China is massive, it is a country that in many ways is just opening to the world and for a tourist, especially the more adventurous tourist this is a good and wonderful thing. China has new air routes and improved intercity rail links that are opening up the country more and more each day. But transport and technology aside, there is one thing that opens China more than anything else, and that is language.
Many people would be forgiven for believing that in China people speak Chinese but there are in fact 56 different Chinese Dialects broken down into their respective ethnic groups. According to Ethnologue there are 297 Living Chinese languages and this begins to demonstrate the vastness and diversity that make China what it is.
Mandarin Chinese is the most common language to learn and is broadly spoken on the Chinese mainland and on the mainland, once a grasp of the language is gained things really do open up. With 9.6 Million square kilometres to explore, China is vast, and getting off the beaten track, away from the pollution clogged cities, is what many adventurous tourists want to do. Urban sprawl has happened in China. Cities and industrial landscapes are as much a Chinese scene today as are the Bamboo and tea gardens one tends to imagine. Getting around the country, especially for those who cherish their independence, is challenging and thus language is important.
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The growing airline network plays into the hands of tourists, and the number of domestic airlines in China has increased rapidly in the last few years as the country begins to expand its tourism reach. For Boeing, China has become big business. But again, travelling throughout China through the growing number of domestic airports is not easy without Chinese being spoken. Although there are a growing number of locals who speak a second language, most likely English, there is no guarantee that getting directions in your native language will be possible. China has opened up but it is still a challenge to find your around, especially in smaller towns.
Exploring the heritage of China, going beyond the Great Wall and Terracotta army is what many travellers want. The world has become smaller thanks to improved transport but still finding the unique parts, your own little piece of China if you like, is what travellers yearn for and being able to converse with the locals in their language creates this opportunity. Parking off in a small side street café with a cup of tea and chatting with locals gives a whole new perspective on China and its people, and by talking to locals, China expands as places to see and explore are unearthed through casual conversation.
China will get under your skin, the culture is diverse, the people have a unique take on life and the world beyond the Yellow River. This experience can only be truly appreciated and understood through language. A word or two helps but being able to converse makes things vastly better and friendships will be formed when in the past it was perhaps someone you saw in the distance or on a bicycle. If you want to explore China in its fullest, gain an understanding of the language and you will possess the keys to doors that few will dare to open.
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