I was to be left to my own devices as Peng had business in Hong Kong and Shanghai for a week. I probably could have, should have planned for a trip away but I didn’t have the will power to organise myself, particularlly as the following week I was joining Peng in Tokyo for the marathon. Keeping it simple seemed to be the best choice and that is exactly what we did on Monday 17th. We treated ourselves to Jain Bing from the market stall where I also discovered they were making fresh Tofu pudding, too delicious to miss. Once packing and completing various pieces of admin regarding the letting of my flat, we went in search of coffee in the Hutongs of Dashilan.
I had been given a coupon for free coffee from Berry Beans in Tongzhou and Peng, having discovered a branch in a nearby Alley, decided we should go there. I have said many times. One of the great pleasures of living in Beijing is enjoying the architectural delights of the hutongs, from some the dystopian residential streets to the smarter homes and the decorative frontage of the shopping streets and walking there and back, allowed us to revel in the fascinating and ancient sights of the buildings along a new route through the twisting alleys we decided to take. The afternoon was idled away in vlogging and blogging in the cafe, while Peng finalised details of his trip.
By 7 am on Tuesday Peng had left and I began to plan activities in his absence to occupy myself with. I had discovered the location of the narrowest Hutong in Beijing and I planned to go but as I explored some further interesting adjectives to describe a Hutong, longest, widest etc I found that the former residence of one of the CCP’s founding fathers Li Dazhou was located in a Hutong near the apartment. I revealed in the opportunity to satisfy the communist in me and made it my first visit of the time on my own. This revolutionary intellectual was a professor of politics, history and economics at Peking university and was not only a mentor of many radicals including Mao Zedong but was the first in China, through his significant published articles to spread Marxism. He also played a significant role in the 1919 May the 4th movement. By 1926, after the death of the stabilising force of Dr Sun Yat-Sen he was organising anti-government demonstrations and was a prime instigator of a protest on 18th March where more than 200 people were injured and 47 killed by the government, he was subsequently put on the most wanted list. On April 28th 1927 he was executed by the KMT. It was an enlightening and entertaining visit. I particularly enjoyed a visit from a CCP branch who unfurled the Peoples Republic of China Flag in the courtyard and posed with it.
I was close to the oldest Hutong in Beijing so I cycled there though on arrival it didn’t strike me as very old, but there were some noticeable differences to the entrances and I was bold and went into the courtyards to have a look. I had also read of the Honglou Public library which was converted from a 1950’s cinema and as that was across the road I also paid a visit making a video and taking photos before cycling home.
Before I left England in July 2024 I bought a pair of Moscot spectacles but I didn’t have time to have eyes tested and the lens in them was neutral. I planned to have a test in China but I didn’t trust the opticians I get my glasses from in the glasses mall and had done nothing but occasionally look at these premium frames. I had a couple of weeks previously actually found a Moscot dealer in Beijing in the Chongwenmen vicinity and decided on Wednesday that I would go to the cinema in the area and then walk to the shop. I cycled to the cinema in bright sunshine, enjoyed the film, Legends of the Condor Heroes, a Song Dynasty adventure and then walked for 20 minutes with purpose to the Hongqiao market. The area was a significant site for me as I had stayed in a hotel on that street in February 2020 when I had first arrived. I was aware at that time of the Temple of Heaven being in the vicinity but as everything was closed due to the Corona Virus (as Covid was known then) I did not spot that the Hongqiao Market (Pearl) where I was cheated out of 250 pounds in 2018 and which was also closed, was on my doorstep. Memories of that week in the hotel and my experience flooded back and it was a cheerful and uplifting stroll. On my arrival at the store I discovered a note pinned to the door ‘Shut for three days’. Disappointed by the outcome I found somewhere to have tea and ended up chatting through translate on my phone with a deaf Chinese gentlemen.
When I had gone with Peng to his workplace the previous week I had discovered the existence of a large Ming Dynasty Temple complex in Haidian called Wanshouzi, Temple of longevity and naturally I was compelled to visit. This meant that on Thursday I took the subway, line 4 North and then cycled with a couple of wrong turnings along the way. The temple was built in 1577. This construction was during the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty to store Chinese Buddhist scriptures. It later became a permanent birthday celebration place for the imperial families of the Ming and Qing dynasties linked to the forbidden city by the Long river. As well as one of Beijing’s “Key Cultural Heritage of Preservation” since 1979, The Beijing Art Museum is housed in the Temple has also collections of precious historical relics such as bronze and jade articles of Shang and Zhou dynasties, ancient art treasures including Chinese paintings and calligraphy from the Ming and Qing dynasties since 1368. There was not a huge amount to distinguish it from other Ming dynasty temples that I had witnessed but there were some unusual features and ones that had been added for the Imperial families comfort and convenience I am sure. I was particularly entertained by a section of the temple that had been given over too a furniture museum where the simple elegance of Ming Dynasty was contrasted with the overtly extravagant and elaborate Qing dynasty. Even the furniture from New Republic looked flamboyant in comparison to the Ming simplicity. on display was noticeably spare and elegant in design I returned home via a walk along the riverside through Purple Bamboo Park.
On Saturday, after taking a break on Friday from outings and somehow squandering a day indoors, I went in search of the Beiping Library, repository of Ancient texts. I checked its opening times and in the crispy air and brilliant sunshine I set of cycling. I arrived after a wild ‘apple map goose chase’ only to find it was closed for maintenance. My irritation at being misinformed was soon overcome when I saw I was next door to the West Gate entrance of Beihai park. ’I have been to Beihai Park on numerous occasions but I had always entered at the East gate and I decided I would take the west gate, and walk through what I assumed was the less interesting side, which it had always appeared to be from the east side vantage. I discovered however that the beauty of this park is unending. I found numerous temples and buildings I had never seen, that literally shimmered in the sunlight. It was worth the inconvenience of the closed library. When I got home though I discovered a multitude of video screw ups and what should have been a cleverly constructed illustration of the parks beauty had turned into a small handful of useable boring shots.
It had been quite difficult being overseas and sorting out the renovation of my Brighton flat and organising new tenants but that all resolved itself on Saturday with the new tenants moving in and Harvey taking charge and handing over the keys. It was a relief to finally have it settled and it was with an easy mind that I was able to sleep.
On Friday, I should have blogged and got myself up to date instead of constantly being two weeks behind. I was also aware that I was leaving for Japan the next week and I would probably not have the chance to write and publish anything this meant I felt the imperative on Sunday to just work though I still wanted to get out and exercise and I wanted to find somewhere to make myself comfortable and quiet where I could be industrious and complete the what I was behind on. I read about a unique bookshop in in Xidan at Department Store Galeries Lafayette, a 20 minute walk from home. It was another sunny day and I set off for another attraction that lures the social media whores like myself. IT was definitely worth making the effort and I really did enjoy the quirky awesome design of another attraction in the city. I bought myself a very expensive long jin tea to drink as I observed the customers and worked.
It had felt strange being in the apartment alone and the nights where we would usually sit and watch a movie together felt empty but I was pleased with myself for having been so adventurous and gone hither and thither about Beijing, despite a few setbacks with closed ‘places of interest’ and pleased too that I had managed to be fulfilled when left to my own devices.
