The China Art Gallery is a national-level art gallery focused on displaying, collecting and researching the works arts of the artists in China modern times. Chairman Mao Zedong provided the calligraphy for the name of the gallery.



The gallery facilities encompass 17,051 sq. meters including a 6,000 sq. meter exhibition hall. Built between 1958 and 1962, it is one of the Ten Great Constructions in the 10th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China and also the largest art gallery in China. This is the place to see works by Zhao Zhiqian, Shi Tao, Zhu Da, Ren Bonian, Xu Gu, Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi, Huang Binhong, and Xu Beihong.


Zhao Zhiqian


Xu Gu (1823-1896) The soldier who became a priest and painter.

Of course, being the most significant art gallery in the world's most populous nation does not prevent it from being a fine spot for Tai Chi (shadow boxing):



The China Art Gallery was reopened on July 23, 2003 after a year-long renovation project. When I visited, it happened to be during the opening of an artist's exhibition. (He seemed very pleased that a western would travel so far just to see his show. The Beijing TV news people even took video of us signing his guestbook.) That visit was before the recent work so I have not seen the facility or the collection since the reopening.

The White Pagoda is 35.9 meters high and sits amidst luxuriant trees and a host of temple halls on Jade Islet at the center of Beihai Park. The dagoba was built by Emperor Shunzhi (the first emperor of the Qing) in 1651 in honor of a visit by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Atop the pagoda is a gold-covered copper lid decorated with dozens of bells that jingle in the wind.



In front of the Pagoda stands the Temple of Enternal Peace (Yong'an si) and Hall of Universal Peace. At the back of the island is Hall of Rippling Water. Inside the Pagoda is a 30-meter-tall column. A gold box at the top of the column contains two teeth belonging to Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. Under the Pagoda is a lamasery.

Huifeng Temple (Huifeng Si) is thought to have formerly been a site for worshipping Guanyin, the goddess of Mercy. Today it is a small museum with astronomical charts, displays, and celestial instruments related to the Yuan Dynasty (1215-1368).


Shanxi Province, Liao Dynasty (A.D. 907-1125)

The Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Chinese Buddhist deity of compassion and mercy, here is seated in the posture of royal ease on a simulated outcropping of craggy, perforated rock.

Beihai Park is the world's earliest royal garden.





Located on the west side of the Forbidden City is a wide expanse of water called Tai Ye Chi. Tai Ye Chi is divided into three parts: Beihai Lake in the north, Zhonghai Lake in the middle, and Nanhai Lake in the south. Beihai, the best known of the three, was turned into a royal garden at least 1,000 years ago. The Designs of the three lakes can be traced to an ancient legend, which says that there were three celestial mountains in the Beihai Sea inhabited by immortals. Rulers took to constructing "celestial mountains" on the water space just outside the royal palace, turing legend into reality.

Jingshan Park, the highest point in Beijing, was built in 1179 during the Jin Dynasty. It is located directly to the north of the Forbidden City's Shenwu Gate.


Ten Thousand Springs Pavilion

Inside Jingshan Park, an area of approximately 57 acres, is Jingshan Hill which rises to a height of 48 metres, and from its top visitors can see (on that rare, clear-air day) the entire city of Beijing.


Looking south toward the Imperial Palace.

Jingshan Hill was built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty and was initially called "Longevity Hill" and then later was named "Zhen Hill". In later periods coal was piled at the foot of the hill and it became known as "Mei Shan" (Coal Hill). However in 1655 during the Qing Dynasty the name was changed to Jingshan Hill, the name by which it is known today.



On the summit of Jingshan Hill five scenery viewing pavilions were built, and from these the visitor can clearly see the layout of the Forbidden City. The highest pavilion is called Wanchun Pavilion (Ten thousand springs pavilion), and there are four other pavilions, two each on the east and west sides respectively of Jingshan Hill. Each of these pavilions contained a copper Buddha symbolizing the five kinds of tastes: acid, spicy, bitter, sweet and salty. However, in 1900 the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers looted four of these five Buddhas, and the fifth one was destroyed. (During the same visit, the invading forces also destroyed much of the Summer Palace, including the Long Pavilion.) The replacement Buddhas now seen in each pavilion were made in 1999.

