It is somewhat derogatory—kind of like the “n-word” in English, but the
intent is not quite as harsh. Rather or not it is offensive really depends on
the context. For example, if someone says “you are a laowei” that is basically
a true statement and not meant to be offensive. If someone says “I have laoweis”
or “get out of my way laowei” that is more in-line with some of the racial
slurs we are familiar with in the US.
I bring it up because as I was hiking towards Bright Top Peak—which is
the highest point on Huangshan—people would point at me and call out, “laowei.”
I felt like some sort of big foot making a rare appearance. People would stare
at my blue eyes and pale skin as I walked around. ***As John told me when I got back to Shanghai, many of the people on the
mountain are from further inland and smaller towns than Shanghai. Seeing me on
the mountain might be the first time—outside of a movie screen—that many of
them saw a white person***
The views climbing up to the peak were fascinating. Off to the right
was a huge canyon that overlooked the North Sea. Again, the name sea comes from
the fact that the mountain peaks in the distance look like waves cresting atop
the ocean of clouds.
Walking along, some of the little Sherpa dudes were walking around
listening to Chinese opera. It sounded truly beautiful, and since it was hard
to pass them and their swinging loads on the stairs, I just followed along and
enjoyed the music.
At one flat area, I saw a teenage couple walking along. They were
dressed a lot more formally than I would have dressed to climb a mountain. The
girl was wearing a white dress and the guy was in slacks and a sport coat. I
could tell they were watching me as I approached. When I got closer, I smiled
and asked in Chinese if we could take a photo together. They got very excited
and responded in English that we could. We traded off cameras and poses as the
guy took a picture of me with his girlfriend and then the girl took a picture of
me with her boyfriend.
As we were smiling, he touched my face and said, “You are very
handsome.”
In my head I thought, my face is
covered in pimples and sweat and I haven’t shaved in about two days. I’m not
sure who taught you English but I don’t think you understand the meaning of the
word ‘handsome.’
“I want you to look more like him,” the girl told her boyfriend. It
was all very flattering, kind of creepy, and really interesting.
At a little fork in the trail, after a really steep section of stairs,
a bunch of people were sitting down to rest. The one guy reached in his bag and
pulled out a long wooden pipe. It almost looked like one of those fancy pepper-grinders
that restaurants use to spice up your salad—except for the fact it had a mouth
piece and opening for drugs. He then pulled out a red tin filled with brown
powder.
He’s
smoking heroine! I realized.
That’s exactly what he was about to do, until a bunch of people start
swarming around him and scolding him. Some of the guides that were leading
groups very harshly scolded him and were threatening to radio the park rangers.
He put his stash away, while I stared, slack-jawed on the side of the trail.
The map by the fork in the road showed that one route continued to
Bright Top while the other way was a bit of longer loop that met up with the
main trail in .3kilometers, and then continued to Bright Top. It was a little
steeper but provided a better look down into the canyon, so I decided to take
the long way. It was steep, and as I grunted out each breath, I started to
whistle—in a very culturally sensitive way of course—the theme “I’ll Make a Man
Out of You” from Disney’s Mulan.
This loop met up with the main trail just below Hanging Rock, which
was the halfway point from my hotel to Bright Top. Crawling up a boulder and
inching out onto the hanging rock (which was balanced on the edge of the cliff)
the view was awesome. It was really windy and one boy was making fun of his
girlfriend for being scared of going close to the edge. A few minutes later,
they replaced by another couple in which the girl was making fun of the guy for
the same reason.
I kept climbing and kept taking pictures with people. The pointing and
giggling was so entertaining. I wasn’t sure if I felt like a celebrity or a
mythical creature, but I was definitely noticed by everyone.
When I finally reached Bright Top I have to admit, it was kind of
touristy, but it was also totally worth it! Standing at the summit, the entire
360* view was awesome! From the ocean of clouds on the North Sea, the stunning
cliffs of the canyons, the mist surrounded all the different peaks, and the
wild looking trees all made it look like a mountaintop paradise. There was a
mob around the actual marker for the top, but I climbed up there and got a few
good photos of the view.
My last stop before heading to the cable car was going to be the Fairy
Bridge. I pulled out my map and headed down the trail. I felt so unbelievably
lucky to be here, but I also knew I’d never be able to describe the beauty that
I had seen to anyone back home. But sometimes, I think that is what makes it
beautiful…the experience of actually being there and being unable to recreate
it when you leave.
As I passed a hotel and followed the signs towards the Fairy Bridge,
it started to rain. I stepped to the side of the trail and pulled my rain gear
out of my bag. I got it on before realizing I needed to put it over my back in
order to keep it dry. Pulling the jacket on, I put my pack on and then
attempted to pull the jacket down over it. I got all twisted up and tangled and
I’m sure I looked like a moron trying to contort my body into the jacket…but
what can I say: the laowei are not known for being an intelligent species.
With the jacket on and my body sufficiently water proofed, I started
down the trail to my last destination on the mountain. 
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