CHINA - AND BACK AGAIN BUT FIRST TO PEKIN/BEIJING
On my way
Simon had told me that Business Class Air China was another way of saying cattle class.The service on board was not up to what one expected for those extra Euros. I have to say that when La Maison de Chine gave me a quote for the business class airfare which was no more than a European Airline had quoted for economy, I jumped at it. The charming young man who organized my trip also added somewhat sheepishly "don't expect too much, will you?" I was expecting a better economy. Got to CDG 1 in plenty of time (no comment) and after checking in, with flying colours, I was directed to the Business Class lounge and a glass of my "medicine" thrust into my hands! At least I didn't have to put up with this.......
The Business class cabin is 100% up on Premium Corsair. I had a Chinese woman next to me who did, until we took off, shout to her friends and family across the aisle. She then watched a film and I sipped my second glass of "medicine" waiting for a Chinese vegetarian dinner. This was the beginning of a trip which I have dreamt about for years but has also steeped me in mild stress. An "old woman" travelling alone in China?
What impressed me at once and made me think that the French education system can't be that bad was a group of ten or more kids (10/12)who came on board. "Business class looks great" said a girl in French. I replied, in French, " you'll have to wait! How long are you going for?" A week's exchange in a Chinese school. Laurent did it in a South Korean school but his students were a little older if I remember. One boy, so the girl told me, spoke mandarin fluently.....he blushed and murmured "yes".
Despite my fears, the trip was smooth. Even the seat slid down to a bed. I was given a pair of red hot pyjamas ( discovered what they were after I arrived!) Where you changed is another question. Arrival and pickup too were smooth. A French speaking 24 year old and a Redhead American speaking punk for the driver. They had to "find" the traditionnel hotel in a back street filled with washing. The room is fine and if just one person could speak a little bit of English, I'd be happier.
Discovering the Jingshan gardens was no problem. And indeed they are very beautiful even if the climb up to a giant Bouddha and fantastic view rocked my jet lagged legs. Jingshan's history dates to the Liao and Jin Dynasties, almost a thousand years ago.The 45.7-metre high artificial hill was constructed in the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty entirely from the soil excavated in forming the moats of the Imperial Palace and nearby canals. It is especially impressive when one considers that all of this material was moved only by manual labor and animal power. Jingshan consists of five individual peaks, and on the top of each peak there lies an elaborate pavilion.
The garden is a "musical" event on Sunday with a surprising number of oldies dancing, singing, even acrobatic oldies. They gather large crowds. I had wanted to find the Forbidden City - well I found the exit....the following day I would find the entry. Rather a long way on foot from my hotel!
Dinner was off in the hotel when I got back. Why, I never understood.I was directed to a café bar some way off which I found after a few detours. English speaking. When someone else asked a direction and they didn't understand. I knew and could direct them like a pro. I fell into bed.....
Once again the directions to the Forbidden City were misleading. I had seen it in the evening coming home for the Park but where was the entrance?
The following morning I asked a beautiful tall and elegant young woman how to go. A perfect English and thanks to her I got there to find thousands of Chinese in groups rushing into the City. I would become very rude if staying in China for any length of time. Pushing people out of the way seems to be the order of the day. After a good dozen "I'm sorry" when I banged into someone and then got a furious look for being polite -I joined the mob and pushed.
The thing to do was not follow the crowds. As the City is enormous - 48 acres, it's not difficult to escape the throngs even if I didn't see what I suppose should have been seen of the Ming dynasty.
other palaces
I saw other things which because they could be seen all on my lonesome, they could also be admired. Preparations, clothing, explanations of weddings etc.
Three hours of meandering and ending in the Imperial garden where I would have been happy to stay.
An announcement was made that the palace would be closed in 30 minutes. Hadn't been told that. I don't have to tell you what it was like to get out. I'd hate to be in a building on fire in Bejing! This time I shoved as hard as they did.
No taxi for me and this time it was twice the distance to the central district. I am never picked up in Paris or anywhere else for that matter, but as I must stand out with my white hair, here it has been quite frequently. I have been flattered but not taken up the invitation for coffee. Just as well as I was later told that it was a tourist trap. First a coffee, then "let's see some shops".....and apparently some of these people lead you into very expensive restaurants and the tourist is left to pick up the bill.
