Advertisement
Published: August 6th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Tiananmen
Chairman Mao and members of the People's Liberation Army. Soldier boys love Mao long time! In the spring of 2000 I participated in a University of Calgary overseas field study programme. Under the guidance of Dr. Peter Herrem, one of my favourite professors, we set out to study the physical environment, people and culture...and of course, to drink ourselves stupid. The trip was a huge success, I learned so much with out even realizing I had done so, and it gave me the travel bug that continues to this day.
We spent two months traveling 'round the world (literally!) to Japan, China, Thailand, India, Egypt, Jordan and Greece. During one of Dr. Herrem's inspirational on-site lectures, he uttered the words
Distance. Direction. Connection.
as a possible definition of geography. The meaning can be interpreted several ways, but here's my take. It's not distance in the physical sense, but rather a goal or objective, direction in terms of change (a shift in thinking), and how they are connected in time.
With one exception, a friend who was on that trip and reads this blog, it's not something I expect you to understand. But it spoke volumes to me and defines the way I see things when I travel. As with Thailand, this was my second time to China and
Forbidden City
Five bridges span this canal, the middle of which could only be used by the Emperor. I was curious to see what had stayed the same and what had changed. The big difference was that I had explored Beijing much more than Bangkok. I had vivid memories of the sites, sounds and smells of Beijing and was excited to show Denise the city I remember so well...but quickly found out it hardly existed.
The major sites were largely the same, but the city itself had changed a great deal. Long gone were the pungent odours eminating from alleys and sewers; long gone were the hordes of battered red taxis, replaced by newer models with better suspension and brakes; and long gone were the quaint neighbourhoods and small communities. Instead we discovered a Beijing that is aiming for the future, a city that is cleaning up for the Olympics and trying to put on a better face for the world stage. As with the rest of China, the focus is on money and construction is everywhere. Historic China is being bulldozed to make way for the unimaginative new.
Still, it was nice to see that places like the
Forbidden City and Tiananmen were pretty much the same. You can get lost in the countless halls and
Window Shutters
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China, Asia, Earth... courtyards of the Palace Museum, and wandering the concrete expanse of Tiananmen Square is exhilarating day or night. They're wonderful slices of history, although the effects of commercialization are taking their toll.
We visited a different section of the Great Wall than what I had previously seen, a section that has undergone extensive restorations. Regardless, by far the highlight is standing atop a tower and watch it snake off into the mountains. Sadly, touts are now swarming tourists on this particular stretch, so that feeling of being at one of the world's premier sites is ruined by some toothless nuisance who insists that you need a hat, t-shirt, or piece of Mao memorabilia.
But the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace are both spacious retreats free from the onslaught of hawkers and rickshaw drivers. Instead, you're treated to the sight of people singing and dancing and playing traditional games, kites of all shapes and sizes, and little children running amok with holes cut in their crotch to make it easier for them to pee on the sidewalk.
And finally, of course, there's the food! What makes Chinese cuisine a stand-out is that the idea is to eat
Badaling North #4 Tower
Halfway to the summit, cheaters take the cable car. with a large group and order several communal dishes. The result is a meal with numerous colours, textures and flavours. Restaurants pride themselves on the food, not the decor, so even the shabbiest of places serve up mouth-watering dishes. There's a saying that the only thing with four legs the Chinese won't eat is a table, ditto with wings and airplanes, and anything under the water is fair game. Menus read like an anatomy textbook and deep-fried pork intestines with stomach mung is not a bad translation.
China's two biggest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, couldn't be more different. Shanghai is all fun and games, whereas Beijing is definitely down to business. It's a city crossed with wide avenues, lined with grande buildings, and manned by serious people. It leaves no doubt in your mind that it's a capital city that rules with an iron fist - it feels like a Communist republic.
It's a wonder Beijing was ever granted the Olympics. Can they pull it off, or will it be an enormous failure? The spitting is still rampant, the traffic still sucks, and the people aren't all that friendly. For a country with so many problems and issues,
Tower of Fragrant Buddha
Atop Longevity Hill, Summer Palace the government should've put the money towards social programs and infrastructure. Instead, because Asian culture is about 'face', they've pissed money down the drain to look good for the international community. It's not about doing it right, it's about looking good while you're going down in flames.
Stay tuned, only 489 days to go...
Camille & Denise
Advertisement
Tot: 0.09s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 9; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0431s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Maestro the Vagabond
Cory Maley
Unexisted
Camille - unexists on his next trip to China. Good thing you're a tourist ;)