Beijing's Biggest........... Outdoor Swimming Pool

We had sauna-like weather in Beijing for several weeks recently so it was a great relief when I went to Liulang swimming pool. The complex consists of 3 large pools plus an area for serious swimmers to do laps. Tall trees enclose the whole area, and there is ample poolside paving to lie out on and relax. Can you recognise me among the sunbathers? Even on a hot sticky Saturday afternoon, the pool did not feel crowded (by Chinese standards).

Of course, the Chinese have their own way to enjoy the sun. Most of them don't like to get a tan - black is not beautiful here - so they sit in the shade or paddle by the pool holding an umbrella. You will see serious cardplayers as well as much more energetic volleyball players. Most people, though, young and old alike, enjoy themselves in the cool water, with water pistols, watermelons, inflatable ducks and the latest in swimwear fashion (nothing to get too excited about!).

It's an interesting place to see how local Beijingers 'chill out'. And if the water is not refreshing enough for you, there's always the cold-water-only showers afterwards for the real men. Is that you? If so, then let me guide you to this place, and/or to other parts of the 'real' Beijing. You have to hurry though since Autumn officially started early August according to the Chinese calendar.

Badachu Temple

Some of you may not be interested in temples, be they Buddhist or Taoist or even Islam. "You've seen one you've seen the lot" I can hear you say. Funny, that's what Chinese tourists going round Europe say about the churches, abbeys and cathedrals there.

Nevertheless, I want to tell you about my recent visit to see my friend who lives and works as a monk at Badachu, at the foot of the Western Hills. It is one of my favourite places since there is such quiet and coolness, away from the hustle and bustle and heat of the city. It was a long walk - mostly uphill to an altitude of 460m- to view all the 8 temples, but there is a cable car for those feeling lazy. There are so many ancient trees - pine, gingko, cypress, willow - which are particularly beautiful in autumn (late September/October).

It was not so peaceful at the lower temples. I wondered what the crowds of locals were praying for as they burnt their incense - perhaps for good luck, for their sons to get to university, for their only child to find a good spouse (even a foreigner would be OK?) and to have a baby son, or for themselves to get rich on the stock market?

In contrast to the some of the grand buildings, stone sculptures, gods, warriors, buddhas and wall murals, the place I enjoyed the most was the simple dining room where I had lunch with the monks. It was a unique experience, and with such an atmosphere of peace and calm as we all ate in silence. And what delicious food! Totally vegetarian and totally healthy! The monks looked so contented, and so youthful, without any cosmetics or facials. I really like their natural living environment - fresh food, fresh air, away from the pressures of the material world - but I'm not sure I envy their celibate lives. I mean, would you?

I hope I can take you to Badachu. And if not, then there are many other interesting temples in Beijing that we can explore together. Not just the famous Temple of Heaven, or Confucius Temple (see Ancient Streets blog), but how about off-the-beaten track Eunuch Temple or Fahai Temple (with rare Budhhist murals)?

Ancient Scholars and Ancient Streets

You've all heard of the ancient philosopher Confucius, I'm sure, but probably not of Guozijian. Well, here I am in this ancient 700-year old 'national history and culture street', taking a quiet stroll under the Chinese scholar trees. The main attraction is Guozijian or Imperial Academy, the educational centre of 3 dynasties. Here hopeful scholars used to take civil service exams, one of the world's first such systems, (and one reason why Chinese study so hard, even today?). And it was here that Confucian texts were used to test a candidate's scholarly level. Confucius was such an important person in Chinese culture that a temple, recently renovated, was built next to the Academy so that every day people as well as the emperor could pay tribute to him.

This charming street has various local stores selling a variety of cultural items, and folk crafts. You may also bump into this ancient man symbolizing Longevity that I am embracing in the photo (I'm on the left!).

See this and other fascinating sights on our Beijing Ancient Streets walking tour.

Shopping at My Local Market

You probably know how Chinese like to buy fresh vegetables, meat and fish. The hustle and bustle of market traders, shouting best prices for their products, contrasts with the rows and rows of corridors with soft background music of supermarkets in the West, with their neat shelves lined with plastic wrapped, super-clean, sterile vegetables and few humans in sight. 
 
