Beijing Day 3, July 2

Today was the day I planned to visit BeiHai Park. Sometimes plans have to change.
The name Beihai park means "White Sea Park" and it was built for one of the emperors of China long ago. There is a lake in the park as you can see in one of the pictures. Why it was called White Lake I don't know. Thursday when I went roaming north of my hotel to go the Square I simply walked east to Qian Men, north on Qian Men and walked across twelve lanes of traffic (six each way) and through the outside gate-tower. Today, no way as in there was no way. Metal barriers were put up either Thursday night or Friday night. So I had a choice. I could either go into the underground passage, come out at the Tian An Men Square entrance and wait long long mintues to go through the security check and then hope to find my way across the Square and then hope the way off the Square was barrier-free or try and walk around the square on the roads. I ended up doing some of each. I walked past most of the Square, went into an undergroun passage and came up close to the north edge of the Square. Then I was able to cross another main street and continue north to BeiHai Park.

I walked and walked and walked and walked. I asked police officers for directions. They all sounded very much like "go to the light, turn left, walk that way", although sometimes it was not a light just a corner. The essence was "you are going more or less in the right direction, just keep going." When I got across the road from ZhongShan Park, I thought to myself, that park is on my second priority list of places to visit but I am here, I am tired I will go in. Entrance fee: Y3. (Hint: If you visit Beijing assume nothing is free.) What a delightful park. The only thing I did not like was all the walking was on hard surfaces, usually cut stone. Hard surfaces make sense if you are in a wheeled cart or being carried in a sedan chair, but soft surfaces make more sense for walking and for absorbing rain. The park features beautiful naturally carved stones, wonderful trees and other vegetation and a stream that turns into a big pond for peddle boats and even low powered motorboats. There were quite a number of couples taking advantage of what they seemed to think were quiet or private spots. If I could see them they were not that private.

I talked to my host at noon while I was still in ZhongShan Park. A few words from her, plus an apple and some rest and I decided to try to find BeiHai Park. The worst that could happen would be I would get really tired. Then I would get on the subway and come back to the hotel. So I walked and walked and walked and walked. I asked police officers for directions. They all sounded very much like "go to the light, turn left, walk that way", although sometimes it was not a light just a corner. The essence was "you are going more or less in the right direction, just keep going." (Sound familiar?) Once place I stopped for help was a government installation of some kind. The guard told me I could not go any closer. But he was quite willing to help me with directions. After consulting with the map in my pocket a few times I eventually ended up across the road from the entrance to BeiHai Park. Entry fee: Y20, except in the winter or if you have a Beijing Residency card (which they check carefully).

Two things I learned from today (which are really corollaries): 1) everything in Beijing is further from where you are than you can possibly imagine 2) everything in Beijing (public works anyway) is bigger than you think it could be, much like the Great Wall. Beihai Park is enormous. I have no idea how big it is or how many buildings it has. It is ginormous, humongous. There is an artificial island at one end of the sea linked to the shore by a stone bridge. I visited the island. It covers perhaps 1/5 of the water's area. It took more than one hour to walk around the outside of the island with only a few stops for picture taking. It is going to take several hours to skim the surface of the whole park. No wonder someone in Toronto recommended I visit Beihai but I was not told what to expect. All the walking was worth it. This is a truly wonderful place.

(Aside: My host's roommate added a third corollary: everything takes longer than you are told and that you expect.)

I did learn a little today as I said. When I left the park, I took out my map, discovered there was a subway station "not too far" to the west and started walking and walking and walking. I turned at the right street, saw the station, had to walk a few meters back to the crosswalk and then went down and got on the train. I am really proud of the trip back to my neighbourhood. I negotiated the Beijing subway system including a transfer from one subway line to another without outside help and without going the wrong way in either case. I admit I have been using the subway system here for a couple of days, and I admit the station names are in Chinese and English both on the maps in the station and the special lighted maps over each train door. Still, I think my fast and safe trip is a tribute to me as well as to the designers of the Beijing Subway.

Now I am off to my host's place for a home cooked meal. Who is cooking has not been decided yet.