English Takes a Turn on China Tours

English is pretty much the international language and it takes many shapes around the world. In China, it takes turns that are sometimes hard for a native English speaker to follow.

Following are photos of signs that we have taken along our California Native tours of Yunan Province in China.

Although they don’t follow our idea of English, we are sure that the persons who made the signs speak English much better than we speak Chinese.

From a hotel in Dali:
Strange English Signs along The California Native Yunan China Tours - Sign in Chinese Hotel
From a hotel in Beijing:
Strange English Signs along The California Native Yunan China Tours - Sign in Chinese Hotel in Beijing
On a street corner in Lijiang:
Strange English Signs along The California Native Yunan China Tours - Sign on Street Corner in Lijiang
Sign leading to a temple at the top of a hill in Lijiang:
Strange English Signs along The California Native Yunan China Tours - Sign at Temple
Sign at Leaping Tiger Gorge:
Strange English Signs along The California Native Yunan China Tours - Sign at Tiger Leaping Gorge
Sign at Wild Elephant Preserve in Jing Hong:
Strange English Signs along The California Native Yunan China Tours - Sign at Wild Elephant Preserve in Jing Hong
This sign was intended to warn visitors of slippery salt on the trail:
Strange English Signs along The California Native Yunan China Tours - Sign at Wild Elephant Preserve in Jing Hong Warning of Salty Trail

Traveling through China, especially in the more off the beaten path areas, is always fascinating. And rarely visited Yunan Province, spanning an area from the tropics to the Himalayan highlands, is home to more ethnic groups than any other province in China.

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  1. Brian Barker’s avatar

    Perhaps the Chinese have realised that English is on its way out as an international language, judging by their use of it?

    Interestingly as well the Beijing Olympics has appointed an Esperanto translator and CRI now broadcast in Esperanto.

    You can see this at http://esperanto.cri.cn/