The Face Of China

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About

The Top Tout in Town

John, the top tout in Beijing’s tourist entertainment district

Tout (n.)

Someone who publicly solicits customers in a bold way.

“Hello, want beer?” “Hi, this great bar! Come inside!” “Good drink here!”

The calls grow louder and more intrusive as you progress down Beijing’s Sanlitun Bar Street, a cornucopia of gaudy facades, neon lights and larger than life beer advertisements. This stretch of Sanlitun is home to a number of bars that depend on touts to feed their thirst for customers, most of whom are tourists. The touts work the sidewalk like carnival barkers, each having only a few seconds to pull passing customers inside before they pass onto the next bar’s turf.

John is a longtime Beijing bar tout in his 30s that we recently interviewed. Contrary to many others in his line of work, John is not obnoxious. He comes off as amiable and genuine. Also unusual is his command of the English language, which is unheard of among touts in this country. He was happy to shed some light on his profession and discuss why some bars have touts and others don’t.

So, you speak English?

Yes.

Interesting. I’ve never met someone working outside a bar in China who can actually speak English.

In some bars, if you can speak English, it’s easy to get a job.

When did you begin working at this bar?

About 7 years ago.

How did you find this job? How did you enter the touting profession?

A friend of mine was working at a bar like this and he introduced me to the management.

Did you speak English at that time?

I did, but not very well.

Where did you learn the English that you now use on the job?

I started learning when I was 14. Now I practice with foreigners who are walking down the bar street. I’ll say “Hey, I have some English questions to ask you”. I have some foreign friends and I read English newspapers. I also take classes at New Oriental (the largest private language services provider in China).

Did you receive any training as a tout?

No, we just start work and then practice calling out to customers.

Have you trained any other touts?

No, my bar hasn’t hired any new touts in 7 years.

What about female touts? Why are there no female touts?

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Let’s Dance

Beijing street dancers Lang Xin Long (left) and Liu Hong Wei (right)

中文

Liu Hong Wei and Lang Xin Long are two young, aspiring dancers who have moved to Beijing with dreams of stardom. On weekend evenings, they can be often be spotted dancing at a busy intersection in the heart of the city’s entertainment district. You can see videos of them performing here:





httpv://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjE4NTg1MTc2.html

httpv://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjE4NTg4MTA4.html

Lang Xin Long practices Michael Jackson-style moves, while Liu Hong Wei prefers Korean-style breakdancing. They are best friends, their relationship forged out of unity of purpose and plight. Their struggles are many and their goal is singular. Their stories are as follows:

Lang Xin Long (age 22):

Can you tell me about your early life? Where did you grow up?

I grew up on a wheat farm in Gansu (a remote province in northwest China). As a child, I helped out on the farm.

What schooling did you receive?

I attended primary school and junior high school. I dropped out when I was fourteen.

What happened after that point?

I ran away from home from home at age fourteen, due to suffering beatings at the hands of my father. I wanted to get as far away from home as possible, so I snuck onto a train bound for Urumqi in Xinjiang (the westernmost province in China). I haven’t been back since.

What did you have with you when you ran away?

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