Videos about INTRO, China

An Introduction to Chinese Medicine and Exercise


Chinese Medicine


In all its forms, Chinese medicine is holistic - it considers the whole body (and mind). It sees diseases as symptoms of lack of balance in some aspect of the whole and seeks to bring the body back to harmony. Indeed, the word dis-ease simply means 'not at ease'. When the father of western medicine, Hippocrates, declared 'Let food be your medicine', he was very much in line with Chinese thinking. However, science, with its focus on reductionist logic, has led to a reliance on drugs which are intended to be direct fixes but which actually often further disturb the body's carefully balanced systems producing side effects. Further, drug-based medicine often addresses only symptoms and not underlying causes.


Exercise


In China, exercise is everywhere - an important part of Chinese culture through the philosophical foundations of Chinese thought that emphasise the harmony of body and mind. Hence, exercise is not just exercise in the western sense, often it involves a spiritual or mental side as in the martial arts and QiGong. Balance (control) and suppleness are prized as much, if not more, than strength and stamina. This is seen beautifully in Chinese acrobatics.


The primary concept in the spiritual / mental dimension to native Chinese exercises is to achieve harmony of one's Qi. Qi is the flow of energy or life-force in the body, heaven and all living things - an ancient Taoist notion.


Schoolchildren, and many workers, begin the day with 15 minutes of exercise.


Ping Pong


Although the name sounds Chinese, 'Ping Pong' probably was coined because of the sound the ball makes when hit near and far (by oneself and your opponent). The exact origins are obscure but Ping Pong (Table Tennis) has been popular across the world, especially so in China, Japan and Korea.


China has had great success internationally at Ping Pong but it is its popularity among ordinary people that has given it a place in Chinese Culture. Ping Pong tables are commonly found in parks and other outdoor spaces. If you stop to have a look you may well be invited to a game!

An Introduction to Chinese Opera


Formed from an amalgam of traditional folk song, distinctive dialects and other regional performing arts, Chinese Opera has evolved into a complex, stylised story telling, combining masks, mime, dance, acrobatics and martial arts. Traditional instruments, such as the erhu, lute and gong, combine with highly refined literary dialogue, beautifully written with many nuances.


Even most Chinese need to see subtitles to follow the arcane language and unusual dialects. Color of face painting and costume is used to convey some aspects of each actor's character. Chinese Opera is full of symbolism.


The artists follow many years of training. It is said that 'one minute on the stage requires ten years practice behind the scenes'.


Chinese Opera joins with Sanskrit Opera and Greek tragi-comedy as among the world's oldest performance art. Long supported by China's imperial rulers, during the Qing dynasty Chinese Opera began to be enjoyed by common folk too, among which many of its roots lie.


Today, Chinese Opera is a world away from modern life, but that is part of its appeal and although no longer with a mass market it continues to survive and is enjoyed by Chinese and tourists alike. There are many regional variations; Beijing Opera is primarily a fusion of these. Performances usually take place in tea houses.

Arts and Crafts


Seals


Seals have traditionally taken the function of a signature and were used to identify ownership or authorship since ancient times. Metal, stone, wood, ivory, and jade can all be carved for a seal. Seals have a place in business even today.


Cloisonne


This is style often used to decorate pots. Authentic cloisonne is made handmade using thin strips of brass or copper that are painstakingly glued into place on the pot to make a design. The different areas are then filled with layers of different coloured enamel. The pot is then fired and finally polished on a spinning wheel. The price of the pot depends on the intricacy of the design. Cloisonne can be used on other artifacts also, such as jewelry. This technique was developed in the 14th century (Ming dynasty).


Paper Cuts


This folk art craft dates from around the 6th century. Thin rice paper (usually red) is cut into designs for decoration of doors, windows, lamps and other objects - or even just to frame. Intricate designs and pictures are skillfully and carefully made by scissor or, more likely, sharp craft knife.


Paper cuts are often placed on front doors during the Spring Festival to bring good fortune to the family over the coming year.


Kites


Kites originated in China over 2,000 years ago. Making and flying kites is still a popular pastime in China. Traditionally the frame is made from thin strips of bamboo that is then covered with thin but strong paper and sometimes silk. Decoration can sometimes be elaborate. Common themes include swallow, butterfly, insects, clouds and many others.


