Just Another Day . . . (May 2018)
You’d think that after a couple of years living in Beijing, we would have seen most of the major tourist sites — but we continue to discover random treasures! Spring granted us not only beautiful weather with clear skies and low AQI numbers, but also enough of a respite from university assignments that we could explore in and around Beijing a bit. One such “free” day found us in search of the Marco Polo Bridge, which we had read about but never seen. Also known as the Lugou Bridge, it dates back to 1192 and matches a description recorded by Marco Polo of his travels to China, hence the nickname “Marco Polo Bridge.” It is unique because of the dozens of lion sculptures (no two alike!) that line the bridge. It is also historically significant because of a battle that took place there in 1937, the Lugou Bridge Incident, which is widely recognized as the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Just across the bridge lies a beautiful sculpture garden and the Wanping Fortress.
It’s certainly worth mentioning that part of the fun (most of the fun, actually) of these day trips was the company! Our exploring took on an added measure of enjoyment because we shared the experiences with fellow PKU-affiliated BYU China Teachers the Forsyths and the Peltons. After exiting the subway station, we maneuvered through back alleys and trails searching for the bridge. A couple of little gems we stumbled upon included what seemed to be a genuine pillbox, a relic from the war, and the most primitive toilet facility to date—an honor not bestowed lightly, as the list of nominees is EXTENSIVE! (And yes, the Chinese characters read “Women” and “Men” — so Brigg knew which side to enter.)
On a separate occasion, we explored the canal area between the Beijing Zoo and the Summer Palace (where people were actually swimming — and changing their clothes right there on the side of the canal — look closely at the second picture), enjoying a boat ride for part of the journey. On the way, we hopped off the boat to wander through the Bamboo Forest, a nearby park where our hunches were rewarded not only with stunning scenery, but also with a feast of “people watching,” as the beautiful day attracted a variety of walkers, dancers, lovers, and even a “mini Minnie.” The lotus was just beginning to bloom . . . . Ahhhhhhh
One last “day trip” in May took us to Shangfang Mountain, where we rode a scary cable car up the mountain for a day of exploring caves filled with Buddhas and trails dotted with centuries-old temples. We certainly had no trouble picking up those “10,000 steps” (in the first hour, probably . . . ), but what a view!! We were pretty impressed to see people carrying water, etc. up the mountain to stock the snack stands. It was all we could do to carry ourselves up the mountain!
A clear finalist in the “primitive toilet” contest, the following facility had no running water. The bucket of water next to the stall is a “do-it-yourself” flusher. Simple concept — you can figure it out . . .
As always, our favorite part of each outing was the chance to interact with the people. We loved watching the children play, practicing our Chinese with the merchants, and just taking in all the little details that remind us, “We live in China!”
