In Beijing 22-23 September 2008
I started off on my journey to China, knowing that I’d be in the company of my long time friend, Alwyn Lim from Singapore, who was meeting me in Beijing. It was great to have such a good friend as a guide for my eleven days in China, and here he is in front of the entrance to the Heavenly Palace.
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Before beginning my first ever visit to China, I wanted to know a bit about it! China, I was told, had its beginnings even earlier than did India (the country where I was born) which I visited last year.
The name ‘China’ comes from the name of Emperor Qin (chin), the first Chinese Emperor. The first Emperor of Qin Dynasty was Qin Shi Huang, who built the Great Wall.
China’s history can be traced back through 5,000 years and thirteen dynasties, back in fact to 3,000 BC. I can’t begin to write about its complicated history (and you can google it anyway!) but I understand that the first united feudal dynasty in China’s history was the Qin (chin) Dynasty. Before this, there were seven warrior states and, although there were three Dynasties, Xia, Shang and Zhou, these were not as united as Qin and were not feudal kingdoms. Emperor Qin united the three kingdoms into one state and created the capital in Xi’an, considered to be the city in the centre of China. The middle, or centre, is very important to the Chinese.
The last of the thirteen dynasties, the Qing Dynasty (ching), ended in the 20th Century. (As an aside, three quarters of the Japanese language is Chinese).
Apart from the effect of the various Emperors who ruled China, the greatest impact on China was the rule of Chairman Mao Zedong 26 December 1893 - 9 September 1976. Chairman Mao eliminated the foreign powers who had ‘interfered’ in Chinese affairs for so long – including, but not exclusively, the British, French, Germans, Portuguese, Japanese, Americans and Russians. He then introduced ‘good governance’ and did away with all forms of corruption. In 1949, he defeated the nationalists under Ching Kaishek (chang kysheck) whose capital was in Nanjing. Ching Kaishek fled to Taiwan under the protection of the American 7th Fleet. Mao then declared the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and moved the capital to Beijing. Today, many years after his death, the Chinese people still hold steadfastly to the doctrines he espoused.
Beijing, once the capital of five feudal dynasties in history (Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing) and still the capital of the People’s Republic of China today, is an ancient city but modern in many ways and particularly so since staging the 2008 Olympics. It has become one of the most significant cities of the world, not only because of its splendid historical heritages such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven, but also for its extravagant building projects of Olympic 2008, such as the ‘Birds Nest’
and ‘Water Cube’, both of which are instantly recognizable and have helped to make Beijing the world focus of the 21st Century.
Beijing itself is a reflection of China, steeped in history from the very ancient to more modern events. It’s an enormous city of nearly 15 million people, with one of the oldest cultures on earth. Beijing has been, and still is, an historic centre of power, culture and wealth.
With a large group of State-protected sites of ancient cultural relics, with more modern pedicabs touring, the national treasure of Peking Opera, the exquisite arts and handicrafts, and delicious Peking Duck, Beijing is a ‘must see’ destination.
We’d arrived in the middle of the afternoon so there wasn’t much time to explore before we joined one of Alwyn’s friends for dinner but we did manage to walk down to Tian’anmen Square on our way to explore the Forbidden City (so called because outsiders were traditionally forbidden to enter – and the Emperors’ movements were restricted).
On no account is it wise to visit Tian’anmen Square on National Day – 1 October – as there can be upwards of 10 million people in the Square! Hard to comprehend when you see the size of the Square.
The Tian’anmen Gate was first built in the 1420’s in the Ming Dynasty (although it was wholly or partially destroyed towards the end of the Dynasty). The Square itself was originally designed and built in Beijing in 1651. It was not officially made until the People’s Republic of China took power in 1949. It was enlarged to its present size (four times the original) and cemented over in 1958.
British and French troops who invaded Beijing in 1860 at the start of the second Opium War, pitched camp near the gate and briefly considered burning down the gate and the entire Forbidden City. Ultimately, they decided to preserve the Palace and to burn instead the Emperor’s Summer Palace, Yuan Ming Yuan, which took 150 yeas to build and was one of the most beautiful gardens and greatest museums in Chinese history. The fire lasted for almost a month. This was the atrocity which eventually forced the Qing Emperor to agree to let the foreign powers establish headquarters in the area. Today, the site of the Yuan Ming Yuan Palace can still be seen and I’m sure that the Chinese people still recall the lost glory with great sadness.
Unfortunately, Alwyn and I didn’t have time to explore the many wonders of the Square like the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, the Great Ming Gate, the Great Qing Gate and the Gate of China. Nor did we see the Monument to the People’s Heroes or the Great Hall of the people. They’ll have to wait for another visit! Suffice it to say, the Square reflects China’s more recent history, influenced by Chairman Mao and the rise of communism.
