Iran for 8 days, follow in the footsteps of the Persian Empire and unveil the mystery of Iran!
After returning from Iran, many people are asking, will Iranians discriminate against Chinese tourists? Are Chinese safe in Iran?
Then in my second issue of Iran, I will talk to you about how ordinary Iranians view us Chinese!
During the epidemic period, a famous travel blogger was deliberately told by Iranians in a commissary when he traveled to Iran: Wuhan virus ...... At that time, there was a lot of trouble on social media platforms.
After I posted that I was going to Iran, some fans reminded: "Be careful, xx is discriminated against in Iran!"
Another friend said: "Remember that you can't give a thumbs up in Iran, this gesture is a provocation in Iran." ”
It's the first time I've been to Iran, and I'm not worried, but when I just boarded the plane, I took a photo with the Iranian flight attendant, and I liked it, so I saw this reminder, so I still felt a little hairy in my heart, so was the action just now provoking the flight attendant?
Caption: Reckless praise and group photo
So when the flight attendant delivered the meal, I specifically asked, is there a problem with the gesture of liking the group photo just now?
Iranian flight attendants said: Iranians are now in line with the world, and thumbs up is a universal gesture all over the world, and they won't mind.
I asked again: Is there a problem with me making this gesture in Iran?
The flight attendant said: It's better not to, because maybe some people will still mind.
Me: Got it, got it!
Later on the trip, I found that in the big cities of Iran, everyone is very peaceful, and the thumbs up is basically a smile on the face, which is definitely a thumbs up.
Especially when I was in the ancient city of Persepolis in Iran, just in time for the Iranian election, a few young men who drove around canvassing for votes looked at the "foreigners", so they gave me a leaflet and pulled me to take a group photo.
When the Iranian brother took a group photo, he gave a thumbs up first, and I also went with the flow to express my thumbs up.
Caption: The guy who handed out the flyer forced me to stuff a leaflet
In fact, the next eight days proved that I was indeed thinking too much, and Iranians were more enthusiastic and kind than I imagined.
For example:
Iranians are especially willing to take pictures with you when they see the Chinese.
When we were in Tehran, it was better, after all, it was a big city, and the residents here saw more foreigners;
But in Yazd, Isfahan, Shiraz, when walking in the scenic spots, people often hold their mobile phones and ask if they can take a group photo?
我说:OKOK!No problem!
I'm an ordinary Chinese who has enjoyed the treatment of a big star in Iran!
There are children, old people, girls, and strong Persians who ask for a group photo...... There was also a large family traveling and saw us pulling a group photo.
Caption: A family in Isfahan with enthusiasm
On the 33-hole bridge in Isfahan, there was a little boy who wanted to take a photo with me, and I was taking a picture of @Laozhu's broken thoughts that were pulled over to take a group photo, and the little boy thought that I didn't take a photo with him, and he was about to cry, so I hurried over to take a group photo, and the little boy burst into tears and laughed.
Here's another example: Iranians are more than willing to greet foreigners.
Iranians who know a little English will see us and ask: China?
More literate Iranians, when they see us, ask: Ni Hao?
Iranians who don't speak English will see us and ask: Salam Qin?
Salam is the Persian word for hello; Qin means Qin, which means Chinese in Persian.
走在伊朗的大街上,一分钟要说三遍:Yes, China!/yes, Qin!
还要说七遍:Salam(撒朗姆)!
Caption: Surrounded by a group of children, and then shouted together: Sarum Iran!
It is recommended that you learn the word "sarum", if you go to Iran, walk on the street, and an Iranian walks across the street, he looks at you, and basically says "sarum", let's go back to a "sarum", and then pass by, maybe the Iranians will be surprised: hey, that foreigner just now can actually speak Persian Hello!
Here's another example:
When I was in front of a vegetable market in Tehran, there were a lot of people buying roasted corn, and a little girl in our team ate mush and barbecue every day, and wanted to change the taste, so she went over and asked how much it was.
But she didn't bring Iranian rials, she only had US dollars on her, the lowest denomination was still 5 US dollars, and the corn vendor did not know English, so she could only make comparisons.
At this time, an Iranian beauty passed by, and saw that the communication between the two sides was not clear, so she said directly in English: Your 5 US knives can wrap up his stall, and if you want to buy one, he can't find it......
Then the Iranian beauty bought a roasted corn for her own money......
Caption: A "foreigner" who was pulled by an Iranian child to take a group photo
I later asked our Chinese-speaking Iranian guide: Why do Iranians see Chinese so enthusiastically?
The Iranian tour guide, named Xiaolong, said:
Because during the epidemic, China helped Iran the most, and Iran was sanctioned by the United States, and the world could not buy epidemic prevention materials, let alone vaccines, at that time. Only China has provided Iran with anti-epidemic materials and vaccines.
Xiaolong said that the vaccine he received was Sinovac's.