The history is long. Originally, kites may have been developed for signalling and other practical purposes. By the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), kite flying had become a pastime that involved relaxation and the appreciation of nature.


Much later, kites played a key role in the development of the airplane.

The Three Foundations of the Arts


These are calligraphy, poetry and music.


Chinese Calligraphy


Calligraphy is a highly regarded art in China. It is much more than stylised writing in the Western sense of calligraphy and is more akin to painting. Non-depictional and just black and white, line and space, Chinese calligraphy is startlingly beautiful in its simplicity yet enables a very wide range of expression and takes many years to master. Even a Westerner with no experience can sense the beauty of a good example, with its innate sense of balance. And the practice of it requires a harmony of self, brush and paper. Good calligraphy is said to embody the natural forms and movements of the natural world.


A popular type of calligraphy involves writing poetry in water outdoors using a large brush on the pavement.


Chinese Music


Chimes, bells drums and flutes (which could be made quite simply from bamboo), date back into antiquity. Later, by the time of the Tang dynasty (618 - 907) stringed instruments, such as the pipa (similar to the lute) and zither, which are plucked, and the erhu, with its vertically held strings, and Mongolian Horse-Headed Fiddle, which use a bow, were developed.


By the Tang dynasty, music - and dance - was widely enjoyed by all people and could be experienced at fairs organised by various temples. Folk songs telling the everyday tales of fishermen, herders and farmers were hugely popular among the peasants.


Influences from Buddhism and Islam added further flavour to the repertoire of Chinese music.


An interesting variant on the flute is made of clay and is a rounded pot with a number of holes and a spout to blow into. It resembles a small teapot and produces a beautiful sound.


Chinese Poetry


The 'Book of Songs' (Shi Jing) was the first major collection of Chinese poetry, comprising both aristocratic poems and rustic poetry, probably derived from folk-songs. It comprises 305 poems, some possibly written as early as 1000 BC. The work is one of the 'Five Classics' (Wu Jing), canonized by the Han Dynasty. The poems are said to have been selected and edited by Confucius from a total corpus of about three-thousand poems.


Chinese poetry has been influenced by the spiritual traditions of Buddhism and Taoism. The subject is often everyday life, a moment in time, appreciation of nature and a pointing to the underlying unity of life.


One of China's most venerated poets is Li Po (AD 701-762) who is also known as Li Bai. Here is an example of his poetry.



Visiting a Taoist on TaiTien Mountain


Amongst bubbling streams a dog barks;
peach blossom is heavy with dew;
here and there a deer
can be seen in forest glades.
No sound of the mid-day bell
enters this vastness,
where blue mist rises
from bamboo groves;
and from a high peak
hangs a waterfall.
No-one knows where he has gone,
so sadly I rest,
with my back leaning
against a pine.

Philosophical Ideas


There are a number of ancient philosophical ideas that link with each other in various ways and permeate Chinese culture.


Feng Shui


Feng Shui (pronounced 'fung shway') literally 'Wind Water' is the ancient Chinese concern for placement and arrangement of a space to achieve harmony with the environment. For a place to have 'good Feng Shui' is for it to be in harmony with nature, whereas to have 'bad Feng Shui' is to be incongruous with nature.


Feng Shui draws together a wide mix of geographical, religious, philosophical, mathematical, aesthetic and astrological ideas. Sometimes intuitive and derivable from common sense and our feeling of what is natural.


Underlying the practical guidelines of feng shui is the theory of Qi. The 'Book of Changes' ('I Ching') and 'The Five Elements are also sometimes brought into play.


Qi


Nature is generally held to be a discrete organism that breathes Qi (a kind of life force or spiritual energy). The details about the metaphysics of what nature is, what Qi is and does, and what breath consists in vary. However, it is not generally understood as physical, but neither is it meant to be metaphorical although it can be thought of that way.


The Five Elements


The Qi energy can be found in various forms identified as Wu Xing (5 Phases) - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These energy phases are so-named because they tend to behave somewhat like the physical entities.


