Day 1, 7/4/10, Beijing

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Nowhere on earth is a country’s narrative as grand as it is in China. As we walked through Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a traditional hutong, and two shopping districts, the story of China unfolds as a nation that is striking an interesting balance to build its future and commemorate its past. Our first day in Beijing was hot, which probably made the biggest first impression on us. But as pictures showed, we all looked remarkably cool thanks to cloud cover. The presence of Mike Chinoy, a former CNN reporter and Beijing bureau chief, lent an added air of seriousness as he recounted the events from June 1989. That he was telling us of how he and his team worked around the number of media roadblocks as we were right in the middle of the Square was a small act of subversion, especially since we were warned about talking about political goings-on. Some of us furiously wrote while others were photo hounds. Some did both.

There seemed to be parallels between the events 21 years ago and the staging of the Square today. Chinoy talked about how CNN’s video feed was cut off and how they rigged another setup using microwaves from atop a flag pole. Chinese officials were determined to control their story, especially in light of a state visit from Mikhail Gorbachev, who was seen as a humanitarian after Glasnost and Perestroika. In 1999 a religious movement was squashed. In more celebratory times, on October 1, 2009, which celebrated 50 years of the PRC, the splashy, glitzy video screens were part of a media blitz meant to cement in everyone’s mind the image of a new China with a market-based economy.

Seventy-two hectares large and built during the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century, the Forbidden City is also about control. And, like its name suggests, it kept out commoners. Based on the great number of tourists, this is now a major destination for everyone, and therefore a part of collective memory that is retold by its mainly Chinese visitors. One building of unshaded area led to another building of unshaded area. We had to marvel at its architecture and construction, which were so determined and designed for the utmost security of the emperor. Symbolism of animals like dragons, phoenixes, and tortoises greeted us at every entrance. The sacred stairs in the middle of main buildings were still cordoned off, a remnant of the city’s exclusivity. Eventually arriving at the pleasure garden (and shade!) was a breath of fresh air.

Perhaps Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City will be the only remnants left of China’s past if city planners choose to raze the remaining hutongs (roughly, lanes), shared courtyard homes of old Beijing. We went to one of these communities today by rickshaw through its narrow streets. Around this hutong’s courtyard were small apartments for families. They shared areas like kitchens, sitting areas, bathrooms, and gardens. This way of life is quickly going by the wayside as many younger folks have opted for a high-rise apartment with their own bathroom, thereby making the hutong obsolete. (A related book via Clay: Michael Meyer’s The Last Days of Old Beijing)

Lastly we went to two different shopping malls, one old and one new. We might think of the first mall as “authentic” with its bookstore, arts and crafts, and tea stores among other things. I was just happy to find a small art gallery of contemporary artists and some very unique posters, which I ended up not buying. The new mall seemed like it was just constructed in the past two years and included a Beijing 2008 Olympics store, ubiquitous chains like KFC and Starbucks, and a sports gear store of the Chinese athlete Li Ning. It may not be the old China, but places like these are becoming of greater use for Chinese and even for us who needed socks, a fast meal, or a caffeine fix. Cultural authenticity is never fixed, and thus changes with the times. This is certainly the case in Beijing.

[clay dube]

Hi Adele, Nice entry -- I liked the point you made at the conclusion of your piece. What was authentic on our trip? Who gets to decide these matters? What can we get from seeing/consuming authentic and inauthentic places/things? Is there a sliding scale of authenticity? The two shopping areas we strolled through were Liulichang and Qianmen. Our guide, Jean, had once had a shop in Liulichang.

Some might want to post photos from the day? What websites are available to introduce these two districts? Any news coverage of them?

[Anonymous]

Adele:

I concur, great entry. One thing I would like to add to complement your narrative has to do with our time in the Square. It was the start of the tour in full, especially for those of us who finally arrived in the hotel at almost 11 pm, and it was a great awakening/bonding moment.

As Mike and Clay were informing us of the amazing events that sprang from this place, we were aware of the constant scrutiny of the area by the myriad security cameras, obvious guards and the not so obvious passersby who opted to stop and "listen in" to our discussions as Clay encouraged us to stay in motion.

In addition, many of us learned we would definitely be needing a great deal of water, daily, and amidst the Sino-sea of humanity on the Square and in the Palace that day, we definitely stood out. I remember the folks who posed with Jen. It was also the first of many group photos. What a fantastic first day.

[Anonymous]

Clay, thanks for these compelling questions. I've been thinking about them. In the meantime, here are three sites re these districts:

Liuluchang:
http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/beijing/30842.htm

"Qianmen Street: Showing face of 'old Beijing'":
http://www.bjreview.com.cn/nation/txt/2008-01/04/content_94424.htm
The article was posted before the shopping district opened.]

"Shops struggle to survive in Qianmen":
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-07/15/content_10111510.htm
This article is from this year and describes how many businesses can't afford the high rent and have had to close.

-Adele

[Anonymous]

Joseph mentioned off another blog entry (a Shanghai one I think) that it's a challenge to find souvenirs that we feel truly mean something. In the last 2 weeks I'd been to Ranch 99 two or three times and am at the foot of SF's Chinatown every week. I find things we could have easily bought in China.

Authenticity, for me at least, comes with meaning and so I often try to ascribe meaning -- often with a story about how I got the object or how I would use it myself. That's why the posters were so important to me. I was sure how I was going to use it.

Tangentially interesting was an interview with a prof on NPR's Weekend Edition yesterday. She said that our happiness with our purchases is not related to the money but with the experience.

[Anonymous]

Speaking of Beijing, did you hear about that 60 mile long traffic jam???
And you thought L.A. was bad 😐

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