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Published: June 25th 2008
Tienamen Square
Another clear day in Tienamen SquareI started my China adventure by staying in Beijing for a week and later ended up returning for a few days to meet up with Sean for our tour. It was my first impression of China after arriving from Tokyo, and the contrast was stark from the moment I arrived. The pollution in Beijing, and much of China, is as bad as they say. I couldn't really see anything through the smog as our plane approached the runway. There is always this opaque haze around outside and you can never really see very far. I've heard that spending one day in Beijing is the equivalent of smoking 70 cigarettes. I don't know if that is entirely accurate, but I did develop a bit of a cough about 2 weeks after arriving in China and had to take the anti-biotics that I had brought with me, which helped immensely. There is also a very pervasive smell in the air around Beijing and other parts of China. I can't quite describe it, but I wouldn't call it pleasant. The water is the worst. Only a fool would attempt to drink it, but the smell of it doesn't exactly entice you.
But I
knew all of this before I headed there. My buddy Matt had even prepared me for the extreme spitting, loud horn honking, and babies pooing in the street (more on that later). Beijing was my first true Asian experience outside of the first-world luxury that I had experienced in Japan. The airport was first rate. It is brand new, just in time for the Olympics, and seems massive when you walk in. Large red columns rise to support a curved roof which seems to stretch over the horizon when you first enter the terminal.
I had pre-booked a hostel in the center of town and arranged for them to have a driver meet me at the airport. I managed to connect with him no problem, but he did not speak even a word of English. The airport seemed to be far away from the city and for a while there didn't seem to be much traffic. That soon changed when we got closer to the city. Beijing is laid out with Tiananmen Square in the epicenter of 5 concentric circle roads around it. As you get closer to the center, the traffic becomes more and more congested, which is
quite a feat since some of the roads are up to 10 lanes wide. I was intrigued when I noticed that pretty much all of the cars on the roads looked to be fairly new. Most were brands that I recognized as well. The taxis were either Hyundais or Volkswagons and I saw a lot of Buicks driving around as well. This was a vast difference to my last communist encounter; my trip to Romania 5 years ago. The cars there were all run down and most of the taxis were old Dachias, which was the communist car that was produced en masse before Romanian independence. The cars have to compete with bicycles, scooters, and little motorized rigshaws that are half motorcycle / half carriage.
My hostel was on an old hutong, which is what they call the traditional streets of Beijing. Beijing used to be made up of nothing but these dirt streets with buildings flanking both sides. Shops and residences stand side by side and during the day food vendors set up their stalls right on the street. Some of the houses on the older Hutongs did not have running water and the toilets, ie ditches, were
outside. In the summer time they would give off a not so pleasant aroma. In recent years, in the race to modernize, the government has been tearing down these hutongs and replacing them with large tower blocks. There are some who criticize such decisions and claim that the essence of Beijing is being destroyed. I would wager though that the same people who make those criticisms have never lived in a hutong house either.
My hostel had running water and a bar / cafe to boot. It was a nice place to base myself and cost me about $4 a night for a bed. I don't think the Chinese have become accustomed to mattresses yet. Everywhere I slept in China was on what seemed like a flat board with about an inch of beaten down padding on top.
On my first day exploring, I walked over to the nearby Tiananmen Square, which serves as the center of Beijing, which serves as the center of China; both culturally and politically. To illustrate the point, all of China is on "Bejing Time". China is a large landmass that would otherwise entail 3 time zones, but officially there is only 1
The Final Countdown
The Olympics are almost here.... time zone and it is for Beijing Time.
Tiananmen is the world's largest city square and measures half a mile long and is capable of holding over a million people. It's hard to see the entire distance when the smog is at its thickest. To the south is Mao's mausoleum, to the north is Tiananmen Gate, to the West is the Great Hall of the People, to the East is some museum that was under renovation and in the middle is the monument to the People. Security is pretty tight. The roads which encircle the square are all at least 4 lanes wide and fences prevent you from crossing. You can only enter the square via underground passageways and after about 10 pm they close it down so no one can enter. The police do random bag checks but I was never searched. All throughout the square there are major light posts that flood the square with light. They have speakers and cameras attached, and there are reportedly numerous plain clothed police in the square at all times. You are definitely being watched, but I didn't find it overly intrusive. I've seen way more CCTV cameras walking around London
on an average day. Because the square is such a focal point for the country and is capable of holding over a million people, it is the perfect target for protesters and demonstrations. You can be sure that there will be extra security in the square during the Olympics.
