Traveling

Summer Palace, the first loss, and some Hutong knowledge

Thanks for all the comments guys- I'm so happy to know ppl are reading and checking out my photos.

So Wed, Fabienne, Charles and I decided on an outing (Charles played hooky..) We took the subway to Yuyuantan park (and got lost) then found a place that has boats that go to the Summer Palace (when it was too hot in the city the emperors would go relax at this place). Because I had read somewhere that some Empress (Cixi) would take a boat to the summer palace, I wanted to also do it in style. It was about an hours boat ride to get there along a little canal the whole way. Men were fishing all over the place, some were swimming. We were the only 3 on the boat- it was great (although it was raining just a bit). We got to the Summer Palace, but I am so fussy I wanted to go to the OLD Summer Palace, not the new one, so we took a bus, then we walked. and walked. and walked. Fab kept asking people along the way and they just kept pointing "over there" so we thought we would eventually hit it. We did, at 4:15. It closes at 5. Anhow, we went in, walked around, it really is beautiful... we didn't manage to get to any 'big tourist attraction' but it was still great to wander in the peace and quiet.
Then Fab realised she had lost her little purse. We walked (very quickly) back to the place where it wouldve been and it wasn't there. Then some lady is pointing at Fab and saying things (we don't understand) but she s smiling so we follow her. We are brought to some men, who bring us to a small room, and we don't know what we are doing there. We are about to leave because it seems the person that may have the purse is the woman who has left, when this guy pulls out the purse- and it looks like all the cards are gone. So Fab leaves to get the woman and I am left with these guys (so that I can keep an eye on the purse). Charles is all over the place at this point. So I just make intelligent converstaion with these officials (ya right) while I am waiting for Fab to get back. Meanwhile, the guy is opening all the zippers on the purse, and pfinally pulls out the 200 yuan she had in there (and i'm thinking 'why would someone steal the cards and not the money') and this guy opens another zipper with all her cards in it.
So Charles goes to get Fabienne before she karate kicks this woman.
But no problem, the woman is walking back with Fab and everyone is smiling (i dont understand). I tell her everything is there- she tries to give the woman some money but the woman wont take it- and we are off.
Took a taxi home as we were all knackered and got home for a great dinner with C, P & J.

Yesterday, Fab and I went to wander among the hutongs. This is something that there are tours of, and its a huge part of Beijing, but I felt very uncomfortable going through it. Let me explain.
These hutongs are like little villages where many many people (used to) live. They seem kinda gross and grungy at first, and you may think that from some of the photos, but they are really very beautiful. People hang out in the doorways, walk down the street to the market for their supper, laundry is hung out to dry all over the place, kids are running from home to home... it's very cozy.
These places are all being torn down to make way for modern structures like apt buildings/ condos.. and the people living in them are given a tiny sum of money to find another place to stay.. the compensation usually stinks. The main problem is that many of these people not only live in these hutong places, they also run businesses from them. So you are not only tearing down their home, but their livelihood as well.
I had planned to check them out earlier in my travels, but the ones that are very close to us are in a horrible state. There are huge billboards all along the street proclaiming the amazingness of the buildings that are to go up, but just behind and thru little holes, you can see people trying to get by with their small business and fight for their homes. Where one little hutong home is standing, there may be one on either side that has already been destroyed. Or they may be slated to be destroyed, with a huge white 'chai' mark on it: 'Destroy'.
I have put up some photos on yahoo you can browse so you can see these beautiful and endangered living spaces.

posted by jjoollee @ 7:04 PM