Beijing: the Great Wall, hutongs, and tai chi

Greetings to friends and family!

We are here in Beijing, preparing to head to the Great Wall tomorrow. As Chairman Mao said, “you are not a real man, until you’ve been to the Great Wall.” We are excited for the trip into the countryside, though in only two full days in Beijing we already feel like we’ve done so much!

We began our first morning with a Tai Chi lesson in Ritan park. We were not nearly as flexible as our teacher who could do back flips and move like a swan. We were more like tree sloths, but he was happy with our effort. By the end of the lesson, we had attracted a large crowd, amused at a group of Americans failing to do the simplest moves of this Chinese pastime.

Our hostel is located just south of Tiananmen Square and is right in the heart of a traditional hutong district. The conditions around us certainly aren’t rich, but we are learning our way around and have gotten to know our neighbors. A hutong is essentially an alleyway that has existed for hundreds of years. It is the major residential area for many Beijing residents; more than 1 million of Beijing’s people live in these tiny streets. The hutong is a multisensory experience. We can smell public bathrooms (gross!) and barbequing meat (yum!); we hear kids playing and talking; we hear bells and horns from the bicycles (cars have trouble sneaking down the alleys); we hear people inviting us into their tea shops, clothing shops, and trinket stores; we feel the thick Beijing humidity.

This morning, we met with a non-governmental organization (NGO) seeking to preserve traditional Chinese culture in the hutongs from the threat of the high-rises that are sprouting like mushrooms throughout the city. We have been challenged to think about how to modernize sensibly, and with a sensitivity to history.

After visiting the NGO we had noodles for lunch just outside the gate of the Lama Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhist structure in Beijing. We learned a bit about Buddhism in general, and the particulars of Tibetan, or “Yellow Hat” practices. We also dove into a discussion of the Chinese government’s oppression of religious freedoms. Another intense discussion!

When not engaged in these heavy exchanges, we’ve been learning new Chinese words, meeting new friends, and eating delicious foods. We are collectively happy, tired, and ready for more.

More to come soon.

-Mike and Julia