Soothing Moment: Lost in Translation - Sanxi Province, China

English sign of all kinds is getting most popular now in China. As Beijing successfully hosted Olympics game of the century, people take pride in hosting tourist from foreign countries and are most keen in talking with them in English. Soothing or not, The keenness is most seen in some of the forgotten corner in rural China. Take example of this village museum in ancient Pingyao city, famous for its thousands year history and well preserved ancient Chinese architecture.



Situated at a corner of this museum is a pagoda-like building where the history of local currency is displayed. All required to enter is to take the shoes off and wear a clean-room like booties. but the sign is definitely mesmerizing. First the word "relic' for national heritage?; then "trade"...... Well, this is in relic where everything is supposed to be traded? The last part where the original Chinese means the shoes purposed for protecting the floor of is somehow turning into "civilized protection shoes". Looking at the sign and my Nike sneaker... I need a civilized shoes for sure!