Ming Dynasty City Wall Relics Park

What is the best place in Beijing to taste regional food? A real food connoisseur would know to locate them at the cafeterias of the representative offices of these provinces. For example, the most authentic Sichuan restaurant is the cafeteria of the representative office of Sichuan Province in Beijing.

As our last day in Beijing, Stinky Monkey wanted to try the YunNan regional food. The representative office of Yunnan Province in Beijing is near DongBianMen, the southeast side of Beijing.

The meal is wonderful, so as usual, we “consumed” beyond what we normally take. No wonder each time I returned to the U.S., there is a whole week of time that I do not want to eat anything–because everything tastes plain and old.

To help with the “digestion”, we strolled to the nearby Ming Dynasty City Wall Relics Park.

Here are some historic facts. The Ming City Wall was first built over 580 years ago, in 1419, or the 17th year of Emperor Yongle’s reign in the Ming Dynasty. The wall used to run about 40 kilometers. The remaining relic, which is about 1.5 kilometers long, is located 3 kilometers from the center of the city, between the southeast turret and Chongwen Gate in the west. It used to be part of the inner city wall of Beijing and is currently the longest section of the city wall remains in the city.  

I heard about the restoration of the wall a while back ago, but this is the first time that I actually walked on it.

Love the experience! On the top of the wall I can see old railway tracks that were built in the late Qing Dynasty and are still in use. I can see kites flying high in the sky.

Strolling down along the wall, we ran into locals living nearby, enjoying the view and the walk. A friendly smile here, a quiet glance there. Two gardeners were taking a break and were sharing the amusement from their cell phone’s text messages.

Another gardener nearby was cleaning a huge sign, with at least 20 images. Some are obvious, but some we have to guess. It tends out that some of these images tell people the park forbids fireworks, dog-walking, camping,…, you name it.

Lotus festival in Beihai Park

It is the late summer. The weather in Beijing is still hot, but less humid.

We did a morning hike in the Beihai Park. The ancient imperial garden is hosting its annual lotus festival. Almost the entire lake is covered with water lilies. Both of us love water lilies. For me, being exposed to endless Chinese traditional paintings which often took water lilies as a theme; for Stinky Monkey, the influence from the work by Claude Monet, I guess.

For a while I was considering renting a boat to get close to these water lilies, but the image of rolling a boat under a hazy and hot late morning does not appear appealing to either of us.  

Because we visited the park during a week day, the park is not that crowded with visitors. Locals strolled along the lake, chatting, practicing calligraphy, playing pokers, or simply watching the lotus blossoms. A scene so familiar to me since my childhood.

Strolling inside the Circular City

During our trip to the Beihai Park, we stopped by the nearby Circular City. Because of the last year’s Beijing Summer Olympics, the entire ancient circular city has been renovated. Just another reason that I am supporting for the Games to be hosted in Beijing.

The circular city, located on the southern shore of the Beihai lake, is the only miniature city in Beijing. Built as a “city of cities”, it is 276 meters in circumference, 4.6 meters in height, and 4,500 square meters in area.

Inside the Circular City stands an 800-year-old pine tree. The tree is nicknamed “General in White”. We visited the Chengguang Hall, which contains a 1.6-metre-tall benign looking Buddha carved smoothly of snow-white jade. But actually, I was more impressed with the architecture of the hall itself.

I am always fascinated by the architecture of these ancient Chinese buildings. The decos along the roofs of the halls and walls inside the Circular City are especially exquisite.

How does China choose its astronaut

The Global Times published an article on August 3rd, revealing some details about the process of becoming an astronaut for China’s space program. The news report is funny to read, especially when it discusses the “human touch” of this process. The following is a copy of the article.

China Bans Bad Breath in Space

By AFP

Bad breath is enough to impede entry into China’s manned space program, state media said yesterday–but the final green light for blast-off is given by the hopeful astronaut’s wife.

China only wants to send the best of the best into orbit, meaning unfortunate personal smell is sufficient reason to get disqualified right away, the sina.com website reported.

“Bad body odor will affect colleagues in the narrow confines of a space shuttle,” said Shi Binbin, a doctor with the 454th Air Force Hospital in Nanjing.

A runny nose is also a definite obstacle to joining China’s space race for much the same reason, according to the report.

The hospital recently completed a rigorous first screening of candidates, who had to satisfy 100 requirements, to eliminate those obviously unfit to serve China in space.

But the battery of tests was only the first of three aimed at selecting China’s new breed of astronauts that will pick up from the pioneers chosen in 1997.

Discarded early in the process were those with scars–as they may burst open in the extreme conditions in space, the report said. And candidates must also show they have no family history of serious illnesses going back three generations.

But the biggest hurdle may yet lie ahead–as any prospective astronaut’s wife will have the final say.

If she does not like the idea of her husband going into space, he will not be allowed to enter the program-no matter how he has performed up until then, the report added.

China became the third nation to put a man in space when Yang Liwei piloted the one-man Shenzhou-5 space mission in 2003.

Late night arrival

Northwest has changed its schedule and delayed the arrival time of its Tokyo to Beijing flight by one hour–Courtsy of the recent swine flu fear.

By the time that Stinky Monkey’s plane landed, the arrival hall looked really empty. I felt rather sleepy already. After all, there is another 30 minutes ride from the Capital Airport to Grand Hyatt.

The recent crazy schedule and work load have been so exhausting. Starting today, I finally have a week of vacation for myself. Parties and gatherings. Tonight I pick up Stinky Monkey as well.

Tomorrow is my first vacation day, after being in China for so long. Look forward to it.