MANY travelers dream of setting foot in Beijing: to walk through the Great Wall of China, to marvel at the extravagance of China’s past, and to witness firsthand the progress that takes place in this nation that has a very colorful history. While the historical attractions are drawing crowds of tourists day in and day out, Beijing’s new structures are also becoming popular to the city’s locals and visitors, alike. The fusion of the old and the new, the juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern, is one of Beijing’s charms.
Blast from the past
Though our Beijing trip took place a number of years ago, the experience is very much fresh in my memory. We stayed in a hotel located along one of the hutongs, or narrow alleys, surrounded by traditional residences with courtyards, just within Beijing’s inner ring. It’s a short ride to the Drum and Bell Tower, which is also close to the Forbidden City. First stop was the Tiananmen, which is the entrance to the Imperial City, where the Forbidden City is found. Throngs of people were already gathered outside the gate, trying to enter through the massive walls. Inside, we explored certain portions of the wide expanse of the compound, going through various gates and several halls, including the exhibit areas that housed many Chinese artifacts.
While we thought we were already amazed by the Forbidden City, we were in for a bigger surprise when we got to the Summer Palace. Despite the drizzle and the crowd, the place held a mystical feel. Going through the length of the longest corridor and watching those who went boating in the lake that was cloaked by fog was mesmerizing. You can’t help but imagine how life was in this beautiful place centuries past.
Of course, a Beijing escapade would not be complete without a visit to the famous Great Wall of China. The traffic going there quite caught us by surprise, so we opted to take the Juyongguan Pass instead of going further to Badaling. When we got there, we were astounded with the many people in the whole stretch of the Wall. It was incredible. While we strained for our eyes to see the farthest part of the Great Wall, we were also awed by the great number of individuals going up and down the steps towards the upper portions of this historical landmark.
In with the new
Just a few steps from the Tiananmen is where the modern structure of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, which is shaped like an egg with yin and yang features, stands magnificently on a body of water. It goes to show that Beijing is making headway when it comes to new architecture.
And more amazing structural designs are found at the Olympic Village where the well-known Bird’s Nest, or the National Stadium, and the Water Cube, or the National Aquatic Center, are located. It’s a wonder how these buildings were constructed, especially with their interesting shapes and lightings as they glowed beautifully at night. Walking around the Olympic Park, which was the site of the 2008 Olympic Games, was quite interesting as there were many more interesting new structures while the surroundings are filled with people playing, dancing or just sitting around.
Braving the city traffic, we also passed by many skyscrapers and modern buildings that dot the skyline of the metropolis. We also went to the Silk Street Market for some shopping spree and saw the younger face of Beijing along the way. A city born thousands of years ago, Beijing continues to evolve with new structures rising up. But instead of eclipsing the old, it is better to see them co-exist side by side, like yin and yang.*
All photos are by this author. Claire Marie Algarme blogs at http://firsttimetravels.com. Follow her as @firsttimetravel on Twitter and Instagram and like her Facebook page First-time Travels.