Beijing & Badaling

(English below the pictures)

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Beijing en die Groot Muur

Met ’n groot begeerte om nou ook my Asiese avontuur oor die grense van Suid Korea uit te brei het ek ’n naweek in Beijing, Sjina bespreek. Ek was die Vrydag op ’n laatmiddag vlug uit Beijing toe, en sou die Sondag ’n laataand vlug terug Seoul toe neem. Dis dalk ’n kort tydjie vir Beijing, maar ek moes maar net die beste daarvan maak.

Alhoewel Seoul en Beijing relatief naby aan mekaar is, het kostes my gedwing om maar ’n konneksie vlug te neem deur Dalian, Sjina. Dit was die eerste keer wat ek kennis gemaak het met Sjinese lughawens - hulle is maar anders. Toe ons in Dalian van die vliegtuig afklim was dit reeds laat skemer en als was donker, heel asof hulle ’n kragonderbreking ondervind het. Dit het ook geblyk of ek die enigste persoon op my vlug was wat moes oorklim op ’n volgende vlug, en in die donker, en Sjinese skrif, was dit heel moeilik om my pad te vind. Ek het maar my instinkte gevolg en aanhou loop totdat ek ’n enkele lughawe personeellid by ’n ‘Transfer’ bordjie, in die donker, sien sit het. Hy’t my sommer met ’n hand skandeerdertjie ondersoek vir wapens, my paspoort met die stempel wat hy in sy broeksak dra gestempel, en toe een woord geuiter: “Up!” Op by die stilstaande roltrappe het ek darem aangesluit by die res van die mense wat op my vlug sou wees, en iewers was daar darem ’n flou lig aan...

Kings Joy is ’n bekostigbare hotel in Beijing, met die perfekte ligging. Die restaurant is op die vierde verdieping en het ’n pragtige uitsig oor Tiananmen plein en die beroemde Forbidden City. Na aandete het ek gaan wandel deur die bekende Qianmen straat met sy liggies, trems, moderne en tradisionele klerewinkels, kafees en restaurante. Ek het sommer daar vir my ’n netjiese jas gekoop vir glad nie te duur nie.

Teen sewe-uur Saterdagoggend was ek al by die hotel se deur uit, elke eetplek in my straat het dieselfde item op aanbod gehad, ’n egte plaaslike ontbyt van langwerpige vetkoeke en ’n visserige seewier sop. Vreemde kosse skrik my nie af nie, en wie is ek om op iets anders aan te dring - so dit was my ontbyt. 

Dit is heel moontlik om byna al die belangrikste besienswaardighede in Beijing te sien in ’n enkele dag - as jy jouself druk. Neem taxi's om tyd te bespaar, eet en drink terwyl jy stap en ken jou belangstellings. Hierdie was my reisuiteensetting vir die Saterdag:

Temple of Heaven - van daar af lê al die besienswaardighede in Beijing in ’n byna reguit lyn noordwaarts, dis a.g.v. hul Feng shui filosofie. Temple of Heaven is seker my gunsteling plek in Beijing, die etlike verdieping hoë gestapelde ronde tempel is net iets om te aanskou. Die park rondom gons ook van mense wat met vlieërs vlieg, tradisionele speletjies speel, verskeie gevegskunste oefen, mediteer, kuier en verbasend genoeg salsa dans of lyndanse doen. Daar is ook ’n eeueoue jeneverboom wat die moeite werd is om te besoek.

Tiananmen Plein - Die hekke voor die plein, sowel as die beeldkuns in die plein is interessant, maar ek’t nie veel tyd hier spandeer nie. Dis die perfekte plek om mense dop te hou sou jy die tyd hê, en jy dit interessant vind.

Forbidden City - Die skaal van die tempel/paleis is ongelooflik, en eerlikwaar oorweldigend. Jy besef gou daar is te veel om als te kan verken, en binnekort begin als maar eenders lyk. Ek het dus die grootste besienswaardighede besoek voor ek deur die noordelike hek oor die moot is. 

Ou Hutongs - Ek het ’n riksjaw gehuur om die tradisionele woonbuurte te besoek. Dit is opsigself mooi, maar dit is die riksjaw drywer wat die ervaring onvergeetlik gemaak het met al sy staaltjies, histories korrek of nie. 