Here there are lots of friendly stall keepers, even the fishmonger can smile after a hard day's work! And in case you're wondering, there are no live animals here.There is lots of local produce as well as imported fruit, can you spot the durian? With the hot summer, water melon is a favourite way of cooling down. And isn't it a luxury to buy hand-made noodles? Or even hand-made brooms, totally 'green' and organic!
 
Here are some pictures I took in my local market, I hope I have the chance to give you a personal tour next time you are in Beijing. More pictures follow.

"I feel like a King (or Queen)!"

                                     

I went to the local market recently and bought some of my favourite fruit - see photo. You may now know it, the fruit is a rich dark red, very sensuous, and when you bite into its soft flesh, you immediately feel its sweetness and subtle flavours with a touch of sourness, difficult to describe, not quite rasberry, not quite strawberry and not quite cherry. At the centre is a stone like in a plum. But it's so special I feel like a king enjoying some rare exotic luxury. Do you know what it is? Yes, 'yangmei' in Chinese, proper name myrica rubra, and translated as Chinese strawberry or red bayberry, but I tell my friends, rightly or wrongly, that it's called arbutus. They often never heard of it, but my English friend says there is a traditional folk song called "My Love's an Arbutus".

 

Arbutus is native to China and has been grown for over 2000 years. Apart from eating it fresh, my grandmother used to soak them in 'baijiu' (strong liquor or spirits), and swore by it as a medicine for upset stomachs. Strongly recommended if you overeat during your holiday here!

Thứ Tư, 24 tháng 6, 2009

June- here and almost gone

The Beijing spring and its beautiful blossoms have come and gone, and last weekend the summer solstice was celebrated in the traditional way by eating noodles。 Mind you， there was no emperor available to pray to the gods at the Temple of Heaven， but they seem to be happy with us since we feel far away from the gloom and doom reported in the west。

We are now well into summer with temperatures in the high 30s centigrade (high 90s F!). I've not been able to make a new posting for various technical reasons, but am glad to report that all is well with me. We are enjoying the lychees from the south, which are so sweet and plentiful. I'm not sure why anyone buys the locally grown cherries at 3 times the price! Mangos, mangosteens, durian and apricots have been with us for some time, but strawberries which are just coming in time in the UK for Wimbledon are a distant memory.

We have had so many visitors - friends, relatives, clients - and they are amazed at the huge changes in this city. "I've read about China's growth in the papers but never imagined it was like this!", or " Is this really a communist state?", or "I'm definitely coming back again soon!". I was able to take them to my favourite restaurants, shops and bars. We had a great get-together last week of 6 old friends. We all used to play in the same badminton club when I was in London a few years ago, and it was such a coincidence that they were all in town at the same time. I also had the honour of showing round the owner of Utopia website and helped them update and expand their Beijing information.

There are certainly more and more things to do by day and night, especially with the warm weather allowing outdoor swimming to cool you off, dining al fresco with views across the Forbidden City or drinks on a terrace overlooking a lake or a local hutong, where you can watch the streetlife pass by below. I would be very happy to take you there next time any of you come. Just push the contact button on the left, and let me know in advance. Will get more photos up next time.

Thứ Ba, 12 tháng 5, 2009

5.12 - One Year On

If you've been in China recently, you would surely have seen many signs of the first anniversary, which falls today, of 5.12, the day on which a scale-8 earthquake hit Wenchuan, Sichuan province, exactly a year ago. Numerous events throughout the country, as well as in the papers, TV and internet, are commemorating this date. The President Hu Juntao and a Vice Premier have flown to the site specially for a memorial ceremony.
I can still remember how one year ago as I was sitting at my desk in my 29th floor apartment in Beijing, I could feel my apartment building move back and forth due to tremors from over a thousand miles away in Wenchuan (that's like the distance from San Francisco to Denver). Little did I know at that time that 69,000 people would lose their lives due to this single disaster, not to mention the 19,000 people missing. For comparison, hurricane Katrina 4 years ago, one of the worst natural disasters in the USA in modern times, left under 2000 people dead . So many stories of courage, perseverance, selflessness ( the photo shows a policewoman feeding someone else's baby), bravery, sorrow and grief have been told since then.

One year on, reconstruction of the whole area is in full swing. New homes have been built,
new schools to withstand scale 9 earthquakes are being built, commerce and tourism have started up again
and even the pandas are breeding, awaiting their new home after the Wolong Panda reserve was devastated also.
There is hope again for the region, and the children especially are being told to work hard and with determination for a better future.