I’m back from my Shanghai tour and I am hugely disappointed in the tour itself. It was a big waste of time. We went to some nice places but the issue was the tour guide. The pamphlet promises a “smiling, English-speaking tour guide,” but our guide, named Sheila, smiled only in the way that a dragon smiles before cooking you with a puff of fiery breath. What’s more, her employer is Jin Jiang Optional Tours Center a government-owned tour company, so she was a bit of a commie true believer.
Our first destination was an active buddhist temple. Right off the bat Sheila spouted a ridiculous line about China recognizing religious freedom in its constitution. Yeah, tell that to the Tibetans or followers of Falun Gong. That’s when I began smirking and waiting for the tour to be over.
I’m meeting my colleagues for one last dinner together. Once I return I’ll post pictures from today and describe more of the sights.
(I’m sure its just coincidence that my usually excellent connection to The Google died right after I searched for a link to Falun Gong. Yep.)
I wonder what would have happened to you if you had asked about the persecution of Falun Gong and stated how the west views this horror story?
I guess that would have made a great post from you, I certainly don’t think they would have detained you for too long. Next time give a try?
We have a saying: “Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and only the pig enjoys it.” There is a time and place for every battle and picking a fight with a humorless tour guide is not it.
Also, I am not Chinese and my views add up to diddily-squat.
On the contrary the only thing the CCP fears most than Falun Gong is exposure of their crimes and what the west and the International community thinks of them. If you were chinese i can assure you would have been trundled up into a van never to be seen again But as a westerner you could have also taken your story to the media as a sign of things to come re Olympics .