CAC & The Great Wall
Trip Start
Jun 10, 2008
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Trip End
Jun 22, 2008
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Beijing,
China
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday was spent with the hotel in reviewing space, contracts, meeting staff, etc. The hotel is very open with a more modern feeling than traditional. It is incredibly clean - which is not a surprise. The service is impeccable - very formal, which at times makes me a little uncomfortable. I have privileges for the concierge level and it is better than any I have seen in the States. It is much larger and have it separated - one side is the area which serves food & beverage and the other side is geared towards business functions. They will not allow you to carry a plate or pour coffee - it is something. I won't go into all the details of the meeting negotiations - I don't think I have offended anyone so far! It is interesting that all of the staff that I have worked with have English names - Larry, Kevin, Sandy, Michael, Annie - just not the names you would expect.
I then had my first "Beijing authentic" meal with Annie. We had a lovely conversation and got to know her on a more personal level. Some of what I had was very good, some I would not have again, unless circumstances dictated that I should. There was so much food - I think she wanted me to try several things, but it just seemed a bit wasteful after a while. One of the items we had was the traditional Peking Duck- most was good, but the one thing that I wouldn't have again was the first serving, which is the skin. The skin is very browned, pretty "crispy", but it is still very fatty. It was fascinating watching the chef carve it - it was very precise and in small, uniform pieces. You are to take a piece, dip it in sugar (yes, sugar) and then eat it. My opinion - there wasn't enough sugar on the table to cut the fat. This was Annie's favorite dish and I managed 2 pieces. Still gives me the shivers. Everything else was very good - I can't tell you all that I had. There were a couple of soups, vegetables, the duck and then Kung Pao chicken. Like I said, lots of food.
Our conversation was very easy and interesting. We shared stories of our families, interests, how we came to the hospitality business, etc. The part of the conversation that struck me the most was when we were talking about family - it also pointed to the assumptions that both sides make about each other. I can't remember what prompted her statement, but she said that she thought that American college students/young adults left their families and basically distances themselves from their parents. It was an interesting statement. I told her that many college graduates are in fact moving back home to save money and pay off their education loans and that if they receive a job offer in their field, it may in fact be in another city. I told her that even though my own family is spread across the country we still visit as often as we can and call & email to stay in touch. Of course there are situations with some families that her statement is true, but not the majority (at least I don't think so!). I had asked if she had any brothers or sisters and she said she was an only child. She said it still bothers her that she has no brothers or sisters as the law of having only one child was put into effect shortly after she was born. I had forgotten the law and never thought about the impact of the children rather than the parents.
Yesterday (it is now 4:30am Thursday - still not sleeping) was the day that I visited locations for our dinner event. We started out visiting the Tia Miao (Worship Hall of Ancestors), which is next to the Forbidden City. It was built in 1420 and was the hall the emperors used for high celebrations. There are buildings around it and a large courtyard. Check out the photos. One of the long walls has all of the ceremonial bells that were used - it was incredibly impressive. We then drove north to the Great Wall. Sandy & Tony (hotel staff that accompanied me) said it would take an hour, but I don't think it was that long. On our way, we drove through many different areas of Beijing. One of the first areas that we drove through was Hutongs, which is Old Beijing. I think parts of Hutong would be classified as inner city in our mindset. You could see the lack of modernization in this area and would probably be some of the stereotypical scenes that we have in our minds when we think about China. The people that I saw out on the street had the faces of those who have led hard lives. There is a type of melancholy about them - maybe I was just seeing them through Western eyes. There are parts of Hutong that are being revitalized with shops and restaurants. On some of the small streets that we drove through there were very small shops & food stalls - I would love to be able to walk through the area. Maybe the next time. It is difficult to say how large Beijing actually is - we kept driving and driving and I kept asking - is