Tourists seem to be attracted by all that is 'pre' Cultural Revolution, or what is left of it anyway.
The Great Chinese Wall at Badaling is one of them. I drove there on my first day, after a sobering drive through the Chinese landscape and a good Chinese lunch (lazy susan style). Well, it is as immense as it is said to be, and bigger. It follows the ridges of the mountains for thousands of kilometers, with secondary wall branches reaching onto adjoining hills. Fortress like watch towers mark strategic points. It is one of the two man made structures visible from space, and on the ground one is awed by it's collossal dimensions. Millions of people were forced to construct it by emperors of various dynasties, and millions died in the process. The Chinese people also call it the 'longest cemetry on earth', as most of the dead workers are entombed at the base of the wall. I climbed only a short rise of it, together with hundreds of other pilgrims, and the Foreign Minister of Belgium and his entourage. I am proud to say, that I beat the VIP by quite a number of steps. Steps is an understatement, as each massive stone rises at least two feet, and they are stacked endlessly at inclines exceeding 45 degrees. Sections either have these steps, or they are just 'paved', but the top of the wall narrows to a couple of feet in a few places and sometimes misses the side parapets. Not a trek for the vertigiously challenged people. Climbing up takes ones breath away, going down kills the knees. But, it is indeed a sight worth travelling half way around the globe. Inregards to sight, the vista was somewhat curtailed by the ever present dense pollution, and the outline of the wall maybe visible from space, but it was difficult to see it from the next hill. It was still wintry cold, but some of the many cherry trees started to bloom, promising an enchanting decor for this forbidding structure.
The Ming Tombs are the resting ground of the remains of thirteen emperors, who lived between 1409 and 1644. Only two of the thirteen are open to the public. Although the large conical mounds covering the tombs (palaces and avenues and temples and secret tunnesl and treasures galore) were recognized as tombs, only a fortunate coincidence discovered the entry to one of them. Whenever one of the tombs had been finished, the last workers were called out from the underground passages, given a wonderful meal, and then executed without further ado to ensure that knowledge of acces died with the last worker. When the tomb we visited was originally opened, the emperor, his empress wife and one of the concubines were in perfect mummified condition after being buried for centuries. One of the tricks for preservation was to light candles in the closed tombs, consuming any oxygen inside before extinguishing themselves, and keeping the bodies in a perfectly airless, dry environment. However, two months after excavating the bodies, all decomposed. Now, exploration of the remaining 10 tombs is postponed until sufficient technology is developed to preserve the findings after excavation. Huge expanses, probably rivalling the terracotta warriors belonging to one paranoid dead emperor.
Detail is everything, whether in the minutia of a roofing tile, a painted ceiling, eaves ornaments, bronze statues, exquisite paintings...one discovers the beauty contained in these impressive buildings only by inspecting the remotest corners of them.
Bejing's Tian Anmen Square, reaching back centuries, 'renovated' by Mao Tsedong, covers half a square mile, and is the largest public square in the world. Before Mao's Mausoleum was built in the centre of it, one million people could stand here at attention at the same time, each occupying one of the pavement slabs. Mao rests in relative peace, preserved and frozen, frequently sent off to be 're-embalmed' (and replaced by a double for the duration). But thousands of Devotees line up for miles to wait hours to get a seven second glimpse of the Great Leader. The Chinese Parliament (Great Hall of the People) lines one side of the square, the Gate of Heavenly Peace lines another, and the Monument to the People's Heros, Museum of Chinese History, Museum of Chinese Revolution fill the remaining surrounds. One goes through scanning, visual inspection, a crowd of police and guards to enter the square. Each of the hundreds of lamp poles holds decorated loudspeakers and half a dozen video cameras, watching the crowd. And crowds there are, albeit they look lost in the vast clean expanse of the square. After the 'unfortunate political incident' (tanks killing protesting students) the square was cleaned withing hours of any tell tale remains of the massacre. Some younger chinese call it 'bloody clean'.
There are no benches, no trees, no flowers, except a few public photographers taking group photos - there is just space.
Some repetetive markings on the ground, to enable parading military to keep straight lines. The only vehicles allowed in the square are police cars, and police watched diligently. Some guards stand in a designated spot, and turn 90 degrees every 30 seconds, staring into the crowd from a new angle. A huge flagpole flies the national flag, red with five stars. It is raised 2 seconds before sunset and lowered 2 seconds after (or some such exact time) with great ceremony. Guards flank the pole, standing at attention on small shiny metal pedestals. A huge portrait of Mao is mounted in the centre of the impsiong Gate of Heavenly Peace, a new one is created every six years or so. The latest portrait, a year old, is not that popular with some people, as it shows Mao with rather plump cheeks.
During the Cultural Revolution, when Red Guards invaded every home demanding any ancestral belongings, antiques and traditional things, Mao's face saved a few antique paintings from the pire. If people refused to sacrifice their art or furnishings, they would be killed. But some items were beyond burning or expropriation: they were masked with paintings of the Great One, who could not be thrown into the fire. Not knowing what else to do with them, the Guards left them with the original owners.
The Forbidden City, home to Dynasties and Emperors and their innumerable courtiers of Empress, Concubines and Eunuchs, and a few chosen diplomats.
The walled complex is over a kilometer long, and 600 meters wide, not counting the adjoining pleasure gardens, lakes, moats and summer palace. There are 9,999 rooms to house the emperors household, which could have 3000 concubines.
