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				<td valign="CENTER" nowrap="1" bgcolor="#660033">  <font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><a class="white" href="http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/china.html">&nbsp;China Index </a></font>  <font size+1 class="white"> |</font></td>
				<td nowrap="1" bgcolor="#660033">  <font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><a class="white" href="http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Chinese/welcome.html">&nbsp;Ting Chinese English Dictionary </a></font>  <font size+1 class="white"> |</font></td>
				
				<td nowrap="1" bgcolor="#660033">  <font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><a class="white" href="http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/beijing.html">&nbsp;Beijing </a></font>  <font size+1 class="white"> |</font></td>

				<td nowrap="1" bgcolor="#660033">  <font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><a class="white" href="http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/great.html">&nbsp;Great Wall </a></font>  <font size+1 class="white"> |</font></td>
				<td nowrap="1" bgcolor="#660033">  <font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><a class="white" href="http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/xian.html">&nbsp;Xi'an </a></font>  <font size+1 class="white"> |</font></td>
				<td nowrap="1" bgcolor="#660033">  <font size="-2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"><a class="white" href="http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/shanghai1.html">&nbsp;Shanghai </a></font>  <font size+1 class="white"> |</font></td>

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<a href="china.html"><IMG ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=0 WIDTH = 223 height = 112
SRC="beij10ny.gif" ALT="Bei Jing"></a><font class="times"><H1>Beijing</H1></font>  
<HR size=5 >
<font class = "verdana" size=-1>
<P>Although Beijing is an ancient city and was often used as the capital by one
warlord or another, its modern history as a capital begins in the Yuan dynasty
(1271-1368) with Kublai Khan, grandson of Ghengis Khan.&nbsp; It is here that Marco
Polo made his base as he visited and travelled with the Khan.&nbsp; He spent over 20
years
as a guest of the Khan before returning to Europe with his vivid descriptions of the
great civilization to
the east.&nbsp; Most of what we see today in Beijing was built during the Ming dynasty
(1368-1644).</P>  

<P>It is a city built to inspire; to awe the populace with the power of the emperor. 
Built for the rites and ceremonies performed to maintain the Mandate of Heaven as
well as for defense, it achieves grace through power and size rather than through
ornament and variety.</P>

<P>The Mings looked to the past for their design.&nbsp; Beijing, like most major cities in
China was built with a series of concentric walls.&nbsp; The outermost wall surrounded
what was the Chinese city.&nbsp; A major highway which provides access to the outskirts
and links the city with the major arteries to the rest of the country sits on its bed.&nbsp; At
various points along the highway you can see the guard towers which loomed above
the old gates to the city and provided early warning of invasion.&nbsp; One might regret
the loss of this ancient wall, but the alternative would have been to raze whole
neighborhoods in one of the most densely packed cities in the world.&nbsp; </P>
<H3><EM>Tiananmen Square</EM></H3>
<P>Tiananmen Square lies within the area defined by the next wall.&nbsp; Formal access to
the square is through the Zhengyang Gate, which marks the boundary of what was
once
an enclosing wall of grey stone and brick.&nbsp; The tomb of Chairman Mao is centered in
the path of the gate.&nbsp; The square itself is fairly recent.&nbsp; It used to be filled with shops
and alleys, as the streets surrounding it still are today.&nbsp; Tiananmen is large enough to
diminish
the impact of two enormous and recent additions to the center of the city.&nbsp; On one
side of
the square lies the People's History Museum and on the other, the Great Hall of the
People.&nbsp; The Great Hall is used for major meetings of the government and State
occasions.&nbsp; Elaborate receptions are held there for foreign dignitaries and it contains
over
50 rooms, each dedicated to a particular province or minority.</P>

<P>The square serves as a setting for the Imperial City in which lies the Forbidden
City.&nbsp;  The red walls, golden roof tiles, and the portrait of Mao Zedong contrast
strongly with the surroundings of grey and buff.&nbsp; Thousands of tourists from all over
China visit the Forbidden City daily.&nbsp; Fred observed at this point that we were of
as much interest to the Chinese as was the Forbidden City.&nbsp; 
<A HREF="mens.jpg">Westerners still are a</A> rare
sight.<P>  

