China 2009: Beijing - 798 Art District, Military Museum

Whenever we visit a new city, after hitting the main tourist attractions, we always like to find a couple of hidden gems that are off the beaten path and sometimes only known to the locals.  The 798 Art Zone and the Chinese Military Museum both qualify for this distinction.

The 798 Art Zone is an artist community residing in a former factory complex dating back to the 1950s, which produced military components, as well as civilian electronics and acoustic equipment.  The high ceilings and concrete industrial feel add to the charm of the area.  Bright red propaganda slogans from the Mao era were deliberately left in place over large arches of the concrete walls, as they were considered "Mao kitsch".

In the first gallery that we visited,  a set of manipulated photographs was titled "Between the Sexes" and showed a female, often scantily dressed, interacting with the head of a male.  It was surprising to see such risque, dominant, and aggressive depictions of the female relative to the male.

Another surprise was the irreverent depictions of the Communist party, Chairman Mao and the cultural revolution in the art pieces.  The apparent message of a painting of guards taking away a protestor who has a sign pinned to his chest saying "Anti-Revolution" is deliberately undermined by the fact that all the characters are drawn as babies.

Another gallery featured stuffed dogs that are then dressed up and positioned to look like they are doing human activities such as reading the newspaper or playing tennis.  Other whimsical sculptures are scattered through the streets and alleyways of the 798 Art Zone.

The Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution is not usually on the radar for foreign tourists visiting Beijing, but it was definitely a hit with the Chinese tourists from the villages.  We found out later that this site was popular for operators of tour groups since the museum is free for Chinese residents. Just like at the Great Wall of China, we made the mistake of thinking that it would be less busy right when the building opened.  When we showed up, we found the lineup wrapped around the block.  We almost decided to give up and leave, or at least go get a snack and try again later.  But once again the allure of the Caucasian saved the day.  While we were walking past the front of the line, multiple people spotted Rich and said that it would be their honour if they could let us get in line in front of them.

The bulk of the museum's military equipment was used by or captured by the People's Liberation Army, including anti-aircraft missiles, tanks, aircraft, boats, rockets, artillery, guns and other arms.  There were also collections of foreign equipment from Russia, USA, and Japan.

There was the remnants of an American U2 spy plane flown by Taiwan, which was shot down over China during the 1960s cold war.  A Russian-made MIG15 was shown in front of a mural showing Sabre Jets being shot down.  Rich's uncle used to fly a Sabre Jet and probably would not be impressed with this depiction!   There were many more Russian-made Chinese MIG airplanes on display which could be viewed from a higher floor, giving us a bird's-eye view.

For me, one of the most interesting exhibits was the set of portraits of a young Mao Tse Tung.  Since I've only ever seen the traditional images of the older, plumper Mao, this was like the first time I saw the comparison images of Fat Elvis vs Thin Elvis.  The way young Mao was depicted was reminiscent of religious portraits of Christ–portrayed as a reverential figure with all his "disciples" gazing up towards him with an expression of rapture on their faces.  In one painting, you can even see a glow above his head.

Having visited various military museums including the Invalide in Paris and the Austrian Military Museum in Vienna, I've concluded that it is common for military commentary and propaganda to be  skewed towards the home country.  However the Chinese Military Museum takes this concept to the next level.  The building is filled with blatant propaganda exhibits that glorify the Communist Party.  One particular spin hit close to home for me personally.  There was a sign that said "The return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland, wiping out the hundred-year humiliation of the Chinese nation".  It was positioned next to a huge photo of Mao surrounded by a hoard of joyfully beaming children.  Since my own family left Hong Kong in the late 60s in anticipation of its reunification with China, I am skeptical of the accuracy of this message.

Another reoccurring theme describes of how China had been repeatedly picked on by foreign powers throughout the years, but was finally able to rise and defend itself through the leadership of Mao and the Communist Party.  In one example, it is described that the Chinese army fought bravely and would have won the battle against the "joint war of aggression against China by Britain and France", if it hadn't been for the Qing government implementing the ill-advised policy of "ceasing war first".  This seemed like a very twisted and round-about way of admitting that China had surrendered.

