Day 3 evening & 4: NANJIECUN Nanjiencun was not so much about seeing things - it was about experiencing a diffeent China and because it was so
different from anyhting else I`ve seen in China before - it was WOW!
"Here there is no upstart, and no poor households, the collective is backing the villagers, Nanjie is a big family, people dream of a sense of security"It brought back my "sweet memories" of almost failing my final University exam answering the question on Socialism & Communism... cause
Nanjiecun is the place where socialism seems to be still alive and guests are invited to "view red revolutionary culture and feel the superiority complex of collectivity"! 10.pm. Chairman Mao greeting me on arrival to Nanjiecun... no people on the streets...no sign of shops or any other opened establishments...quiet...mysterious...kinda relaxing...
Am I really still in China?! 
..and when I notice that
Lenin, Stalin, Marx & Engels are also there to welcome me...I feel it`s gonna be one wild "red" experience ;)
I check into an old school hotel (right next to Mao square) ...
....where every floor has a floor attendant (in army green uniform!) and will open the room door for you, so that you never have to bother about having your own room key..and when I decide to go for a late night walk in the rain they run after me offering me an umbrella! Night walk feels kinda spooky... some random strangers on the street... no cars...no nothing! Just me on the empty streets, rain and the silence!
According to the brochure of Nanjiecun there are
848 families and 3100 people living there in 1,78 square km of land. Aside from being able to visit different areas of the village (agricultural area, cultural area, red revolutionary area, Happy Eden house area, etc.) brochure insists that
"people can also get the effect of purifying soul, subliming emotion and edifying sentiment."
Dongfang square in the morning:
...add the sound of broadcasting propaganda and you`ll get the whole picture!!!
Lenin... childhood memories...
Stalin
And on this square I had a kinda of a
"Big brother" encounter! :))) 4 guys (on the picture) with pens & notebooks were trying to talk to me (interview me)...and as their English was worse than my Chinese we tried to talk in Chinese..
We talked for some time, but let me give you the coolest bits of talk.
First is my
typical conversation in China...when I answer to the first question everyone asks here.." Where are you from?"- Where are you from?
me: Latvia!
- Aaaaaa.. (trying to make a smart face to show they know it...even if if it`s obvious they don`t)
me: Do you know where it is?
-....aaaa.... (trying to invent a smart answer...failing...)
me: it`s in Europe!
- a...a...a.... (maybe they know Europe...maybe they don`t ;)
After some chit-chat about what do I do in China and stuff like that...
the fun began:- How did you know about this place?
me: from a guide book
- Aaaa...
- Do you know Mao?
me: (ok, here we go :)....mmm... yes...I know who he is...that`s the statue of him right here!
- What do you think of Mao?
me: Excuse me...
- Was he a good person or a bad person?
me: (not wanting to offend locals I opted for a "diplomatic" answer) I have never met him in person, so I wouldn`t tell you... Do you think he was a good or bad person?
- O, very good, good good!
They obviously wanted to talk more, but I had plenty to walk around & find my breakfast canteen (as suggested in hotel), so I said good-bye and headed away...
they followed me for a while...and then I lost them :) Promising start of the day!
I wondered along perfectly clean & empty streets...public WC every 200 m...found public showers ( I remember those from childhood summers in Jurmala!)
The Gate
And then
I found the Canteen in the same building with the tourism information office!
...again childhood memories of typical soviet time canteen...
...with a typical Chinese style breakfast meal :)))
My breakfast...payed total of 4 RMB (0,40 Euors) for these 4 dishes :)1) toufu "cheburek" (quite good!)
2) dumplings (which, of course, are not really called dumplings, because to Chinese every different kind of dumpling has a different name :) I named these ones "Mao meat balls" as the sound of the name in Chinese was very close to it ;)
3
) sweet pies!!! (really delicious)
4) chicken soup (of course...how could I ...after 2 years in China....still hope to get a chicken soup that wouldn`t be sweet at this time of day!!!)
and I stayed away from these pots...;)
The making of : "Mao meat balls"
And again... green uniforms...
Not your average newspaper stand
And now WELCOME to HAPPY EDEN!!! (that`s how the residential area is called in the brochure)
Residential area... looked like Socialist theme park..not very real... :)
Not your typical Chinese shop...
Mosque! (now that was a surprise!)
Little communist ZOO - free of charge for everyone to come and see the animals...strangest mini ZOO I`ve ever seen!
And this old man couldn`t just pass by me... he looked at me several times till decided to give it a try...and when he realised I am able to speak some Chinese...
he had a plan! After talking there for a moment he invited me to visit his home and after refusing several times...
.
...there I was following him to drink tea in his apartment and confirm that there are indeed people living in those buildings I saw earlier... :) Actually he was a real cool old man :)...and apparently Muslim! (now I have to investigate the link of Islam and Socialism...)
All the land is used for a good purpose: growing lettuce, leek and other good green stuff!
Now that was one true trip back to past & escaping the real China for one day!!! And before heading back to Rizhao ....yet again I was in Zhengzhou (for transfer)....and as this was my 3rd time passing through Zhengzhou + I had to stay 1 night there...
I thought it also deserved a photo! (hope you get the idea ;)
See ya :)!!!