The concubines were chosen when they were between 13 and 16 years old, any girl over 17 years did not qualify. They were taken to live in luxury in the Forbidden City, never to leave it again until death. Some only 'met' the emperor once, some rose to be favourites, some were totally forgotten, some produced future emperors. Some became the original 'power behind the throne', when a new emperor was proclaimed and occupy the Imperial Throne. Some emperors came to power when only a year old. The concubine-mother/dowager empress would hide behind silk curtains hung behind the throse and whisper to the infant what to respond to the dignitaries lined up before him. The emperor had only one official wife, and amongst all the emperors there were only two who were legitimate sons of an empress wife. Only the head Eunuch and the Emperor himself would be cognizant of the emperor's nightly whereabouts: security and jealusy being the main issues.
The Eunuchs were 'volunteers', from rural families in abject poverty, unable to feed another child. They would come to court at about 6-7 years old, intact. After indoctrination and training, they would be ready for 'the operation'. After being asked three questions (Do you want to be an Eunuch, Do you know what is going to happen and do you want to submit to it, Will you ever be angry at the person cutting you) a 'knifer' would use scissors to cut the private parts, leaving a little stump to urinate. Younger children and boys over nine years would not survive the trauma (therefore only a certain age group was used) but these boys would recover after about a month. The children would pay for the operation, however they could re-purchase their parts preserved in a small jar - at inflated prices. They were allowed to store the jar in a special building, called the Treasure House.
Then they lived happily ever after, or until retirement or execution, whichever came first. But, they were free to come and go from the forbidden city, providing the sequestered Emperor with knowledge of the outside, they lived in relative splendour. If they made it to retirement, they were allowed to return home to their village. Before leaving, they could retrieve their parts from the Treasure House to take home with them. The parts would be buried with them, as they were born whole men, and they must be buried whole men.
The lay out, expanse, symmetry, adornment, colour, structure of the Forbidden City defies description. All is ying and yang, feng shui and balance, indeed a marvel that took more than 600 years to complete. It even had central heating, provided from charcoal braziers and tunnels leading underneath six meters of layered pavement stones into each and everyone of the buildings and their 9,999 rooms. It got so hot, that the buildings have small ornate stone vents in the walls, to let condensation and heat escape.
A tragic, beautiful, historic site. But, empty of any antique furnishings. Chiang Kai Chek apparently had several dozen aeroplanes built, and packed all the antique treasure of to Europe and Taiwan. He had buildings constructed in Taiwan, dedicated to house the items, and they are there to this day. Saved from destruction during the Cultural Revolution.
The Temple of Heaven in Tiantan Park is a huge round three roofed structure, made entirely of wood, and without the benefit of a single nail. Beautifully decorated and situated on a hill overlooking Bejing. The Emperor would visit here once a year to inspect rice seed, verify tax bases, and pray and meditate to harvest deities - after burning whole cattle in giant braziers to pacify the deities with their gragrant aromatic smoke. The park surrounding it is filled with Chinese retirees, playing Majongg every day. They purchase an anuual pass to the park, so they have a pleasant venue.
Back to the Ship, touristing had to come to an end.
Well, our friendly Chinese authorities had thought up another surprise. Early during the afternoon of departure day, they demanded that EVERYONE on the ship had to disembark with their passports and be screened and inspected going into the terminal, and screened and inspected returning from the terminal back into the ship. After completion of that process no one would be allowed off the ship again (who would want to) It should only take a minute, they said.
Ship staff set up a make-shift office on the pier, with boxes of now re-sorted passports for each person to pick up on exiting the ship. Some passengers disembarked dressed in slippers and light clothing, as they expected a quick and speedy turn around.
Not so!
A slight amendmend to the demand: The entire clear in/clear out process would not commence until EVERY Passenger had disembarked and arrived in the terminal (some of us were still on tour, and missed that bit). But almost 1000 people crammed into the freezing terminal, not a chair in sight for the mobility handicapped people. No one was allowed back to get warm clothing either. So there the passengers shivered, waited and fumed for 1 1/2 hours before the inspection off could commence, and the inspection back on was down to a few queues when our last tour buses returned from their outings.
I was on one of them. Faced with those queues, we all had donned our warm layers and waited as well (no talking, no hats and no glasses allowed, neither cellphones nor cameras).
Anyway, about an hour past scheduled departure all of us were back on board, and the Captain announced that 'administrative formalities' by the port authorities would delay the ship a further 1 1/2 hour. I admire the Captain's grace under pressure...this was definitely another new twist to things.
But to compensate for the 'inconvenience' we would all get free wine for dinner, he announced. We must be out of Champagne with all the 'unexpected formalities' in Asian Ports.
1 1/2 hour later, an ambulance pulled up at the gang way, and the ship had to evacuate a medical emergency. We all felt for the poor lady, being left here albeit under the care of the local Port Agent, but this incident was good for another 2 hour delay whilst the formalities were completed.
Maybe there are many Harmonic things in the People's Republic (Palace of Preserving Harmony, Hall of Middle Harmony, Hall of Supreme Harmony and scores more) but even for a patient traveller there was definitely a strong lack thereof during our stay in Bejing. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we finally slipped our lines and made our way out of Xingang Harbour out to sea.
Well, Korea only wants a health form.
But Japan - apart from more temperature scans, forms and passports and no passport requirements - will cut us off the ship's satellite internet within Japanese territorial waters, that means no internet for next week.