White Pagoda - Daar is ’n wandelpad vanuit die hutongs wat tot bo by die pagoda lei. Dit ps nie juis in by die tradisionele geboue van sy era nie, maar dis egter baie mooi. Vandaar kon ek die Childrens Palace en pragtige omrigende parke aanskou. Aan die onderpunt van die koppie het ek op een van die 9 miljoen fietse in Beijing geklim om op klipsteen strate langs waterweë en wilgerbome te ry tot skemer. 

Ek het besluit om die aand maar weer in Qianmen straat deur te bring, omdat ek nou al bietjie bekend daarmee was. Normaalweg sou ek iets meer avontuurlustig doen, maar ek was nie lus vir nog prysstryery en skare mense nie, en die gebeure van die dag het my uitgeput, gebeure wat ek eers ’n bietjie wou uitstel om van te vertel ~

Ervaringe in ’n vreemde land, kan soms minder lekker wees. Laat my storie sommer ook dien as ’n waarskuwing vir ander reisigers: In Korea het ek al gewoond geraak aan vreemdelinge wat ’n geselsie met my begin aanknoop, slegs omdat hulle die geleentheid soek om hul Engels te oefen. Ek is inderdaad in die Ooste om Engels te gee, so ek weier nie sommer om iemand bietjie te help nie. So het ’n jong man my op Tiananmen plein genader en gesê hy studeer Engels en toerisme, en hy wil graag van hulp wees en terselfdertyd sy vaardighede oefen. Ek was gewillig, maar het dit duidelik gestel dat ek teen ’n vinnige pas moet beweeg omdat ek soveel wou sien die dag. Hy het ingestem en gesê hy sal in die loop praat en verduidelik, ons hoef nie lank stil te staan nie. 

Hy het ’n paar interessante dinge vertel en net voor ek by die Forbidden City inloop het ek vir hom gevra of hy weet van ’n winkeltjie waar ek my water kan aanvul en dalk ’n koeldrank kon koop. Hy het gesê hy weet van een net om die hoek, en ek moet hom sommer volg, hy gaan ook water kry. By die plekkie aangekom was dit ’n kafee, en ek moes ’n glas koeldrank bestel, eerder as ’n botteltjie vir die pad. Ek het ’n yskoffie bestel wat byna onmiddelik gekom het, die student het ’n pot tee bestel, en ek het maar gedink ek sal hom hier moet laat, want hy gaan te lank neem om sy tee klaar te drink. Toe ek my koffie klaar gedrink het, het ek vir hom dankie gesê, en myself verskoon sodat ek kon aangaan met my dag. Hy’t aangedring dat ek wag, en ’n bohaai opgeskop oor ek nou al wou gaan. Die kelnerin het aangestap gekom met die rekening van rondomby 1000 Amerikaanse dollar. Ek het uiteraard gewyer om dit te betaal.

Die kelnerin het gesê sy gaan die polisie roep as ek nie die volle bedrag betaal nie, en ek het duidelik agtergekom dat sy en die ‘student’ vennote in die kroekspul was. Ek het 30 RMB op die tafel neergesit en gesê dit is al wat ek bereid is om te betaal en na die uitgang begin stap. Albei van hulle het die uitgang toegestaan en sy het my weer met die polisie gedreig. Die keer het ek aangedring dat sy hul roep, sodat ek aan hulle kan vertel wat hier aangaan. Haar antwoord was ’n ontnugtering en dalk die skrikwekkendste van die hele situasie. “Die polisie ken my, hulle is aan my kant, hulle praat nie Engels nie, hulle gaan jou in die tronk gooi.” 

Ek dink hulle noem dit die “veg of vlug instink”, wel vlug was nou die antwoord. Ek het die mannetjie uit my pad uit gestoot, die deur oopgemaak en teen ’n vinnige pas uitgestap, om nie verdag te lyk nie, terug om die hoek oppad na die Forbidden City, terwyl ek hardop bid. Heeltyd het ek oor my skouer gekyk of hulle my nie agterna sit nie, en dopgehou of ek nie ’n obskure polisieman uit ’n stegie sien kom nie, maar daar was niks, hulle het nie eers agter my aangeskree nie. Dit was net tjoepstil. Tussen ’n skare toeriste het ek kalmeer en veiliger gevoel. Vir etlike minute moes ek die woede in my verwerk, die spanning laat vaar, en my kop skoon kry sodat ek die res van my kort tydjie in die stad kon geniet.

