Russians in China
cctv.com 09-01-2005 15:44
Hulunbeier is the main city in Hailaer district in Inner Mongolia, but to be honest there isn't a great deal to see. Apart from a large river running through the city, and the millions of mosquitoes when I was there, all they seem to specialize in are massage parlors and saunas. The main language here is still Mandarin, but the minority people here speak Mongolian and road signs are written in both languages. Due to the close border with Russia, there is a Russian presence here too, with some shop signs written in Russian and a shopping centre all selling Russian goods. None of us were sure as to whether or not the things were real, but we liked them so ended up buying Russian chocolate, dolls, binoculars (to spy on the neighbours!), tea and coffee, fur hats and scarves and a Mongolian knife thrown in for good measure
We left Hulunbeier and went first to Eerguna and then were driven for five hours on the bumpiest road I have ever been on in my life to Shiwei arriving at 9.30pm. It was pitch black with cows roaming around all over the place. We found a guest house to stay in with an outdoor toilet and washing facilities (a big barrel of fresh water with a plastic saucepan to wash out of!) and then went to our hard beds! The next morning we were up bright and early at 5am, (the sun rose at 2am), to get on with our busy schedule. So I interviewed Russian-Chinese people about their life there in Shiwei and we watched them making Russian bread (lieba) and I had a dance with a Russian lady and it was fun! It was very very humid though and the mosquitoes were just attacking our poor cameraman. Maybe they don't like English blood!
The Russian minority people in Shiwei live in houses called Mukelan. They are made out of wood and from the outside they don鈥檛 look like much, but then you go in and there are marble floors, hi-tech equipment and everything you could possibly need. It was only when I interviewed some of them that I realized that these houses weren't where THEY lived...they lived in the decrepit one next door. That one was for travellers, and they could get a bit of money out of them! At the moment they don't receive many people there as like I already told you, it takes 7 hours from the main city of Hulunbeier by car on an awful road, and only a few Russians come over from Russia. But give it a year or so, and the road will be made and the prices will shoot up, and it'll be just like any other Russian Chinese border, which is a shame really.
I'm VERY pleased that I went there鈥on't get me wrong. It was certainly an experience, and the people there were lovely. I met a very old woman...well she was 70, but looked about 90 and she was the oldest Russian Chinese living in the village. She doesn't normally do interviews, but she was so taken aback with my beauty (apparently!) and the fact that I looked Russian (really?) that she started talking to me whilst we filmed her! I took a picture with her afterwards which I shall always treasure.
On the way back from Shiwei to Eerguna and then onto Hulunbeier, the grasslands were amazing! I've never seen so much grass in my life! Or cows or sheep come to think of that! It was really a great trip, maybe my best yet!
Editor:Hu Hang Source:CCTV.com
