Postcards Home from China: Blond hair, fair skin makes for 'perfect moment'

by Kathleen McCoy  |   

Dominique Kurth

Dominique Kurth

Written by Dominique Kurth UAA accounting student

China is amazing and beautiful. The variety of cultures and lifestyles is broad, which has been demonstrated throughout our travels.

One similarity I have noticed is that many of the people are just as curious about us as we are of them. More so for those Chinese people that live in remote villages that have traveled to the larger cities to visit attractions such as Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. These people have never seen a Westerner. During our excursions to cultural historic sites, we are an attraction to these individuals as much as the historical tourist attraction we are viewing.

Our guide in Beijing, her English name is Gloria, was explaining this phenomenon to us in Tiananmen Square during our first day in China and our first guided tour. She said that some people will stare at her and members of her tour group, and even ask her if she is Chinese because she is with a group of Westerners and speaks English.

Their fascination draws them close to us, some coming right up to one of our group members to look closely at our face and in our eyes, and scan from head to toe. Just as Gloria was explaining this to our group, assuring us there is no need for concern,

Dominique Kurth in China

Dominique Kurth shares a photo with a woman in Tiananmen Square while traveling in China for a UAA economics class. (Photo courtesy of Domimique Kurth for UAA)

I was standing at the edge of our group and an elderly woman came and stood right next to me. She stared at Gloria, our group, and paid special attention to me. She looked at my blond hair and my fair skin on my face, gazed at my clothing and back again at Gloria. It was as if she was providing an example of the exact thing Gloria was telling us at that moment.

As Gloria finished up and we were starting to walk away, the woman politely grabbed my arm. She wanted to take a picture with me. It was a perfect moment. All of our group members and the woman and her family enjoyed the encounter.

I have had this experience before when I traveled to Bali many years ago, but it was quite an experience for our group because of the timing of our guide's story.

Many of us have been approached by Chinese individuals and asked to have pictures taken with them as we toured various sites. Diana, Jacob and Dan also have had this experience, although Diana and I have had the most encounters with curious Chinese people taking pictures with us.

It is a different form of flattery that we all appreciated. We are there experiencing and taking pictures of Chinese people and their activities, homes and environments. In turn, they demonstrated their appreciation and fascination of us. I will take this memory with me always as one of my favorites of this incredible trip in China.

Dominique Kurth  was one of nine students who traveled to China this summer as a part of an economics class dealing with globalization and business opportunities in China. Read more of their Postcards Home from China.

 

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