Toe ek my kaartjie by die Forbidden City se ingang koop lees ek twee waarskuwings raak: “Beware of Tea room/cafe scams!” “Beware of Free Art Exhibition Scams!” Ek het reg voor die ingang ’n koeldrankkarretjie gewaar en ’n Coke en water gaan koop. Dit is net toe, dat 3 jong dames hulself voorstel as kunsstudente en vra of ek nie belangstel om hul kunsuitstalling by te woon nie, dit was verniet en baie naby geleë. Ek het hul nie eers ’n antwoord gegee nie, net omgedraai en deur die hekke tot binne die Forbidden City gestap, en maar eers weer op ’n bankie gaan sit en kalmeer. 

’n Goeie nag se rus doen darem wondere vir die gemoed, en ek het Sondag opgestaan met vars opgewondenheid en durf. My reisuiteensetting was as volg:

Ek het sommer die oggend reeds by my hotel uitgeboek en my bagasie saam met my geneem, sodat ek van die laaste bestemming van my begeleide toer af ’n taxi lughawe toe kon haal.

Badaling Muur - Die groot muur is meer as 8000 km lank. Die gedeelte naaste aan Beijing is bekend as Badaling. Van die voet van die berg af het ek ’n kabelkarretjie opgeneem na die muur, die karretjies was in werkende toestand, maar ek het gewonder vir hoe lank nog, ek moes selfs self die deurtjie van my kabelkarretjie toehou sodat dit nie aanmekaar in die lug oopswaai nie. Die muur is ’n ongelooflike sig, en my naweek se hoogtepunt.

Ming Grafte - Ek het nooit voorheen regtig iets van die grafte geweet nie, maar dit was ingesluit in die pakket, en ek is glad nie spyt dat ek dit besoek het nie. Dis ook ’n kompleks van tempels, hekke, en tuine opgedra aan lede van die Ming dinastie. 

Jade Museum - dit was die laaste punt van ons toer, en as ek nou maar reguit is, net ’n truuk om mense te kry om Jade juwele en ornamente te koop. Daar is vreeslik baie bygelowe geheg aan Jade stene in die Ooste.

Dit was ’n propvol dag, en my eksentrieke gids het gesorg vir baie vermaak. Sy het sonder ophou haar bygelowe aan ons uitgelê, en die erns daarvan met klaarblyklike bewyse probeer staaf. Dit het begin by kos in die potte los vir afgestorwe familielede, en leë potte in die oggend op die stoof vind, tot teels in die kombuis hoor kraak as haar oorlede ouma kom kuier. Daarna het sy elkeen van die ornamentjies aan haar hangertjie en armbandjie se belangrike betekenisse aan ons verduidelik: geluk, liefde, vrugbaarheid, rykdom, balans, ens. En natuurlik het sy ook ’n jade steen teen haar hart gedra vir goeie bloedvloei, en ’n lang lewe.

Sjina het soveel om te sien, plekke wat ek baie graag wil sien, en dinge om te ervaar. Volgende keer gaan ek net vir ’n langer tyd, met meer voorbereiding en minder naïwiteit.

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Foto's / Photos

Temple of Heaven

Ou Jenever boom / Old Juniper tree

Tiananmen Plein / Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Plein / Tiananmen Square

In Forbidden City

'n Ou Hutongs straat / An Old Hutongs street

Mooi kanale en wilgerbome / Beautiful canals and willow trees

Die Groot Muur Badaling / The Great Wall Badaling

Die Groot Muur Badaling / The Great Wall Badaling

Ming Tombs

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Beijing and the Great Wall

By October I had the desire to explore Asia beyond the borders of South Korea, so I had booked a weekend to Beijing, China. I would catch the Friday evening flight out, and a late flight that Sunday back to Seoul. It was a short time to spend in Beijing, but I would just have to make the best of it.