The upper floors displayed historical artifacts going as far back as 4000 years before the Qing dynasty.  The top floor contained gifts to the Chinese Military or  State by foreign governments.

China 2009: Beijing - Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Ming Dynasty Tombs, Great Wall

The Forbidden City was the imperial palace of China from the Ming Dynasty in the late 1360s through the Qing Dynasty ending in 1912.  We were impressed by the size of the complex, as well as the number of tourists (mostly Chinese) that could be packed into the place.

The palace has been home to 24 emperors over the centuries, including Puyi, who became the "Last Emperor" in 1908 at age 2 and "ruled" for 5 years, with his father as regent, until his abdication after the Xinhai revolution.  Taken away from his mother, the lonely little boy lived in virtual seclusion during his reign, with only his wet nurse for company.

Rich was very disappointed to find out that the Starbucks which used to reside in the Forbidden City had been closed due to public protest.  Unfortunately he was not able to get the "Forbidden Latte" that he so desired.

Initially built in the 1100s, the Summer Palace was added to over the years.  The Kunming Lake, Longevity Hill, and the surrounding grounds and gardens were all built on man-made land by hand, in a time before machinery and power tools were available.

One of the highlights of the palace was the Marble Boat, mad from stone and wood painted to look like marble.  The Empress Dowager Cixi had it renovated in the late 1800s after the initial boat was damaged in the second Opium War.  The boat has a mixture of European and Asian decor, with its paddle wheels modeled after old paddle steamboats, and its dragon heads at either ends.  The Marble Boat was not meant to sail but was used by the Dowager for entertaining purposes.

Named the "Spirit Way", the long path to the Ming Dynasty Tombs is lined on both sides with giant weeping willow trees as well as 18 pairs of huge concrete sculptures depicting warriors and government officials, animals such as elephants, camels, horses, and mythical creatures such as dragons and phoenixes.

Three of the thirteen tombs are open to the public.  We visited the Changling tomb of Xu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1360-1424).  Inside the tomb was a bronze statue of the emperor as well as many artifacts including clothing, head dresses, cookware, vases, porcelain china and more.

The Great Wall of China is actually a series of different walls made of stone, wood, brick and earth, built over the centuries as fortification against invaders.  The first walls were erected as early as 5BC and construction of different sections continued through the 1600s.  The first emperor Qin Shi Huang (221BC), who conquered all opposing warring states and created a unified China, tore down walls that separated the individual states within his empire and instead built new walls to connect with existing structures along the empire's northern frontier, forming one contiguous wall with watch towers and troop barracks.  Although much of the original walls have eroded away, the Great Wall is still the world's longest man-made structure, stretching over 6400km.

The stretch of the Great Wall near Beijing which we went to visit was teeming with tourists, again mostly Chinese visitors from the villages.  Having success in Xi'an by visiting the Terracotta Warriors early in the morning, we tried to repeat this at the Great Wall.  Unfortunately we found out that morning was when all the tour buses arrived and so the paths were packed.  Amusingly, many Chinese villagers were more impressed by seeing Caucasian tourists than by the spectacle of the Great Wall.  We had entire families ask to take a photo with Rich–and not just one photo, but one with just the father, then additional photos with more and more family members.

The sheer immenseness of the Great Wall has to be seen in person to be truly appreciated.  When I first strode up a steep vertical incline of one section, I actually experienced a moment of vertigo and felt like I would topple over.  The giant steps in some section also proved challenging.  I'm glad I got to see it before more parts of it erode away.

China 2009: Beijing - Around Town

The last stop of our 2009 China tour was to Beijing, the capital of China and formally called Peking (as in Peking Duck, so you know what we will end up eating!).  Beijing falls in between the ultra-modern and commercial Shanghai, and the seemingly "frozen in time from a past era" feel of Xian.

