Brutal Beijing Assault

We arrived at the train station, ready for a shower after our wading experience leaving Xi’an. All that stood in our way was a taxi ride to the hotel on the northwest side of Beijing. We followed the signs to the longest taxi line I have seen. And, of course, people were crowding in a large group at the end of the line, and then merging into two side by side lines. I was pushy. I learned you have to be to get anywhere in China. My Chinese friend Cathy taught me this while waiting for a table at a busy restaurant in Chinatown, Chicago. In this case, somehow, I was way more pushy than Eric because I turned around and he towered over a group of tiny women, about five deep behind me. There was no way for him to catch up. He just was not getting as aggressive as me; I was starting to turn it into a game.

The game continued when we arrived at a new Starwood hotel, the aLoft brand, a division of W Hotels. The hotel was filled with gimmicks from top to bottom, starting with a greeting of “aloha” from each employee, which for most was about the only English word they knew. We knew there was a giant mall down the street from the hotel and we were hoping for a food court or some restaurants. We asked one guy at the front desk where the mall was and whether we could walk. He had no idea what we were talking about. He told us to talk to the concierge at the Sheraton next door. We thought maybe the word “mall” did not translate but when we walked the two blocks to the mall it actually said “shopping mall” in huge, red fluorescent letters. Oh well, we learned that we needed to go to the Sheraton for all of our requests and needs. We were not going to let that ruin Beijing.

The Mall of China and the Lotus

The shopping mall came in pretty handy. We read on the hotel’s website that it is one of the largest or best malls in China. I could not remember. Regardless, it was pretty weak by Asian standards. The malls in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were spectacular in comparison. But, on the fifth floor were more than a dozen restaurants, one of them with an English menu with pictures. Score! We became repeat customers, ordering spicy diced chicken with chilis, broccoli with garlic, crunchy fried potatoes, and a sautéed eggplant dish. One thing that has not disappointed us in China is the food. During our last meal at the restaurant we ordered famous Peking duck. It was carved table side, and is usually served with thin pancakes, a plum sauce, sliced cucumbers, and scallions. We were surprised to receive two small plates of sliced duck that looked scrumptious. We did not receive any of the accompaniments. We were not sure if we ordered the right thing on the menu, because it was written on the bill for less than we thought. So, we started to eat the duck plain. I love duck, but two plates of slices with no sauce or anything was a bit rich. Then, I noticed two employees looking at us and arguing with each other. It became clear we were supposed to receive the pancakes, and they were playing a game of “I thought you were going to bring it.” I was able to have two pancakes with my duck to finish off the meal, which actually cut down on the richness.

There was also a Lotus shopping center in the mall as well, which was convenient for some water, snacks, and beer. Our last trip to Lotus was unique though. First, I wanted to buy some cough drops for my sore throat (the poor air quality in China finally got to me). Anything that was even remotely related to a pharmacy item, including cough drops was locked behind plexiglass. You ordered one through a person wearing a white doctor’s coat who put your order on a receipt. Then you brought the receipt to a checkout line, and returned with the paid receipt to collect your item. So, going through this process, I started by looking down the aisles. I saw a few brands like Robitussin and Motrin, but could not find anything western saying cough drop. I saw two boxes that had pictures looking like what I needed, one with a large cough drop shaped cartoon and the other with two pills making their way down a throat. I pointed to the second one and asked the pharmacist if I could use it for my throat. I pointed to my throat with a pained look on my face and fake coughed. She said yes so I invested about $1 in my purchase.

After purchasing our other few items we headed towards check out which was a mob scene; another example of the sheer number of people in China. We stood in the express checkout line, which even in English warned the limit was 8 items. We must have been the only ones who could read the clear sign because were the only ones in the line with only eight items. The line moved so slowly it was painful. Upon our return to the hotel we stopped at the Sheraton and asked one of the concierges to help translate the box. Turned out it was to cure a sore throat, but was a pill to be taken with water, not a lozenge. Not exactly what I was looking for. I figured I would hold onto it if it to use in an emergency but I was in no rush to ingest it.

