Brief Summaries of Stuff We Did

Spending a couple of weeks in Beijing is like spending a couple of weeks in New York. You know you're never going to see all of it, and you have to weigh the tourist stuff you should see with the neighborhoods you want to check out, stuff you want to eat, shopping you want to do, etc. I think we've struck a pretty good balance, although we could spend another 3 weeks here and not be close to finished with our list.

I've already talked about Tiananmen and 798, both must sees if you come here.

Beihei Park & the White Dagoba - I'm a big fan of parks and the Chinese really know from gardens. The centerpiece is a humongous lake, much of which is covered with lily pads as big as the paddle boats puttering across them. Its also about 10 degrees cooler within the walls of the park which, on the days where the humidity is unbearable, makes it a nice break from the heat.

The Forbidden City - you have to go, so there isn't really any point in commenting. We earnestly asked a friend over beers if we could skip it, having heard terrible reviews: the sea of umbrella toting tourists, overcrowding, pushing, lack of shade, mile-long lines. He
thought for about 45 seconds and said "No. I'm sorry. You just have to go." So, we did. And you probably will too. The buildings are impressive (kind of the point) and there are a couple of interesting exhibits. Overall, though, it was the most unpleasant tourist experience we've had since leaving NYC. Glad that's done.

Beijing Zoo - PANDAS! We may not get to Chengdu because of the flooding, so it was important to see these furry smooshes in a totally unnatural environment. They're so effing cute, I found myself with my face pressed against the glass for ages. The grounds of the zoo are quite lush, with streams and Chinese willows abounding. The Chinese
haven't jumped on the more humanitarian zoo wagon - there aren't facsimiles of natural environments for the animals. They still keep panthers in 12 x 12 cement cages and the big cats pace angrily against the bars. Side note, people totally bring snacks to feed the animals in the zoo, which isn't something you see everyday. A group of Chinese boys used slices of bread to get a grizzly bear to do tricks in its cement pit. So, really, its part zoo and part circus and all strange and mostly depressing. But, PANDAS!

Lake District - The southern end has a few bar streets with men shouting at you to come in and listen to "My Sharona" and drink Bud. But the Northern end is where, during the day, middle aged Chinese men go to cool off in the lake and people practice Tai Chi. They gather in a spot right under a "No Swimming" sign and paddle around. Its pretty and misty and there are ancient towers rising through the fog/smog on both sides. A lovely stroll.

Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling - coming here, I was a little fuzzy on the details of Chinese history. I'm familiar with Mao's work and knew he supplanted the dynasty structure. But I was a little hazy on where Sun Yat Sen fit in and how and when the People's Republic was born. This residence is a former prince's residence, given to Soon
Ching Ling as a retirement home. She was Sen's wife for about 10 (pretty important) years, and became one of Mao's top officials. The grounds are stunning and the museum is pretty informative, though be prepared for heavy-handed pro-communist spin. Also, she was really into pigeons.

Mao's Tomb or, as we've renamed it, the Maosoleum - I definitely recommend a visit, even though the whole thing is a logistical PIA and you're only in the room with his waxy corpse for about 15 seconds. You have to check your bag, wait in a massive line, empty your pockets, take of your hat and be completely silent for the viewing. His face appears lit from within, like an orange Glo-Worm, but the pomp and circumstance of the whole thing is worthwhile. The only real disappointment was the gift stands out back. All of the merch was tasteful, his likeness only slapped on things you would find in a high
end office gifts store; fountain pens, key chains, framed art. We were hoping for a bit more kitsch but, alas, our dreams of Mao Pez dispensers and boxer shorts was not to be.

Gulou Neighborhood - we've wandered a lot of hutongs and explored quite a few areas of the city since we've been here. This is one of our faves. Gulou is where the tiny seedling of punk rock seems to live in Beijing. Off the main street is the Nanluogo Xiang, which is
the Abbot-Kinney or Bedford Avenue of Beijing. Tons of cute shops, bars with roof decks, snack foods and winding, ancient hutongs.

Bell & Drum Towers - one of the things that's so awesome about Beijing is that its a modern city with all the conveniences of a cosmopolitan metropolis but you can round a corner and see something from the 13 century. These towers were once used for musical purposes and were built by the Mongolians. Now, they're pretty much for tourists to
look at or climb up.

Imperial Hutongs - I'm obsessed with Eunuchs!!!! This is where they lived during the Ming Dynasty. Really well-preserved buildings with the original tile roofs.

We still want to hit the Summer Palace & the Olympic grounds but I've been slowed down by a nasty summer cold, and we leave tomorrow night.

We'll be back, though, for sure!