Throughout out trip to China, we had to occasionally deal with the dreaded squat toilet.  Older generation Chinese actually consider these toilets more sanitary than the modern seated ones, since your skin doesn't actually touch any part of the apparatus.  They must have developed extremely strong thigh muscles to be able to manage the squat without toppling over.  My first experience with the old-style Chinese restrooms was quite stressful.  You had to remember to get the toilet paper from a common dispenser outside of the stalls (or bring your own).  The lock of the stall I was in did not work properly.  So at the same time as I tried to hold the squat position, I also had to keep the stall door from being pushed open by impatient and aggressive patrons who didn't want to wait their turn.  Imagine a one-legged squat with the other leg trying to keep the door shut, and both hands propped against the side walls to maintain balance.  After that, we agreed that it was a bargain to pay $6 Canadian for a Starbucks latte (enough money to feed dinner to an entire Chinese family), just for the right to use their clean, modern Western toilets.

Beijing used to be full of hutongs, which are alleys and pathways lined with rectangular, courtyard residences called siheyuan.  To prepare for the 2012 Olympics, in a misguided attempt to appear more modern, the Chinese destroyed many of the historic hutongs, replacing them with roads and skyscrapers.  Luckily, a few were left intact and now act as tourist attractions.   We took a tour of the hutong neighbourhood while riding in a bicycle-pulled rickshaw.  Visiting a siheyuan, we learned about the traditional organization of the structures that surround the courtyard.  The males and elders, considered the more important roles in the family. would live in the northern building with most sunlight.  Children, wives and concubines would live in the east and west wings,
while the servants stay in the south building, which receives the least sunlight.  There was one common bathing and toilet area, shared by the entire hutong.  In comparison, the personalized and private squat toilet didn't seem so bad after all.  Our guide told us that the residence was available for rent as a honeymoon suite.

We visited a few of the sites of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, including the Beijing National Stadium (famously dubbed the Bird's Nest due to its design) where the opening and closing ceremonies, and various athletic events were held.  Ai Weiwei served as the building's artistic consultant, but later disassociated himself from the Olympics, in protest of human rights issues.  The outside of the aquatic centre resembled a giant ice cube.  It was fun to see the pools and diving platforms, surrounded by flags of the different participating countries.  Outside the venues, people dressed up as the official mascots called the Fuwa mugged for photos with the tourists.

When we reached Tiananmen Square, before even viewing any of the sites, we first marveled at clear blue sky.  Prior to the Olympics, Beijing was so full of smog that you could not properly see across the Square.  In preparation for the games, the Chinese government shut down many factories and mandated a driving ban on cars, so that people could only drive every other day, based on their license plate numbers.  The results were amazing but unfortunately not long lasting, since the Beijing air has since returned to its former smoggy state.

The Tiananmen Gate was first built in the early 1400s and is considered a national symbol, with the huge portrait of Chairman Mao hung prominently over the entrance.  Lining the bridges that led into the square were secret police, trying but not succeeding in looking inconspicuous in their jeans and t-shirts with matching white visors and stiff stances.  There was a uniformed guard positioned in front of Mao's mausoleum.  The lineup was too long so we didn't try to visit his tomb.

It was fascinating to see the revolutionary Worker's Sculpture, found at one end of the square.  If you look very closely, you can see bullet holes in a few of the sculptures–the only remaining evidence of the military crackdown during the Tianamen Square protests.

While standing in the Square, we were approached by a vendor trying to hawk copies of Mao's little red book of propaganda.  He was not very good negotiator though.  He started off asking for 200RMB (about $30 Canadian) but when we declined and walked away, the price immediately dropped to 10RMB (just over $1 Canadian). 

  

Beihai Park was formerly an imperial garden and is now a public park, filled with plants, flowers, pavilions, temples, bridges and a lake which surrounds Jade Flower Island.  Built on the highest point of this island is the White Pagoda, a Buddhist temple made of white stone that hosts a reliquary holding monks' bones and other artifacts.  You can rent paddle boats or take a guided tour on a motorized barge.  Old men were practising "water calligraphy", dipping their brushes into pails of water and then writing chinese characters on the cement ground.  Other men were standing in front of what looked like newspapers placed behind plexiglass.  In fact, these were government notices about policies and bi-laws, as well as other propaganda from the politically self-censored People's Daily Newspaper, which lets the public know what the government's positions are on issues that the government considers as "news".

