Exploring Modern China

by Greg Petty
January 2010

We experienced our first trip (we earnestly hope to return) to China last November and, fortunately for our tour group of 31 adventuresome souls, we missed a large snowstorm that had swooped down from the north and wreaked havoc on northern China. To say it was cold in our first stop, Beijing, is an understatement.

The cold was but a minor annoyance to be tolerated, as we were all excited to begin our explorations. We were impressed by the modernity, cleanliness and sophistication of China’s famous capital city. Our first sight of modern China was the beautiful ultra-modern Terminal 3 at Beijing International Airport. Secondly, I remember looking out of the window of the Crowne Plaza Sun Palace hotel window for our first sunrise and seeing the enormity of the city as it stretched to the south and west of our room. So this is what an ancient and yet modern capital city of 14 million inhabitants looks like. Skyscrapers almost as far as the eye could see. And not just plain old boring skyscrapers but modern, architecturally fascinating skyscrapers! Even at this early hour, we were still on North Carolina time, you could see and hear the many types of transport in use, trains, trucks, buses, automobiles and bicycles all interacting in orderly fashion. It was a far cry from the wild free-for-all that marks the commutes of cities such as Rome. Order is an important part of daily life in China.

Beijing has a fascinating history and has been known by various names in the past such as Ji, Zhongdu, Dadu, Beiping and Peking. As the sweep of historic migrations established different dynastic rulers and changes to Chinese society one constant remained, Beijing’s strategic location for development of rule and communication between the south and the north.

The great Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson and ruler during the travels of Marco Polo, built his capital named Dadu, meaning Great Capital, here, and the layout of the city was established. After the overthrow of the Mongols in the late 14th century, the second ruler of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di (Emperor Yongle) completed the construction of two of the country’s World Heritage sites, The Temple of Heaven and The Forbidden City.

Every year the emperor would process south from The Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven to make offerings and to pray for good weather and prosperity for his kingdom and subjects. The temple layout and construction reflects Chinese principles of harmony between man, nature and heaven. The northern part of the temple is circular (Heaven), and the southern part square (Earth). The Temple is a favorite early morning spot for Beijing citizens to practice Tai Chi, exercise, sing, walk their pets and visit with old friends.

The construction of The Forbidden City took one million men over 14 years to complete, and it is a marvel of the first order. It served as the royal palace for over 500 years until the abdication of Puyi, the final emperor of the Qing dynasty in 1911.

We entered the north gate called the Martial Spirit gate and were ushered into the beautiful yet tranquil Imperial Garden in the first square. We would proceed southward through multiple courts containing fantastic palaces, squares and sculptures. The palaces of the outer court were aptly named Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Middle Harmony and Hall of Preserving Harmony. The exit to the south empties onto another Beijing destination, Tienanmen Square. The entire 720, 000 meter site is laid out with the traditional consideration of yin and yang. The outer courts are yang, where the emperor ruled affairs of state and the inner courts were yin, where the emperor, his family and concubines lived.

Other must see sights for any visitor to Beijing are the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall and the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace was rebuilt in the 1880s after being burned down by the Anglo-French forces in 1860. The Dowager Empress Cixi diverted money intended for the Navy and reconstructed the Palace and grounds. Dowager Cixi seized power after a coup in 1861 and ruled until her death in 1908. The Summer Palace served as her court and she spent most of her time here. The buildings and gardens are masterpieces of combining natural and man-made elements into a breathtakingly beautiful location that Cixi (Dragon Empress) called the Garden of Health and Peace.

The Great Wall lies just north of the city and is perhaps China’s most enduring iconic image to the outside world. The wall stretches some 4,000 miles from the Tibetan plains to the Pacific Ocean. The famous First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, began the first wall construction in about 220 BC. He is the emperor whose terra cotta warriors discovered at Xian have amazed the world. The Wall is actually many different segments in different locations, but the largest contiguous contributions to the structure were made during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The aforementioned cold weather curbed our enthusiasm for being out on the exposed Great Wall for too long, but we did manage to make it up a section of the Wall to a Pagoda fortification, what was once a lookout tower. Although we had to pick our way around ice on the steps and dodge people coming up and down, everyone was courteous and delighted at the experience of actually being on the Great Wall.

If you can possibly arrange it visit one of Beijing’s hutongs, old sections of the city not replaced by modern buildings. We enjoyed a rickshaw ride through a neighborhood that allowed us to see life the old way (community baths and bathrooms), and the economic variety (rich and poor) in the city. Our ride commenced with a visit to the local grocery market and an absolutely scrumptious meal at a local home. Our entire group agreed—this was the best meal of the trip! Our host also graciously provided each of us with small woven red harmony hangings for strategic placement in our homes.

All along our travels in China, whether on the street, at a historic site or visiting a specialty shopping experience such as the cloisonné or jade factories, we found the Chinese people to be delightful and eager to please. We had interesting conversations with students and businessmen on the long flights to and from home. One thing is certain; America and China are now inextricably tied together economically. Both societies can learn from each other culturally, but both countries will have to work hard politically to comply with Confucius’ statement "… those who are afar are attracted."

Next month we will share the wonders of Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai.

Zai jian (goodbye)!

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