I like traveling across the country, visiting places of historical interest and beautiful scenery, including famous tourist attractions. But I prefer traveling alone to joining a tour group, especially a package tour arranged by a tour agency. I enjoy the freedom of staying long at places that appeal to me and skipping those I find less interesting.
But every time I arrive at a tourist spot, a local resident will accost me with an offer of "guide services", which I usually decline. I do not like the service not because I am unwilling to spend the money but rather because I grudge spending the precious time to listen to his or her garrulous "introduction" of the place.
Last month, I was invited to an academic forum held in Anhui province. The venue naturally prompted me to hit upon an idea of visiting Mount Huangshan, the famous World Natural Heritage site in the province. But I had only one and half day's free time for the sightseeing. The gracious host arranged a package tour for the forum's participants to visit Huangshan as well as the nearby Hongcun and Xidi villages, which are also World Cultural Heritage sites known for their unique architectural styles of ancient times.
At the villages, a local guide herded us from house to house through a labyrinth of alleys, making sure nobody strayed from the group. In each building, the guide, a young woman wearing a headgear with a microphone connected to a speaker hung on her waist, gave detailed explanations about the building's history, the official titles or successful businesses that the former owners had attained and the function of each component on the premises. For every special feature, the guide narrated from a prepared text regardless of the listeners' reactions. The recitation was uttered in an even, insipid tone. What was worse, we had hardly been ushered into an inner room when another group of tourists entered the lobby and their guide's speaker blared out the same recitation on the place.
I felt we were forced to accept the verbal "introduction", which I think was a noisy nuisance rather than an aid for audiences to acquire some understanding of the local "Huizhou culture", as the buildings in the two villages claimed to represent.
In fact, I wanted to watch the details of the embossment on the wall and the woodwork on the eaves; enjoy the paintings and calligraphy works; and shoot photos of the white-walled, black-tiled buildings reflected in the pond in front of the village. There was also the vast field of oilseed rape flower in glorious yellow. But I was left with no time to do so. I felt I was really packed into the package tour. The "guide service" was not the guide accompanying us, but rather us accompanying the guide.
Why does the travel agency not allow tourists more personal time for sightseeing and save the guides from the exhausting babble? The raucous narration could well be replaced by written texts posted on some stands.
I remember the tourist sites I have visited abroad such as those in the United States, Britain, Germany and Switzerland. Most of the places had signboards erected in front of the displayed objects for visitors to read for themselves. Their travel agencies also provided tour guides but they gave only brief explanations when necessary or when asked. They were more like an understanding friend or fellow traveler rather than a guardian and lecturer as their counterparts are in China.
The difference, I think, lies in the culture. Chinese tourist guides strongly believe they are being entrusted with a group of people under their supervision. They tend to act as the protector of the tourists and imparter of knowledge about their locality's attractions. Their Western counterparts, on the other hand, regard themselves as a helper in need and respect the will and freedom of the tourists.
Chinese tourism workers need to change their concept of tourism.
上一篇: In the same league?
下一篇: Slow season
为女权发声!碧昂斯新歌呼吁关注全球女孩
调查显示 超六成受访者喜欢在压力小的城市生活
体坛英语资讯:Brazil, Russia confirm pre-World Cup friendly
2017年12月英语六级作文范文:孩子是否需要手机?
梅根辞演《金装律师》,只为履行王室义务当王妃?!
2017年12月英语四级作文范文:关于十一长假
国际英语资讯:Chinese bike-sharing company Mobike enters ROK market
麦当劳设手机寄存柜 “低头族”却表示...
体坛英语资讯:Kenyas Keitany faces time hurdle in quest for New York title
麦当劳设手机寄存柜 “低头族”却表示...
体坛英语资讯:Hungarys national football coach leaves his post
The Unsupported News 未经核实的资讯
国内英语资讯:Chinese FM meets dignitaries from Ethiopia, Cuba
浙江大学称微信阅读量10万+等同学术期刊
国际英语资讯:Brazilian parliamentary commission rejects charges against Temer
美文赏析:不要小看一个身材好的人
国际英语资讯:U.S.-backed Syrian forces capture Syrias Raqqa from Islamic State
2017年12月英语四级作文模板:团购
Being Beautiful All the Time 从小美到大
凯特王妃被曝和男性跳舞?他究竟是什么来头
迷茫的你可能需要一份英语四六级备考攻略
国际英语资讯:7 killed, 22 injured as suicide blast hits police truck in SW Pakistan
国内英语资讯:China intensifies fight against wage defaults
体坛英语资讯:FIFA president congratulates Aduana Stars for clinching Ghana premier league
Listen to English Songs 听英文歌
美国在也门炸死数十名伊斯兰国武装分子
国内英语资讯:Spotlight: From theory prediction to bold observatory, Chinese researchers help usher in new
国际英语资讯:Around 7,000 refugee children to attend school in Greece this year: ministry
国际英语资讯:Hate crimes soar in England, Wales in past year with exacerbation around Brexit referendum
体坛英语资讯:Tottenham hold Real Madrid in the Bernabeu