Shopping

   I braved shopping in the famous Yansha and Silk Street districts today. They are night and day from each other. Yansha is  a spacious 5 story shopping mall kind of a place, selling what I consider to be western goods that I can get back in the States. Clothes, watches, china, luggage, electronics, etc. Nothing that says “I got this in China” until I got to a small corner of the fifth floor where I found some cool little trinkets for Arianna and a small, glass plaque I got for myself commemorating my trip to the Great Wall. I later learned from my hosts that this particular store, also known as a Friendship Center, is the original store where the Chinese government directed foreign visitors. After the cultural revolution, the government issued special currency to foreign visitors that was only accepted at this store. Now, of course, they issue normal currency and visitors can go where ever they wish.
   Silke Street is not for the faint of heart, nor one who can’t barter, like me. I had a tough time in there. It is crammed with at least five floors plus a basement of mostly clothes and trinkets, these more authentically Chinese. The stores are side by side, back to back, like a flea market. I got literally grabbed by very aggressive salespeople who dragged me into their little tiny shop trying to convince me I wanted to buy an Armani suit or ties or whatever they were peddling. “No thank you” doesn’t seem to carry much weight in there. I did find a nice shop selling what I was looking to get Cyndi and Arianna, and I found another shop with a good selection of what I wanted to get the boys. I sure hope they like them because I think the salespeople got the better of me and I paid a pretty Yuan for it all. I must have ‘sucker’ written all over my face. My hosts explained at dinner later that night that I needed to simply walk away, and then they would drag me back asking for a lower price. Ah, well. But I really do like the gifts I got, and I don’t think you can get them anywhere but China.

Tian’anmen Square

   After lunch, I decided to go to Tian’anmen Square. For some reason, I felt I really had to go there to pay my respects to the students who suffered there in 1989-1990, whenever it was they staged their protest for democracy and were crushed. The place is huge; they say it is the worlds largest open ground area in a city. I started at the southern end where two sets of gates are located, large, multi-colored-roofed buildings with a brass compass set into the ground marking exact north, south, east and west. The Square lies directly on the north-south axis of the city of Beijing. I walked through the gates to the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, which was closed due to restoration. I headed around the Square on the east side, alongside Museum of Chinese History, which is a long walk indeed. Near the northern end I found the Monument to the People’s Heroes, which reminds me of a miniature Washington Memorial, and then across the Square to the Gate Tower of Tian’anmen. Dang, I wish I could load pictures, but it will have to wait until I get back to the States.

Dinner at the Bai Jia Da Yuan

   Dinner was a real treat by our hosts, who took us to a very famous restaurant called Bai Jai Da Yuan. According to the brochure and our hosts, the restaurant is set in the Yue Jia Garden, which was the residence of Prince Li of the Qing Dynasty centuries ago. It is attended by people in costumes from the same era, who all bow and utter an ancient Chinese phrase meaning “Good luck to you” as you pass. The women all wear clothes of royal Chinese hue, namely yellow and pink, and of interest are the strange shoes they wear. The shoe is elevated from the ground in the middle by a 3-4 inch platform, not really a heel, since it is in the center of the sole. It is amazing they can keep their balance as they serve.
   After walking through the peaceful garden, we were treated to another multicourse meal of a dozen or so courses, tea, and Chinese beer. Everything was delicious, and beautifully presented, starting with the rose petal/parsely/onion salad with a hint of vinegar. We even took pictures of some of the food, it was so pretty! There was much story telling and laughter between the guests, and some singing by the guests from Sweden and our Chinese hosts and one Japanese guest. They asked me to sing, but I told them the only drinking songs I know are engineering songs, and they aren’t really suited for dinner. The founder of the hosting company laughed in agreement, since he has a degree from MIT, too.
   After dinner, we another another walk in the garden, now lit up by paper lanterns, took some more pictures and said our goodbyes. Everyone separates on their own way tomorrow and Sunday. Although I have one more day of touring, it was sad to leave them. They’ve been so wonderful to me and made this trip a real pleasure.