The Donghuamen Night Market is the mecca for the ultra-adventurous eater.  Rows of food stalls offer "delicacies" like gigantic cicadas and grasshoppers, hearts, kidneys, offal and other innards from a variety of animals, miniature sharks, scorpions, lizards, and more.  Many are deep fried and served on a skewer.  It seemed like something you would do on an episode of "Fear Factor".  Coincidentally, a few weeks after we returned home, this market was featured in a challenge from an episode of "The Amazing Race".  Prior to visiting the night market, I had made a pact with Rich that we would each eat something "icky".  My big brave husband chickened out at the last minute, but I successfully swallowed a silk worm! It wasn't so bad since it was deep fried.

A much more pleasant dining experience was having Peking Duck in its city of origin.  We went to a restaurant renowned for its duck and had it as our appetizer course.  While the duck was very good, we found that the Peking Duck available in Toronto is comparable.  This again highlighted how lucky we are to find such excellent and varied ethnic cuisine back home.  It was quite the treat to have our teapot filled by a skillful waitress who poured the tea out of a LONG spouted dispenser from several feet away.

While staying in Beijing, my sister and I decided to go for a deep tissue massage and foot scrub. These services were incredibly inexpensive, relative to what we would pay back home. The back massage and foot scrub were each around 35-38 RMB ($5-$6 Canadian) for 45 minutes each.  In preparation for the foot scrub, I was told to soak my feet in a bucket of hot water filled with herbs.  The masseuse then scrapped away at the dead skin on the heels of my feet with the furor of a kungfu master.  At the end, my heels were as smooth as a baby's bottom.  If only they could have stayed that way.  It's a long way back to Beijing for another foot scrubbing!

China 2009: Xi'an - Wild Goose Pagoda and Tang Dynasty Show

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is a place for Buddhist worship, initially built in the Tang Dynasty in 652AD.  If you climb to the top of the 7 storeys, you can see beautiful panoramic views of the city of Xi'an.  The Pagoda is built on vast grounds that contain many gardens, sculptures and fountains.  Ancient lore describes how the pagoda got its name–a non-vegetarian Buddhist sect prayed for meat, causing a wild goose to suddenly fall from the sky.  The monks took this as a sign that they needed to be more pious and became vegetarian, building the pagoda in the spot where the goose fell.  Hearing this story, I found it strange that the monks did not think that they were being rewarded, as their prayers were answered?

Throughout the site, special tribute is paid to the monk Xuanzang, who traveled throughout China and India in search of sacred Buddhist writings, documents and relics.  His travels have inspired a famous novel called "Journey To The West".  Legends say that just prior to his birth, Xuanzang's mother saw images in her dreams of him as a baby standing on a lotus leaf and that he was destined to bring Buddism to China.  Images on beautiful relief sculptures depict these stories.  Our traveling companion generated quite the excitement from the locals around town because his shaved head resembled that of their beloved monk.

At night, there is a musical fountain show, in the same vein as the one at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  Colourfully lit streams of water dance in the air, accompanied by orchestrated music.

We did not get a chance to watch a show at the Xi'an Grand Theatre, but we did enjoy viewing the sculptures of the Terracotta musicians mounted in the front of the building.  I wonder if there are actually Terracotta musicians to be found in the burial sites that are still awaiting excavation.

We did get to attend the Tang Dynasty Dinner and Show which performs Chang'an music and dances from the Tang Dynasty.  We started with a feast of different types of dumplings, followed by soup and more delicacies.  Through trial and error, we confirmed that China is not the place to drink wine, as the "Great Wall Red" wine could only be described as "nasty".  However the Tsing Tao beer (which we can also get in Canada) was fine.

Following dinner, we were treated to cultural dances featuring women in vibrant costumes with long flowing sleeves, and men dressed as warriors, dignitaries or acrobats.  Musicians played songs on various ancient Chinese instruments.  Prior to the show, we had the opportunity to take photos with some of the performers.  These women were either wearing very very high heels, or they were the tallest Chinese women I've ever met, as they towered over me.  However they were also the most miserable looking, as they presented forced smiles while their photos were taken.

China 2009: The City of Xi'an

Xi'an is usually associated with the Terracotta warriors, but the city itself has many other interesting features and attractions.