The central shopping district is pedestrian - thank goodness as cars and bikes do NOT stop for green lights - but outside of Dubai I have not seen anything so flashy and sparkling junk in years. I can understand why one man who chatted with for a while told me that one of their biggest export markets is Russia and the eastern block. Not a postcard in sight so far and not one thing that I would want to buy for friends or family.What was nerve wracking for me too is that if I did stop to look at something, a sale's person was on my heels in a second and following me as I went along. Not inducisive to buying at all.
One thing I have missed to date although it seems impossible, is the Tian'anmen Square. It is the largest in the world so how could I have missed it? The guide will tell me tomorrow when we go to the Great Wall.
I had just brushed my teeth when the guide turned up 15 minutes early. Bravo! I only wish that I could have photographed Li's face when he saw me."Miss Catherine" was definitely NOT what he expected. I smiled inside but knew the day would be different!
So I had missed the square - by five minutes - and tomorrow "we take you there" - so I added. "I really do want to see the new Art district". Had I said the wrong thing? I would learn at the end of the day that the driver would take me to both the square and the Art centre. His English was non existant .We shall see what happens. There is a limit to tradition be it in Korea, Taipei, Japan and China. I am not a historian and can only relate to the past if it is relevant for me today. Or if the art or whatever is so modern that "it speaks to me."
We were off to see the Great Wall. Should I say The Great Wall? More appropriate for a military construction of over 6000 kilometres and which took from the 7th. BC to the 17th during the late Ming dynasty. 20 centuries if my calculations are correct? Even today kilometres are being added to the Wall when new excavation add extra length to the construction. It's only in 1987 that it became one of the world heritage site. If only 50 kilometres from the hotel. It took 2 hours to drive. Li slept.
I admired the automnal colours and the mountains which closed in on us. This is claustrophobic country for me. I feel closed in. When we did arrive I see what the touristic trade has done with the lines if stalls, people crying out their wares but always the same price (but don't bargain as the price goes up) .
Li came up in the cable car with me and said I could walk down the 375 steps - if I wanted to but I was not permitted. The mist was thick, the view limited and the crowds too much for me. I tried going in different non crowded areas. It didn't work. The masses followed me. If i wanted to walk down, I couldn't. Do I look too old? I doubt it, as younger "oldies" were being nursed by Mother and son. (Photos above.)
I went down with a Chinese attendant who took a nice photo. I think women will rule China. Their English is better and they defintely are more respectful of a woman traveller.
On to the Ming Tombs.
50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from Beijing City, at the foot of Tianshou Mountain, is the Ming Tombs Scenic Area, where lie the mausoleums of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Since 1409 when Zhu Di, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, built his Changling Tomb here, the succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling during the next 230 years, covering a total area of over 120 square kilometers (46.3 square miles). This is the best preserved tomb area with the most emperors buried.
There is another dynasty before Ming. Warriors where their maps and encyclopedias are so modern that they are minimalist art of our century. But all this for one Emperor and his wife? A one kilometre avenue to lead to his memorial? Four species of animals to protect him in the beyond with his mandarin holding a fan so not to show his face or a warrior with a sword in case of accidents? You and I will have no loyality no strength, no power, no instruction no symbol to take us to wherever we are going.
Then there was the tea ceremony. Sorry, no photos but a lot of tea bought for family. Don't ask questions to a pretty girl. Replies are not on hand.
Lunch and excellent and who can complain about a $5 for two people. I probably wont eat better.
Now the Olympic site is on the tourist map. No way I could give that a miss. It was on the itinerary. Had to be seen. Everything in China is supposed to be bigger than life ? We saw it on TV and seeing it in the polluted mist with minature kites flying in the air - it's triste. So much money spent forcing peasants out of their homes into council flats and city work. I said this to Li and then his heart poured out with the problems of parents, salaries, poverty and more.....am I a cynic when I replied that we are afraid of China today. Their force, money........he simply said not in "our time" I should add that Li has been a guide for 30 years and would be well into his 50's.
