Wed 21 Mar 2007
Today is the second day of the second lunar month in China, is a traditional festival, called Dragon Head Raising Day. In Chinese legend, dragons dominate wind and rain. There is a folk ballad singing:
On the second day of the second lunar month,
Dragons are beginning to raise their heads.
The weather is quite favorable to the crops,
And bumper harvests we are going to reap.
Look! The maize sticks are very big and thick.
Sorghum and millet dance their very big heads.
Wed 7 Mar 2007
In Beijing, Temple fairs custom can date far back to the Liao dynasty (916-1125). It became more and more famous in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). While during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), it was very flourish. Temple fairs were said to have their origins in the ancient ’she sacrifice.’ A she was where sacrifices to the local God of Earth were offered. Altars of the Gods of Earth and Grain were also known as Earth Temples. It is from gatherings that took place at these temples that temple fairs derived their name. Later on other than just sacrifice, it developed as a regular market, where people could eat and shopping there. Visitors to the temple fairs included both city folk and peasants from the outlying regions. Customers could buy a variety of locally made products such as ‘Gold Elephant Zhang’s’ double-edged combs, ‘Iron Knife Liu’s’ fruit knives and ‘Sanheju’ wigs, as well as second-hand clothes or jewelry, bamboo and wicker products, flowers, birds, fish and insects.
In Ancient time, temple fairs were held in turn every 10 days at the Earth Temple, the Flower Market, the White Pagoda Temple, the Huguo (Protect the Nation) Temple and the Longfu (Intense Happiness) Temple. There was also the annual Changdian (Factory Grounds) Fair held during the first 15 days of the first lunar month and the annual Pantaogong (Peach of Immortality Palace) Fair held from the third day of the third lunar month inside the Dongbianmen (Eastern Informal) Gate. The fairs mentioned above took place regularly for over 300 years. (more…)
Mon 12 Feb 2007
Feb. 11th, 2007 marks the first “Waiting in Line Day” for Beijing. (Official name “Polite Queueing Day”) This is an effort to improve Beijing locals’ manners as the 2008 Beijing Olympic is getting near. From now, each 11th day of the month will be the polite queuing day.
“The foreigners will have a good impression of the Chinese people if we behave well,” a local resident said.
My foreign friends all complained about being pushed when they walk on a busy Beijing Street or trying to get on a bus. But how far can this campaign go to actually improve anything. Metropolitan Cities has as many people as Beijing probably all have similar problems. I have been to New York, and people there are definitely less polite than the mid-west folks. I don’t blame them. It’s the social environment that changes the people. I wish the best for the Beijing residents’ effort in becoming more polite and well-mannered.
Tue 6 Feb 2007
Yesterday, Beijing’s high temperature was 16 degrees Celsius. It was a record for the date since temperature was first recorded in China in 1840. Global warming is sneaking up on us. The Chinese government has announced plans to deal with climate change, according to China Daily.
China is preparing its first plan to battle climate change, a senior policy adviser said, stressing rising alarm about global warming in the country.
Zou Ji, a climate policy expert at the People’s University of China in Beijing, said the national program would probably set broad goals for emissions and coping with changing weather patterns.
It is likely to be released this year after at least two years of preparation and bureaucratic bargaining, he said.
“All this shows that the Chinese government is paying more and more attention to this issue,” he said. “When it’s approved and issued it will be China’s first official, comprehensive document on climate change.”
Mon 5 Feb 2007
Another Super Bowl, another winner. The Colts won. Good game, and they deserved the victory. Another exciting news is that NFL is going to have a pre-season game between the Patriots and the Seahawks in Beijing “Workers’ Stadium” on Aug 8, 2007. The date also marks the one year countdown to Beijing 2008 Olympics that will take place on August 8th, 2008.
The National Football League — America’s most popular sports attraction — has been selected by the city of Beijing to stage a game in the Chinese capital city that will serve as the kickoff of the one-year countdown to the opening of the XXIX Olympic Games in China.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced tonight that the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will play in the first NFL game in China — the world’s fastest growing market — when the teams meet in Beijing on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2007.
China has become a big consumer for foreign goods and services. China is the second largest market for luxury goods in the world after Japan. Of course NFL would want a piece of Chinese market. NFL has increased its penetrating effort for the Chinese market over the years, from Superbowl-only broadcast to season broadcast on CCTV, the national tv station.
In my opinion, it is going to be a very hard task for the NFL as American football is a very expensive sport to get into, the rules are very complicated, and the games are mostly played early Monday morning China time. As a big fan of the NFL, best wishes on getting to China.
Thu 1 Feb 2007
Recently the Beijing Olympics committee has released a electronic map for the foreign tourists coming to Beijing in 2008.
The map features special columns on four topics including Olympic competition venues, Olympic-licensed stores, subway stations, and traditional housing in Beijing – Hutongs. One of the map’s highlights allows users to zoom in or out. More information and functions will be integrated into the map and users will be able to receive competition information, a basic introduction of the venues and weather information. You can find the map here.