<P>At one time there were vast gardens and parks adjacent to the Forbidden City
where the elite could walk freely.&nbsp; Although urban encroachment has swallowed
many, we visited Zhongshan Gongyuan, named after and anchored by a statue of
Sun Ya-tsen.&nbsp; If that is confusing try this; Sun Zhongshan is the formal name for Sun
Yixian which is the new spelling of the informal name of the person we call Sun
Ya-tsen or Sun Yatsen. 
Sun is the family name and Zhongshan is the given name.&nbsp; In China, to indicate
respect, admiration, <em>and</em> fondness the given name is often used. 
Therefore, Zhongshan Gongyuan is Sun Ya-tsen Park.&nbsp; By
whatever name, the park was beautiful.</P>

<P><A HREF="bkay328.jpg"><IMG ALIGN=LEFT BORDER=0 WIDTH = 150 HEIGHT = 227
SRC= "bkay.gif" ALT="Kay picture"></A><BR><BR>It was a Sunday and the 
<A HREF="pictu.jpg">place was filled</A> with the
laughter of children and the
sight of couples strolling among the trees. Children were often dressed in their finest
so that
their parents could take their pictures.&nbsp; There was a long winding covered walk that
ran through the trees.&nbsp; A path eventually led us to a building which housed a
formal garden.&nbsp; Kay discovered the magic and shed off the fatigue of 35 hours of
traveling to relax and discover China.&nbsp; </P> 
<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>
<H3><EM>The Imperial City</EM></H3>
<A HREF="ic2s.jpg"><IMG ALIGN=LEFT BORDER=0 WIDTH =250 HEIGHT = 170 VSPACE =
10 
HSPACE = 20 SRC = "ics2.jpg" ALT="Tian An Men Square Picture"></A><P>As you cross the bridge in front of Mao's
portrait and enter the Imperial City through Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace)
you
see the Meridian Gate which leads to the Forbidden City.&nbsp; Only those who had
official business with the emperor or one of his ministers were allowed inside the
Forbidden City.&nbsp; That doesn't mean that it was a quiet place.&nbsp; It was the center of
vast empires.&nbsp; There
were hundreds of ministers who had offices there or in the immediate area, there
were probably over a thousand servants, and then there were the palace guards . . .
At one point there were over 70,000 eunuchs attached to the Forbidden City in one
capacity or another.
Today the area is filled with museum offices, ministries, tourists, small souvenir
shops, and restaurants.</P>

<P>The first Ming capital was at Nanjing.&nbsp; The first Ming emperor Hung Wu
wanted to rid the
country of Mongol influence just as he had rid it of Mongol rule.&nbsp; Traditional rites
and ceremonies
of the Chinese were brought back and celebrated.&nbsp; Nanjing was close to the supply
routes from the southern breadbasket and provided much better
communication with the provinces both for defense and administration.&nbsp; Yongle (Yung Lo), the
third
Ming emperor, overthrew the second Ming emperor from his stronghold in the
northern 
provinces.&nbsp; He gave up the advantages of the southern capital and moved his capital
to Beijing for political support.&nbsp; </P>
<P>He continued to emphasize Chinese and Confucian principles and incorporated 
them into his design for the new
northern capital.&nbsp; The design of the city
 reflects a return to Confucian principles of order, ethical
conduct, and the importance of rites to express filial duty.&nbsp; The emperor was the Son
of
Heaven and this was the source of his Mandate to rule.&nbsp; All others owed filial duty
to the emperor.</P>
<P>Yongle sent a survey team to catalog the city of the Yuan dynasty and then he
had it destroyed.&nbsp; The new city would be Chinese.&nbsp; Over two hundred thousand
workers
dedicated 20 years to the building of the new city and palaces.&nbsp; The Palace wasn't 
finished until 1421.&nbsp; As you go through the gates and penetrate the depths of the
city, it
is still possible to feel the remove, the isolation from common concerns required by
and of the emperor.</P>

