In a district called the Hutong, just a block behind the skyscrapers on busy city streets, quiet neighborhoods and charming one-story homes maintain a semblance of the old life in Beijing. We spent one afternoon exploring the Hutong by rickshaw, going two by two in carts powered by bicycle drivers.
Our drivers brought us to the home of a local family, where the mother invited us in, served us tea and talked to us about her family’s life in the small Hutong home. The house has been in her husband’s family for four generations, and now the couple live there with her father and their youngest son. The home was modest and crowded, but carefully decorated in celebratory Chinese symbols.
Although much beloved by residents, this neighborhood’s days are probably numbered. As Beijing’s population continues to swell, the government plans to tear down the one-story buildings to construct more high-rises. Our host told us that by the end of this year, she and her family will have to relocate, as their home is being demolished to create a public garden and a wider road.
The sad story, though, comes with a silver lining. Because traditional homes in the Hutong are highly coveted by locals, their values have skyrocketed relative to other real estate in China. When the time comes for the family to move, the government will reimburse them for their tiny home, which should be worth about $600,000, enough to buy a more luxurious condo somewhere else in Beijing.
Chris Lee calls Beijing’s Temple of Heaven the most photographed building in the world. Standing at the foot of the towering religious site, I found that easy to believe. The architecture alone makes the structure stunning. Built in a perfect circle, which represents heaven in Chinese mythology, the 125-foot-tall temple contains 28 wooden columns, thousands of colored tiles and not a single nail. A triple-gabled roof of blue glazed terra-cotta tiles caps the structure, pointing toward the heavens.
The temple was first built on the site in 1409; the original burned in 1889, so what visitors see today is a century-old replacement. For more than 500 years, the site served as a place of worship exclusively for the royal family.
“This used to be the temple for the emperor to pray for a good harvest,” Eddy told us. “The emperors believed that they were the sons of the god in heaven. That’s why they could have the money, the land, the power and the concubines.”
Much like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven today gives visitors a glimpse into the imperial past. But it also offers a snapshot of modern life in the city. During our visit, we shared the temple complex with a group of Buddhist monks, outfitted in traditional orange robes and sandals. There were also plenty of locals there. The temple and the park that surrounds it have become a popular meeting and recreation spot in this landlocked city — Beijing’s version of Central Park. Near the entrance, a group of 20 people or so practiced tai chi, with accompanying flute music played over a small portable stereo. And throughout the site, vendors eagerly offered us traditional handmade items and modern tourist staples such as postcards and photo books.
No place characterizes the future of China like Shanghai, a city of 22 million people that has become the economic center of the country.
“Shanghai is a very modern city, the most westernized city in China,” our local guide Joanna said as we drove away from the airport and toward the city center. “Things have changed dramatically here in the last 20 years. Once you come here, you realize that our national bird is the steel crane — there’s construction everywhere.”
Construction can barely keep pace with demand as more and more Chinese and foreigners move to Shanghai to chase their dreams. The promise of prosperity is characterized in the Bund, a riverfront district of gleaming skyscrapers and the famous Oriental Pearl Tower. Modernity and tradition intertwine in the city’s Old Town, affectionately referred to as “Chinatown in China,” where noodle and dumpling shops coexist with Starbucks Coffee.
Yet in the midst of this modern city, I found some of China’s most remarkable ancient treasures at the Shanghai Museum, an institution that preserves some of the best Chinese art from throughout the ages. Beautiful art is among China’s greatest contributions to the world, and the exhibits at this museum follow the development of various media from prehistory to modern times.
One large gallery traces jade carving in China, from simple 3,000-year-old ceremonial tools to elaborately carved jewelry worn by royalty in the early 20th century. My favorite rooms housed the painting and calligraphy galleries. Masters of calligraphy are considered artists in China, and the museum’s display cases present their best works on long scrolls. The porcelain gallery explains how Chinese craftsmen created a new kind of pottery that grew to become a world-famous art form.
Shanghai was our last destination on this tour, and by the time we left, our group had experienced the best of China’s heritage and the promise of its great potential. In this country, the voices of the past, present and future sing in unrivaled harmony.
China National
Tourist Office
888-760-8218
www.cnto.org
