BEIJING

The most immediate impression of Beijing is one of vastness. The city extends apparently without limit across the flat landscape, this week under a lowering blanket of smog. The scale is set by the paved field of Tiananmen square, 800 by 500 metres, where we began our visit on our first day. We had our photo taken with some Chinese visitors... In the centre stands a massive square column – the Monument to the People’s Heroes. To the south is the mausoleum where the body if Mao lies in pickled state, to the west the enormous People’s Congress (unoccupied for much of the year). Most imposing of all, behind the massive, dark red Tiananmen gate to the north, are the 9,999 rooms of the Forbidden City – the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing emperors between 1420 and 1911.

There are other vast public spaces. The Tianan (Temple of Heaven) stands in a park full of ancient, gnarled cypress and juniper trees, some 2 square kilometres in extent. Here the Emperor would come each year to pray for abundant harvests.
We came across a duet playing a Chinese lute and a sort of glorified mouth organ under one arch of a gate, while not far away another man sang melancholy Portuguese airs to a guitar.

The elaborate summer palace of the colourful 19th century empress Cixi stands at the end of an artificial lake over a mile long (we walked round it!). It was built with funds appropriated from the naval ship-building programme, and by an irony the park contained a naval academy (presumably they trained on the lake!), which was closed down after the poor performance of the navy against the Japanese.


We travelled to the summer palace by dragon boat, which leaves from the huge soviet-style Exhibition Centre. With 20 minutes to wait we ordered a cup of tea – out of a sense of duty, as beer was less than half the price! We selected ‘peony ballad’ from the menu, and when it came (in a glass, with a second glass to pour it into through a strainer) it was quite colourless and almost tasteless. Our dragon boat meandered up the canals, past the zoo, with two trans-shipments, and we were amazed to see several men swimming – apparently for exercise – in the murky waters.

The wide main streets stretch for miles. Whole blocks contain a multitude of businesses selling identical or similar products, and there are acres of dereliction where the old hutongs (alleyways, read: slums) are being knocked down for development. Some of these blocks are already lined along the road fronts with new office or residential buildings, while within the ground resembles the aftermath of an air raid.
The whole city is in a fever of excitement and activity to get everything ready – and looking its best – for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Mature trees are being transplanted wholesale to major streets, and a taxi-driver proudly showed us the work in progress of the Olympic village.

And scurrying through the streets and parks about their pleasure or business are the 12,000,000 official residents of the city – and perhaps a quarter or half as many again who are not registered. We have been ‘joined’ on our walks by a number of young people anxious to practice their English. But the majority of those with whom we have practical contact speak no more English than we do Chinese, so sign language and smiles are the common currency of our communication and misunderstandings are frequent. We entered a pharmacy to ask for directions to find a foot-massage and almost bought corn-dressings! When we finally got to the foot-massage (strongly recommended for weary feet) Magda, who had been once before so was an expert, was adept in negotiating the price and waving away the ‘extras’.

All thanks to our charming hosts Archie and Mary, who made our stay very easy and agreeable and solved a series of knotty problems, as well as taking us to a reeling party!

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La primera impresion de Beijing es su vasto tamano. La ciudad se extiende, sin termino aparente, a traves del un paisaje plano, bajo una capa de smog peor que la de Santiago en Marzo. La escala ya esta defininida por la plaza de Tiananmen, 800 por 500 metros, donde empezamos a conocer Beijing. En el centro se levanta la columna cuadrada del Monumento a los Heroes del Pueblo. Al sur se encuentra el mausoleo que contiene el cuerpo preservado de Mao, al oeste el enorme Congreso del Pueblo. Lo mas imponente es la Ciudad Prohibida, protegido por el masivo porton de Tiananmen, con sus 9.999 habitaciones – el palacio imperial de los emperadores Ming y Qing entre 1420 y 1911.

Existen otros espacios publicos enormes: el Tianan (Templo del Cielo) se levanta en un parque, lleno de arboles antiguos, de unos 2 kilometros cuadrados. Aqui llegaba el emperador todos los anos para orar por una buena cosecha.

El Palacio de Verano de la emperatriz Cixi (una figura del siglo 19) se encuentra al borde de un lago artificial enorme (dimos la vuelta a pie!). Se construyo con dineros recolectados para un programa de construccion de naves para la armada. Ironicamente hubo una academia naval en el parque – supongo que entrenaban en el lago – el cual fue cerrado despues del fracaso de la armada frente a los Japoneses.

Viajamos al Palacio de Verano en bote, pasand por los canales donde habia gente nadando en el agua sucia – aparentemente tomando ejercicio.

Las anchas calles principales son muy largas, con cuadras enteras dedicadas al mismo negocio, y varias hectareas de destruccion donde estan anivelando los antiguos barrios pobres para su ‘desarrollo’. Todos se estan preparando para los Juegos Olimpicos del 2008.

Y entre medio corren los 12,000,000 de residentes oficiales de la ciudad, mas otra cantidad desconocida de no registrados. Cuando caminamos por la calle, es normal que se acerque un joven anxioso por practicar su ingles. Pero la gran mayoria no habla mas ingles que nosotros chino, entonces nos entendemos a traves de sonrisas y gestos. Entramos a una farmacia para pedir direccions a un boliche donde realizan masajes de los pies (recomendados para los pies cansados), y casi tuvimos que comprar unos remedios para zaballones! Llegados al negocio, Magda, quien ya lo habia hecho una vez, se demonstro experta en negociar el precio y evitar las ‘extras’.