Last day in Beijing

May 19th, Thursday

Wangfujing Dajie

We were on a mission to buy a map of China for the next day's journey. With Daniel and Jonathan along (these two Australians about to depart as well), and Rob and Sally (not flying home for a few days yet) we let George lead us once again to downtown Beijing, via the subway, this time to Wángfǔjǐng Dàjie, the commercial centre. Dàjie means "big street."

We had not seen any part of the city so westernised before: this was a wide, pedestrianised street, with advert hoardings, benches and big stores, though the jam-packed side-streets were not the same. These were hung with red lanterns and crammed with stalls selling, for example, wriggling sea horses and scorpions on skewers for immediate consumption from the barbecue, a delicacy that all of us found pretty repulsive. I almost suspect they were there on purpose to draw the attention of foreigners; I didn't find such shocking food for sale anywhere else in China (apart from the mention of "snake" on a menu in Hangzhou).

Fresh snacks on skewers

The menu at the quieter spot we found was another source of bemusement, Daniel taking photos of it. Jonathan ordered our meal with an impressive flow of phrases he'd picked up; he'd soon be fluent if he lived here.

Then we went our separate ways, George and I spending about 40 minutes in the Foreign Languages Bookstore where I did manage to find a suitable map that not only depicts the whole of China and its bordering countries but also includes area maps of Beijing, Shanghai, the Pearl River Delta, Hangzhou and Suzhou: a valuable resource. I have spent hours studying it. Well, I love maps anyway.

A Chinese letter box

In a shopping mall that would not have looked out of place within any international airport, we sat at a Costa Coffee booth to write some postcards that I slid into one of Beijing's few postboxes, the slot on the right (see photo) being the one for long distance mail. An international stamp costs ¥4.50.

Chinese public conveniences

On our return to the subway we failed to enter a park closed for renovation, that looked frustratingly attractive. I visited a WC en passant: very clean but with no doors on the booths––I should emphasise that this facility was not in some obscure suburb, but very close to Tiananmen Square at the heart of the city. Imagine coming across publicly visible holes in the ground for Ladies and Gents alongside Trafalgar Square, in London! I doubt they'd be tolerated.

Roses in full bloom at Mudanyuan

We ambled back to our hotel from Mudanyuan park where we had sat for a while watching the gardeners hose down the reeds. For the evening we had a date with the Du family again. The plan was to meet them with Rob and Sally at their apartment then walk to a nearby restaurant where a private room had been reserved for our last meal in Beijing. Sha's chauffeur cousin and his wife were invited too. By this time, Daniel and Jonathan were boarding their flight to Sydney at the airport, so weren't included. George and Sha were also going to be flying home to Sydney the following day, so the supper was a poignant occasion for us––despite the problems with communication we had become very fond of these particular Beijingers during our visit and I think they felt the same about us, too.

Walking from the hotel to the apartment

Small shrine at the restaurant

The people at our farewell supper, photo by Chris

Munching on watermelon slices at the apartment before supper we sat in Sha's bedroom to watch The Wedding Video, very professionally done. It had just been delivered that day and Sha had already seen it three times! The atmosphere at supper was really convivial, with many thanks exchanged, but it is a shame to be so short of words on both sides. After Chris had taken photos of our group around the table we picked up our chopsticks and tucked into our plates of kongpao ji, lotus root slices, stir fried beef, vegetables with black mushrooms, herb stuffed pancakes, tofu strips and a meat stew bubbling over a table top stove. There was a choice of beer, orange juice and green tea to drink with this meal.

Chris, trying out a Chinese treadmill in the park

Afterwards, after dark, we lingered over a walk back to the hotel through a circular community park between the flat blocks, which had a wonderful sort of playground for adults. Such fun! As well as trees and park benches, it included an outdoor chess set, a seesaw, swing bars, a treadmill made of rolling pipes and a standing device for strengthening the arms, two elderly ladies using it. There was a sort of ski-ing device as well. None of this simple equipment needs to be plugged in. What a good idea, we thought. In fact, why does any exercise equipment ever have to be plugged in, or cost so much? The whole North American fitness industry is based on an unnecessary con.

At the end of our two weeks' visit, I wrote in my diary, "We have enjoyed Beijing!"