Weekend in Beijing

Babes on Bikes: Beijing Edition

Back in Hong Kong after my first official side trip!  Wednesday night I packed my bags and after a late night at Wan Chai (and an even later pit stop at Ebeneezer's- my favourite HK Shawarma spot) I joined Arsalan at HKG in the wee hours of Thursday morning.  Walking into the Hong Kong Airport at 4am was like walking into a bizarre dream world- and not just because I was delusional from lack of sleep.  Like Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky, I found myself alone and engulfed by silence in a place that is usually swarming with activity.  Not even a janitor in sight in one of the world's busiest international hubs!  An eerie sensation.  I located Arsalan maxin' and relaxin' out in a private lounge downstairs and we spent the next two sleepy hours sipping complimentary teas and cookies, enjoying the luxury of English language television and drifting in and out of sleep.

Before I knew it, I was shuffling my tired feet through the customs and immigration line in Beijing and waiting for my official rubber-stamp welcome to China.  I flew past the officer who took one look at my blonde hair and tiny carry-on suitcase before evidently deciding that I was unlikely to try to upset the communist regime or become the source of the 2010's SARS.  I indicated my appreciation for his efficiency by selecting the "extremely satisfied" option on a small keypad below the customs desk and walked away only slightly curious to know what happens to those who select "unsatisfied" in relation to the services of a Chinese government official.

Rush Hour in a city of 17 Million (that's more than 4 Torontos)

We made our way into the heart of the city via the incredibly efficient subway system and took a far less efficient and far more expensive taxi from the subway station to our hotel.  Had we planned in advance we would have noticed that the subway continued on directly to the door of the Park Plaza Hotel, but alas the effects of Wan Chai were still weighing heavily on our shoulders and we took the lazy way out.  The cab ride actually led us to our first conclusion about Beijing:  If you have ANYTHING with two wheels (a bike, a scooter, a bathtub, a large dog...) you can strap a motor on it and call it a car.  Better yet, you can attach a third wheel and call it a cab!  The diverse modes of transportation made the sprawling intersections quite a sight, and with 17 million people all in a hurry to get somewhere, you learn quickly as a pedestrian to look both ways and then every other way before you cross any street.

We met up with my Mum and Dad (Anne and Keith for any strangers) at the hotel, and after a healthy pot of jasmine tea we went out to explore some of the city's old Hutongs- narrow alleyways that wind between the city's major streets, connecting residential courtyards, local shops and food stands.  Up until this point, I was beginning to wonder where Beijing was hiding it's 17 million residents, but the crowded Hutongs quickly provided the answer. Affixed to some of the buildings in the Shijinhuayuan Hutong were up to 13 electricity meters- evidence of 13 separate families all living under one roof!

Hobbit-like door in one of the Hutongs

It's time to find a more competent electrician...

Lunch in the Hutongs

Lucky Dragon Door Knockers

It was utterly fascinating to walk through the narrow corridors and contemplate what life must be like for residents.  Having grown up in a detached home on a street with tree-lined boulevards and manicured lawns, the unpaved streets and shabby exteriors initially seemed crowded and dirty and in an entirely too-quick-to-judge manner, I ignorantly assumed that these must be the 'slums' of the city.  That is, of course, until I caught a glimpse inside one of the homes and saw two children playing video games while a woman near the door tapped away at the keys of her cellphone.  With my eyes more open, I continued the walk and took careful note of the many signs that these Hutong communities were a proud part of the thriving Beijing culture.

I think this was a government building- note the communist stars

Laundry day in the Hutongs

So many fixed-gear bikes- so many "artistic pics"

These pigeons enjoy more square footage than I do!

After weaving in and out of about a hundred tiny alleys, we had all built up an enormous appetite so we headed back toward Wangfujing (via a LONG detour thanks to my poor navigation and my utter lack of assistance from my tired companions) and I introduced my parents to Chinese Hot Pot.  We found a local spot in one of the plazas with just enough English on the menu to lure us inside.  Overall, it was a good choice.  The meat was fantastic.  The Chinese pancakes were fantastic.  The vegetables were fantastic.  The noodles were fantastic.  The whole affair would have been fantastic had we received our entire meal at once, but unfortunately no amount of English on a menu can prevent incompetent service (as I've discovered many times even back at home) so we enjoyed our meal, let's call it, a la carte (and trust me, that is not how it is normally served).