We were then on our way to the 798 Art district but before that I was to be driven by the CFTA TV centre, through the Financial district by passing the hotel area. Sky scraper hotels which dwarfed buildings such as we know them in Paris. It seemed that everything to be built had to be higher than the latest 80 story building. You look up in New York but the streets are narrow. Here the streets are wide and traffic streams in all direction obeying no laws.
We arrived at the centre. An area apart before China became a recognized centre for contemporary art. Artists squatted in this unused factory area and then, when art turned to money and recognition, the area is built to house artists, design, galleries, modern art centres, clothing design - you name it. A place where an artist could display and sell his work. I was excited and left my driver (probably starving as we hadn't eaten.) No time to eat and after coordinating my movements on the 'phone, giving myself three hours, I was off. Naturally I had taken photos of where I had to come back to.
This is a young people's hang out. As I looked around the average age must have been in the 20's, tourists in their 30's and 40's and me. Entrance fees into the contemporary art centres was free for anyone over 60! It was nice that she didn't believe me.
The first port of call was Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art. The space was marvelous. What it contained less so. Taryn Simon and her "Living Man Declared Dead and Other chapters" was an overwhelming series of repetitve photos. Some large, some small and rabbits if you want them. The rabbits were laboratory tested in Australia used to test the efficacy of a virus designed to eliminate their envasive presence. This is the case in Australia but it gives you a taste of the exhibition which has been shown in important institutions around the globe including the MoMA and the Tate Modern. She's an American photographer. She circled the world for four years photographing bloody and horror situations. A bright way to start my entry into Chinese contemporary art.
There were oddities being exhibited and "it seems to ring a bell sculptures to be seen. The three hours were quite long enough for me. I had hoped to see some much more interesting work. It wasn't the case.
I woke my driver up and we were on our way back to my hotel at once.
Somethings can never be forgotten. I had eaten dinner here on my second evening - alone in the restaurant - a meal of chicken bones and vegetables. I asked for a "home" menu and I got it. Also without asking a glass of wine was placed on the table. No, I did not resist. A nectar I have not drunk in nearly three years. The food was good but I struggled with chopsticks. This is home-cooking and not European restaurant fare. The second night, as they had saved last night's left overs - served up with another glass of wine. By now I was a regular or so it seemed. French guests came in and I said "yes, of course you can eat and the wine is good". It must have been. Laughter came into my room and into the night. Tonight I was alone again. No menu. I ordered duck, green vegies and rice. The wine came with it. I was alone and at the end of a perfect meal, the manager came and told me the story of the hotel. An imperfect English but a story which I repeated back to him. The hotel was a school until the revolution and after years of emptiness it was turned recently into a hotel. His Chinese name was Tiger. Nothing can be more memorable than such moments.
As I had a few hours before leaving for Shanghai by the bullet train, I decided to walk in another direction. There I found the Art Museum and naturally went it. The indications of dates, artists, years is at a non existant level in English, so I was guessing what was more or less modern. When is another matter. Here is a selection of work which I found quite interesting but not enough to take research further. And unfortunately the titles or artists I could not read.
My postcards had been written and stamps stuck on. No letter box to be found in Beijing and I found the latter to be true in Shanghai. Post cards are not readily available either. Apparently too many disappear. We see them displayed in 100's in Europe. This is not the case in China.
The bullet train was the local TGV with added announcements at every station of messages to " be good, clean, respectful, not to get off for a smoke at a station........" This did not stop passengers shouting into mobile telephones. I remember this from Hong Kong but on a 5 hour trip it´s a bit much. Passengers laugh at conversations. Foreigners growl. I dozed. The young man next to me sang. His voice was quite good. The country was flat and frankly uninteresting. Pekin was now behind me and in 5 hours I would be in Shanghai.
Simon had told me that Business Class Air China was another way of saying cattle class.The service on board was not up to what one expected for those extra Euros. I have to say that when La Maison de Chine gave me a quote for the business class airfare which was no more than a European Airline had quoted for economy, I jumped at it. The charming young man who organized my trip also added somewhat sheepishly "don't expect too much, will you?" I was expecting a better economy. Got to CDG 1 in plenty of time (no comment) and after checking in, with flying colours, I was directed to the Business Class lounge and a glass of my "medicine" thrust into my hands! At least I didn't have to put up with this.......