Xi'an has a large Muslim population of around 50,000, made up mostly of the "Hui" people, who are a mix of Han Chinese, Arabic and Persian ethnicities.  Their mixed heritage is clearly displayed in their facial features and the local dialect which they speak.

The "Great Mosque" is located in the heart of the Muslim quarters and is still used today as a place of worship.  It was originally founded in 742AD and was continually expanded throughout the various Chinese dynasties.  This mosque is unique in that it is mostly of Chinese in construction style and architecture, except for some Arabic lettering and decorations.

Walking through the vibrant night market in the Muslim quarter was quite the experience.  The area is bustling with food stalls and souvenir shops. Street-side, huge pots and frying pans cooked goat (we saw a goat skull!), lamb and mutton, rice dishes, fried pitas filled with meat and vegetable, kabobs and soups.

We were a bit concerned about the safety of eating at these establishments, since they did not seem to pay much attention to sanitary standards or cleanliness.  The table that we ate at was "wiped down" by a towel so dirty that it seemed like grease and grime were being added rather than removed.  We witnessed the plates and cutlery being rinsed in buckets on the street, while dirty water and oil was poured down a man-hole in the middle of the road.

The Muslim day market had a totally different vibe, with less focus on food and more focus on goods for sale.  Everywhere we went, vendors called out for us to buy their t-shirts, purses and other trinkets.  A very talented artist was producing beautiful scenery and calligraphy by dipping his finger in ink and drawing free-hand.  Two beautiful Asian girls in long evening gowns wandered the streets, making us wonder if they were "ladies of the night" out about in the day.  Down one alley, two men were playing Chinese Chess on the ground while surrounded by spectators.

In terms of souvenirs, the Terracotta Warrior figures were obviously a big attraction and they came in all sizes from small ones to life-sized sculptures.  We were shocked to see mopeds zipping around the streets with helmet-less small children hanging off the back and sides.  At one point, we saw one zooming by carrying a family of 5!  In Xi'an, the Caucasian man was an anomaly, so Rich attracted quite the attention.  One Muslim man took great pleasure in comparing their Buddha-like pot-bellies, as it was a sign of wealth and considered good luck to rub the belly of the Buddha.  This rubbing of the belly syndrome was even more prevalent in Beijing–more on that in a future blog.

Tipping was an interesting phenomenon in China, especially in Xi'an.  While traditionally accepting tips had been forbidden in China, more modern cities like Shanghai have evolved to the point where it is now expected there.  But in Xi'an, it was still not the norm and we found tips were accepted either with shock and then extreme gratitude, or in one case, even initially refused.  We left a tip at the restaurant we ate at, only to have the waitress chase us down the street to say that we forgot our money.  When Rich insisted that she keep it as a tip, it was a dilemma for her, since she was obviously not supposed to do so.  Should she accept, which was against the rules, or refuse and risk insulting the "White man".  In the end, she kept the tip.

Things may have changed by now, but back in 2009, taxi rides were so cheap that we could go anywhere for around 8-12 yuan (The Chinese currency was exchanging at about 7 to 1, so this amounted to just over $1 Canadian).  So, it was nothing to us to hand over a 20 yuan bill and say keep the change.  While this was the equivalent of tipping around $1.10 cents, the 80-100% tip on the fare was a big deal to the meagerly paid driver and he was usually overjoyed.

The 34 meter tall Drum Tower was built in 1380 in the Ming Dynasty and contains many ceremonial drums, decorated with symbols meaning peace, joy, luck, longevity, etc.  In ancient times the drums were beaten each night, as well as during ceremonies, and as an alarm in case of attack.  There are 24 "solar" drums, used to mark the positions of the sun in the 24 solar periods during a Chinese calendar year.  The ancient drums are for display only, but a sample drum is available for tourists to beat for a small fee.

From the Drum tower, there were pretty views of the city below.

China 2009: Xian - Home of the Terracotta Warriors

The most exciting part of our China trip was the visit to Xi'an, home of the Terracotta warriors and so much more.  Xi'an was once one of the four capitals of China, a cultural and political hotspot and marked the start of the silk road.  A massive stone city wall, 11.9 km long, 12-metre high, 15-18 metres in thickness was built in 1370 and still surrounds parts of the city.  It replaced an even larger wall from 194BC that was destroyed in 904AD.  Today, tourists can walk around the wall, rent bicycles or hire a bicycle-pulled rickshaw.