Oh yea, so I'm walking around Tiananmen, and I immediately notice what Matt was warning me about. All of the toddlers are wearing trousers with the crotch cut out. They're basically wearing chaps. So all of the babies' bums, and the boys twig and berries, are just hanging out. I don't think the concept of diapers have caught on yet. When the kids need to go, they just go wherever they happen to be. I saw a girl christening Tiananmen, and later when I was in Quindao, I witnessed a little kid baking brownies outside while I was eating my lunch in a restaurant. This is the world's next superpower hugh.
Tiananmen is of course the sight of the famous 1989 protests for democracy by students from all over the country. They were timed to coincide with a visit from Mikael Gorbachev from the USSR, and Gorbey's motorcade had
Olympic Fever
You see advertisements like this all over Beijing, and the rest of the country. to be diverted so that he didn't see the demonstration. The protests were peaceful and lasted for more than 3 weeks. At that point the government lost patience and sent in the military to disperse the students. The resulting casualties were either in the hundreds or thousands, no one knows for sure. There hasn't been as large a demonstration for democracy within China since then (that we know of). The Chinese haven't lost their zest for protesting though. Just recently after the earthquakes, hundreds of parents protested against the government after they had lost their children to poorly built collapsed schools. Nearby government buildings stood intact. The protests went on for days, the media covered it, and the government promised to investigate. While Sean and I were in Beijing we witnessed a large group of marchers parading around the city shouting "Come On, China!" It wasn't a protest, more of a show of Chinese unity during the 3 days of mourning for the earthquake victims. But it was clear that they have not forgotten how to assemble and demonstrate. I just don't think you'll be seeing too many demonstrations against their current form of government. We'll see what happens during
This cracks me up
Chaps are still in for toddlers in China the Olympics though and who initiates it.
At the north end of the square is Tiananmen Gate. This is the famous gate with the large portrait of Mao Zedong. Flanking either sides of the gate are large sets of bleachers. The wide boulevard in front is the site of all their military parades. I saw a few videos of previous military parades that were showing in the gate. It was commie propaganda at its best with all the goose-stepping you can handle. I was outside of the gate on my second night in town and taking a few photos. Someone asked me to be in their photo, and before I knew it I had about a dozen requests to be in photos. People wanted me to have a photo taken with their kids. I kinda felt like a rock-star, but this would be repeated again and again throughout China. I guess they still don't get too many white guys over there.
Behind Tiananmen Gate is the Forbidden City, which was the home to China's emperors for nearly 5 centuries. It puts European castles to shame. There just seems to be an endless number of halls and gates behind
the walls. Most of the buildings in the inner court seemed to be where the Emperor's concubines and wives lived. Basically the emperor couldn't be bothered with the day-to-day work of running the country and just used to spend all day shagging. Most of the important decisions were made by the empresses or the eunuchs. There was almost certainly some penis envy within the inner court as the emperor was the only guy who had one. All the other men had to surrender their peas and carrots if they were to pass into the inner court, (hence the eunuchs). Such is the price for power. The forbidden city was used as an imperial palace until the last emperor of China, Puyi, was forced to abdicate in 1912. He was only a child and was allowed to remain in the inner court until he was finally evicted in 1924. He later went on to be installed as head of the Japanese's puppet government in Manchuria. He eventually came back to China after the CCP had taken over and was "re-educated" in the ways of communism. The Forbidden City is a magnificent site, but I did find myself suffering from palace fatigue
by the time I reached the end of it.
Bordering the West side of Tiananmen is the Great Hall of The People. This building is kind of like China's parliament building, only not much voting occurs within it. There is a grand ballroom of sorts and a large theater along with various side-rooms for receiving guests and discussing policy. Although China is technically a Communist country, I would argue that it is really a totalitarian one-party government in which the name of the party happens to be the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). China abandoned their pure communist ideals after their failed experiments with the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Essentially, when Mao died, so did his communist vision for China. When Sean and I were speaking to a student about her thoughts on North Korea, she did not have positive things to say about them. She indicated that North Korea has criticized China for not being "communist enough" and for not adhering to the true principles.