The Business class cabin is 100% up on Premium Corsair. I had a Chinese woman next to me who did, until we took off, shout to her friends and family across the aisle. She then watched a film and I sipped my second glass of "medicine" waiting for a Chinese vegetarian dinner. This was the beginning of a trip which I have dreamt about for years but has also steeped me in mild stress. An "old woman" travelling alone in China?
What impressed me at once and made me think that the French education system can't be that bad was a group of ten or more kids (10/12)who came on board. "Business class looks great" said a girl in French. I replied, in French, " you'll have to wait! How long are you going for?" A week's exchange in a Chinese school. Laurent did it in a South Korean school but his students were a little older if I remember. One boy, so the girl told me, spoke mandarin fluently.....he blushed and murmured "yes".
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| Frankly - comfortable |
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| The young man "looking at me" |
Despite my fears, the trip was smooth. Even the seat slid down to a bed. I was given a pair of red hot pyjamas ( discovered what they were after I arrived!) Where you changed is another question. Arrival and pickup too were smooth. A French speaking 24 year old and a Redhead American speaking punk for the driver. They had to "find" the traditionnel hotel in a back street filled with washing. The room is fine and if just one person could speak a little bit of English, I'd be happier.
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| Right down at the back....day |
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| And coming home at night |
Discovering the Jingshan gardens was no problem. And indeed they are very beautiful even if the climb up to a giant Bouddha and fantastic view rocked my jet lagged legs. Jingshan's history dates to the Liao and Jin Dynasties, almost a thousand years ago.The 45.7-metre high artificial hill was constructed in the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty entirely from the soil excavated in forming the moats of the Imperial Palace and nearby canals. It is especially impressive when one considers that all of this material was moved only by manual labor and animal power. Jingshan consists of five individual peaks, and on the top of each peak there lies an elaborate pavilion.
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| The first flower beds |
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| An oldish man dancing |
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| and he went on - and on |
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| Just a gate..... |
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| Not so friendly |
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| See them everywhere |
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| Dancing too and she wasn't young.... |
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| Another angle |
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| View over the Forbidden City |
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| The Golden Buddha - no photos please |
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| Forbidden City |
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| It's big, isn't it? |
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| See the little boy? |
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| The Buddah is up there.... |
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| It's the ladies who dance.... |
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| And sometimes the men.... |
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| The crowds were gathering |
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| As you can see..... |
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| Dancing and singing too |
The garden is a "musical" event on Sunday with a surprising number of oldies dancing, singing, even acrobatic oldies. They gather large crowds. I had wanted to find the Forbidden City - well I found the exit....the following day I would find the entry. Rather a long way on foot from my hotel!
Dinner was off in the hotel when I got back. Why, I never understood.I was directed to a café bar some way off which I found after a few detours. English speaking. When someone else asked a direction and they didn't understand. I knew and could direct them like a pro. I fell into bed.....
Once again the directions to the Forbidden City were misleading. I had seen it in the evening coming home for the Park but where was the entrance?
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| From the road coming home |
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| Entrance or Exit? |
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| And of course closed |
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| Exit it seems |
The following morning I asked a beautiful tall and elegant young woman how to go. A perfect English and thanks to her I got there to find thousands of Chinese in groups rushing into the City. I would become very rude if staying in China for any length of time. Pushing people out of the way seems to be the order of the day. After a good dozen "I'm sorry" when I banged into someone and then got a furious look for being polite -I joined the mob and pushed.
The thing to do was not follow the crowds. As the City is enormous - 48 acres, it's not difficult to escape the throngs even if I didn't see what I suppose should have been seen of the Ming dynasty.
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| Walking next to the canal |
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| Learning to avoid the crowds |
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| And all alone with a lion |
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| Looking upwards |
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| And sometimes down |
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| And then they are there again |
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| Up to a hall - alone |
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| All alone.... |
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| The splendid roof of.... |
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| of this |
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| But no-one |
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| and at the end of this I discovered |
I saw other things which because they could be seen all on my lonesome, they could also be admired. Preparations, clothing, explanations of weddings etc.