Although Seoul and Beijing aren’t that far from each other, costs had forced me to book a transfer flight through Dalian, China. It was the first time I encountered Chinese airlines and airports - and they are different. On arrival at Dalian airport it was already dusk, and everything at the airport seemed dark, as if they were experiencing a power failure. It also seemed as if I were the only person on my flight that needed to transfer to another flight. Alone, in the dark and with mostly Chinese signs, this was no easy task. I followed my instincts and hoped for the best following dim emergency lights, until I finally found a single airport employee sitting on a lone chair, in a dark corner, by a faint transfer sign. He used a hand scanner to quickly check me, pulled a stamp out of his pant pocket to stamp my passport, and uttered a single word: “Up!” I walked up the stationary escalators to arrive at my gate, at least there were some more people, and some dim lights switched on. Weird...

Kings Joy is an affordable Hostel with the perfect location in Beijing. The restaurant is on the 4th floor and has a beautiful view of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. After dinner I went for a stroll through Qianmen street, it is near the hostel and offers modern and traditional clothing stores, cafes and restaurants. I even bought myself a nice winter coat there for a very reasonable price.

By 7am on Saturday I had walked out the door of my hostel already. Every eatery in my street was serving the same thing, a local breakfast of deep fried bread and a fishy seaweed soup. I’m no stranger to foreign cuisine so I went ahead and ordered what the locals were having. Greasy and fishy, yet satisfying.

It is possible to see the most important sites in Beijing in a single day, if you push yourself. Take taxis to save time, eat and drink on the go, and know what your interests are. My itinerary for the day was as follows:

Temple of Heaven - from here everything I wanted to see in Beijing formed a straight line northwards, that’s because of the Feng shui philosophy in China. Temple of Heaven was probably my favorite site in all of Beijing, with its ample stories of round stacked traditional roofs. The surrounding grounds and park buzzes with activity, from people flying kites, playing traditional games, practicing various martial art disciplines, meditating, hanging out with friends, as well as salsa dancing and line dancing. You could also visit the centuries old juniper tree in the park, it is beautiful.

Tiananmen Square - The gates in front of the square and the various monuments are interesting, but I didn’t spend that much time here. It would be the perfect place to people-watch, if that interests you, providing you had enough time.

Forbidden City - The scale of this temple/palace is mindblowing. You quickly realise that it’s too big to explore every corner, and pretty soon the next courtyard starts looking like the previous. That is why I just visited the biggest attractions in the complex, before exiting through the back gate to cross the mote.

Old Hutongs - Right by the mote I hired a rickshaw to take me through the old hutongs. The traditional neighbourhoods are full of interesting sites and buildings, but it is thanks to my rickshaw driver’s stories, historically accurate or not, that I really enjoyed the experience.

White Pagoda - My rickshaw driver dropped me off among the hutongs near the path that leads up to this unusual pagoda. Its round, bell shape and white exterior is very different from other pagodas in Beijing. From the top you have a great view of the Children’s Palace and the surrounding gardens. At the bottom of the hill I got on one of the 9 million bicycles in Beijing and rode along cobble stone streets next to canals and huge willow trees until sunset.

I decided to spend the night in the now somewhat familiar Qianmen street again. Usually I’ll venture out and be adventurous by visiting night markets and such, but I was just not up for more haggling and crowds of people. That and some unfortunate event during the day still dampened my spirits a bit, an event that I put off to mention earlier so that I could dedicate more time to it here ~

Some experiences in foreign countries can be frightening and tough. Let my experience serve as disillusionment and warning to new travelers: In Korea I had gotten used to strangers approaching me, starting a conversation with the intention of practicing their English. I am indeed in Asia to teach English, so I rarely refuse to help someone while commuting or waiting for my bus. And so a young man approached me on Tiananmen Square. He introduced himself and said that he was studying tourism and English. As an assignment he had to volunteer his services to toursits, and that it would be good practice for him. I was willing to help the guy, but made it clear that I was on quite a tight schedule and he’d have to keep up. He agreed to my terms and said he would explain everything as we walk, no stopping or sidetracks. 