Forbidden City

We decided to prioritize our time in Beijing so that would have time to see what we wanted. We were starting to get tired and noticed it was harder to get up each morning. Despite the fact that we enjoyed Xi’an, the rest of the trip through China had been just exhausting. We wanted to focus on the important sights we came to China to see. So, on our first full day in Beijing we took the subway straight to the Forbidden City and Tian’an Men Square. Just trying to orient ourselves when we emerged from out of the subway was a task. Many of the buildings looked alike. We saw a helpful tourist map, in English, with a red dot saying “you are here.” We tried to orient ourselves, trying to hit the square first, with a plan to move north towards the Forbidden City after. We followed the crowds through the famous gate with the giant photo of Chairman Mao. Eventually, after walking for a bit, we realized the map we used at the exit to the subway was not turned in the right direction, so we were walking in the wrong direction. We ended up at the entrance to the Forbidden City, and decided to start there. Like everything else in China, easier said than done.

Just purchasing the tickets to get into the Forbidden City, or Palace Museum, was a lengthy process. Particularly irksome was that we kept watching people sneak up and cut in the front of the line. The Chinese people on line were pretty good and pushing away the cutters, but after several attempts a few westerners let them in. Our eyes were peeled. We let no one cut in front of us. Finally, with tickets in hand we entered the grounds.

The Forbidden City lies at the heart of Beijing. It was completed in the 1400s and is a showcase of Chinese imperial architecture. It is a series of gates and halls, each with its own significance, surrounded by a narrow portico walkway and a wall protecting it from the city beyond. There were bridges to cross, staircases to climb, and windows to peer in to see the contents of the palace. In the rear of the palace grounds were the imperial gardens. The architecture was incredible, with traditional architecture that is exactly what I had in mind for our visit to China. The crowds were also typical Chinese crowds, people pushing each other out of the way to peer into the buildings, pushing people up and down walkways, and pushing people out of pictures. We managed to find a few places to sit with some nice breezes to enjoy the chaos in front of us, just to take it all in.

What am I PURPLE?

After exiting the grounds, we walked back south to retrace our steps to see Tian’an Men Square. After stopping for lunch, we entered the square near the base of the famous flag pole. This was one time I would have liked to have a tour guide. I would be interested in knowing what they would say about why this square is so well known around the world. Interestingly, the full Chinese name of the square translates to The Square of the Gate of Heavenly Peace, which says something. It is one of the largest open spaces in the world, but one completely devoid of nature and almost void of grass. The large flag pole on the north side of the square was guarded by two army soldiers. We were not sure why the flag needs guarding in the first place. On the four sides of the flag were four small patches of grass. I joked that maybe they were guarding the rare patches of pristine green grass surrounded by nothing by concrete and asphalt. This was when we noticed exactly how our appearance was perceived by the locals. People were taking pictures of us, and were staring at us as we walked by. I wished I was wearing a t-shirt saying “what am I purple?” I was surprised considering how many people of every nationality and ethnicity descended on Beijing just last year for the Olympics. I mean, Michael Phelps was there. If he were walking through the square, it would be understandable, but Eric and I? Still wondering if people were mistaking us for Brad and Angelina, with our blonde and brown hair, we started to glare at people and make the infamous peace symbol many young Asians do in photos. Eric occasionally made another symbol with his fingers with young kids who were more obnoxious than others. When I noticed people taking pictures of us, I would take pictures of them back or stare at them until they stopped staring at me. We became particularly vulnerable when we sat on a stoop outside of the Chairman Mao’s mausoleum. Easily, one quarter of the people walking by stared at us. We felt like freaks.

After walking through the square and contemplating its history and significance, we retuned back to modern times, at least the way that Beijing wants to be perceived in modern times. One of the news items I remembered during the Olympics was the effect of the redevelopment of the city and its affect on the historical hutongs, or alleyways. Hutongs weave across most of central Beijing. They are a collection of alleys and courtyard houses where most Beijing residents historically resided. To prepare for the onslaught of western tourists, many of the neighborhoods were hidden from view. Next to the Forbidden City, an old neighborhood of hutongs was hidden behind what looked to be newly constructed city walls. It appeared that the government wanted to shelter its lowly living conditions, and shelter its reality, from the tourists.

