Other Residents of China

Unlike the lady in the market at Shaxi, another individual I encountered was not so good at sharing. She was not at all impressed by my language skills and didn't smile even once. When I pulled out some peanuts, all she did was take, take, take. In spite of that, I liked her very much.

 

She was part of a large group of monkeys that have taken up residence in a remote temple on the side of a mountain in a national park. They come down to an area where they know that people will be. The park sells peanuts for them. I kept a little distance, tossing my peanuts, but some people handed them right to the monkeys. These guys know what's what though, so you have to be careful. One woman had just bought a bag of sunflower seeds for herself and was walking across the parking lot with them. Snatch! They were gone. The monkey king easily tore open the sealed bag and started noshing.

(Interestingly, we did not see a single monkey approach the tables where they were preparing and selling food for humans. There were all kinds of things laid out on low tables no more than two feet off the ground. Either that food wasn't appealing to the monkeys or they have learned the consequences should they venture too close).

The monkey king was truly a brutish fellow; I guess that's how you maintain your position. He would bare his teeth and screech at other monkeys when he wanted their food. That was not an idle threat, for we saw him physically attack the others if he wasn't getting what he wanted. Our group leader, Doug, is a peaceful fellow and he had a little discussion with the king about being nicer to the others and learning to share, but we saw no evidence that it made an impression on the king; perhaps it will once he has had a chance to reflect on his behavior.