2005年10月30日星期日
Autumn on Fragrance Hill in BJ
I imagined seeing hills of red! But only got to see faint hues of red in a distance as we approach Fragrance Hiill. The red and yellow leaves have pretty much fallen by the pathway, but still there were hundreds of people trying to get up or down the hill, afterall, they have flocked this far hoping to grab a glimpse of the red leaves!!! Nevertheless, it was still a good stretch for a Sat afternoon. Sun, fresh air and exercise!
2005年10月27日星期四
Beijing Hutong
HY decided that we should do the tourist thing while we are still in Beijing, so we brought out our cameras, and Jen & I went along on a pedi-cab tricycle ride around the Hutongs of Beijing at Hou Hai.
Price was pretty steep at about RMB180 per person to go on one of these official rides. There are also locals trying to hawk their rides for only about RMB50-70, but they will only take you on a 15-30mins ride around the Hou Hai area. We got to see more with the official programme - rode around the back alleys of the Hutongs to see the real life of Beijingers, and even went in to visit one of the old courtyard houses to chat with the residents. We also scaled the steep steps up to the old bell tower at Nan Luo Gu Xiang, we also visited the Gong Qing Wang wangfu and were treated to a traditional chinese tea brewing session and tea sampling. In the evening, we decided to walk around the Hou Hai area and the Yan(1) Tai(4) Jie(1), soaking in the bustling activities of the residents doing all different trades and houseworks!
Here are some notes on Beijing Hutong:
Hutong is a unique form of community that exists only in China. "Hutong" literally means a small street or a lane between two courtyards. There are thousands of hutongs in Beijing City. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming(1368-1628) and Qing(1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty. The center of the city of Beijing was the royal palace -- the Forbidden City.
One kind of hutongs, usually referred to as the regular hutong, was near the palace to the east and west and arranged in orderly fashion along the streets. Most of the residents of these hutongs were imperial kinsmen and aristocrats. Another kind, the simple and crude hutong, was mostly located far to the north and south of the palace. The residents were merchants and other ordinary people.
The main buildings in the hutong were almost all quadrangles--a building complex formed by four houses around a quadrangular courtyard . The quadrangles varied in size and design according to the social status of the residents.
The big quadrangles of high- ranking officials and wealthy merchants were specially built with roof beams and pillars all beautifully carved and painted, each with a front yard and back yard. However, the ordinary people's quadrangles were simply built with small gates and low houses. hutongs, in fact, are passageways formed by many closely arranged quadrangles of different sizes. The specially built quadrangles all face the south for better lighting; as a result, a lot of hutongs run from east to west. Between the big hutongs many small ones went north and south for convenient passage.
Other thoughts:
Never a person to be fond of any trips to China in the past. If not for my job, I probably would still not have visited China! But my impression of China has changed completely since I arrived. Exploring around the old Beijing - Lao(2) Bei(3) Jing(1), the love for the country and culture has already been seeded in me. Somehow, I believe we are brought here for such a time as these. Not only what China has to offer us in terms of economic growth and business/job opportunities, but what can we offer to China and her people?
Price was pretty steep at about RMB180 per person to go on one of these official rides. There are also locals trying to hawk their rides for only about RMB50-70, but they will only take you on a 15-30mins ride around the Hou Hai area. We got to see more with the official programme - rode around the back alleys of the Hutongs to see the real life of Beijingers, and even went in to visit one of the old courtyard houses to chat with the residents. We also scaled the steep steps up to the old bell tower at Nan Luo Gu Xiang, we also visited the Gong Qing Wang wangfu and were treated to a traditional chinese tea brewing session and tea sampling. In the evening, we decided to walk around the Hou Hai area and the Yan(1) Tai(4) Jie(1), soaking in the bustling activities of the residents doing all different trades and houseworks!
Here are some notes on Beijing Hutong:
Hutong is a unique form of community that exists only in China. "Hutong" literally means a small street or a lane between two courtyards. There are thousands of hutongs in Beijing City. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming(1368-1628) and Qing(1644-1908) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty. The center of the city of Beijing was the royal palace -- the Forbidden City.
One kind of hutongs, usually referred to as the regular hutong, was near the palace to the east and west and arranged in orderly fashion along the streets. Most of the residents of these hutongs were imperial kinsmen and aristocrats. Another kind, the simple and crude hutong, was mostly located far to the north and south of the palace. The residents were merchants and other ordinary people.
The main buildings in the hutong were almost all quadrangles--a building complex formed by four houses around a quadrangular courtyard . The quadrangles varied in size and design according to the social status of the residents.
The big quadrangles of high- ranking officials and wealthy merchants were specially built with roof beams and pillars all beautifully carved and painted, each with a front yard and back yard. However, the ordinary people's quadrangles were simply built with small gates and low houses. hutongs, in fact, are passageways formed by many closely arranged quadrangles of different sizes. The specially built quadrangles all face the south for better lighting; as a result, a lot of hutongs run from east to west. Between the big hutongs many small ones went north and south for convenient passage.
Other thoughts:
Never a person to be fond of any trips to China in the past. If not for my job, I probably would still not have visited China! But my impression of China has changed completely since I arrived. Exploring around the old Beijing - Lao(2) Bei(3) Jing(1), the love for the country and culture has already been seeded in me. Somehow, I believe we are brought here for such a time as these. Not only what China has to offer us in terms of economic growth and business/job opportunities, but what can we offer to China and her people?
