority and professionalism.
He even clocks the times between various destinations in order
to provide more accurate travel advice.
(China Daily March 9, 2007)