The highlight of Xi'an is of course the Terracotta Warriors.  Seeing a few representative sculptures in a traveling exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum in no way prepared us for the incredible experience of surveying the army of soldiers filling a pit larger than a football field.  We arrived early, before the hoards of tour buses arrived.  For a short, magical period of time, we had the warriors all to ourselves.

The sculptures were a funerary representation of the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang's armies, meant to be buried with him to protect him in the afterlife.  Not only were there figures of soldiers and generals, but also horses, as well as other members of the royal court such as officials, lawyers, accountants, musicians and acrobats.  Only a fraction of the sculptures have currently been unearthed.

The accompanying museum showed the original state of the sculptures when they were first found. The life-sized sculptures were brightly painted in coloured lacquer, varied in height, uniform and hairstyle according to rank and many held weapons such as swords, spears or cross bows.  Unfortunately, exposure to oxygen quickly caused all the colours to fade away.  We were told that the Chinese have deferred digging up the over 8000 remaining sculptures until they can develop techniques to better preserve them.

Emperor Qin's tomb is buried at the foot of Li Mountain, 30km from Xi'an.  The tomb is rumoured to be a replica of Qin's kingdom, including palaces and rivers made of mercury.  Samples of the soil in the area support this theory as they contain large traces of mercury.  Ironically the emperor died from ingesting mercury pills that were supposed to give him immortality.  So far the tomb and supposedly Qin's body have remained undisturbed and like the remaining terracotta warriors, will not be excavated until the technology advances to the point that the contents can be removed without damage.

The location of the  Huaqing Hot Springs is brimming with history since it is home to imperial palaces spanning multiple generations, dating as far back as 1045 BC.  Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (circa 700AD)  stayed there with his favourite concubine. Lady Yang Guei Fei, considered one of the most beautiful women in ancient China.   He enlarged the palaces and bathing pools around the hot springs and built a special tower where Lady Yang used to brush her hair.  The emperor was so enamoured with his beloved that he lavished her with extravagances and neglected royal duties, resulting a rebellion that led to the destabilization of his regime and destruction of some of the palaces.  In a tragic twist of fate, the rebels forced the emperor to kill his lady love.  Today there is a lovely statue erected in her honour.

The actual hot springs have been in use for over 6000 years and are known as the "first hot springs under heaven".  Three springs flow down the Xixiu Ridge of Li Mountain at the volume of 114 tons per hour, with a temperature of 43 degrees celcius (109F).  The water is full of rich minerals that are believed to be good for health and breeding.  The hot springs are open to the public today for a relaxing foot soaking.

The palatial grounds are filled with lovely gardens, ponds and sculptures, including one of a legendary turtle that is supposed to be hundreds of years old.  Patting the head of the turtle is supposed to bring you good fortune and long life.  What Rich thinks patting MY head will do for him, I'm not sure!

The gift shop displayed drawings of "Four Ancient Beauties" from different dynasties centuries apart. A famous quote describes how beautiful each one was.  Xi Shi (7BC) caused fish to forget how to swim, Wang Zhaojun (1BC) could entice birds to fall from the sky, Diaochan (3AD) made the moon shy away and Yang Guei Fei put the flowers to shame. As part of our tour, we were given a demonstration of how to tell real jade from fakes, based on its colour and transparency to light.  Overly green or non-translucent items were more likely to be fake.

The Huaqing Hot Springs were also the setting of another historic event that has been called the "Xi'an Incident".  In midst of the civil war between the Nationalist and Communist parties within China, National People's Party leader Chiang Kai Shek set up his headquarters here, to prepare for further attacks against the Communists.  Two of his own generals disagreed with continuing this internal fighting while China faced war with Japan.

The Xi'an incident involved a coup in December 1936, where the generals placed their leader under arrest.  The result was the cessation of the civil war and the unification of the two parties in the fight against Japan.  Apparently shots were fired during the coup, as a bullet hole in the wall has been preserved to mark the event.  This incident led to the downfall of the Nationalist party as the Communist party never relinquished power after the war with Japan.