May 31, 2007

We woke up to a foggy/hazy/rainy day for our first day in Beijing. A little moisture in the air wasn't going to stop us from experiencing this city though. :) We were up by 6:00, got ready, headed for the breakfast buffet, and then stopped by the travel agency office in the lobby of the hotel to plan our day.


We ended up at the Pizza Hut next door for lunch before we met our tour group. Ron had some funky clam chowder topped with pastry with his pizza. Funny combo, huh?











We met in the lobby of the Jinglun at 1:30 for our journey to/through the Hutong village in the center of the city. We had a young guide who escorted us and told us of the history of this precious, ancient, and endangered part of Beijing. Our first stop was at a drum tower where we climbed about 70 BIG steps to the top and were treated to an impressive show. These drums were played on the hour during the daylight and a bell was rung from the tower on the opposite side of the courtyard during the night. We took some photos and carefully made our way down the treacherous stairs.

At the base of the bell tower, we participated in a tea ceremony. We learned about the "smelling" cup and the "tasting" cup, how men and women should hold their teacups correctly, and sampled numerous delicious teas. Jasmine tea (for improved vision), and sweet black tea with rose (good for the memory) were our favorites.

Finally we walked a couple of blocks to the rickshaws waiting to take us through the village.

Hutong: 4 small houses built together around a courtyard called a quardringer (not sure about the spelling but that is how it sounded...with a hard 'g' sound). They were built during the reign of a Mongolian emperor and still, the residents of this area are rich in the heritage and traditions of their ancestors. Also interesting is that the number of beams above the doorway is telling of the family's wealth. We visited a 0 beam and a 2 beam home. Just for reference, our guide told us the the past home of the emperor had 12 beams above the doorway. The threshold of the entrance also serves a great purpose. Apparently ghosts can hop, and a deeper/higher threshold at the gate will block many ghosts from hopping inside. Features of the Hutong courtyards often included bamboo (representing long life), a pomegranate tee (has to do with fertility), and koi (symbol of wealth).
Hutong Village from Above - (taken from the drum tower)


In the Courtyard

We had a very interesting tour. I know that the Hutong area of Beijing is somewhat in jeopardy due to the clean-up and construction efforts taking place in preparation for the Olympics this summer. I also know that the Chinese people are very proud of their heritage and tradition so I pray that these people are able to continue to live there as long as they choose. Let it be up to them to stay or leave, not some sort of "push" for the sake of progress.

When we returned to the hotel, Ron and I walked to the Beijing Friendship Store (about 15 min.) My notes from that day say that I should be proud of the restraint I showed. We were trying to save our luggage space for the shopping we knew was yet to come. We stopped at a market for some drinking water and distilled water (for Ron's 'dream' machine) on our way back.

To end the night, Ron and I decided to try the famous Peking Roast Duck. We walked west again for about 2 min. (all directions were given in minutes). The 6th floor of the Pearl Market houses the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. It was very very good. We ordered our new favorite jasmine tea, 1/2 roast duck, and some soup for Ron. The chef wheeled out his cart, carved and served us our dinner. One of the waiters showed us how to roll the meat, onions, cucumber, minced garlic, sugar, and sauce together in a tortilla with our chopsticks. We were certainly proud when we were able to successfully 'build' our own and take a bite.

We had a great day! We were so excited and happy to be there.

Tomorrow: The Great Wall & Ming Tombs