A two person effort to avoid rain drops on the lens

Thursday morning we had a traditional Beijing breakfast (Grande Skim Milk Americano Misto and Muffin courtesy of Starbucks) and headed toward the Forbidden City.  The forecast had called for 30% chance of showers, but it's a good thing we didn't play the odds because the rain started early and didn't let up until well after the day was done.  Our first glimpse of the Forbidden City was from a temple at the top of Coal Hill, located in Jingshan Park.  The park was a sight in itself so it was hard to believe that we only wound up there to get a view of the city.

Moats surrounding the forbidden city

Coal Hill, rising 45.7 meters from the street, is entirely man made and was constructed from soil excavated from the moats around the Imperial Palace during the Ming Dynasty between 1360 and 1424.  From the hill, we could see the golden rooftops of the forbidden city cutting through the low lying mist.  The sheer size of the city was overwhelming.

View of the Forbidden City from Coal Hill

Inside the Inner Court in the Forbidden City

Anxiously, we made our way down the hill and through the imposing red gate, the Gate of Divine Prowess, into the North of the City.  Shockingly, Mum and Dad were able to coax me through the inner gate, the Gate of Loyal Obedience, and we found ourselves in the heart of the city.  The site did not disappoint.  In the Inner court, the north section of the Palace, row upon row of palaces, great halls, studies, places of worship and lavish treasuries dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties flank what is still considered the central north-south axis of Beijing.  This was where the Emperor and his family actually resided when in Beijing.  In the centre of the Inner Court, just south of the imperial gardens, sit the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, occupied by the Empress who represents the Yin, or Earth, and the Palace of Heavenly Purity, occupied by the Emperor, who represents Yang, or the Heavens.  In between these two halls is the Hall of Union, the place where Yin and Yang meet to produce harmony.

Hoards of Tourists in the Outter Courts

Passing through the Gate of Heavenly Purity, we arrived in the spectacular Outer Court, the part of the city used for ceremonial purposes.  Three great halls, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, are usually the focal point of this grand courtyard, but for me, the true marvel was seeing the hoards of people milling about the courtyard with their brightly coloured umbrellas, some parading in an orderly fashion behind a guide, others wandering aimlessly about taking in the marvels of the city, everyone desperately trying to avoid loosing an eye to the spokes of someone elses umbrella.

We exited the forbidden city by climbing over one of the 5 Inner Golden Water Bridges and passing through the Meridian Gate- a formidable fortress-like structure that marks the formal entrance to the Palace.  As Dad commented, the Meridian Gate no doubt served to remind any foreign dignitary coming to meet with the Emperor that China was a power to be reckoned with.

Tiananmen Square

Almost immediately outside the forbidden city, a place where commoners were excluded from for nearly 500 years, sits Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square dedicated to the people of China.  Near the centre of the square is the Monument to the People's Hereos and Mao's Mausoleum.  As the skies were starting to chuck buckets we didn't stay long, just long enough to consider the sheer chaos that would inevitably amount if the whole square were to be filled with people, which is exactly what happened during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1976 and 1989.

 

We stopped for lunch, and to seek temporary refuge from the rain, and after a brief stop at H&M to buy a new jacket, we continued on to the Temple of Heaven.  The name of this site is actually slightly deceiving, because the name refers to an entire complex of Taoist buildings situated in a peaceful park in the southeast of the city.  The buildings were constructed between 1406 and 1420- the same period during which the Forbidden City was constructed, however, the complex was not completed until the 16th century under the Jiajing Emperor.

The three constructions include the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar.  The temples were visited annually by the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties who held ceremonies and made sacrifices (likely of his least-favourite concubines!) to the Heavens for good harvest.  The temples themselves have been restored several times, the first restoration dating back to the 18th century, but the vibrant blue roofs and brightly hued interiors have been kept true to their original form.

From the temples, we made our way across the street to the Hongqiao Market where I had only one objective: Find Ken and buy pearls.  Ken's Pearl's had come highly recommended by one of my Mum's friends who works as a flight attendant en route between Vancouver and China.  I had heard that his prices were so honest that there was little need to bargain and that his pearls were often appraised for nearly 10 times the purchase price back in Canada.  This was a welcome alternative to perusing the ladies market back in Hong Kong where I am quite sure that I spent 10 minutes bargaining on tinfoil rather than "real silver".  When I arrived at Ken's, the only other patron was a well-dressed American man buying an anniversary gift for his wife and graduation present for his daughter.  He had received similar praise for Ken's- a good sign I supposed.  I selected a couple different strands of pearls and watched in awe as the shop attendants nimbly secured each pearl with a slim knot.  The entire process took them only a few minutes.  I left very satisfied with my purchases, and found out later that Laureen Harper, Canada's First Lady, was also a valued customer of Ken's.