Here at beijingExpert, we also provide you a printable English version of Beijing Map. Personally I think this map is much simpler and more useful than the dreadful Emap. You can find the attractions and venues much faster. Click for the full map.
Tue 30 Jan 2007
The mansion was constructed around the year 1777 and was originally the private residence of Heshen. A member of the imperial guard, the handsome and intelligent twenty-five year old Heshen came to the attention of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796). Before long Heshen was promoted to positions normally occupied by the most experienced officials, including those controlling finance and the appointment of civil servants; thus enabling him to acquire great wealth. The aging Qinglong did nothing to curb Heshen’s corruption but his successor, Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820), had Heshen executed and his property, which was assessed at over 800 million ounces of silver, was confiscated.
The mansion was passed to Prince Qing in 1799. Eventually Emperor Xianfeng (1851-1862) transferred the ownership to Prince Gong and it is his name that was to become that of the mansion. The dwelling is a traditional courtyard mansion of a style that was so popular in imperial Beijing. The complex covers a total area of 60,000 square meters (14.9 acres). Just over half of this is the residential portion, while the remainder is devoted to an ornamental garden to the rear. (more…)
Fri 26 Jan 2007
Beijing’s traffic can be bad, real bad. The best way to get around the city is no doubly the subway or the light rail. The current Beijing subway contains three lines. Line 1, Line 2 and Line 13.
Line 1 is the line that goes from west of the city to the east along the Chang An street passing the Fobidden city and Tian’anmen square. Line 2 circles the second ring road. Line 13 is the light rail that goes around the north part of Beijing.
Beijing is building a few more subway lines to get ready for the Olympics. According to China Daily,
Three of Beijing’s new subway lines will be completed before the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games, an official in charge of the project has revealed.
Construction has begun on four of the 24 stops on the No 4 subway line, according to the Beijing Urban Construction Group, the project’s general contractor.
“It’s the first time in the world that construction of three subway lines in a city was launched simultaneously,” said Liu Hongtao, deputy general manager of the Beijing Municipal Rail Transport Construction and Management Company.
The north-south No 4 line, which will have a total length of 28 kilometers, begins at Majiapu on the southern Fourth Ring Road and ends at Longbei Village in northern Beijing.
In the meantime, workers have completed 44 per cent of the civil engineering work for the No 5 subway, said Liu.
The No 5 subway project, extending 27 kilometers, will start from Taipingzhuang on the northern outskirts of Beijing and end at Songjiazhuang in the south.
Construction has also started with eight of the 22 stops on the east-west No 10 subway, said Liu.
Beijing now has 95 kilometers of urban rail line in operation, of which subways account for 54 kilometers.
The city will have up to 300 kilometers of subway lines by 2008.
By then, subways will carry at least 20 per cent of passenger traffic in Beijing.
Hopefully the tourists for Beijing Olympics will have a great time and without traffic jams.
Sun 21 Jan 2007
In the winter Harbin comes alive – sculptures and buildings rise up out of the ice that grips the city. Snow, ice castles and a frozen river – it’s a glittering spectacle that’s well worth the risk of a little frostbite. If you tell a Chinese person you’re going to Harbin, they’ll most likely shudder and encourage you to alter your plans: “Too cold,” they’ll say. Despite that, it’s not too cold for the three million people who live in this city perched up in far northeastern Heilongjiang Province. Tradition has it that China is shaped like a rooster, Heilongjiang being the head and Harbin the eye and the city retains important unique features and a peculiar charm that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.
Harbin was just a tiny town in China’s northeast for hundreds of years – until at the end of the 19th century the Russians decided they wanted to build a railway from Moscow to Vladivostok. The railway was laid in 1896 when the Chinese government was forced to grant Russia a concession at Harbin, which quickly grew to dwarf the old Chinese town. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, thousands of White Russian refugees crossed the Black Dragon River, better known in the west as the Amur River. At one stage around 160,000 foreigners from 33 countries were living in the city and they set up well over 1,000 companies, including China’s first beer brewery in 1900. The city soon became known as the “Moscow of the East,” and at only seven days train journey from Paris was proud to know the latest fashions well before Shanghai or Hong Kong. (more…)
Fri 19 Jan 2007
Dalian, on China’s far northeast coast, is popular with domestic travelers but is yet to be discovered by international tourists. This refreshing coastal city is the perfect antidote for those aching to get away from the congestion and pollution of China’s big cities.
Dalian is a relatively new city by Chinese standards and has grown rapidly by virtue of having an excellent natural harbor – which made it prime real-estate for the imperialist ambitions of Russia and Japan. Much of Dalian’s recent history reflects the 20th century conflicts of China. Today Dalian is a major center for shipping, logistics and fishing. The proximity to good transportation and its special economic stimulus policies have attracted a rapidly growing pool of high-tech industries. Prosperous, clean, jolly, and vibrant, it offers a stark contrast to the often-gritty realities of other northeastern cities. Even in a country where local pride runs strong, the people of Dalian stand out with a fierce pride in their city.
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