Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
People who have been in China in earlier years remember that there were few cars but many, many bicycles. Cars have replaced bicycles to a great extent but you still see many on the road. Some are used just to get from one place to another but many are used for hauling. Photos: Some Beijing bicycles.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Stores. All in gray––the People’s color––with bright lettering. The store with the green lettering is a Chinese Muslim store. Such stores are not allowed to use other colors for their signs. Merchants lease the stores, at a low rent, from the government. They are allowed to keep their profits minus taxes.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Store selling a little bit of everything.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Store selling grain and nuts on the left. There are supermarkets in Beijing, but Kathy told us that prices are much higher there so that many Chinese prefer to shop in these small stores.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Fruit and vegetable stores.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Steamed dumpling shop.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
What’s hanging in that store window?
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Every once in awhile you will see a colorful building, perhaps being a temple.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
A restaurant.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
We are at our dropoff place at the magazine kiosk in front of Qianhai Lake.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
A magazine for sale.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Jackie Chan.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Pretty model.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
For parents.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
A very cute Shih Tzu “seemingly” taking a walk by herself all decked out in pink bows and a pink sweather. (She reminded me of my Missy.) Kathy told us that it costs $1,000 to register a dog in China. Once in awhile you will see a dog being walked on a leash, but you’ll see dogs walking by themselves way more often. But I am sure that there are “secret” owners walking behind them, not making it known that they are their dogs; hence, not getting caught with an unregistered dog. Other people walk their unregistered dogs at night.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
A man watching the world go by.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
The rickshaws that will take us around the hutongs. Not much business for the rickshaws today. Kathy told us that the drivers do not get paid if they have no riders. We also were told to tip our drivers about 10 yuan ($1.50) so they could at least eat that day.
Seen on Our Way to the Hutongs
On Our Way to the Hutongs
Our rickshaw driver. I shared a rickshaw first with Cheryl and then with her daughter, Julia.
On Our Way to the Hutongs
On Our Way to the Hutongs
On our way. We had four drivers in all. The drivers use pedal power. In other places, the rickshaws would be called pedicabs.
On Our Way to the Hutongs
On Our Way to the Hutongs
Passing another rickshaw.
On Our Way to the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
On our way through the hutongs. The entrance to the courtyard houses are through doors in the walls, the doors usually painted red for good luck and to keep out evil spirits.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Here the houses look different, having a top story.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Going around Qianhai Lake.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
You can rent a chair with rudders under it to slide around the lake. Looks like fun.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Close–up.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
We have entered Beijing’s bar area.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Another bar.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Many bars here.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
I think this is the Silver Ingot Bridge connecting Qianhai Lake with Houchai Lake.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
A playground.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
I couldn’t believe I was seeing this man in a Speedo, actually the second one I saw. The lake is frozen and we are all bundled up to keep warm. Kathy said that holes are cut in the ice and people go swimming. I didn’t see a sauna to go with this event. I did read in the China Daily that some Chinese ski in bathing suits. Very macho.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Our rickshaws have dropped us off in front of the house of Madame Sun Yat–sen.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Pretty dog in front of the gate watching the world go by.
Through the Hutongs
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Picture of Madame Sun Yat–sen (Soong Ching–ling) and her husband Sun Yat–sen. There were three Soong sisters. May–ling married Chiang Kai–shek and supported the Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War. Ching–ling married Sun Yat–Sen, known as the Father of the Nation as he was instrumental in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Ching–ling, after her husband’s death in 1921, supported the Communists. The third sister married for money.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Another view of the corridors.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Her house with a lake in front of it.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
A pavillion on the property.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Garden rock formation.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Our first stop was at the Memorial Museum of Madame Sun Yat–sen. Statue of Sun Yat–sen.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat–sen’s wedding gift to Madame Sun Yat–sen. Was such a gift a common present at that time?
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Photo of a young Madame Sun Yat–sen.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Madame Sun Yat–sen and Sun Yat–sen.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
One of her dresses.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Part of a large embroided cloth. No explanation given with it.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Madame Sun Yat–sen started the China Welfare Foundation. Artist Zhang Leping was asked to design pictures for a fund raiser for the foundation. This is one of them. An excellent contrast between poor and well–off children.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
This is a “Zes” sedan made in the Soviet Union which was presented to Madame Sun Yat–sen by Joseph Stalin the early 1950s. She always took this sedan in from the 50s to the 70s.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
There was a side museum filled with vases. I think they were for sale.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Another vase.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
I didn’t see prices for all the vases, but this one was selling at 180,000 yuan––about $27,000.
