BeiHai Park and Tian'anmen Square

Hi everyone! Below is my paper about BeiHai Park and our second visit to Tian'anmen Square. Feel free to read or just skim! I have had some interesting stories, so I will post another blog dedicated to those things! XOXO Love and miss everyone!

Since arriving in Beijing, this was the first weekend without any school-sponsored trips planned. Students were able to pick among the many sites in Beijing to explore, or even travel outside the city for a new experience. Having spent the week in class talking about many imperial locations in Beijing, I was interested to see some of them.

This weekend (31 May 2008) some friends and I went to BeiHai Park (Beihai Gongyuan). It is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens in China located in the center of Beijing. The site is a perfect integration of magnificent imperial palaces and solemn religious constructions. Built according to a traditional Chinese legend, BeiHai is said to imitate three magic mountains to the East of China that contained herbal medicine for human immortality. Legend has it that many emperors, including Emperor Qin of the Qin Dynasty, sought the magic mountains. After failing to find the immortal medicine, Emperor Qin dug a large pool and piled up three earth hills at his palace to imitate the circumstances in the legend.

Many Chinese believe that a combination of mountain and water represented strength and wisdom. BeiHai Park is built as another representation of this royal combination. Initially built in the Liao Dynasty, it was repaired for centuries later before finally become the scale it is today during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In 1925, the park was first opened to the public, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.

More than half of the park is taken up by the lake. In the middle lies the Jade Flowery Islet, topped by the Tibetan White Dagoba. We weren’t able to go inside the temple, but were able to view another structure in front of the dagoba. Upon entering the park, you immediately notice all the paddle and electric boats. People of all ages are enjoying the water and milling around like hand-geared toy boats in the bathtub. Even with a slight overcast, the view was magnificent. Just beyond the main entrance to the park is the Round City, home of the Jade Urn. We didn’t visit this section of the park until the end of our trip, but it is well worth the time to see the ancient carvings on the jade. The urn is approximately four feet in diameter and sits on a stand roughly five feet high. It is a unique piece of history and a wonder that it is still intact.

The Jade Flowery Islet, located in the middle of the park, is accessible by bridge. The lake is full of water lilies and small fish playing in the cool water. After crossing the bridge, there is a gold turtle statue with a dragon head. It is considered good luck to rub the turtle, so we each took turns rubbing the already well-rubbed back of the turtle. We then stopped for lunch at one of the cafes overlooking the water. Sitting outside on the deck, we enjoyed a light meal, however, pricy.

After finishing lunch we began to explore the man-made island. Lined with beautiful gardens and little streams and rivers, the islet is a relaxing spot for a better view of the city. Short spaces of steps are interspersed with scenic sites. Because of its natural beauty, I can understand why the park was closed to the public. As the imperial family, I too would want to enjoy the view in solitude. At the top of the mountain, nearest the dagoba, you have a 180 degree view of Beijing as well as the lake below. On a clear day, you can see the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and many other famous landmarks.

The islet is home to the White Dagoba, caves, smaller temples and interesting statues. As we traveled through the island we wound through trails of cave rock and greenery. We started as a group of eight but two of us decided to take a scenic path around the islet, managing to get lost from the group. We traveled along the path to the bottom of the island, stopping at the water. We enjoyed an ice cream while we waited for the others, but becoming antsy we back-tracked to find the others. By this point, they had come to the bottom via another route and we missed each other. We finally rejoined at the front entrance to watch a street calligrapher write Chinese characters with a water brush.

All-in-all BeiHai Park was a relaxing and culturally-stimulating afternoon. We planned to also visit the Summer Palace in the same afternoon, but quickly realized we needed more time to dedicate to each location in order to fully enjoy them. This weekend will be another opportunity to explore a different part of the city.

We also had an opportunity to go back to Tian’anmen Square, this time when it was opened to the public. The first time we visited the square, we thought it was closed because of the earthquake. This time, we were able to walk across the square, take pictures and see the monument to the People’s Heroes. The monument was completed in 1958. Made with more than 17,000 pieces of granite and white marble, it is more than 100 feet tall. It is composed of double platforms, double bases, a top part and main body, making it the largest such monument in Chinese history.

Mao’s mausoleum is also located in the square. His body is lifted from the refrigerated coffin during the morning and afternoon for visitor viewing. I have heard that foreigners are not allowed to actually see Mao’s tomb sight. I would like to know more about why this is the case. Friends of mine have viewed his body in years past, and I wonder if the political problems with Tibet, the Summer Olympics or other matters have affected the regulations and viewing hours. If it is possible, I would like to see his body while I am here this summer. Regardless, we were able to see a place rich in history. We also walked to Zhengyang Men and saw a group of soldiers marching along the square.

While we were there, we were asked to be in a picture with some other tourists. I think they thought we looked interesting because of our Caucasian skin and lighter hair. It was a different experience to be taken as an attraction in the city.

I have enjoyed seeing new parts of Beijing and learning more about the culture. I continue to look forward to the upcoming weeks as we travel to Shanghai and Xi’an, as well as other places in the city.