Just south of Tian’an Man Square was a road, Dazhalan, known for the lively and historic hutongs emanating from each side of the street. According to the tour book, the neighborhood “buzzes with shops, cinemas, and restaurants” including “quant Qing-era specialty shops.” I should note that our book was published right before the Olympics, so we found a lot of it out of date. We walked through the area which was in complete disarray. Newer walls were constructed on the east side of the street as we walked south. Behind those walls were old houses, and most likely slum-like housing, in various states of destruction. They seemed to be completely knocking down the old, historical neighborhood to create a new tourist focused neighborhood with new architecture to look historical. Many of the streets were torn up and touts were yelling at us to purchases goods. It was bedlam. We went east on Dazhalan, ending on Qian Men, which heads south perpendicular to the square. I swear they brought a Walt Disney designer in to create this attraction. It was brand spanking new, with a Haagen Das coming soon and an H&M clothing store newly opened. A series of three and four story shops were newly built, with very few stores actually open. A “historic” trolley car ran the length of the road, which probably was at least a kilometer or two long. We stopped in one of the few open shops, a modern café, with blaring music, uncomfortable and modern leather chairs, and air conditioning and a toilet, which were my priorities. I ordered a bubble tea and read my book, while Eric leaned his head against the wall and actually fell asleep. I was amazed because the music was pretty loud and fairly obnoxious. I think some of it was actually the music from the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, complete with applause at the end. And, of all times, with Eric asleep inside a café wearing sunglasses, no one was staring at him or taking his picture. It was surreal. I was still hoping to find some more traditional hutongs to wander around, but I am not sure if they really exist anymore.

Din Tai Fung - Take 2

With memories of our amazing dumplings in Singapore fresh in our mind, we heard that the Taiwanese dumpling chain made its way to China. I had a name and close to a location, but not an exact address. We jumped off the metro and realized exactly how confusing the streets are laid out in the city. If there is a main street, there will also be a main street east, main street west, main byway, main road, etc. Imagine trying to follow a map in Mandarin with all of the street names sounding virtually identical. We were heading in the right direction but could not tell where to turn off. There was so much construction who even knew whether the map was accurate. We were about to cross an intersection and saw an expat walking in front of us. We ran up to ask for his help with some directions. He was from Boston and had been living in the area for almost a year. He did not know the restaurant, but we walked down one of the prettiest roads in Beijing in an expat neighborhood talking with our Boston friend looking for the restaurant. We had to circle back a bit but finally found dumpling heaven. And, it was as good as the first time. We will be hitting Din Tai Fung in Singapore and Tokyo before heading to the western hemisphere.

Perfect Day for a Great Tour

Our third day in Beijing we booked a tour to finally see the Great Wall - it was the day that would make or break the trip to China. And, I woke up with a sore throat, and it was raining. Wonderful. Our tour guide picked us up with a Swiss couple from the hotel and we stopped for one more person, a young French-Vietnamese girl. It was nice to have just a small group of the five of us as we drove over one hour to the wall. First, our guide spoke about all of the wonderful things the Chinese have offered the world. Then, we stopped at a “traditional” cloisonné factory where they make painted ceramics. After, the rain stopped and the weather started to clear, but not enough to ruin the mystical quality of the wall.

We chose the Mutianyu part of the Great Wall. There are five or six spots that are fairly close to Beijing, one is reputed to be a massive tourist trap. This was supposed to be well preserved and less touristy, so we took a risk. We took a cable car up to the top of the hill, to avoid walking the 1400 steps to the top. We saw our first glimpse of the wall on the right through the rain splashed glass. When we arrived at the top, a crew was setting up some sort of light display and stage, which was unusual and not at all expected. When we finally made it onto the wall, all of my worries about the weather melted away. There were virtually no visitors to the wall, there was a slight cool breeze breaking up the humidity, and the storm that swept through left a mist and fog on the top of the mountain which made the entire experience almost spiritual. The wall snaked its way up the hill until you could no longer see it through the crowds. I guess it made the trip to China worth it. I had very high expectations with everything else during the trip; I was disappointed in a lot that China had to offer, but the Great Wall was wonderful.