Museum of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
We next went inside her house.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Where she greeted visitors, most likely heads of state. She was the co–chairman of the People’s Republic of China from 1968 to 1972.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Her bedroom, left as exactly as it was when she died in 1981.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Her library. To reach these rooms, you went down a hallway with a very high ceiling. The doors to the rooms were tall and heavy. The inside of the house reminded me of an old school house with lots of wood and large school rooms, somewhat depressing.
House of Madame Sun Yat-sen
Through the Hutongs
Back to our rickshaws.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Two more of those guys who swim in frozen lakes.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
You see many of these motorized contraptions in Beijing. I think some of them carry passengers.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
This hutong house would be owned by someone very well off.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
And this one as well.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Back to the bar area. This place jumps at night.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
A reggae bar. Some of our tour saw a Michael Jackson poster on one of the bars. I missed it.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Passing another gate of a hutong house.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
Onward past some stores.
Through the Hutongs
Through the Hutongs
A Chinese chihuahua seen on the street.
Through the Hutongs
Lunch at a Hutong House
We stopped at this hutong house where we would be served lunch. Originally, it had one family––grandparents, parents, children, etc.––living in diferent buildings in its courtyard. Today, six families share the houses in the courtyard.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
Inside the courtyard.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
Inside the courtyard.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
Entrance to one of the houses.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
Display shelf in the house.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
Photo of Mao.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
The kitchen.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
The dining room. More and more dishes were placed on the table. They were delicious.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Lunch at a Hutong House
Our hostess, a great cook.
Lunch at a Hutong House
Through the Hutongs
Back to our starting point. Still no customers. But the rickshaw drivers were getting some good naps, all bundled up from the cold.
Through the Hutongs
Tea Shop
We got back on the bus to visit a tea shop. Entrance to the tea shop.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
The stairs to the shop.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
Inside the tea shop.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
A tea demostration where we got to drink teas such as rose and jasmine.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
The jasmine bulb sprouted a flower. You can drink the tea or use the flower for decoration.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
Here she is pouring hot water over a pee pee doll. If the doll starts peeing water, then the water is hot enough.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
Where you could buy some tea to take home with you.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
I bought one of these packets of tea bulbs that will all sprout flowers. Plus, if I bought anything in the store, I was given a free pee pee doll. 195 yuan or about $29.25.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
Tea brewers/cups. Inside these cups were ceramic strainers where you place loose tea. Add hot water, brew the tea, and then take out the strainer.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
Some of the teas were quite expensive. These went for 18,700 yuan or about $2,805.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
1,760 yuan or about $264.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
7,850 yuan or about $1177.50.
Tea Shop
Tea Shop
Only 420 yuan or about $63.
Tea Shop
Hot Pot
We went back to our hotel, then Leng, Saieu, and I went out to dinner at a hot pot restaurant around the corner of the hotel, after very carefully crossing a street. There are no pedestrian laws in China and cars are not likely to stop for you, even sometimes when you have the right of way. You are always very careful when crossing the street here.
Hot Pot
Hot Pot
Inside the Royal Hot Pot. A tree with many red envelops, set up for Chinese New Year’s. The Chinese and other Asian countries give monetary gifts in these red envelops on New Year’s Day and on other special occasions. The red color both symbolizes good luck and wards off evil spirits.
Hot Pot
Hot Pot
The hot pot. Here, we each were given a separate pot to cook our meal. Sometimes, there is a communal hot pot. You order a soup, wait for it to boil, then put in the items you want to cook. You also make up an individual dipping sauce for your cooked items. I made a big mistake here––this was the first time I had a hot pot meal. There were four soups to order from: duck soup, ox–tail soup, peppery soup, and sea cucumber/shark’s fin soup (the last at an extra cost). Saieu kept trying to tell me to order the duck soup. That didn’t sound appetizing to me, so I order a mild pepper soup––not very mild at all. I was burning up. Better to order a mild soup and then make your dipping sauce hot.
Hot Pot
Hot Pot
We ordered beef, potato slices, mushrooms, bok choy and spinach, and shrimp and crab balls. I didn’t eat the mushrooms as I don’t like them but everything else was delicious, though hot. Other things you can order to cook: wild salamander, sugar garlic, brined duck head and tongue, duck gizzard, tripe of ox, honey guishandao medicine, jellyfish with vinegar, cattle tendons with soy sauce, fresh fat cows, gold fat and sleek cows, handmade sqid balls, bull testicles, white finless eel, among many other interesting items. Our three hot pots cost 285 yuan, or $14.15 each. We didn’t ask for change from 300 yuan. Our waitress was so overjoyed to receive a tip (the Chinese don’t tip), that she put a huge grin on her face, helped me with my chair, and helped me put on my coat. All for a $2.25 tip. Time to call it a day after dinner.