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| For the wedding |
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| Eating at the ceremony |
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| with beautiful spoons |
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| The silks for their clothing |
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| A picture of the wedding itself |
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| Emperer Ming |
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| And after the wedding we leave |
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| For incense |
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| And more |
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| And more |
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| Flower decoration |
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| And the bed before the wedding |
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| Natural formation |
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| Around the interior palace |
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| Yang Xing Zhai garden |
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| Another angle |
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| The colors of autumn |
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| So easy to admire |
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| Suddenly another person |
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| Looking toward the main palace |
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| Right up there |
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| And another person - alone too |
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| It was a beautiful tree |
An announcement was made that the palace would be closed in 30 minutes. Hadn't been told that. I don't have to tell you what it was like to get out. I'd hate to be in a building on fire in Bejing! This time I shoved as hard as they did.
No taxi for me and this time it was twice the distance to the central district. I am never picked up in Paris or anywhere else for that matter, but as I must stand out with my white hair, here it has been quite frequently. I have been flattered but not taken up the invitation for coffee. Just as well as I was later told that it was a tourist trap. First a coffee, then "let's see some shops".....and apparently some of these people lead you into very expensive restaurants and the tourist is left to pick up the bill.
The central shopping district is pedestrian - thank goodness as cars and bikes do NOT stop for green lights - but outside of Dubai I have not seen anything so flashy and sparkling junk in years. I can understand why one man who chatted with for a while told me that one of their biggest export markets is Russia and the eastern block. Not a postcard in sight so far and not one thing that I would want to buy for friends or family.What was nerve wracking for me too is that if I did stop to look at something, a sale's person was on my heels in a second and following me as I went along. Not inducisive to buying at all.
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| All types of clothing |
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| And everything to eat |
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| Forever 21???? |
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| Just before the shopping centre |
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| A street hairdresser |
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| How strange....the Apple store |
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| Over packed delivery |
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| Not to be taken at any cost.... |
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| The Panda is everywhere - friendship |
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| An oldish man and his car..... |
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| Chinese Tourists and their hats |
One thing I have missed to date although it seems impossible, is the Tian'anmen Square. It is the largest in the world so how could I have missed it? The guide will tell me tomorrow when we go to the Great Wall.
I had just brushed my teeth when the guide turned up 15 minutes early. Bravo! I only wish that I could have photographed Li's face when he saw me."Miss Catherine" was definitely NOT what he expected. I smiled inside but knew the day would be different!
So I had missed the square - by five minutes - and tomorrow "we take you there" - so I added. "I really do want to see the new Art district". Had I said the wrong thing? I would learn at the end of the day that the driver would take me to both the square and the Art centre. His English was non existant .We shall see what happens. There is a limit to tradition be it in Korea, Taipei, Japan and China. I am not a historian and can only relate to the past if it is relevant for me today. Or if the art or whatever is so modern that "it speaks to me."
We were off to see the Great Wall. Should I say The Great Wall? More appropriate for a military construction of over 6000 kilometres and which took from the 7th. BC to the 17th during the late Ming dynasty. 20 centuries if my calculations are correct? Even today kilometres are being added to the Wall when new excavation add extra length to the construction. It's only in 1987 that it became one of the world heritage site. If only 50 kilometres from the hotel. It took 2 hours to drive. Li slept.
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| Oh well.. |
I admired the automnal colours and the mountains which closed in on us. This is claustrophobic country for me. I feel closed in. When we did arrive I see what the touristic trade has done with the lines if stalls, people crying out their wares but always the same price (but don't bargain as the price goes up) .
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| Coming down as we went up |
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| And all those stalls of kitch |
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| Seen from far off |
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| Some climbed a long way |
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| And I watched them |
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| But didn't go far.... |
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| I wanted to walk down but no |
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| Was told to go back |
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| tried again but NO |
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| The same cabin as Clinton took |
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| The colors were divine - the pollution not |
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| So you see |
Li came up in the cable car with me and said I could walk down the 375 steps - if I wanted to but I was not permitted. The mist was thick, the view limited and the crowds too much for me. I tried going in different non crowded areas. It didn't work. The masses followed me. If i wanted to walk down, I couldn't. Do I look too old? I doubt it, as younger "oldies" were being nursed by Mother and son. (Photos above.)