Moreover, the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia was also facilitated by China, which is one of the reasons why Iranians have a favorable opinion of the Chinese.
Caption: On the left is Xiaolong, a chubby Iranian Chinese tour guide
Xiaolong is very interesting, he studied in Tehran, learned Chinese, so he gave himself a Chinese name - Xiaolong.
We asked him why he was called Xiaolong.
He said that he said that 88 years old belonged to the dragon, and he liked Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee very much, so he named himself Xiaolong;
He also said that he liked Fan Bingbing and Yang Mi very much, and he also knew that Yang Mi was divorced......
This is really Iran's China expert!
When we were in Yazd, Iran, we also encountered a very interesting thing.
Caption: Hot coffee for free on rainy days
It was raining that day, it was still very cold in Iran in February, and we were walking on Yazd Street, and the interpreter Saeed suddenly said to take us to a place and said that everyone could get a hot cup of coffee.
We took two steps and found an Iranian holding a large pot to bring coffee to a small cup on a plate with a green light in front of us.
On a cold rainy night on the street, it was very comfortable to have a cup of steaming coffee, so we all went over and took a cup of coffee to drink, although the taste of this cup of coffee was very sweet, the taste was a little sandy, and my friend next to me said that it was a bit like a sugar-sweetened banlan root.
Caption: Coffee is delivered on a rainy day
I thought it was specially prepared for us by the translator, but I didn't expect that when we were drinking, we suddenly saw several young men carrying plates full of coffee and stopping cars on the street, bringing hot coffee to every passing car, and briefly causing traffic jams.
A traffic policeman in green clothes was next to him, still directing the car to drive slowly so that he could get coffee.
At first, I thought it was a marketing campaign for a coffee shop, but it didn't feel like it, who could let the traffic police dispatch? So I asked the translator why he wanted to give coffee for free, and everyone didn't even ask and drank it?
The translator said: Today is the birthday of the famous leader of the Shiite sect in Iran, the twelfth of the twelve imams, so the mosques in the Shiite area will send hot tea, hot coffee, biscuits, etc. to passers-by for free to celebrate the birth of the imams.
The interpreter also said: If we had come a few days earlier or a few days later, we would not have encountered such a celebration.
Well, it's still fun to feel the festive atmosphere of a city without realizing it.
So are all Iranians so good to the Chinese? Is there really no one who has no problem with China?
Not really!
There is a saying in China: When the forest is big, there are all kinds of birds!
Chinese and we ourselves in a community, it is impossible for all of us to be harmonious, let alone foreign countries?
When we were wandering around a vegetable market (Grand Bazaar), we met a man who was not very good-tempered, and when he saw someone who wanted to take a picture with us, he said loudly that he should not take a picture with them, although most of them did not understand, but the meaning was still understood, and we left quickly.
In addition, when we went, it was very close to the important festival of Iran - Nauruz, which is equivalent to the Iranian New Year, and there are people singing and dancing in red clothes on the streets of Iran, which means that spring is approaching.
And these people will go to the door of some shops to sing and dance, which means to pray for the store blessing, and then collect a few dollars from the boss. It's a bit like the lotus flower falling and counting treasures in our China before.
Caption: Rubbing two fingers together seems to be a universal gesture for asking for money all over the world
We watched it have fun, and some people took their cameras to shoot it, and when they finished filming, they gave a dollar tip before they got out, but we also said that we should give a dollar tip if we took a few minutes of singing and dancing videos.
With so many examples, again: how do Iranians view the Chinese?
In fact, one reason is that Iran has been sanctioned by the United States for more than 40 years, Iran's tourism industry is very bleak, many Iranians have not seen a few foreigners, so after the Chinese go, the Iranians will be very fresh, a bit like when we just opened up in the eighties and nineties of the last century, and it is also fresh to see foreigners;
One reason is that Iran is inseparable from China, not to mention the friendly diplomacy between China and Iran, the things that Iranians now use in their lives are basically from China.
Clothes, mobile phones, stationery, toys, cars, and small goods are almost all from China;
Third, Chinese tourists have money. After China's economic development in recent years, who doesn't want to have a good relationship with a rich customer when traveling, buying, buying, and becoming famous all over the world?
Iran is now a visa-free policy for China, Chinese only need to buy a ticket for Iran's Mahan Air to fly directly to Tehran, and there will be no mark on the passport, friends who are worried about not being able to go to Western countries can rest assured.
In the next issue, I will talk to you about Iran's auto industry, talk about Iran's Chinese cars, if you are interested, you can pay attention, or leave a message in the comment area What you want to know about Iran, I can talk to you.
If you also want to go to Iran, you can also leave a message, and I will go back and publish a guide to our "following the footsteps of the Persian Empire", which can be used for your reference.
Lifting the Veil on Iran 1: Is Persia Bad to Listen To? Why did it change its name to Iran? Blame the Germans