<P>As you cross an open courtyard, you approach the Hall of Supreme Harmony
where vigorous final examinations were given to scholars during the early Ming
dynasty.&nbsp; The Ming emperors revived and expanded the civil service system which
required mastery of the classics to enter government service.&nbsp; If a family could
educate a son to this level, the entire family benefited and the scholar became a
revered figure among the ancestors in following generations.&nbsp; The system continued
until the early 1900s and provided stability to successive governments. </P>

<P>After the Supreme Hall of Harmony, you encounter two more major structures;
the Hall of Middle Harmony and the Hall of Perfect Harmony, which were also used
for public functions.&nbsp; Only as you retreat further and further into the center of the
palace do you find some sort of quiet and repose.&nbsp; The actual quarters of the emperor
are rather simple by palatial standards.&nbsp; The low slung buildings have large rooms,
but not so large as to uncomfortable for daily living. </P>

<P>The Imperial family would never be alone.&nbsp; There would always be someone in
attendance.&nbsp; The emperor ate with an attendant at his elbow to remind him not to
take more than three bites from any dish.&nbsp; If he had a favorite dish, he had to keep it
to himself and hope that by accident it would show up again.&nbsp; Poison and
assassination was a constant presence in daily life by dint of the measures used to
prevent them.&nbsp; Imagine living and accepting a life of such paranoia that your fears
 of those close to you were as great as the fear of threat from outside.&nbsp; Mao Zedong
lived a
similar life in his compound adjacent to the Imperial City.&nbsp; His thorough knowledge
of classical history led him to adopt many of the same personal safeguards developed
through
the centuries of dynastic reign.

<H3><EM>The Temple of Heaven -- Tiantan Park</EM></H3>

<P>The Forbidden City and the three Halls of Harmony look directly south, 
toward the Temple of Heaven.&nbsp; Twice a year at the Winter Solstice and again
in the fourth lunar month the 
emperor would proceed from the Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven to ask for
blessings for the people.&nbsp; He would dress in the Hall of Middle
Harmony and then go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to form the procession.&nbsp; 

<P>The streets between the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven were cleared. 
All
doors and windows would be shuttered, the people closed in behind them.&nbsp; It was
forbidden that a commoner look upon the person of the divine emperor.&nbsp; The
procession, made of all high ranking ministers marching in order of importance, 
would go through the Meridian Gate, out through the main gates, and cross what is
now Tiananmen Square.&nbsp; Only the emperor could use the center doors.&nbsp; The two side
doors were designated for either the military or the civil ministers.&nbsp; Separating the
military and civil ministers was a custom which arose after many squabbles about
rank and order of precedence between the two branches of government.
   
<P><A HREF="mainbln2.jpg"><IMG ALIGN=right BORDER=0 WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=286 SRC="mainbuln.gif" ALT="Tian Tan Picture"></A>When
they arrived at 
the Temple of Heaven, the emperor would retire to the Hall of Abstinence to
meditate 
and pray alone for the night.&nbsp; <A HREF="maint2s.jpg">Sacrifices</A>
would be prepared in the triple roofed Hall of Prayer for a Good Harvest.&nbsp; 
Just before dawn, he would rise    
and prepare.&nbsp; Each ritual, movement, utensil, and costume had purpose and symbol.
The emperor wore a blue gown embroidered with gold, the roofs of the
buildings were tiled in blue -- a sacred color symbolizing Heaven. Just as the gold
roofs of the Imperial Palaces were only used on buildings of the emperor, blue was
reserved for Heaven.&nbsp; The procession passed down a long elevated concourse 
to arrive at the Altar of Heaven.&nbsp; </P>