I went down with a Chinese attendant who took a nice photo. I think women will rule China. Their English is better and they defintely are more respectful of a woman traveller.
On to the Ming Tombs.
50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from Beijing City, at the foot of Tianshou Mountain, is the Ming Tombs Scenic Area, where lie the mausoleums of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Since 1409 when Zhu Di, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, built his Changling Tomb here, the succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling during the next 230 years, covering a total area of over 120 square kilometers (46.3 square miles). This is the best preserved tomb area with the most emperors buried.
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| Arriving at the temple |
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| And the tourists went up |
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| I waited a moment |
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| The tomb |
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| And leaving it behind |
There is another dynasty before Ming. Warriors where their maps and encyclopedias are so modern that they are minimalist art of our century. But all this for one Emperor and his wife? A one kilometre avenue to lead to his memorial? Four species of animals to protect him in the beyond with his mandarin holding a fan so not to show his face or a warrior with a sword in case of accidents? You and I will have no loyality no strength, no power, no instruction no symbol to take us to wherever we are going.
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| Ajouter une légende |
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| The stories of travelling and very modern design |
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| Arriving at the site....always kitch |
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| We were walking |
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| The entrance to the royal tomb path |
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| Nothing but nothing |
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| Until our first mandarin |
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| One of the four horses - speed |
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| Resting... |
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| The Phoenix |
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| The faithful elephant |
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| And again |
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| Travelling without drink |
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| And resting too |
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| Strength |
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| Oh dear and the telephone is there for Mr Li |
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| Arriving at the tomb |
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| An extraordinary tree |
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| Coming up to it |
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| And further up.....and there it i |
Then there was the tea ceremony. Sorry, no photos but a lot of tea bought for family. Don't ask questions to a pretty girl. Replies are not on hand.
Lunch and excellent and who can complain about a $5 for two people. I probably wont eat better.
Now the Olympic site is on the tourist map. No way I could give that a miss. It was on the itinerary. Had to be seen. Everything in China is supposed to be bigger than life ? We saw it on TV and seeing it in the polluted mist with minature kites flying in the air - it's triste. So much money spent forcing peasants out of their homes into council flats and city work. I said this to Li and then his heart poured out with the problems of parents, salaries, poverty and more.....am I a cynic when I replied that we are afraid of China today. Their force, money........he simply said not in "our time" I should add that Li has been a guide for 30 years and would be well into his 50's.
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| The main stadium and very modern |
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| Communication tower |
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| The main stadium |
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| The swimming pool |
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| The tower and the pollution
It dawned sunny and nearly warm but I was missing my "cardy" so decided to dash off to "my" shopping centre before the driver turned up. He did and was overly "sorry" for his 5 minutes delay. Mr Li had told that the driver's English was limited but he could get by. Limited meant three words. "Hungry?" showing his mouth. "Sorry" "Wait". Believe you me with those three words we got through the day. I learnt three words in Chinese which even phonetically spelt would mean nothing. Mine were "Big" "yes" and "thankyou". The conversation was limited but when we had to understand one another, he 'phoned an English speaking lady. So then I knew that 40 minutes at the square would be enough and I was to come back to the same place where the car was parked. This was emphasized and I now had the habit of taking a photo of the street and where I had left a guide or a driver. That got me out of trouble quite often. I was pointed in the direction of THE Tian'anmen square. It's something you can't miss. 40 hectars, the emblem of Chinese history. In 1949 Mao proclaimed the creation of a popular republic and in 1989 the Chinese Springtime rebellion destroyed it. Every building seems to be larger than life. Soldiers still march across in file. The National museum makes the Louvre look small and Mao thrones it all. The flags are still raised at dawn. It's overpowering. As the sun was shining in every direction I seemed to turn, the few photos I took don't really show the dimension of what Mao had planned it to be and the scenes we all saw on TV when the rebellion took place. It took me half an hour to cross, turn a little and return to an exit. Like walking down the Champs Elysées to the Concorde and walking up again
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| Getting there |
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| Far off to see Mao |
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| The museum which made the Louvre seem small |
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| Something was being prepared |
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| And there it was but no further for me |
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| What was it? Flowers? |
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| And the march everywhere |
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| With this to sit in |
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| Behind the soldiers - a drunkard |
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| Not always disciplined.... |
We were then on our way to the 798 Art district but before that I was to be driven by the CFTA TV centre, through the Financial district by passing the hotel area. Sky scraper hotels which dwarfed buildings such as we know them in Paris. It seemed that everything to be built had to be higher than the latest 80 story building. You look up in New York but the streets are narrow. Here the streets are wide and traffic streams in all direction obeying no laws.
