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China Exit Review
Entry 24 of 24 | show all | print this entry |
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Gary's Top 2 Dozen China Attractions
I'm back in Oregon for a few weeks, thinking about many of the things about China that left an impression:
1. TerraCotta Warriors - Qinshihuangdi Bingmayong. 2000 years old, buried for centuries in a wheat field East of Xi'an, a former capital of China. Estimates say 70,000 workers for 10 years to complete the tomb and army.
2. Great Wall - 10,000 km long, 100,000 workers during the Ming Dynasty (14th century) to protect China from the Mongols, Ghengis Khan and his descendants. First conceived by Qinshihuang, the same guy who built the Terra Cotta Army. He connected 8 or 12 existing city walls to make the defense about 3000 km long.
3. Chinese People. Smart, funny, serious, careful, thoughtful, friendly, healthy, and intensely interested in their role in the world's future.
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4. Chinese History. 4000 years of uninterrupted written history, unparalleled on the globe. Inventors of almost every pre-electronics industry including iron, bronze, silk, ceramics, and fireworks. Deep cultural appreciation for their role in history, and serious consideration of their global responsibilities.
5. Beijing Capital Museum, Nanjing Museum, Shanghai Museums, Palace Museum, Xi'an Shaanxi Museum, Shenyang Loaning Museum. The regional and national museums consist of artifacts collected by the dynasties along with items dug up locally during civil improvements. During Chinese unrest, it was popular to bury art treasures so that enemies could not find and destroy them. Treasures stay buried for centuries. These museums are rich with the findings - Ceramics, bronze, cast iron, silk, wood, paintings.
6. Dalian English Corner. Weekly event in Dalian and many other communities where anyone interested gathers for English conversation. During good weather up to 200 people participate, with a few Canadians, Australians, English and/or Americans to help with pronunciation and talk about all things English. An impressive and endearing reflection of Chinese interests, sincerity, and friendship.
7. Peking Opera (Jing Ju). Over the top, highly stylized productions with spectacular silk costumes, makeup that spawned "Kiss", acrobatics, singing (squealing), and music around timeless themes of love, character and conflict.
8. Forbidden City/North Lakes. Opened in 1421 with 20,000 foreign visitors, some who stayed for months. The royal compound, center of residence, culture, politics, and economy for China for 500 years. 10,000 Eunichs, several thousand concubines, officials, servants and the royal family, estimated 30,000 people at its peak. Rampant intrigue with (supposedly) only 1 pair of testicles.
9. Xi'an Ming Wall. 12th Century City Defensive Wall at a time before the Ming Dynasty moved to Beijing. Regarded as the most well preserved City wall in the world, it has been re-built and is very well maintained for walks, biking and events.
10. Tiananmen Square/Mao Mausoleum. China's living room, touted as the largest municipal square in the world, about 1 kilometer square. Dalian's Xinghai Square is larger, but it's not officially within the dense urban core, I guess. Site of many of China's 20th century events including Mao's establishment of the People's Republic of China, displays of military strength similar to USSR, Mao's numerous declarations, and, of course, the 1989 incident that remains a mystery to almost everyone. The mausoleum is very popular, a wierd combination of opulence, reverence, security, sincerity, and souvenir sales.
11. Dalian Markets. Like most Chinese communities, the green markets are lively centers of commerce. Fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, clothes, household goods, and almost any other commercial item are available fresh daily.
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12. Mao Badge Museum. Mao seems to spawn unusual tributes, like his mausoleum. This one is a collection of more than 300,000 badges and artifacts related to Mao, collected largely by one person over a 30 year period. Mao liked the citizens to wear his image.
13. Shenyang Mao Statue. Stately and severe, erected in 1969 during the Cultural Revolution, with Mao's approval, this 10 meter statue dominates the street for several blocks each direction. Locals like to say he's perpetually hailing a cab.
14. Shenyang Qing Forbidden City. Royal residence of the Manchu dynasty begun in 1626, before the Manchus moved to Beijing and booted out the Mings, establishing the last Chinese empire, the Qing Dynasty.
15. Qingdao Tsingtao Brewery. One of China's greatest commercial successes, established by the invading Germans in 1909. Now an international brand with distribution on 7 continents.
16. Summer Palace. The Qing emperor's playground, built and re-built with money that was supposed to go to China's recovery during the 19th century. Britain torched the place twice for "transgressions" by the Chinese. Spectacular gardens, monuments, temples, residences, pavilions, and lakeside.
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17. Shanghai Nanjing Rd., Beijing Qianmen District, Xi'an Muslim District. Commercial areas offering a variety food and goods at Chinese bargain prices. Bargaining is so much fun that it's hard not to walk away with an armload of stuff that you would never need anyway.
18. Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Xian Temples. Buddhist, Tao, Muslim temples in a Chinese format of architecture and feng-shui. Many with histories more than 600 years. Peaceful settings for prayer, offerings sometimes souvenirs.
19. Drum Towers and Bell Towers - Xian, Beijing, Nanjing. Historic towers for the purpose of time keeping and communication. Most remain active with ceremonies at selected times during the day. Drum performances are thrilling.
20. Beijing Haoyuan Hotel. Hotel developed from an 18th century residence thought to be one of the royal attendants. Charming courtyard style in one of Beijing's hutongs (alleyways).
21. Dalian Squares/Streets. Dalian city was planned by French architects working for the Russians who were trying to make Dalian their ice free Pacific port. The port didn't work out, but the planning resulted in several wonderful public spaces.
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22. Royal Tombs in Nanjing, Beijing and Shenyang. Architectural masterpieces as tributes to the Ming and Qing Emperors. All consist of a park surrounding a North-South series of characteristic Chinese buildings with symbolic forms and colors housing remains and artifacts of each emperor and their families.
23. Qingdao City Plan, Beaches. Developed by the Germans in the early 20th century, Qingdao was laid out to take advantage of the ocean frontage. Today, a modern city, high rise construction along side European architecture all open to beaches, piers and a 40 km public promenade.
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24. Shenyang, Beijing, Shanghai Buildings. Modern buildings with style, purpose, and public sensibilities. Not so surprising in Beijing or Shanghai where they are striving to impress the world, but in Manchuria's Shenyang, an outpost of 7 million people, the architecture is startlingly fresh and innovative.
And the losers:
X1. Nanjing Massacre Museum. A tragic event commemorated by an architectural tragedy. Long narrow site bludgeoned with unapproachable barriers and manipulative crowd control. Lost entrance feels like the architect was embarrassed that anyone might actually approach. Oppressive entry experience funnels the masses through pipe corrals in order to maintain the museum's silly single file traffic while guards make sure that nobody steps out of line in a hot, stifling, unshaded, gauntlet. Brutal geometric buildings in artificial patterns of elevation and orientation dumping patrons out into a claustrophobic and predictable reflecting pond with a 20 meter statue that needs a space. The finale is an unceremonious exit into the bus parking lot where the patrons get gassed by the idling busses, no doubt part of the "experience".
X2. Environment. Only 45% of China's waste is treated. Air and water quality are 40 years behind the rest of the world's developed countries. Respiratory problems are chronic. Yangtze and Yellow Rivers are on life support with cloud seeding required to provide a minimal water flow.
X3. Food. Beijing outlawed dog meat for the Olympics. Dalian markets Sea Cucumbers worldwide - fresh frozen, dried, or powdered for your slug eating enjoyment. Sauces that lubricate. Cuisine for dieting.
X4. Internet. The irritating disconnections are accompanied by unpredictable and effective censorship.
X5. Mail. Inspections for postcards. Packages are an international event involving at least 6 regulatory people and a bus ride.h
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