<A HREF="tt2ds.jpg"><IMG ALIGN=LEFT BORDER=0 WIDTH = 250 HEIGHT = 173 SRC=
"tt2.gif" ALT="Three Tiers of White Marble Picture"></A><P>Three tiers of white marble glistening in the false light of
predawn lent beauty
and
majesty to the ceremony, the only roof -- the Heaven above.&nbsp; There, as the tip of the 
sun shown over the horizon, the emperor would offer the animal, grain, and silk 
sacrifices which had been prepared the previous day.</P>

<P>This ceremony was first performed in the Zhou dynasty (1100-771 B.C.).&nbsp; The last
time it was performed (December 23, 1914) a republic had been founded and Yuan
Shikai, 
the President, wore the imperial robes of the emperor.</P>

<P>These rites linked culture and tradition through multiple dynasties. 
The cost of this heritage was painful.&nbsp; Hundreds of thousands of workers labored
to
build the palaces and fortifications at Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing and other major cities of
the
Ming dynasty.&nbsp; Taxes were deep and production was diverted to provide
material for the construction.&nbsp; Due to graft and corruption, much of the good farm
land
was used by the nobility for pleasure sports or mismanaged until it was barely
productive.&nbsp; 
By the end of the Ming dynasty, the population of the country
had been reduced by about half through starvation.&nbsp; While reviving
Neo-Confucianism
the rites and rituals, they forgot the Confucian ideal that good government takes 
care of the needs of the people first.&nbsp;  </P>

<P><A HREF="bflynet3.jpg "><IMG ALIGN=LEFT BORDER=0 WIDTH =200  HEIGHT =289  
VSPACE = 10 HSPACE = 20 SRC = "bflynet3s.jpg" ALT="Butterfly Kites Picture"></A>Today the grounds of the
Temple of Heaven are a welcome relief from the dense
crowding of the city.&nbsp; Each day, but especially on Sunday, thousands come to walk,
play,
practice Dai Qi, listen to or play music and fly kites.&nbsp; I spent an hour listening to a
group
play selections from the Beijing opera.&nbsp; 
<A HREF="tt-operc.jpg">An elderly woman sang</A>.&nbsp; 
  I was told that she had only studied for the past four years -- 
after her retirement.&nbsp; Her voice
was as clear as a bell; she easily sang some of the most difficult trills.</P>

<P>The long covered walk which leads to the main Temple is a meeting place,
gaming 
room, private club, and way of life.&nbsp; Mahjongg and dominos are the most popular 
choices, but you also find <A HREF="s-game1s.jpg">Chinese chess</A>, card
games, and dice.&nbsp; A 
<A HREF="ladies2s.jpg">group of women</A> 
were doing complicated march/dances in formation while playing a straightforward
beat 
on their drums.&nbsp; They may or may not have been practicing <EM>for</EM> some
future 
performance; just doing it is enough for many groups.&nbsp;  Watching is also a popular
pastime.&nbsp; Activities from a game of mahjongg to the women marchers were
surrounded 
by groups of spectators.</P>
<BR><BR>
<H3><EM>The Summer Palace</EM></H3>

  <P>It takes three days to get to the Summer Palace if you go by barge along the
canals
and river to Kunming Lake in an imperial convoy.&nbsp; It takes about a half-hour by bus.
The Summer Palace seemed like a remote "get-away" for the emperors who were
enclosed in their own stifling prison.&nbsp; </P>

<P>The "palace" is actually a garden encompassing a small mountain, a lake, a river,
and innumerable buildings.&nbsp; Most gardens in China are places to enjoy the 
shape and contour of nature.&nbsp; The gardener creates a perfection of nature and
tries to encourage appreciation of its beauty.&nbsp; It has little resemblance to
what we would call a garden.</P>

<P>Qianlong of the Qing dynasty, built a garden here in honor of his mother in
1750.&nbsp; He expanded an earlier Ming temple, enlarged the lake and called
it Kunming Lake, and renamed the mountain the temple stands on from Jug
Mountain to Longevity Mountain.&nbsp; His name for The Summer Palace was the
Garden of Pure Ripples.</P>

