(1) The Bell and Drum Towers
So there I was. Five days into my time in Beijing, stuck at my apartment, and gettin' antsy. I took off, throwing caution to the wind, and leaped onto the subway. I rode to Guloudajie Station and burst out in search of the Towers Bell and Drum. My honest thought process - if I can recall correctly - was that Dawna was coming, and I would wait with the more awesome touristy stuff until she, a fellow curiosity-haver, could join me in my touristic excursions. So, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower got the initial nod from me and my camera on August 22.
I located the two large buildings and hit up the Drum Tower first. The stairs? Many. The view from the top? Impeded by smog. The drums? Mostly replicas. There was one insanely old authentic one, but that was it. Here is the Drum Tower:
Here are the stairs to the T.O.P.:
The view to the south:
The view to the east:
The view to the west:
Some drums:
Fortunately, a bunch of dudes showed up and gave a drum-banging performance. It was good. They'd clearly been training for months and months and were quite good.
Having explored every inch of the ol' place, I descended and went across the parking lot to the Bell Tower. These 2 for 1 deals, I tell you what. Behold, the Bell Tower:
Up the stairs. To the top. Looked around. The bell was pretty big. What you want me to say? I won't lie that I can't deny:
And the view to the north, since I knew you were wondering:
Then I wondered around for a couple more hours, aimlessly, until I came to a place that can only truly be described by its Chinese name, Jishuitan. It was calming and relaxing, which was good cause I was so, ya know, worked up and anxious, and I want to go back there and read when it's warm. Here are some pictures of it:
(2) Yuyuantan Park
Mere days later, August 26, the date of which I only can recite because the folder of pictures from it was created that day, I set out for a destination even more distant from my house: Muxidi Station and Yuyuantan Park. I arrived and walked for about ten hours before finding a way over the canal (moat?) that kept me from accessing the park. When I did breech the park's perimeter and enter the interior, I was pretty disappointed with the southern side. It was very bland and the lake that is supposed to be in the middle of the park - a lake with a cool land bridge through its center, according to my map - was very much under construction. It was an ugly sight, to be honest. I didn't even take any pictures. The only redeeming point was this nice little courtyard deal. Very chill. Some people were napping there.
I circled (ovaled? It's not really a circular lake) and found that the north shore was actually way cooler. There were actually people hanging out, some of them out on the lake in boats (similar to the swan boats!) and others just parading around taking pictures like I was. Good!
In the background of many of these photos, a large Seoul Tower/Space Needle-esque structure can be seen. This is the CCTV Tower. It is not to be confused with the CCTV Headquarters Tower. Both are on my list of towers to attack and pillage.
(3) Beihai Park
Finally Dawna arrived. Finally we set out with our explorer hats and our cameras. Finally we stormed the city. Finally! The destination was Beihai Park, not far at all from the Drum Tower, not far at all from the Bell Tower.
The park was mostly a lake, the land immediately surrounding it, and an islandy hill with the Great White Dagoba at its peak. However, the park was not as boring as it sounds. And we didn't even do everything that the place offered. Here are just a few of the intriguing attractions Beihai Park offered us on that fine Saturday, September 4, a day that will live in infamy.
First, a lake chock full of little paddle boats. They were a little expensive for two people, and we did witness one of them that had run aground; its occupants were yelling "S.O.S.!" and laughing.
Second, some canals. Beijing has an ample supply of these. And willow trees.
Third, a bunch of pagodas full of dancing people. Some performances were just one lady doing interpretative dance, but some were a bunch of couples - some of them old, brazen, and insane - getting down.
Fourth, calligraphy for the ground. If one were to write English words with a big water-broom on the ground, one would get laughed at. But Chinese is way sweeter to look at. So, as a certain friend commented on a Facebook photo of Cass Money's, "This kind of sidewalk calligraphy is widely done throughout all of China :)" Now you know.
Fifth, a bridge to the island in the middle: Qionghua Island. Dawna's shock and awe over the rare Great White Dagoba (similar in scarcity to the Great White Bat in "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) is obvious in her body language.
Sixth, one of these things. I don't know what they are called or what purpose they serve. A lot of times they seem to be a gate of some sort, but as far as their actual function...probably just to catch the eye of tourists who aren't used to seeing them everywhere. I think I'm over them.
Seventh, another one of these things. This time my attention was caught so completely that I had to take a picture under it.
Eighth, a tower in traditional Chinese architecture style. This one's obvious original purpose was to shoot flaming poison arrows that made victims' skin melt and inner organs liquify out at attackers. Not so today.
Ninth, curves. Almost as nice as Anne Hathaway's. But...not quite.
Tenth, saxophone players. This one's for you, Christina Haggar.
Eleventh, a spectacular view of Dawna looking out on a spectacular view of Beijing, especially Jingshan Park, a destination we marked for death that very day.
Twelfth, a spectacular view of the lake and the swan boats and the other side. I can see my house from here.
Thirteenth, a dim, gray, foreboding view of the Forbidden City. Take care, tourists. Take care.
Fourteenth, Dawna grimacing over a gaggle of cross-legged, large-eared humanoid figures. Tread softly, Dawna.
Fifteenth, the Great White Dagoba. Undoubtedly, you have been racking your brain for the meaning of the word "dagoba." Well, wonder no more. Wikipedia tells us that the word is the name of a French metal band. Actually, they sound like something I'd sort of enjoy. Other definitions claim that "dagoba" is a brand of chocolate and/or a planet from "Star Wars." The winner is an architectural style: "a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics." And this one was white, and pretty great, as far as Buddhist relic-containers go.
Sixteenth, a horrible joke based on "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in which my head became an alligator's.
Seventeenth, stairs, and lots of them. We followed one portly couple up the stairs, and you could actually see the two physically losing weight as they climbed. At the top they had to hold their pants up with their hands.
Eighteenth, one last shot of some boaters as the sun threatens to set (spoiler: it did).
Nineteenth, another photo of the sun, this time hovering over the willows and another curvy building.
Twentieth, a summary of this whole segment of the post (Great White Dagoba, bridge, island, lake, etc.) and I.
(4) Community Hike
"Oh," you say in your quiet, fire-lit den in your warm home, "a community hike. How boring." Well, what if I were to tell you about five words that were left out of the title of (4), five words that would likely change your perception of not only this post but also of the entire world as you have heretofore perceived it? Here are the words; they also indicate where the hike took place:
The Great Wall of China.
Yes, it's true. Our rugged Community and Service Coordinator Mr. Fleming ("a ladies's man," as a student's journal told me forty-five minutes ago) organized this October 8 event for students, teachers, administrators, and parents; we departed from Wangjing at 8 a.m. and arrived at the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall a few hours later. The rest was simple: we hiked all over the Great Wall, stopping only for lunch and to pick up the bodies of the dead, those not strong enough to make it. Highlights: getting to parade around on the most popular historic tourist site in the world quite casually. Lowlight: our principal suggested we jog up this wicked steep set of stairs, and we did it, and we couldn't walk after that.
Rather than bore you with any more meaningless dialogue (who wants to read about the Great Wall when they could be looking at pictures of it?), I will just put up the photographs I took and call it good.
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ReplyDeleteAwesome snaps. Thanks for post.
ReplyDeleteLTFS