Interestingly, Mao has been kept as a symbol by the party, almost an idol. His early accomplishments of unifying China continue to be illuminated while his later failed policies, which
brought starvation to millions, tend to go overlooked. What is most remarkable however, is to see what has happened in China since his death. A new dictator, hereditary or otherwise, did not replace him. There have been a series of new chairmen of the CCP without a lifetime appointment. Although only the senior leadership of the party gets to choose who becomes leader, they seem to be able to identify capable and competent people. It's kind of like a company's board of directors choosing a CEO. Successive regimes have opened China up more than at any time in her history. Millions have been lifted out of poverty, the country is agriculturally self sufficient, and the economy continues to grow at a breathtaking pace. The media is still controlled, but it seems to be opening up slowly. I reckon the government is still trying to master how to spin the news like the rest of the world. I was amazed at how many internet sites I could really access while I was there. Albeit only in English. The English version of the BBC website was recently unblocked, while the Chinese version remains inaccessible. The government probably does not get enough credit
Inside the People's Hall
This is within the ceiling of the auditorium. I had to get a security guy to take it for me as I wasn't allowed close enough. for its accomplishments and for avoiding a Great Leap Backwards. For good reasons too.
For all the successes that the CCP has been able to achieve, they have systematically chosen to overlook human rights abuses within their own borders. Crackdowns are random, harsh, and heavily censored or denied. It seems to me that the government sees these small "fringe" groups as an impediment to progress for the whole of China. In Confucianism, the group comes before the individual. Most people that I could tell were in favor of the current form of government. Indeed, their lives have been improving generation over generation. There are some who think that by China opening the door to capitalism, democracy and freedom will soon follow. I'm not so sure that will happen anytime soon. The CCP is extremely efficient at cracking down violently against anyone who challenges their power. They have managed to co-exist with their brand of capitalism and I can't see that changing anytime soon without a monumental event. Ultimately, I think the Chinese want the best of everything; the best economy, the best military, as well as the best government. When the CCP decides that democracy is the best form
Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium
I still can't decide if I like it or not. of government for China it will happen, but not before then.
South of Tiananmen is the Temple of Heaven, which is a series of Taoist buildings in a lovely park. These buildings were used by emperors to pray for good harvests every year. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a circular building with 3 layers, which rests on top of a 3 tiered marble foundation. I'm sure it has something to do with fung shway, but I don't know how. The building had just completed a renovation in time for the Olympics and the detail of the gold painting really shone through. I found the building symmetrically beautiful.
North of Tiananmen is the Lama Temple. It is one of the few Buddhist temples within Beijing, and probably the most famous. The buildings themselves do not particularly stand out from other Buddhist temples, but the real treasure lies in the last building of the complex. In there stands a 26 meter tall statue of a Buddha carved from a SINGLE piece of White Sandlewood. It is the largest Buddha carved from a single tree in the world. It must be true because it is in the Guiness
Olympic Characters
One for each ring in the Olympics logo. Book of World Records.
Really far north of the city is the new Olympic stadium, nicknamed the "Bird's Nest." I still haven't made up my mind if I find it appealing or not. There is a new train line planned to link it with the rest of the metro system. However, it was not ready yet, so I journeyed up there by taxi after failing to navigate the bus system. The stadium grounds were still being completed and were fenced off although the stadium itself looked complete. Since then, they have already staged some sort of athletics event there, so it is all good to go. A nearby building, from its profile, looks like a torch being held high in the air. It did not look as ready for prime time as the stadium. Nor did the nearby Olympic village. I'm sure everything will be ready on time though. When I was there it was 100 days to go before the Olympics as I could tell from the countdown clock. Construction is happening all around the city as they rush to slap on a fresh coat of paint and get things ready. It's hard to continue on the sidewalks
Photo Fun
I just like this photo is all without encountering piles of sand or rubble from nearby work zones. I'm sure it will all be ready by the time the opening ceremonies take place.
Indeed there seems to be Olympic fever all around China, but nowhere so prevalent than in Beijing itself. Posters are everywhere (Yao Ming is a favorite) and I can't count the number of times someone tried to sell me something with "Beijing 2008" on it. Although I usually don't pay much attention to the Olympics, I think this year could be worth watching. This is China's coming out party and they are going to pull out all the stops. It's a celebration of how far they've come and a signal to the rest of the world that this is just the beginning. The last Olympics to be held in a developing nation was 20 years ago in Seoul, Korea. What a difference 20 years makes. There was a time when I wouldn't consider buying anything with the Samsung name on it because of its quality reputation. Now they are at the leading edge and have even managed to get their name on the front of the Chelsea kit. It doesn't get any higher
The People's Republic of China is born
Ironically enough, it is neither a republic or representative of the people. Discuss! quality than that. We'll see how long before a Chinese company affixes their logo onto the front of Manchester United.
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Matt
non-member comment
DId you say loo?
So, from japanese heated, jet action and elegence to the 'open rear trouser' and squat style - which will you bring back home and introduced to friends and family?