The notion of the Five Elements is found in Chinese medicine and Feng Shui.


Do not confuse the 5 elements of Chinese Metaphysics with the 5 elements of Greek philosophy (Wind, Water, Earth, Ether and Sky).


Yin Yang


This is the idea that opposites both contain each other and give rise to each other. These ideas are captured beautifully in the symbolisation of ... Further, that we need to take a holistic view and seek balance between opposites. Any two opposites are defined by reference to each other and in a dynamic relationship.


Although the origins probably predate Taoism, the idea is elaborated quite explicitly in the Tao Te Ching, if not by name.



Yin : Moon, water, cold, feminine, dark, passive force, ...


Yang : Sun, fire, hot, masculine, bright, active force, ...


Everything has an opposite, and opposites are relative, not absolute. They are interdependent.


There is always a trace of one in the other, like stars in the night sky. There can not be absolute darkness or absolute brightness, coldness or whatever.


One can transform into the other. For example, night becomes day becomes night. And if we look from space, we see that night and day actually coexist!


There are four possible imbalances: excess Yin, excess Yang, Yin deficiency, and Yang deficiency. They can again be seen as a pair: by excess of Yin there is a Yang deficiency and vice versa. The imbalance is also a relative factor: the excess of Yang 'forces' Yin to be more 'concentrated'. The darker the night, the brighter the stars look.


Yin / Yang is an important concept in Chinese medicine. Symptoms categorised as yin would be treated by foods that are said to yang.


The 'I Ching' ('Book of Changes')


The 'I Ching' attempts to elaborate on the nature of the universe.




Simplicity. The fundamental law underlying everything in the universe is actually utterly plain and simple, no matter how abstruse or complex some things may appear to be.


Variability. Everything in the universe is continually changing. By comprehending this one may realize the importance of flexibility in life and cultivate the proper attitude for dealing with a multiplicity of diverse situations.


Persistency. While everything in the universe seems to be changing, there is a persistent principle, a central rule, which does not vary with space and time.


This book is based on 64 diagrams that represent all the different ways to combine six 0s and 1s (yin or yang). For example, 101101. An unbroken line can be used to represent Yang and a broken line Yin. This gives 64 hexagrams that can be used as an oracle; providing an input for a new way of looking at a problem.


Dragon and Phoenix


The dragon and the phoenix, mythical creatures that date back into antiquity and only gradually took the form we know today, served in classical art and literature as symbolic of people of high virtue and rare talent. Together, the two symbolize happiness and married love.


The dragon symbolizes supreme power and was associated with the emperor. There is no connection with the Western dragon which symbolizes evil power.


The first emperor, Shi HuangDi, is said to have incorporated the emblem or totem of each tribe he conquered into his own. This may be part of the explanation of how the dragon took on its composite form. A dragon has the body of a snake, the scales and tail of a fish, the antlers of a stag, the face of a camel, the talons of an eagle, the ears of a bull, the feet of a tiger and the eyes of a demon.


The dragon is associated with water and the number 9.


Han Chinese often refer to themselves as 'descendants of the dragon'. In the West, it has also become a symbol of China itself although in China the panda is the preferred national symbol today.


The Phoenix (FengHuang) symbolizes virtue, foresight and devotion and was associated with the empress. The phoenix derived from the combination of the first two mythical phoenixes - the Feng which was male and Huang that was female - to symbolize a harmony of Yin and Yang. The phoenix carries with it eternal truths and is immortal - able to rise from the ashes of death. The phoenix will only stay where there is just rule.


The feathers of the phoenix are often depicted containing the five fundamental colors: black/blue, white, red, green and yellow that relate to the 'Five Elements'.


The phoenix or similar mythical 'fire-birds' appear in many ancient cultures, including that of ancient Greece, but there are some differences.


The dragon and phoenix are still embodied in traditional celebrations such as the Chinese New Year.


Numbers


The number 9, being the highest value digit, is associated with the dragon and the emperor. Nine is often found in architectural and other features associated with the emperor, such as the imperial red doors with their 9 rows of 9 golden bolts.


10,000 was a number used to denote infinity. Hence the Forbidden City was often cited as having 9,999 rooms - just less than the mythical number of rooms in Heaven.


