Day Two -第二天
Day 2 actually begins on Day 1 in China but Day 3 of our trip, which is appropriate since our body clocks are all so confused and don’t know the difference anyway. On the eve of Day 1 in China, one of the members (let’s call him Him Doe [to protect his identity], who is one of the youngest and obviously “bravest” members of the crew) took fate into his own hands when, on a whim, he went for a late night snack out on the streets of Beijing. He partook of something white and doughy (Note that I have no name to describe it) served on a stick by a rough-looking man cooking in an open pit. Young Him played Russian roulette with 5 out of 6 bullets in the chamber and as the odds would have it, wound up most of the rest of the night and most of Day 2 out of commission and learning his first lesson about business in China.
So Day 2 actually begins with everyone but Him meeting for a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The large and exotic buffet included both western dishes and some we have never seen before. Some partook in the Soy-milk soup, rice, or an egg marinated in something that made it black.
Our bus trip to Tiananmen Square was so quick that we realized we could have walked there but by the conclusion of the day, we were grateful not to have walked even those 7 or 8 extra blocks that day. Our guide, Dragon, spent that short time briefing us on how to be weary of the unsavory street vendors who are often of questionable ethical standards. His lesson would serve us well throughout the day.
Interestingly, Dragon also told us that his government has so successfully rewritten history and controlled the media here in China that most of the Chinese people have no recollection or belief of the Tiananmen Square student massacre that took place in 1989. Instead, it seems, it is merely the stuff of urban myth and propaganda, spread by people who are dangerous to the Chinese Government.
The Square was a bustle of activity full mostly of tour groups. Many of the groups all wear brightly colored hats to help keep them together and prevent stragglers from being lost. Though Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world, I was not awed by its size; perhaps the throngs of people filling it decreased its vastness. The overwhelming majority was Chinese but like us, it was obvious that this was their first time to see the great square. We concluded our walking tour of the square with a group photo in front of the large picture of the venerable Chairman Mao ZeDong which hangs on the wall near the South Gate of the Forbidden City.
After that, we toured the Forbidden City, so named because entrance to it was forbidden to the common Chinese citizens. For over 6 centuries it housed the Chinese emperor, his family, his guards, his wives, and 12 of his 3,000 (yes, you read that right, 3 and 3-zeros) favorite concubines.
There is an outer courtyard of the city and an inner courtyard. Dragon taught us the meaning of Chinese Feng Shui and how it figured into the design of the Forbidden City. The words, “Feng” and “Shui” literally translated from Chinese mean, “Wind” and “Water”. This somewhat poetic design concept is rooted in their Buddhist religion and puts a premium on balance and harmony of the various life elements. Dragon said that Feng Shui is one of the reasons that there is a river that runs under the walls and into the Forbidden City; the river gives it balance. We were generally awed that the priceless, centuries-old architecture was still accessible to the public. The inner part of the city had a vast number of rooms originally used to house stores of food, clothing and logistical necessities. There were so many rooms that Chinese legend holds that a child who is born who spends one day in each room, will be 29 years old before he completes his stay.
After leaving the Forbidden City, we went and had a traditional Chinese meal at a restaurant. The large circular table had a lazy susan device built into the middle. Our hosts served the food in large platters family style by placing it on the lazy susan. We then served ourselves those items that seemed suitable to our tastes. Some of the student participants, it seems, are destined to lose weight on this trip and some seem destined to put the pounds on.
After lunch, we headed towards the Summer Palace which was once larger than the Forbidden City. En route to the Summer Palace, we made a slight detour past the Olympic Village for the upcoming Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. We passed directly by the famed “Birds Nest”, the arena where the opening ceremony will be held; several athletes’ dormitories; the aquatic cube; and the gymnastic center. Some of the buildings were not complete and seemed too far from completion to be ready for occupation by the opening ceremony on 8-8-08. In Chinese culture, numbers have significance. The number 9 is symbolic of power and 8 are considered lucky which is why they chose to start the games on that particular day. When we queried our guide, Dragon, about our doubts of their Olympic village buildings being completed on time, he cheerily responded that he had faith in his government. We tend to be cynical about our government and its capability; he was anything but that. Nothing was said of his response, but I could tell by the body language that everyone was contemplating the differences in our cultures and our differing attitudes towards our respective governments.
We took a brief respite before touring the Summer Palace to do some shopping at a government-owned pearl store. China is unique in the world for its golden colored fresh-water pearls. We observed many of the latest marketing techniques, such as up-selling, first hand. “These pearls are very, very nice but your wife is a wonderful woman; doesn’t she deserve the very best?” the tiny clerk asked. Some of the crew managed to make a small contribution in support of the local economy.
We toured the Summer Palace and learned all about its history. It was used by an Empress, dubbed “The Dragon Lady”, who seized power during the Qing (pronounced “Shing”) Dynasty. The Dragon Lady had been the royal controller and was also a favored concubine of the Emperor. When he took ill and died suddenly, he had no heir except for an infant son. Nine governors were arranged to run the affairs of State, until the boy became a man. Dragon Lady led an insurrection and had them all either killed or vanquished; she seized control of the child emperor and held the child captive inside the Summer Palace. So it was actually the world’s first country club prison complete with yachts, wild parties and concubines.
Following our tour of the Palace, we had a traditional meal of Peking Duck. We returned to our hotel early by 7:30. Because we were still suffering from jet lag and because we had walked about 5 miles that day, most were tired campers and turned in early.
Eric
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