The truly GREAT Wall of China

Woke up on Saturday incredibly excited for my last day in Beijing.  In store: our trip to the Great Wall!!
We hopped on board a minibus which took us out through the city, picking up a couple extra passengers on the way.  We had excellent views of the Olympic Park, constructed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, including the impressive Bird's Nest (Beijing National Stadium)- the arena which housed the opening and closing ceremonies.





Our first stop was the Ming Dynasty Tombs, just a few kilometres north of the City.  The site was chosen by Yongle, the third Ming Dynasty Emperor who moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing and was responsbile for the construction of the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.  Altogether, there are 13 Ming Dynasty emperors resting on the southern slope of the Tianshou Mountain along with countless concubines, who were required to accompany the emperor into the afterlife (I suppose that's a fair price to pay for being lavished with courtly riches?).

Guards line the path along Spirit Way...

...Some guards are scarier than others

Showdown with one of the Dragon's 9 sons

We walked along Spirit Way (or Sacred Way), through the gates that welcomed the emperor and his companions to heaven.  Lining the path are 18 pairs of stone statutes each representing a different mythical animal.  Each animal is displayed in two positions: standing, to indicate strength, and kneeling, to indicate their humbleness to the passing emperor.  Statutes of guards and nobility also line the path.  Near the south end of the path is the Shengog Shengde Stele Pavilion.  Inside is a tortoise-like creature made of stone.  This is one of the 9 sons of the dragon in Chinese legend.



Our next stop was the Chinese Medicine Centre.  I have little to say about this place other than that they told me that I had a cold uterus.  The cure?  Marriage of course.  Sounded to me a lot like Plato's Wandering Womb theory or Hippocrates' thoughts on hysteria.

Me, Mum, Dad, and Arsalan at the Wall

After one more stop for lunch at the Jade Factory, we were FINALLY at the Great wall.  All I can say is that I was totally blown away.  It's always a thrill when the places you've seen and heard so much about still manage to take your breath away, and the Great Wall, for me, was definitely one of those places.  We arrived at Mutainyu, about 45km outside of Beijing, the rains had finally come to a stop and the sun was peaking out from through the mist, casting dream-like shadows over the lush green mountains and illuminating the wall like a golden chain weaving along the peaks and ridges.

We cheated a little bit and took the cable car to the top of the wall so we would have as much time as possible along the wall (the downfall with being part of an organized tour).  We approached the trek in the typical Hatlelid manner, nearing a sprint-like pace as we moved between the photo-worthy vistas.  We were slowed down only by the heavy humidity, the thin air, and of course by the near vertical stairs at some points a long the trail.

The Wall meandering through the mountains

Dad and Arsalan rest up after sprinting half the Wall!

Looking out to the Misty Mountains

Looking our from the arches of a watchtower

Thistles lining an unrestored section of the Wall

 Most of the 10km section of wall near Mutainyu has been restored (back in 1644!), but by taking a 15 minute detour past the "access forbidden" sign, Arsalan, Dad and I ended up skirting along a narrow section of wall that had not yet been restored.  Walking along through patches of wild Columbine and thistle on the unkept trail, we felt as though we could easily have been on any North American mountain trail- that is until we were stopped in our tracks by a crumbling lookout tower that likely dated back to the 15th century Ming Dynasty.  Of course the whole way along, I couldn't help but think about the "Stupid Mongolians" episode of South Park, so we all had a couple good laughs about running away from Genghis Khan.

Channeling Uncle Al

Arsalan inspecting the Drop

The wall was definitely the highlight of my Asian travels to date- and in a close second, Da Dong Duck Restaurant, where we were lucky enough to snag a reservation for dinner that night.  We had thoroughly whetted our appetites and were ready to try the city's infamous Peking Duck.  An absolutely unforgettable meal.  We ordered the duck, and the chef comes out right to the table to carve the bird.

"Here it was, mountains of duck, and not fatty duck either, but juicy
 tender breasts of duck, beautifully slices, you can take as much as you want!!"
- Elaine Benes, Seinfeld 

The waiter then came by and showed us the different ways to eat the duck.  On it's own, in a small Chinese pancake, stuffed in a sesame bun with garlic, onion, radish and sweet sauce, or my favourite- a tiny piece of the skin lightly dusted with coarse grain sugar- it literally melted in my mouth.  This says a lot about how great this duck was considering anyone who knows me knows that I don't usually touch chicken skin with a ten foot pole, even when it's deep fried and disguised with batter.


I left Beijing dreaming of succulent duck, but anxious to get back "home" to Hong Kong.