He kept up and shared some interesting information as we went. Before I entered the Forbidden City I asked him if he knew about a little convenience store or stand nearby so I could refill my water and buy a Coke. He knew about one around the corner and lead the way. Got there and it was a cafe where I would have to sit down and order a glass of whatever. It would have to do, so I ordered a tall ice coffee, which I got almost immediately. He ordered a pot of tea, and at that point I thought this would be where our paths would separate; I was going to down my coffee, pay and get back on track, his tea would take too long. I excused myself and thanked him for his time, but then he threw quite the scene about the fact that I was leaving so quickly, that I had to sit and wait for the bill. The waitress brought a bill for 1000 US dollars. I looked at both people in front of me, they had a threatening gaze in their eyes. I naturally refused to pay that amount.

The waitress threatened that she would call the police if we didn’t pay, and the student chimed in that I drank the coffee and thus had to pay the amount. They were obviously partners in crime. I put 30 RMB down on the table and said that it was more than enough to cover my coffee, and started to walk toward the exit. Both of them pushed past me and blocked the door. There was no one else in the whole place. The waitress threatened me with the police again. This time I insisted that they call the police so that I could expose them for the frauds they are. The waitress’ reply sent chills down my spine and for a moment petrified me with fear: “The police know me, they are on my side, they don’t understand English, you’ll go to jail!”

I believe they call it the “fight or flight instinct”, well flight kicked in. I pushed the student out of my way, opened the door, which was luckily not locked, and walked out at a very fast pace. I didn’t run, as not to look too suspicious, rounded the corner back towards the Forbidden City, all the way praying out loud. I constantly looked over my shoulder to see if they weren’t coming after me, and kept an eye out for the one or other dodgy police officer coming out of an obscure alley. But nothing. It was quiet. They didn’t even yell after me, neither of the two crooks even set foot out the door. Once I reached the crowd of tourists in front of the ticket box at the Forbidden City, I felt more at ease again. For several minutes while queueing I had to process the emotions, the anger and had to let go of all the tension. I had to clear my mind in order to be able to enjoy the rest of my short time in the city.

When I got to the front of the ticket box I noticed two warning signs, each printed in basic black font on A4 white paper: “Beware of Tea room/cafe scams!” “Beware of Free Art Exhibition Scams!” After getting my ticket I noticed a refreshment stand, and went over to buy a Coke. Right as I was standing there three young girls approached me and said that they were art students and had a free exhibition on nearby. They asked whether I’d be interested to come to their exhibition. I didn’t even answer them, didn’t even make eye contact, I just turned around and entered the Forbidden City. Just past the first gate I found a bench, I just took a moment there, before continuing with my day's itinerary...

A good night’s rest does wonders though, and Sunday morning I got up bright and early full of excitement for the day and its activities. My Sunday itinerary looked like this:

I checked out of the hostel and took my luggage with me. I would catch a cab to the airport right from the last point on my guided tour route.

Badaling Great Wall - The Great Wall is more than 8000 km long. The portion of the wall closest to Beijing is known as Badaling. I took a cable car from the foot of the hill to the top of the wall. The cable cars were in working condition, although I can’t vouch for their compliance to safety regulations. I even had to keep the doors of my cable car closed myself, since they would swing open and closed constantly. The wall however was such an amazing site, and a bucket list item ticked off. It was the highlight of my weekend.

Ming Tombs - I had never really known anything about the tombs, but they were included in the package tour, and I really didn’t regret paying them a visit. It’s a whole complex of tempels, gates, monuments and gardens dedicated to the Ming Dynasty.

Jade Museum - This was the last attraction on our package tour, and if I’m honest just a gimmick to get people to buy jade stones. People in the East have a lot of superstitions around the jewels, and I bet the tour company had some kind of commission deal with the store.

It was a packed day, and my eccentric guide was a source of great entertainment. She tirelessly made jokes, and dived right into all her superstitions, trying to explain and prove each as an important practice. It started with leaving food on the stove for the ghosts of dead relatives who get hungry in the afterlife, to hearing tiles creaking in the kitchen when her deceased grandmother comes to visit lat at night. After that she laid out the meaning of every one of the ornaments she had on her necklace, bracelet, keyring and car: joy, love, fertility, riches, balance, etc. Then she also showed us the jade stone that she carried in the pocket over her heart to ensure good blood flow and a long life.

China has a lot to explore, places that I desperately want to visit, and things to experience. Next time I’ll just go for a longer period of time, better prepared and less naive.