2005年9月3日星期六
Hike up Wu Ling Shan in BJ
It's Sat, and my only opportunity to enjoy a sleep in! But a persistent WL woked me up at 7am with numerous phone calls, with the intentiont to drag me out for a road-trip and hike up Wu Ling Shan!
God also has other plans for me, and certainly not to sleep in on this Sat. I am glad I went, not for the fact that I was the last one to make it up the hill (yes, it's time to get started on the gym... one of the frequent thought has crossed my mind), but the opportunity to get out of the city for a breath of fresh oxygen, and yes(!) to enjoy the blue sky and white clouds(!) which is a very rare sight in the polluted Beijing! And I believe, it is God's plan for Cat n I to finally meet each other, though I have heard about this friend of Adel's who have just arrived in BJ! Cat is now my best buddy in Beijing!
Packed into 2 cars, we took a 3-hr drive out of Beijing city. We stopped by a local eatery for lunch - better known as Nong(2) Jia(1) Cai(4) - translated as "farmers' dishes". We had "wild vegetables" - Ye(3) Cai(4) - which is not as tasty as the salty, oily dishes that we have gotten used to eating in Beijing, but certainly one up for health!
We finally started the climb up Wu Ling Shan at about 3pm. It was a rough climb up, and very soon, Alan n the rest were far ahead of us. But surely and slowly we got to the top! Thanks to WL n Cat for pacing me! :) The view from the top was breath-taking!
Other thoughts:
Have you ever faced a mountain that seemed impossible to overcome?
We face various mountains - work challenges, difficult relationships, stresses, and these don't seem to go away, reinforcing the fact that we are only human. I once read a book "Prayers to Move Your Mountains", and it reminded me that mountains are beneficial because they serve as reminders of our inability and God's ability. What kind of faith would we have if we never faced any challenges?
"God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20)
"For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I (Jesus) say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:22-24)
Sometimes I stumble upon the mountains in my life, but I know God directs my path :)
Here are some pics I managed to grab while taking breaks along the climb up Wu Ling Shan!
God also has other plans for me, and certainly not to sleep in on this Sat. I am glad I went, not for the fact that I was the last one to make it up the hill (yes, it's time to get started on the gym... one of the frequent thought has crossed my mind), but the opportunity to get out of the city for a breath of fresh oxygen, and yes(!) to enjoy the blue sky and white clouds(!) which is a very rare sight in the polluted Beijing! And I believe, it is God's plan for Cat n I to finally meet each other, though I have heard about this friend of Adel's who have just arrived in BJ! Cat is now my best buddy in Beijing!
Packed into 2 cars, we took a 3-hr drive out of Beijing city. We stopped by a local eatery for lunch - better known as Nong(2) Jia(1) Cai(4) - translated as "farmers' dishes". We had "wild vegetables" - Ye(3) Cai(4) - which is not as tasty as the salty, oily dishes that we have gotten used to eating in Beijing, but certainly one up for health!
We finally started the climb up Wu Ling Shan at about 3pm. It was a rough climb up, and very soon, Alan n the rest were far ahead of us. But surely and slowly we got to the top! Thanks to WL n Cat for pacing me! :) The view from the top was breath-taking!
Other thoughts:
Have you ever faced a mountain that seemed impossible to overcome?
We face various mountains - work challenges, difficult relationships, stresses, and these don't seem to go away, reinforcing the fact that we are only human. I once read a book "Prayers to Move Your Mountains", and it reminded me that mountains are beneficial because they serve as reminders of our inability and God's ability. What kind of faith would we have if we never faced any challenges?
"God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20)
"For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I (Jesus) say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:22-24)
Sometimes I stumble upon the mountains in my life, but I know God directs my path :)
Here are some pics I managed to grab while taking breaks along the climb up Wu Ling Shan!
2005年6月30日星期四
Godsons in BJ!
My friends brought their children, my Godsons, to visit me in Beijing, and left behind wonderful and very treasured memories of our time spent exploring Beijing!
We took a 3-hr train ride out to Bei(3) Dai(4) He(2) to check out the "old dragon head" a term affectionately referring to the start of the Great Wall, and where the first gate is located - also called the "Tian(1) Xia(4) Di(4) Yi(1) Guan(1)". Part of it extends out to the sea, runs a short distance along the coast! We also spent some time at the beach and went on a sand slide!
Back in the Beijing city, we made our way to BJ Zoo - and though I was as excited as the boys to see live pandas, but these lazy bears were snoozing away! We also went apricot picking in one of the many fruit orchards in suburban Beijing. We went home with 2 basketfuls of apricots!Depending on the season, one can go apple and pear picking too!
We took a 3-hr train ride out to Bei(3) Dai(4) He(2) to check out the "old dragon head" a term affectionately referring to the start of the Great Wall, and where the first gate is located - also called the "Tian(1) Xia(4) Di(4) Yi(1) Guan(1)". Part of it extends out to the sea, runs a short distance along the coast! We also spent some time at the beach and went on a sand slide!
Back in the Beijing city, we made our way to BJ Zoo - and though I was as excited as the boys to see live pandas, but these lazy bears were snoozing away! We also went apricot picking in one of the many fruit orchards in suburban Beijing. We went home with 2 basketfuls of apricots!Depending on the season, one can go apple and pear picking too!
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