Travels with Zen-Aida » China

China: Beijing’s Song Tang Zhai Museum, a taste of hutong history

zda — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:59:47 +0000

Everywhere, including Beijing, the saying “one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure” is true. Li Songtang, now in his 60s, started collecting architectural details of houses being torn down mainly during the 70s modernisation push. He now has a collection of over 10,000 items of carved lintels, gates, screens, garden statuary, etc., of which about 5,000 are on view at a courtyard home he owns right next to the Confucius Temple and which he has turned into China’s first privately owned museum. It is truly like stepping into a treasure trove: dimly lit rooms overflow with statuettes, stone carvings fill the wall space, one on top of another, with barely room between them to identify them (mostly in Chinese, some in rudimentary English).

It is said that by the middle of the 20^th century, Beijing had about 920,000 private residences, most of them set out in hutongs or neighborhoods accessible through small alleyways. Nowadays, 90% of these homes are gone, mostly replaced by skyscrapers, commercial buildings and shopping centers.

But if you want to find a few remnants of what architectural jewels were to be found on some of the houses, visit this small museum. You will not be disappointed.

China: Life in Beijing

zda — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:44:19 +0000

One of the great megalopolis of this world, Beijing never ceases to surprise me. Even though the number of skyscrapers has easily quadrupled since the first time I visited in 1995, you can still find quiet corners where it seems as if time has stood still. But believe me, it hasn’t. Not here. If anything, time has been torn down and has been rebuilt to look as if it is standing still (but this time with running water and electricity).

It seems to me that only when you look into the eyes of the old people and see enlightened wisdom and then into the eyes of the very young that you find unspoilt innocence. In between these two extremes of life, there is only the rush and surge of business and making money that moves today’s 17 million Beijingers.

I had the privilege of being in Beijing during the week-long festivities celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The photos of the floats and all the people strolling in the evening in Tienamen Square reflect the atmosphere of pride in being Chinese and general enjoyment at being at the center of things.

China: The eternal Forbidden City

zda — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:01:25 +0000

As disenchanted as I was with the visit to the Great Wall, the thrill of visiting the Forbidden City for the umpteenth time is always there. For all its vastness, there is always a nook or cranny that can be discovered anew; always an around-the-corner detail that enchants the eye.

Especially this time, after the Olympics and the celebrations for the 60^th anniversary of the PRC, when so much restoration work has been completed. There is still much left to do: most of the structures are made of wood (and have thus succumbed to fire time and again over the centuries) and as such, are subject to deterioration over time. However, there has also been strong criticism voiced that the restoriation process has been overdone. Personally, I think the patina of age and effects of air pollution will kick in all too soon, so let us enjoy the shine of the gilt and the intensity of the colors as long as they last.

A few quick facts: Initially built on the order of Emperor Zhu Di when he moved back to Beijing, the Forbidden City took 15 years to complete, from 1406 to 1420. . Between 1420 and 1912, it was been the home for 10 Ming Dynasty and 14 Qing Dynasty emperors and their respective courts.

The complex covers 72 ha (720,000 square metres or 7,800,000 square feet) and consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and. It is said that over one million workers were actively involved during its construction. Precious woods and marbles from all over China were used. The layout of the Forbidden City follows ancient and specific rules as set forth in the Confucian Book of Rites. Thus the ceremonial and ancestral temples (Outer Court) are in the front, with the residential complex (Inner Court) in the rear.

Symbols in ancient China were ubiquitous:

- The color yellow was reserved for all things imperial. Thus the yellow-glazed roof tiles of the Forbidden City are indicative of its occupant.

- The figurines on the roof are not mere decorations: They show what kind of ceremonies can be performed in that building. A minor building might have only 3 or 5 statuettes. The Palace of Supreme Harmony has the maximum number of 10: The procession is led by a man riding a phoenix, followed by nine mythical beasts and lastly followed by the imperial dragon, representing the authority of the state.

The various mythical beasts (evil-dispelling bull, wind- and storm-summoning fish, auspicious seahorse, courageous goat-bull, etc.) are set to pounce upon man and devour him, should he not perform his duties with faithfulness and rectitude. Would that today’s politicians the world over be under the influence of the mythical beasts!

- The color red was a symbol of happiness and auspiciousness, thus the use of this color on all the walls and structures.

Before you know it, what with all the walking, climbing up and down stairs, around buildings, several hours have passed and you are exhausted – and maybe even not wishing to live in such a vast home, but happy for a more relaxed and intimate abode.

China: Great crowds at the Great Wall

zda — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:50:42 +0000

No matter what one is going to say about the Great Wall, it all sounds like a cliché and the facts are so easily researched that it would be stating the obvious. So what is there left to say?

At Badaling, the most popular of the Great Wall stretches for tourists, there is a gondola that you can take to half-way up the hill. We did. It was a very good idea, not only because you are half-way up the hill, but because you by-pass the crowds at the entrance. There are still enough steep stairs to make everyone happy. Then there is the hazy air – this is my fourth time in ten years and the air quality/visibility has always been the same: never really clear. And then there are the crowds: mostly Chinese enjoying an outing with many of them bringing a picnic and – at best – finding a place at one of the makeshift resting places that have been built along the way. In order to control the flow of traffic, there is now an additional pathway built alongside the wall. You go up on the wall and down on the pathway, accompanied both ways by non-stop blaring canned music from unseen loudspeakers.

One thing has changed over the years: there is now yet another parking lot and shuttle bus service. And you can mount a Bactrian camel (two humps) if you wish. Colorful makeshift saddle included.

You can tell my level of enthusiasm was not high for this trip. If at all possible, avoid going to Badaling. There are other –somewhat farther away - less crowded places that will allow you greater enjoyment of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.