HSK 4 · Article · 410 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-special-forces-tourism-in-china

“特种兵旅游”是什么?

What is special forces tourism in China?

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二零二三年èrlíng’èrsānnián春天chūntiān,中国zhōngguó的de网上wǎngshàng出现chūxiàn了le一个yígè新词xīncí:“特种兵tèzhǒngbīng旅游lǚyóu”。特种兵tèzhǒngbīng是shì军队jūnduì里li最zuì能néng吃苦chīkǔ的de士兵shìbīng,那么nàme旅游lǚyóu为什么wèishénme也yě叫jiào“特种兵tèzhǒngbīng”呢ne?

看看kànkan一个yígè大学生dàxuéshēng可能kěnéng会huì怎么zěnme过guò周末zhōumò,你nǐ就jiù明白míngbai了le。星期五xīngqīwǔ下课xiàkè以后yǐhòu,她tā坐zuò晚上wǎnshang的de火车huǒchē出发chūfā,在zài车chē上shàng睡shuì一夜yíyè。星期六xīngqīliù早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn到dào了le另lìng一个yígè城市chéngshì,一yì天tiān去qù了le八bā个gè景点jíngdiǎn,走zǒu了le四万多sìwànduō步bù,晚上wǎnshang住zhù最zuì便宜piányi的de青年qīngnián旅社lǚshè。星期天xīngqītiān又yòu去qù了le五wǔ个gè地方dìfang,晚上wǎnshang坐车zuòchē回huí学校xuéxiào,星期一xīngqīyì早上zǎoshang八bā点diǎn准时zhǔnshí去qù上课。整zhěng个gè周末zhōumò只zhǐ花huā了le几百jíbǎi块kuài钱qián。

这样zhèyàng的de旅游lǚyóu,时间shíjiān短duǎn,花钱huāqián少shǎo,去qù的de地方dìfang多duō,累lèi得de像xiàng特种兵tèzhǒngbīng训练xùnliàn一样yíyàng,所以suóyǐ大家dàjiā叫jiào它tā“特种兵tèzhǒngbīng旅游lǚyóu”。

为什么wèishénme这种zhèzhǒng旅游lǚyóu会huì火huǒ起来qǐlai?很hěn多duō年轻人niánqīngrén说shuō,他们tāmen是shì学生xuéshēng,时间shíjiān不bù多duō,钱qián也yě不bù多duō,可是kěshì很hěn想xiǎng去qù看看kànkan外面wàimiàn的de世界shìjiè。只有zhíyǒu周末zhōumò两liǎng天tiān,就jiù得děi把bǎ每měi一yì分钟fēnzhōng都dōu用yòng上shàng。也yě有人yǒurén觉得juéde,和hé朋友péngyǒu一起yìqǐ这样zhèyàng挑战tiǎozhàn自己zìjǐ,是shì一yí件jiàn很hěn有意思yǒuyìsi的de事shì,回来huílái以后yǐhòu还hái能néng在zài网上wǎngshàng分享fēnxiǎng自己zìjǐ的de“战绩zhànjì”。

不过búguò,也yě有人yǒurén不太bútài赞成zànchéng。他们tāmen说shuō,一yì天tiān去qù八bā个gè景点jíngdiǎn,每个měigè地方dìfang只zhǐ看kàn一yí个gè小时xiǎoshí,拍pāi几jǐ张zhāng照片zhàopiàn就jiù走zǒu,真的zhēnde能néng了解liáojiě一yí个gè城市chéngshì吗ma?而且érqiě,睡shuì不好bùhǎo、吃chī不好bùhǎo,身体shēntǐ也yě会huì受不了shòubuliǎo。

你nǐ更gèng喜欢xǐhuān哪nǎ一种yìzhǒng旅游lǚyóu呢ne?是shì像xiàng特种兵tèzhǒngbīng一样yíyàng,两liǎng天tiān走遍zǒubiàn一yí座zuò城市chéngshì,还是háishì找zhǎo一个yígè地方dìfang,慢慢mànmàn地de住zhù上shàng一yí个gè星期xīngqī?

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
春天chūntiānspring; springtime
周末zhōumòweekend
明白míngbaito understand; to realize
以后yǐhòulater; afterwards; in the future
出发chūfāto set off; to start out
城市chéngshìcity; town
地方dìfangplace
短duǎnshort; brief
世界shìjièworld
用yòngto use; use; usefulness
张zhāngsurname Zhang
照片zhàopiànphoto; picture

English (for the teacher)

In the spring of 2023, a new phrase appeared on the Chinese internet: “special forces tourism”. Special forces are the toughest soldiers in the army, so why would travel be called “special forces”?

Look at how a university student might spend a weekend, and you’ll see. On Friday after class, she takes a night train and sleeps on board. She arrives in another city at six on Saturday morning, visits eight sights in one day, walks over forty thousand steps and spends the night in the cheapest youth hostel. On Sunday she visits five more places, takes a train back to campus in the evening, and is in class on time at eight on Monday morning. The whole weekend costs only a few hundred yuan.

This kind of travel is short, cheap and packed with places, and as exhausting as special forces training, so people call it “special forces tourism”.

Why did it take off? Many young people say they are students without much time or money, but they really want to see the world. With only the two days of a weekend, they have to use every minute. Others feel that taking on a challenge like this with friends is great fun, and afterwards they can share their “battle record” online.

Not everyone approves, though. They say: if you go to eight sights in a day, spend an hour at each, take a few photos and leave, can you really get to know a city? And without enough sleep or proper meals, your body can’t take it.

Which kind of travel do you prefer? Covering a whole city in two days like a special forces soldier, or finding one place and staying a whole week, slowly?