this still Beijing? After 40 minutes or so, were were suddenly in the mountains. I looked out the window and there they were. It was a foggy day, which was too bad, because I couldn't see all of the mountains very well. It did add to some of the mysticism around the Great Wall. The mountains, from what I could see are very different than the Rockies or the Alps. These were not a jagged - they were "softer". They are so green - maybe that is why they seem softer. They roll into each other. Then I saw it - the first section of the Great Wall. We made our way to the parking lot where we would hold our dinner. It is under a temple like building on the wall. From this vantage point, I could see the Wall much more clearly and how steep it is (at least in this part). There were some who were trying to navigate the very steep steps at its highest peak. The Wall literally lines the mountain - so if the mountain is steep, so are the steps. My photos aren't that great because of the weather - I think it was mostly fog, but was concerned that smog was that far out of the city as well. We climbed up to the "temple" and I was actually standing on The Great Wall of China. I wasn't expecting to be overwhelmed with emotion - I walked away from my hotel hosts as I'm sure they would have thought me a little nuts. How was it that this very average & ordinary person from Rockford, IL was standing on The Great Wall of China? I still can't believe it. Behind the Wall, there were several smaller buildings that were considered temples. There were red "medallions" (for lack of a better description) that you could purchase, write your prayer or wish on, and then hang on a tree or stands. I wanted to buy one, but we didn't see where they were being sold. Maybe next time. There were many tourists there and it was fun to watch their reactions as well. Many of the older female visitors (like me) were laughing at themselves at how cautiously we had to go down the stairs - we were all in line to use the railing. You could always tell when someone reached one of the highest points as there was always a yell of triumph.
We drove back to the City and visited another space for consideration for our event. It is the Dashanzi Art District. It used to be an industrial complex, Joint Factory 718. It was built in the 50's by East German architects & engineers that produced machine tools to power the revolution. It is now art galleries, shops and restaurants. The building that we are considering is still under renovation and we found out that the Swiss government has commissioned the work for their use during the Olympics. Speaking of the Olympics, on our way back to the hotel, we drove by the Bird's Nest and the driver pulled over so I could take some photos. It is beautiful. There are also some photos of the main tower of the Olympic Village - it is truly unique. There are screens built into each side of the tower so that you can watch the games from a great distance. It looks like an abstract of some of the "protectors" on the corners of the Forbidden City.
Today the partner in charge of this event arrives and I'll be meeting with her for the balance of the day and until she leaves tomorrow. I can't believe I'll be leaving tomorrow. There is so much I haven't done yet. Anyway, there may not be much to report on today or tomorrow as it will probably be all business. Although I may try to go to the flag raising ceremony in Tienanmen Square at 4:45am tomorrow - I would have today, but it was lousy weather outside.
One of the many memories I will take with me is the number of people in this city. No matter what part of the city I have seen at what time of day, there are always LOTS of people. The buses are always full, bicycles everyone, people walking. No matter the time of day - it is amazing (I'm using that word too much). The juxtaposition of the old and new is astounding. You can be looking at a modern, sleek building and at the same time see someone sweeping the sidewalk with a broom made from old cedar branches. An Audi driving next to a bicyclist carrying tons more on the back of his bike than the trunk in the Audi could hold. Huge cranes and bamboo scaffolds. It's really something.
I don't know if there will be another entry while I am here, maybe on the back end. Thanks for reading and for your comments.
Oh, one last thing. I really miss the blue sky. I haven't seen it since we descended into the airport. You can feel the sun, but you never see it or the sky because of the pollution. That's the single most aspect of this trip that I regret.
Comments
How cool is that?
Hey girl! I need to be your meeting planning partner like back in the old days! I read the first entry, and wondered what in the world are you doing in China? Blog2 says you're on a site visit! So you get to go back! Very cool indeed. Such an opportunity. The picture of the Olympic Tower is impressive. Beautiful and unique architecture. It looks like their art and 'alphabet'. Maybe I need to blog when PJB and I cruise to Alaska in August. Be safe!