Seer, Great Stuff. I'm not sure I'll ever get to Bejing, but I think I've seen it all today.I hope you stayed in luxury hotels. You didn't show the human waste on the railroad tracks there....that deserves a photo....and an extensive exposition. I'll stick to Chinatown USA:

And go for the Dim Sum at lunch.

Dazhalan ('Dashilanr' in the Beijing dialect), literally means the � Great Fence.� It has been the site of a busy market since the early 1400s. The great fence metaphor refers to wicker barricades placed throughout Beijing in (in Imperial times) to impose curfew. A large gate of this type once located at the north end of this shopping arcade gave it it's name.



Dazhalan Street (also known as also called Dashilan Street) has many shops with history:

• Tongrentang Traditional Medicine Shop (1669)
• Juyuan Hat Shop (now called the Dongsheng Hat Shop (1811)
• Ruifuxiang Satin, Silk and Fur Shop (1893)
  

The Quanjude roast-duck dynasty was established in 1864 (the third year of Tongzhi of Qing dynasty) and outlasted even the Mandate of Heaven. During its long history, Quanjude roast duck has acquired a worldwide reputation for both special techniques and outstanding quality.



Once when Premier Zhou Enlai was hosting foreign guests at Quanjude, one of the guests asked, �what does Quanjude mean?� Premier Zhou answered with a smile, �Quan means perfection without a flaw, Ju means gathering without departing and De means virtues to be supreme.� Therefore Quanjude together implies perfection, union, benevolence and virtue.



This is the original front of the restaurant from 1888. It is now incorporated inside the restaurant at the spot indicated in the Placemark. (See the round table through the doors? My wife, friends, and I enjoyed a great meal there in 2002.)

While many have heard of "Peking Duck", few realize that the Quanjude restaurant has a menu listing over 400 dishes consisting entirely of duck. Of course there are the mainstays, like the famous Quanjude Roasted Duck, Quanjude Mustard Duck Web, Quanjude Boiled Duck Liver, Quanjude Seasoned Duck Gizzard, Quanjude Shredded Duck Wing, and Quanjude Quick Fried Duck Heart. But there are also pages and pages of more unusual duck selections. For example, during a banquet there in 1993, I was presented with one dish consisting solely of duck toungues and sliced green onion. It was a big, heaping platter of tiny toungues. There were easily hundreds of ducks represented there. Whenever I see ducks flying quietly overhead, I wonder where all those tongues came from.

The Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine ("TCM") behind the Dongzhimen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. You can visit the professionals here and get an introduction to the practices of acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, qigong, and advice on protecting your health.


Acupuncture


Moxibustion


Massage


Qigong (Chi Kung)

As a start, they will take your six pulses (three on the left wrist, three on the right), examine your tongue, view your eyes, and smell your breath. They will then announce considerable details about your existing health conditions and state. These people are very serious practioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and have graduates practicing TCM all over the world.

The Palace Hotel. I've stayed there and in my opinion, it is a great hotel.


Entrance. View is SSE from Novotel across the street, which is also nice. (Camera must have been just where the Placemark-view is, only lower.)


Lobby. Children arrayed up the stairway sing carols at Christmas.


Deluxe rooms. This is the sitting room in the Wangfujing suite.


Nice restaurants. This one is named Jing. Excellent Tandoori Chicken at the Palace.


Handy transportation. Spent a day in this Rolls-Royce Silver Spur (or its twin--they have two.)

Good story about the car: The car has a special emblem and the driver has a special card on the dashboard. The effect of the two in combination is that you can go down closed streets and around "Do Not Enter" signs. It was just the thing for being a tourist.

[Posted this Placemark only because Jumble was concerned about the quality of my hotel in Beijing. If you plan to visit, know that the Novotel across the street is also nice and just half the price. No Rolls-Royces and no Jing, however.]