We’ve reported about the growing numbers of Chinese tourists traveling Route 66. A few days ago, Chinese winners of a General Motors contest to travel the Mother Road drove through Kingman, Ariz.
Naturally, when you’re behind the wheel for long stretches in an unfamiliar land, you start to think about the contrasts of your homeland. Fang Cai, who maintains homes in his native Beijing and in Toronto, had this to say to the Kingman Daily Miner:
“I feel that the more I see Route 66, the more I want to know the stories behind it and how it affected America. […] We need to understand Route 66 and the culture behind it to be able to bring information back to China that will help develop it. Everything is getting better there, but it developed too fast and we created new problems because the people weren’t ready for it. What we learn here is valuable to us.”
Too bad the reporter didn’t let Fang elaborate a bit more. It’s well-documented China is experiencing growing pains because of its juiced-up economy. But the comparison to Route 66 is interesting. I don’t know whether he mused on the rapid growth in traffic on early U.S. 66 leading to the interstate that nearly killed it, or whether he observed something else. Maybe he saw something desirable in Route 66’s more-organic growth in its decertification era.
Thoughts, anyone?
(Image of a Chinese tourist on Route 66 in Amboy, Calif., by jstdadd, via Flickr)
Interesting… although I didn’t know exactly what it was I was seeing at the time, I encountered the same large group of Chinese tourists filling up their Harley-Davidson motorcycles at the new Maverick gas station here in Holbrook… a couple of days ago. It seemed odd at the time that they were all sporting Harley jackets and logos, and riding Harleys… but now I understand that they wer probably rented for the winners of the contest. I drove up to the Maverick station in my electric Gem car… which attracted quite a bit of attention from them… apparently they must not have Gem cars in Chiha. All the the participants seemed to be having a wonderful time and were quite friendly, and I hope they are learning a lot to take back home with them.
Perhaps he’s thinking of all that they are losing, without thinking about it, as they pave new over old. Like the historic sites lost to the massive Three Gorges Dam, among other issues. As new roads are built to support the ever increasing quantity of traffic, perhaps smaller, older roads are being bypassed, along with the towns they support.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17810431
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/world/asia/20gorges.html?_r=0