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| Offices |
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| A hotel |
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| Unmistakeable |
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| The black car was "ours" |
This is a young people's hang out. As I looked around the average age must have been in the 20's, tourists in their 30's and 40's and me. Entrance fees into the contemporary art centres was free for anyone over 60! It was nice that she didn't believe me.
The first port of call was Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art. The space was marvelous. What it contained less so. Taryn Simon and her "Living Man Declared Dead and Other chapters" was an overwhelming series of repetitve photos. Some large, some small and rabbits if you want them. The rabbits were laboratory tested in Australia used to test the efficacy of a virus designed to eliminate their envasive presence. This is the case in Australia but it gives you a taste of the exhibition which has been shown in important institutions around the globe including the MoMA and the Tate Modern. She's an American photographer. She circled the world for four years photographing bloody and horror situations. A bright way to start my entry into Chinese contemporary art.
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| Her rabbits |
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| Wang Keping work I do like - He lives in Paris |
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| Tara Simo Galle |
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| Ullens entrance |
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| In the hall |
There were oddities being exhibited and "it seems to ring a bell sculptures to be seen. The three hours were quite long enough for me. I had hoped to see some much more interesting work. It wasn't the case.
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| No photos inside... |
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| An empty street at 789 |
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| The one and only intresting gallery - |
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| I liked these fish |
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| Nearly always outside? |
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| Seen them before? |
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| Part of the old factory |
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| More interesting than in the galleries |
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| Well really.... |
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| The same artist |
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| We know this style |
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| How I was feeling at the end |
I woke my driver up and we were on our way back to my hotel at once.
Somethings can never be forgotten. I had eaten dinner here on my second evening - alone in the restaurant - a meal of chicken bones and vegetables. I asked for a "home" menu and I got it. Also without asking a glass of wine was placed on the table. No, I did not resist. A nectar I have not drunk in nearly three years. The food was good but I struggled with chopsticks. This is home-cooking and not European restaurant fare. The second night, as they had saved last night's left overs - served up with another glass of wine. By now I was a regular or so it seemed. French guests came in and I said "yes, of course you can eat and the wine is good". It must have been. Laughter came into my room and into the night. Tonight I was alone again. No menu. I ordered duck, green vegies and rice. The wine came with it. I was alone and at the end of a perfect meal, the manager came and told me the story of the hotel. An imperfect English but a story which I repeated back to him. The hotel was a school until the revolution and after years of emptiness it was turned recently into a hotel. His Chinese name was Tiger. Nothing can be more memorable than such moments.
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| Mr Tiger |
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| Starting to write |
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| further |
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| And partly finished |
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| Bringing my dinner |
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| And there was my duck |
As I had a few hours before leaving for Shanghai by the bullet train, I decided to walk in another direction. There I found the Art Museum and naturally went it. The indications of dates, artists, years is at a non existant level in English, so I was guessing what was more or less modern. When is another matter. Here is a selection of work which I found quite interesting but not enough to take research further. And unfortunately the titles or artists I could not read.
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| The museum |
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| Ajouter une légende |
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My postcards had been written and stamps stuck on. No letter box to be found in Beijing and I found the latter to be true in Shanghai. Post cards are not readily available either. Apparently too many disappear. We see them displayed in 100's in Europe. This is not the case in China.
The bullet train was the local TGV with added announcements at every station of messages to " be good, clean, respectful, not to get off for a smoke at a station........" This did not stop passengers shouting into mobile telephones. I remember this from Hong Kong but on a 5 hour trip it´s a bit much. Passengers laugh at conversations. Foreigners growl. I dozed. The young man next to me sang. His voice was quite good. The country was flat and frankly uninteresting. Pekin was now behind me and in 5 hours I would be in Shanghai.
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