<P>In 1860 the British and French destroyed the Garden of Pure Ripples as
well as Yuan Ming Yuan (what we call the Old Summer Palace).&nbsp; Yuan Ming Yuan
comprised acres and acres of buildings housing the treasures of China.
The British and French were "negotiating" with the emperor to get
better trade agreements.&nbsp; Victor Hugo wrote an open letter at the 
time, deploring the action and calling it one of the great tragedies of
history.&nbsp; </P>

<P>The Dowager Empress Cixi began rebuilding the Summer Palace in 1873 for
her retirement and renamed it Yi He Yuan -- Garden of Peace and 
Harmony in Old Age.&nbsp; That remains it proper name in Chinese.&nbsp; 
The Dowager Empress Cixi served as regent and was able to
channel funds from the treasury which had been targeted for the navy.&nbsp; She
is often blamed for the easy victory won by the Japanese navy and the
subsequent humiliation of the Chinese government in 1895.&nbsp; </P>

<P>It was
burnt again by Russian, British and Italian troops in 1900 as retaliation
for the Boxer Rebellion.&nbsp; Cixi began rebuilding in 1902 and actually got 
to use it for awhile.&nbsp; She died in 1908.&nbsp; </P>

<P>We entered the grounds through the back door to visit "little Suzhou" in
full sunlight.&nbsp; This village was build to replicate one near Shanghai to 
give the emperor the illusion of shopping and exploring its beauty.&nbsp; Eunuchs
and ladies from the court would play the roles of shopkeepers and 
artisans while the emperor meandered through the stalls.&nbsp; There is still
a feeling of play-acting as you go from shop to shop.&nbsp; The only thing
that seemed quite real was the river.</P>

<P>We climbed Longevity Mountain to the Lama Temple at the top.&nbsp; On the 
way you could begin to appreciate what Cixi had planned.&nbsp; The entire garden is
laid out to create moments.&nbsp; Cixi would have an entire wall built so she
could put a window in it.&nbsp; As you walked along the wall, your senses would
relax and the sudden view framed by the window would recall the freshness
of the view.&nbsp; </P>

<A HREF= "suboat.jpg"> <IMG ALIGN= LEFT HSPACE = 20 VSPACE =10
BORDER=0 WIDTH =278 HEIGHT =206  SRC = "suboat1.jpg" ALT="The Marble Boa Picture"></A><P>The Marble Boat was
built by Qianlong who compared the boat to
the state and the water to the people.&nbsp; The people keep the state
afloat and without their support the ship sinks.&nbsp; Cixi changed the
top of the boat, adding the superstructure and paddle-wheels.&nbsp; She
also installed a large mirror in the cabin so she could sit gazing
at it on rainy days.&nbsp; The mirror would act as a frame for the
different views behind her.&nbsp; </P>
<P>The names of the sights at the Summer Palace are as much a part of the
experience as are the structures themselves:  Hall of Dispelling Clouds,
Strolling through Painted Scenery, Floating Heart Bridge, Gate of Welcoming 
the Moon, Hall for Listening to Orioles Sing.&nbsp; While the Summer Palace is not
a simple thing, part of its purpose is to enhance the perception of and
enjoyment of simple things. </P>

<P>At the end of the day, as were were waiting for our bus, Denise and
<A HREF="sud-fs1.jpg"><IMG ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=0 WIDTH =250  HEIGHT =366  
VSPACE = 10 HSPACE = 20 SRC = "sud-fs1.gif" ALT="Denise and  Fred Picture"></A>
Fred were talked into doing one of the simple things.&nbsp; We not only had
a great time setting this up, I am afraid I missed the best picture; when
I finished shooting with the various cameras from the group and was
paying the vendor, I noticed that a crowd of about 50 people had gathered
to watch the show.&nbsp; I imagine we made an interesting story over the dinner
table that night.</P><br><br>
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<P><FONT SIZE=-2>http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/beijing.html<BR>Last
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