Wandering the Summer Palace

Our last requirement for our trip to Beijing was the Summer Palace, a former summer residence for the emperors who resided at the Forbidden City in the center of Beijing. What was once a retreat from the heat of the city center is now firmly within the city limits and not more than a 15 minute drive from our hotel. The grounds were stunning with a long stone portico surrounding the lake. We climbed to the top of a hill to see a pagoda. Well, more accurately, we fought our way to the top. I tried to be more calm and tried to relax, but the number of people visiting the grounds made it so difficult. We sat for a bit and enjoyed the breeze and the views over the lake, which was calm until two different people stepped on my toe with heels on. Then, during our climb to the pagoda I was pushed, prodded, and even poked with a parasol. I temporarily lost my patience until we were able to find a little spot at a tea house to regroup, sip some jasmine tea and enjoy the grounds some more. We took a little boat ride across the lake and ended our visit to the Summer Palace.

Done With China

On our last day in Beijing we returned to the city to walk the grounds of the Temple Of Heaven, one of the most well kept park areas in the city. After, we walked north and tried to find some place to eat. We stopped back on Dazhalan, the touristy area south of Tian’an Men Square. We found a place for lunch and tea, ordering some pork dumplings and marinated duck. Eric had a few pieces of duck and one dumpling. He looked at me and said “I am done.” The dumplings were decent, but not the best. I finished the dumplings, but barely touched the duck. When he said he was done, he did not mean he was full, but that he was done, with China. He was done with Chinese food too. And, despite the fact that I loved the food in China, I had to agree.

We spent 24 days in China, which seemed at first like it would not be enough time, but in the end seemed like more than enough. China was a hard place to travel through and really tried our patience. I think if we had come for a two week vacation from work, I would have returned to the office frazzled to say the least. I am still glad we came, and I am glad we saw what we did, but it is the first country we have been to on this trip that I have no interest in returning to any time in the near future. And, I celebrated the conclusion of our China tour with an all American dinner at McDonald’s - Big Mac and all. We returned to McDonald’s for lunch the next day too - our last meal in China.

Usually we try to adopt some of the local customs and manners when we spend time in a new country. We try to learn the customs of how people eat or drink and try to be respectful of religious customs. Beijing, and the rest of China, made this very difficult for us. In China, we adopted their customs, but in an uncustomary way. We had to suspend our western notions of politeness and propriety to defend against the onslaught of China. It reached its apex in Beijing. We played the game of how obnoxious can we be? I started walking in a straight line in busy places making other people walk around me. Before they would walk right into me and I would wander in a snake’s path getting out of other peoples’ way. In China, I started to part the seas. I was elbowing people left and right and practically bruised my shoulders with the number of times I crashed into people. At the Summer Palace, I tried to be calm until I was stepped on twice. I lost my patience. I pushed a woman’s parasol out of my face and stood in peoples’ pictures (it is amazing how many people try to get the perfect photo at a spot like the Summer Palace or the Forbidden City, where there are thousands of people around; then they ask me to stop taking my picture and move out of theirs. It happened over and over). Coming out of the Summer Palace we could not get a single taxi driver to take us anywhere. Our hotel was too close and they wanted a bigger fare. It only cost 13 RMB to get there, but drivers wanted to charge us 80 RMB for the return trip. I was arguing with these drivers, yelling in English, and them yelling at me in Chinese, and me yelling, WHY? I sat in the back of one cab and the driver yelled at me to leave. I was getting angry. Finally, Eric saw a taxi dropping a guy off and before the driver could say anything he slid in the back seat. This guy had no problem taking us. He got the fare. Only once before on this trip have I actually yelled at someone in a confrontational manner. In China, I felt like it was required to survive.

If we had limited our visit to Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi’an, I don’t think my patience would have run. It was the time in between the large touristy cities that did me in, and left me with no interest in putting on the body armor to make our way around Beijing. I am glad we came, but I am more glad we left. We were ready for the Beijing assault to be over and to return to a nation we love - Vietnam. I also hope that my next few blog entries will be more positive, with less complaints!

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