My View from Here

A Winnipegger's life abroad in Asia and parts currently unknown.

Monday, January 01, 2007

A Proper Beijing Post

Just realized that I have yet to make a decent post about Beijing. That's silly.
I loved my time in Beijing. I should say so since I actually went there twice in a month!

So what did I do in Beijing? I visited my buddy Scott, his family, and his friends. I explored the city on my own and saw the old and the new.
I went to the Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the assorted Hu Tongs, and of course WangFuJing.
So here is a recap of what I found in Beijing.


Here are shots of the Forbidden City. The other shot is that of the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao ZeDong. He was embalmed and is eternally lying in State.

I saw Chairman Mao abt 20 years earlier and here he was again. Not much changed from what I could remember. Just be respectful while you are there since this may be literally the longest running funneral in the world. People were laying flowers in droves and some were even crying or offering prayers.
Here is a street just off WangFuJing (DongHuaMen) where they have a nightly bazaar of delicacies.

Here you'll find dumplings, seafood, sweets, BBQ, snakes, insects, scorpions, sea urchins, and a lot more. If you aren't sure if it is edible, just see if it is served on a stick. If it's on a stick, it means its digestible. Ever consider eating a starfish? I did....it tastes almost as good as it sounds. Bleah...

Here is a special thank you to my buddy Scott. While I was in Beijing we laughed and chatted about all things ridiculous and important. I miss you buddy.

One night he and his friends took me out for Peking Duck (Beijing Kao Ya). Of all the places to go, they took me to what was the most famous duck restaurant in China. This caligraphy was written in praise by Zhou En Lai who was Mao Ze Dong's second in command. He loved this place so much, he wrote this commemoration and it hangs on the wall of the dining room.

This was the Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan). A bitter cold day, but splendid in terms of history. This is where the Emperess Dowager Ci Xi ruined the country by squandering precious money on shiny toys and glittering monuments. It's also where you can see a stone boat she had made to commemorate herself. Incidentally the boat doesn't move. Does it actually float? Dubious.
This is a shot of a typical Hu Tong in Qian Men area of Beijing. That means it is the old part of the city where the buildings and life are as they were since the 30's. Very old and dilapidated. But the people do still live here.
Though old and dusty, these Hu Tongs are beautiful. If you walk through them you will experience a lot of quiet and peaceful contemplation. You will take a walk through time and imagine how life might have been during the Cultural Revolution. Or you just might comfortably get lost for awhile.
Behold! The Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan). Here is where the emperors of old would go to pray for good harvests meaning a prosperous land for himself and the people.
The temple itself is where ceremonies would be held. The platform is where the Centre of the Universe is and the Heart of the Universe Stone marks the exact centre. This is where the emperor would stand to make himself heard to Heaven.
I stood on this stone and looked above. From this spot I stood where the emperors had stood and saw the same sky which they prayed too. Amazing.
Here is one of the last times in Beijing. We drove 140 km from the city centre to go to Si Ma Tai. A place where few people venture to see the Great Wall (Chang Cheng). It is old and it is crumbling but it is honest and real. Unlike the more accessible sections like BaDaLing, the stones are original and not newly paved for the great unwashed to tramp on. To stand atop this wall is to be astonished by the ambitions of ancient people and to feel like you are literally standing on top of the world.
And what did I think of while I was there? Home, people in my life, and what to eat for dinner.

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