Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 10:24 PM
so it's my last day in beijing, and i'm taking it easy this morning.
i'm meeting my friend jim (who lives here) at noon at the 798
district, a gallery area that is housed in an old factory complex and
which has been prominantly featured in magazines and newspaper
articles worldwide. i went there the last time i was here, but always
good to go again.
and also good just to sit and not to walk! beijing is an absurdly huge
city and i have seemed to spend much of my time in taxis whipping
along various ring roads, but even when i get out and walk, the
distances are always just extraordinary. as in, "oh, that's not far,
it's just one block on the map." and then the block turns out to be
half a mile long.
but all good. i had two very interesting days, walking and walking. on
tuesday, i was intending to go see the forbiddden city again, but got
a bit of a late start, and then started wandering in the neighborhood
below tianammen square, and then before you know it, it was too late.
so instead, i continued wandering --- first along an old business
strip that reminded me of chestnnut street (cheap stores below,
beautiful old crumbling buildings above) and then into a "hu tong" ---
the warren of alley neighborhoods that makes up old beijing. it's a
beijing that is fast disappearing... which i saw for myself when the
rather rundown hutong i was walking along turned into a demolition
site. it was relaly something to behold. one moment, squat little
housees that had been there for years and year, next moment.... fields
of rubble in the middle of the city.
all this walking was in the interest of eventually ending up at the
"cow street" mosque, which is where i did end up, just in time for
evening prayers. very peaceful, sitting the courtyard as old
gentlement went into the prayer hall. the mosgue is a center for hui
muslims, who are ethnic chinese muslims. the big street outside was
pretty great as well --- restaurants and a big supermarket selling all
kinds of wierd and yummy looking things. oh, and lots of stalls
selling little round floury balls that people buy for the lantern
festival (which is today.... that's the end of the new year period)
and cook at home. i bought some, not realizing that they needed to be
cooked! but i gave them to the girl at the eyeglass place when i went
to pick up my glasses and she was very pleased!
that evening, a bunch of us went to da dong roast duck restaurant, a
fancy and delicious roast duck place, for the most delicious duck i
have ever had. the waitress showed us the different ways you eat the
duck --- one of which is to dip the crispy, fatty skin into sugar and
pop it in your mouth! it's incredible...
yesterday, i had another full day. visited the temple of heaven, which
is hands-down one of the most beautiful buildings i have ever seen.
and enjoyed spending time in the park where the temple is... chinese
parks are great because all the older people gather there to sing,
dance, play cards, exercise, and entertain the tourists. then i took
the very new and sparkly subway to the confucius temple, and then met
jim at a cool little cafe in a "gentrified" hutong area, where the
alley is lined with bars and cafes and boutiques.
and then i had the privilage of going to see the world cup women's
platform diving finals at the new olympic "water cube" aquatic center,
courtesy of one of janet's chinese co-workers who has "pull". it was
great fun and the building is amazing.... though still in the middle
of a contruction site. as is much of beijing...
okay, better get going now. i fly to tokyo tomorrow!
so it's my last day in beijing, and i'm taking it easy this morning.
i'm meeting my friend jim (who lives here) at noon at the 798
district, a gallery area that is housed in an old factory complex and
which has been prominantly featured in magazines and newspaper
articles worldwide. i went there the last time i was here, but always
good to go again.
and also good just to sit and not to walk! beijing is an absurdly huge
city and i have seemed to spend much of my time in taxis whipping
along various ring roads, but even when i get out and walk, the
distances are always just extraordinary. as in, "oh, that's not far,
it's just one block on the map." and then the block turns out to be
half a mile long.
but all good. i had two very interesting days, walking and walking. on
tuesday, i was intending to go see the forbiddden city again, but got
a bit of a late start, and then started wandering in the neighborhood
below tianammen square, and then before you know it, it was too late.
so instead, i continued wandering --- first along an old business
strip that reminded me of chestnnut street (cheap stores below,
beautiful old crumbling buildings above) and then into a "hu tong" ---
the warren of alley neighborhoods that makes up old beijing. it's a
beijing that is fast disappearing... which i saw for myself when the
rather rundown hutong i was walking along turned into a demolition
site. it was relaly something to behold. one moment, squat little
housees that had been there for years and year, next moment.... fields
of rubble in the middle of the city.
all this walking was in the interest of eventually ending up at the
"cow street" mosque, which is where i did end up, just in time for
evening prayers. very peaceful, sitting the courtyard as old
gentlement went into the prayer hall. the mosgue is a center for hui
muslims, who are ethnic chinese muslims. the big street outside was
pretty great as well --- restaurants and a big supermarket selling all
kinds of wierd and yummy looking things. oh, and lots of stalls
selling little round floury balls that people buy for the lantern
festival (which is today.... that's the end of the new year period)
and cook at home. i bought some, not realizing that they needed to be
cooked! but i gave them to the girl at the eyeglass place when i went
to pick up my glasses and she was very pleased!
that evening, a bunch of us went to da dong roast duck restaurant, a
fancy and delicious roast duck place, for the most delicious duck i
have ever had. the waitress showed us the different ways you eat the
duck --- one of which is to dip the crispy, fatty skin into sugar and
pop it in your mouth! it's incredible...
yesterday, i had another full day. visited the temple of heaven, which
is hands-down one of the most beautiful buildings i have ever seen.
and enjoyed spending time in the park where the temple is... chinese
parks are great because all the older people gather there to sing,
dance, play cards, exercise, and entertain the tourists. then i took
the very new and sparkly subway to the confucius temple, and then met
jim at a cool little cafe in a "gentrified" hutong area, where the
alley is lined with bars and cafes and boutiques.
and then i had the privilage of going to see the world cup women's
platform diving finals at the new olympic "water cube" aquatic center,
courtesy of one of janet's chinese co-workers who has "pull". it was
great fun and the building is amazing.... though still in the middle
of a contruction site. as is much of beijing...
okay, better get going now. i fly to tokyo tomorrow!
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