China 2001 - The Old City

The Old City

This was an optional tour, but we are very, very glad we chose to take it. This is the point in our trip where we felt closest to the everyday life of the people of China.

I called this page "The Old City" so you'd know what I was talking about, but in Beijing, the word "Hutong" is used to describe an old style neighborhood. The word is thought to be of Mongol origin, and designated a water well back when the city was being laid out. By extension, it came to mean the set of houses that drew their water from that well.

		At the edge of the hutong, the pedicabs are waiting. It is a warm, sunny day and the ride through the tree-shaded streets is very pleasant.
		We go along the side of a man-made lake and past a neighborhood temple.
		The people were going about their business. Bicycles provide ideal transportation through narrow streets and level terrain.
		Our first stop is at a kindergarten. I assume that the small boxing gloves are an effective way of dealing with aggressive behavior.
		In one classroom the younger children seem to be used to foreign visitors. They stand up and sing a song for us. Would you like to hear their song? Then click here (440KB download, requires Windows Media Player).
		In the other classroom, the older children were having a story read to them. They stole our hearts!
		These children are already getting started on reading, writing, and arithmetic. Note the yellow pinyin chart. A system based on roman letters is being used to teach them how to pronounce their characters. This is a boarding school during the week. On weekends each child is with his or her parents.
		The old houses are made from sun-dried bricks usually plastered over. The roofs are ceramic tiles. Here a new house is being built in the old style. There are three buildings around a central courtyard.
		And now, for a real treat. We are invited into his house to visit with Mr. Chang, a retired dyer who was once an army officer. He has a great sense of dignity about him, and answers our questions through an interpreter. His house, shared with his daughters and son-in-law, has had many modifications over the years.
		Back into the pedicabs and we head back towards our starting point.
		Nearby is the Garden of Prince Gong. We didn't have time to visit the mansion itself, but we strolled through the the garden on our way to the tea house that adjoins it.

		At the tea house we had a chance to sit and rest while a couple of young ladies showed us how to prepare, serve, and taste Oolong tea. After that, all we had to do was find our way back to the hotel.