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October
9, 1999
This is
Chanda Baggarly. Today we visited the Forbidden City in Beijing
This is Chanda Baggarly. Today we visited the Forbidden City in Beijing .
Heaven sees
and hears through the eyes of the people, thus the new leaders of China
assume the title of the "Sons of Heaven.’’
As Europe
was fighting the Black Plague, the Chinese were fighting to recover the
land that had been taken from them by their Northern neighbors, the
Mongols. Although years before, their empire touched the far reaches of
the Earth, now the strong centralized iron hand had rusted into spats of
infighting and discontent. Many discontented people of China aligned
themselves behind Chu Yuan-chang, who had his origins in the Chinese
peasantry, and led a charge that sent the Mongols back to the cold
Northern steppes. By 1368 the Ming Dynasty had conquered the area that
includes modern-day Beijing, and they began to build the modern city as a
symbol of triumph. In the spirit of the new beginnings, Beijing was
founded, as well as a new Royal Palace to house the first member of the
new Ming Dynasty. Today the Palace and its grounds are known as the
Forbidden City.
I am not
sure how much of the original structure and relics remain, or how similar
the modern-day structure is to its original design. I couldn't help but
wonder what has changed between then and now. I have read about many of
the artifacts that were taken to Taiwan, when the former government under
Chiang Kai-shek was ousted as a result of the revolution. In any case,
the Palace has endured the whims of Mother Nature, the whims of Emperors,
as well as the ideas of interior designers, yet has outlasted all and
still remains standing. Perhaps it is a good representation of the strong
central bureaucracy of Beijing, as well as the strong will and mind of
the Chinese people. The Forbidden City is surrounded by high walls and
even a moat and until recently only royalty and those who served royalty
were allowed behind the immense walls of this structure. We paid a little
more than a few dollars to see this place.
Arriving in
a large parking lot behind this large structure, we had to walk around
the walls in order to enter from the South side. The South is a symbolic
placement for gates and entrances, especially because they had been
fighting their Northern neighbors for years. The Entrance faces the large
open space of Tiananmen Square, and almost ominously overlooks the public
pavilion. We walked toward the large wooden doors, which were adorned
with gold carvings in an oriental fashion. The bulbous gold knobs are
supposed to be good luck if you touch them. I looked up to see an immense
portrait of Mao Tse Tung. As once the Emperors had done, his visage now
presides over what is known as the heart of China.
The large
doors stood open with a great hallway before us, daring us to enter, and
one by one, we found the courage and marched toward the inner walls of
the Forbidden City. The area within the walls was expansive, open and
airy. Many of the buildings within seem to be strategically placed, with
flowing ornate roofs and stately red columns.
Our guide,
King was busy, trying to field our questions and describe the history of
the place, however, I believe this may have been his first time there as
well, touring this Royal palace of days gone by. Regardless, he did a
great job, and won our confidence as well as affection. There were many
people here touring the structures, as many folks were visiting Beijing
in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Revolution.
The
buildings within were clean and freshly painted, a great improvement from
what I saw during my visit five years ago. This was obviously in response
to efforts to clean up the city and prepare it for the many celebrations.
The Forbidden City did a swell job exposing us to Chinese art,
architecture, history and culture. It was interesting seeing the place as
well as watching the people touring. I still don't think it has sunk in
that were are in China and this trip is really a reality. Today I feel
like a tourist but once we start driving we'll be travelers. Perhaps when
the Rovers arrive we will start to believe that this is all really
happening.
Our only
regret was that our energy levels betrayed us. We had traveled across
more than eight time zones before arriving here in China, and it was
taking a toll. We were all hungry and King asked us what we wanted for
lunch. Since we had gorged ourselves with wonderful Chinese food since
our arrival, Jeff suggested McDonald's. He was curious to see if he felt
just at home in a Chinese McDonald’s as he does at the Golden Arches two
miles from his house.
The
language differences aside, the Big Mac in China turned out to be just as
greasy and inconsequential as the Big Mac in the States. Even ordering
was easy. All you do is smile and point to the pretty color chart with
pictures representing the difference menu possibilities. We all kept our
distinctly American posture in this American establishment, as Doug
yelled across the open space of the restaurant to alert our host where we
had chosen to sit. I am sure the McDonald’s employees wondered what they
had done to receive such a motley bunch. We all used the restroom at
Mickey D’s and each of us kept a swatch of their beautiful six-ply
fuchsia colored toilet paper. Oh, and for those of you who are
interested, they didn't have a stand-up toilet. Instead, it's a porcelain
hole in the floor; a device that we've nicknamed the “super squatter”.
After
leaving with full bellies and warm thoughts of American cuisine, we
encountered a few young women who had been studying English and wanted to
test their skills. It was nice being the center of attention and we had a
very nice chat.
It was not
long after this meal that the keen eye and sweet tooth of Jeff Okubo
spied a familiar shop sign that indicated there might be donuts for sale.
Having never had a donut in China, and considering himself quite the
pastry connoisseur, Jeff led the group to what seemed to be a misplaced
Dunkin’ Donuts. We were all tired, thus powerless to offer any resistance
and at least it offered a nice resting place and a good opportunity to
visit with our guides, drink coffee and eat donuts. As Jeff devoured his
donut, our guide King was busy answering all the questions about Chinese
history that Doug and I asked.
After
coffee and donut hour, we ventured out to shop. Our present location
offered very little aesthetic differences between the similar places in
the states (if you forget about all the Chinese writing, that is). We
looked at Jade, pearls, books and the same general merchandise you would
find in a mall. Appealing to the Gods to grant us favor, Nick and I
looked for a pair of Magic Buddhas that would be able to watch over us
while we journeyed in China. We were definitely successful and walked
away with a Chinese Buddha for Hercules and Alaska. Meanwhile, down the
street, I picked up some jewelry from a building full of little shops. I
bought a set of pearl earrings and a scarf for $2.80 U.S. total-a deal by
my standards. I also bought beautiful a silk dress and some green tea.
And believe it or not, on the way back we stopped for a Baskin Robbins
ice cream treat!
We were all
worn out after this hour of shopping, especially me because I woke up to
the screeching sounds of construction outside my window. Soon we returned
to our hotel for some rest before dinner. Dinner proved to be another
banquet, which proved one thing: We won’t be stopping for any more Big
Macs while we are in China! We ate dinner down the street from our hotel.
A young girl saw us coming a mile away and noticed we were checking out
the restaurant signs. She quickly reeled us in. Ordering food in a
foreign land isn't easy, but it’s possible if you know how to point.
The day
wasn’t without a few logistical challenges. We had to drop off our
passports at the Iranian Embassy first thing this morning. We decided to
get our Iranian visas in China because there wasn't enough time to get
them in America. Besides, it is easier for an American to get an Iranian
visa if he applies in Beijing.
Oh, and
after the Embassy episode we took a walk through a produce market that
had fresh produce as far as the eye could see, along with many types meat
and fish. The market was very colorful so we took an mpeg of Doug
strolling through the aisles.
That's all
for now. Tune in tomorrow for more…
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