Beijing Airport

Forbidden City

Tuesday, March 20
Beijing Airport Report

Awaiting a China Eastern flight to Xian to meet the Terra Cotta Warriors after a very busy last day in Beijing. Bags out by 8:00 am, breakfast and then on the bus at 9:00 for a ten minute ride to Tiananmen Square...the largest in China and one of the largest in the world or maybe the largest...can't remember what Owen said. Anyway, no chance to see Mao as his tomb was closed for renovation. It is interesting to note that his mausoleum was completed within a year of his death and he was safely ensconced for all to view. Seems anything is possible with enough forced labor and a government that is not in gridlock.

Lots of people today in the square and the two largest TV screens I've ever seen constantly showing scenes from around China. What an incredible country with such diverse scenery.

Mao's Tomb

VERY large screen

Up with the People

After crossing the street, we entered the Forbidden City through the middle gate of five...the gate of the Emperor. The sheer enormity of the 72-hectare ground defies description.  About a third of the space was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion of 1911 and some of the space had to be repaired. Only recently has the government designated money to restore large portions to its previous glory. This is when I wish I had watched The Last Emperor again before the trip! This whole thing would definitely make more sense. While touring, Owen told the sad saga of the last Qing Emperor who became emperor at three with the Dragon Lady (his mother) in charge behind a yellow curtain. I’m presuming the ruse of the curtain fooled exactly no one but whatever the emperor did was universally accepted.

Central Building

The emperor managed to spend time quarantined in the Forbidden City by the Nationalist government, harassed by the Japanese, held in jail by the Russians and later his own countrymen and finally finishing his sad life as a” regular person" in the country of which he had held absolute power with a trail of four wives and no children. His last wife was an arranged marriage to a nurse so that someone would be available to care for him.

The stunning size and redundancy of the buildings does grow weary after awhile. How easy to become jaded while being jostled by the crowds...100,000 expected on this Tuesday in 'March and easily twice that many on a day in high season.  The palaces, of which there are several of varying sizes and functions (one reserved just for dressing the emperor), are decorated with embellishments resplendent in red, green and blue with vibrant yellow ceramic tilled roofs! These colors are reserved for the emperor and they do make a splash against the azure of the sky on this day.

Little Empress

Presentation Chamber

Visiting school children 

There were 24 emperors who lived in this extraordinary place beginning with the Ming dynasty in the 1400's through the unfortunate last one at the beginning of the 20th century. They all were ensconced with numerous concubines, eunuchs and servants to do their bidding and ,literally, armies to protect them from enemies. It should be noted the enemies usually were within their own families. Owen related that at least one emperor had over 2000 wives and his wife of the night was chosen by lottery. Once he picked a stick with her name, she was prepared for him by the eunuchs with perfumes and powders and escorted to his chamber. There she was stripped of the clothing so she could not harbor a weapon and placed in the emperor's bed. Each wife was allowed to stay with the emperor only two hours so that he would be allowed his rest. Even so he died in his thirties...no doubt from so much fun.

A little known tale (at least to me) was how eunuchs were chosen and how they became eunuchs but maybe that should remain little known. Anyway, only about 30% of the boys aged 5 to 10 who agreed to the procedure made it through the surgery. The lucky and strong ones though led a pampered and long life in the palace. They earned a salary and were able to provide for their families well in a situation in which many people simply died of poverty.

Concubine Bedroom

Chinese lunch

This easily could have been an all day visit at the Forbidden City but we plowed through the City and the emperor’s gardens in time for lunch (Chinese again) and on to the pearl factory to witness an uninspiring demonstration of the innards of a pearl oyster.  I did learn, however, that I have underestimated the ability of an oyster to reproduce...fresh water oysters can yield over 20 pearls of various sizes and colors! Even given ample time to ogle the pearl jewelry for sale, I limited myself to a sweet strand of very small pink pearls that will be for Roby. I had the strand adjusted for a little girl and will save the ones that were removed to have restrung should Betsy have a daughter.

Another China Eastern flight landed us at the modern Xian airport and the bus took us straight away to the hotel. Xian, a city of 8 million, is the ancient home of the emperors of the Xia, Qin, Han and Tang Dynasties ( and seven other dynasties as well) and the historic gateway to the Silk Road.  We passed (again) numerous skyscrapers but, surprisingly, many were empty. Owen says this is symptomatic of the overbuilding that may trigger a collapse in China’s economy in the not distant future.

The Golden Flower Shangri-La Hotel was small but nice and, more importantly, had excellent beds.  It was charming to be introduced to the local “farmer’s art” which adorned the hotel.  Plus the hotel had a nice bar where we had reasonable drinks before heading off to bed.