Impressions of Beijing

Beijing is a modern bustling city with many of its old traditions still surviving along with changing ways. People are mostly very stern faced and serious looking - rarely does anyone smile, particularly noticeable with service staff. The few who do smile catch you by surprise and they look so lovely.

Our Chinese guide was delightful, one of the smilers. She accompanied us for our whole stay and showed great warmth and humour. She told us much about the culture and traditions. Her grandmother belonged to the last generation of women who bound their feet. Her grandparents suffered during the cultural revolution as they had been land owners. They were stripped of their property and all belongings and shunned by society. No one was game to employ them so their survival depended on great struggle and ingenuity. Her parents married late after this time and in their turn were shunned and lost their jobs because they broke the one baby rule and had two. They also had to pay a very heavy fine.

Her home town is to the north of China in a coal mining town near the Russian border. She travels 24 hours by train once a year to visit and train tickets are hard to get. If she is lucky she gets a soft seat or a hard seat ticket. If not she gets a standing ticket. The train is so crowded people even stand in the toilets, so she stands for 24 hours and does not eat or drink so she does not have to use the toilet during the trip.

She tells us life is much better now with people not as afraid as they used to be. One does not criticise the government however, and there is still a great deal of censorship. Facebook is blocked and Google searches are interesting to say the least.

Dress is quite fashionable with many fake brand names for sale. Department stores are popping up everywhere, but there are still traditional market vendors. At every tourist attraction street vendors chase tourists to make a sale. Everything is offered for $1 until you actually try to make a purchase. Then the price jumps dramatically and the real bargaining begins. Fun for some, dreaded by many.

Food is divine. Lots of fresh vegetables used and flavours are delicious. Always many dishes served on a lazy Susan in the middle of the table.