We did, however, have time to enter the Forbidden City, built during the Ming Dynasty and enlarged during subsequent dynasties.
The Forbidden City, which contains the Imperial Palace Museum, stands in over 80 acres and contains a collection of great halls, antiques and treasures that represent all of China’s history. The history of every dynasty is represented here throughout four palatial halls. The City was originally commissioned by Emperor Yong Le in the Ming Dynasty. It has been the seat of power for centuries and has seen countless battles and reconstructions and the architecture seen today dates from the 1700’s. My photos of the Palace didn’t do it justice but we wandered through the beautiful Zhong San gardens which were wonderfully peaceful,
And stood alongside the Palace moat.
That evening we were taken out to dinner by old friends of Alwyn’s and treated to a most wonderful meal of famous Beijing Duck at the best restaurant in the city, the Da Dong.
We had a private room and hovering waiting staff
and the food was not only exceptionally prepared and presented but also very delicious. Chinese hospitality is a matter of honour and our hosts for the evening were unbelievably generous and kind.
As we had such a short stay in Beijing we went for a tour on our only full day and visited the Great Wall, the Longdi Jade Factory and the Ming Tombs. Our first stop was the Ming Tombs and our guide, Liu, was a wealth of knowledge
The Ming Tombs are the burial grounds to 13 out of 16 Ming Emperors. We explored the largest of the burial sites, the Changling tomb, tomb of the first Ming Emperor
which is divided into three separate impressive courtyards. There were, of course, many beautiful relics from the past, among them the Emperor’s crown
On the way to the Great Wall we stopped off at the Longdi Jade Factory which was full of the most beautiful jade pieces at very reasonable prices! Jade is used as a talisman to protect the wearer and as a status symbol indicating the dignity, grace and morality of the owner. As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24AD) potentates and officials were buried with jade artifacts to protect them in the afterlife.
Some were unfortunately too large to bring home!
But I couldn’t resist a Chinese white cabbage
The Chinese believe that placing the cabbage with the roots facing out of the door or window and the leaves facing inwards brings wealth into the home.
Or a Pi Xiu!
In Chinese Feng Shui, a Pi Xiu is a mythical animal which is depicted with the head of a dragon and a dog or lion’s body, often with hoofs, little wings and a tail. The Pi Xiu is a loyal guardian that is frequently seen guarding the tombs of emperors or on the roofs of important buildings. It’s believed that a Pi Xiu absorbs evil and, as it has no anus, the evil cannot escape and infect the place it protects. It also absorbs wealth from all directions and signifies money coming in without going out, which is why they are often depicted with a full belly standing on a bed of Chinese coins. A Pi Xiu is also believed to attract short-term wealth, as in a lottery win or a cash bonus, so it’s very auspicious in Feng Shui terms. Of course you may be a cynic but I bought this little black jade Pi Xiu to bring home!
Many Chinese place their lottery tickets under their Pi Xiu hoping this will bring them good luck and a sudden windfall, but I have to confess that I haven’t won the lottery yet! Some very influential and successful people in Hong Kong swear that these are indispensable, while others claim they are just superstitious nonsense, so the choice is yours! Whatever the truth, they look pretty good and from time to time a little luck is something we all need!
Incidentally, you may also see a Pi Xiu (earth form) referred to as Pi Yao, which is its heavenly form, or Pi Kan, its sea form. All forms are believed to be fiercley loyal to their owner and will protect your home, generate luck and wealth, while driving away evil spirits from your house. The best place to keep your Pi Xiu is in the east sector of your living room at a position lower than eye level, but not on the floor (as this is seen as disrespectful).
Fortunately the bus had to leave for the Great Wall before I could buy any more! We aimed for the Badaling section of the Great Wall, one of the best preserved sections of this 2.000 year old architectural wonder.
Alwyn and I decided to take the left route
which is much steeper but was likely to be less crowded because of that!
It was incredibly steep, and some of the steps are very deep, but we had plenty of time so we set off and enjoyed magnificent views
There are many places to visit a section of the Great Wall, but Badaling is the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall and is approximately 80 km north-west of Beijing city. The portion of the wall running through the site was built during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location’s strategic importance.
The portion of the wall at Badaling has undergone heavy restoration and in 1957 it was the first section of the wall to open to tourists. Millions of people visit it every year. Significant development has taken place in the immediate area including the building of hotels, restaurants and a cable car. The Badaling expressway, which connects this section of the Great Wall with Beijing city is excellent.
And so it was back to the city for an early night before we set off for Xi’an the next morning.