Zhejiang and Jiangsu Compared

I travelled to Hangzhou and Nanjing on business this week, going by train all the way. The new express trains are very nice but it can be difficult for foreigners to tell the difference between a regular slow train and the express trains when buying tickets. The express trains are called "D" trains. The regular trains are known as "T" trains. On the first leg of the trip to Hangzhou I inadvertently bought a ticket on the old, slower train. No matter which one you get on you can count on fights over seats. It seems impossible for passengers to actually sit in the seats that are assigned to them so people invariably get into arguments with those they find sitting in their assigned seats. The arguments usually consist of a few insults and then a rapid cool down as one party backs down. During one such confrontation on the train to Hangzhou I thought how such verbal insults would lead to blows in West Peavine. But verbal insults are so common in China people don't react as strongly as I would expect.

As I travel more often between Zhejiang (Hangzhou) and Jiangsu (Nanjing) Provinces I've begun to notice a difference between the neighboring provinces. The people of Jiangsu tend to be more cultured and hospitable than their neighbors to the south. Zhejiang is prosperous but the culture is more commercial and aggressive. While Hangzhou's West Lake lends the city a scenic beauty, the history of Nanjing, it's preserved city walls, ancient houses and museums make it a more interesting city. Other differences between Zhejiang and Jiangsu are revealed in statistics: Zhejiang people smoke more, spend more time on the Internet, and invest in real estate more than Jiangsu people do.