Further, odd numbers are considered to be Yang while even numbers are associated with Yin.


All the other digits have various associations too, with complicated rationales based in various ancient beliefs such as the Five Elements. Even today, 8 is considered to be a lucky number associated with prosperity and happiness, while 4 is an unlucky number. In some multi-storied buildings there is no floor marked as floor 4. A telephone number with lots of 8s and no 4s is the most expensive.

The Three Philosophical Pillars of Chinese Thought

The three foundations of Chinese thought are Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.

Taoism

Taoism originates with the teachings of LaoTse (circa 500 BC) and later his disciple ChuangTse. The 'Tao' means 'the way'. This philosophy that one finds a peaceful life by following the natural flow of life so that one maintains both internal and external balance. It emphasises the simple life and the aim is to be desire-free.

Here is a brief excerpt from the Tao Te Ching :

The enlightened possess understandingSo profound they can not be understood.Because they cannot be understood I can only describe their appearance:Cautious as one crossing thin ice,Undecided as one surrounded by danger,Modest as one who is a guest,Unbounded as melting ice,Genuine as unshaped wood,Broad as a valley,Seamless as muddy water.Who stills the water that the mud may settle,Who seeks to stop that he may travel on,Who desires less than may transpire,Decays, but will not renew.

The full text can be seen here (external link).

Over time, and through mixing with ancient traditions and myths, Taoism took on a religious form and Taoism today is popularly associated with the worship of various Taoist gods in the east.

Confucianism

Confucianism is a philosophy that seeks harmony of society and the individual in society. It is concerned with proper relationships between people and an orderly hierarchy that stresses not only respect for superiors but also the proper behaviour of the superiors. These ideas and their codified rules applied throughout society and included the emperor. The emperor, though supreme ruler of society was subject to heaven.

Confucius stressed the importance of education. Among many others, he said that thinking without study is dangerous and study without thinking is useless.

Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced from India and gradually took on Chinese characteristics as it gained popularity in China. The Buddha taught one to find peace within oneself. That suffering stems from desire and attachment. To make it more accessible, some codified suggestions for how to live arose and in time Buddhism became a religion. 'Do not mistake the pointing finger for the moon' alerts us to the danger of missing the essence and being blinded by the trappings of religion.

There is a similar essence to Taoism and Buddhism. However, Buddhism tends towards solemnity while Taoism tends towards joy.

In China, it is sometimes said that we are helped by Confucianism when we are young, Taoism when we are middle aged and Buddhism when we are old.

Chinese Architecture


Chinese architecture has had a major influence on the architectural styles of Japan, Korea and Vietnam.


Traditional Chinese architecture stressed the visual impact of buildings, and emphasised width rather than height, and symmetry. Grandeur could be signified by the number of tiers - in terms of floors or roofs. Buildings would normally be based on a substantial platform, side walls and a curved overhanging roof.


Palaces, temples and even hutongs (alleys of simple commoners dwellings) were usually surrounded by a gated wall.


Imperial Architecture


While the dwellings of ordinary people, such as hutongs, were generally grey in color, both walls and roof, imperial buildings employed color. Imperial buildings had golden yellow roof tiles, red columns and doors, and walls that are shades of red - pink, purple or terracotta.


Religious Architecture


Buddhist architecture in much of China follows the imperial style, but with green roof tiles. A Buddhist temple normally has a front hall that houses a statue of a Bodhisattva, followed by a great hall that houses statues of the Buddhas, with accommodation for the monks and nuns at either side.


Taoist architecture is a little less grand. The main deity is usually represented in the main hall which is at the front, in contrast to Buddhist layout where the main hall will be to the rear. Also, the entrance is usually at or to the side which is believed to confuse entry by demons (a Feng Shui guideline). Taoist roofs are generally blue.


Commoners Architecture


A SiHeYuan, or courtyard, was the traditional unit and could range from small and basic to elaborate. The courtyard itself, even if very small, could contain potted plants and serve as a small garden as well as workspace. A SiHeYuan would face south with the entrance at the front but on the east side. The main building would be at the back facing the courtyard (that is, facing south). Children would live in the side rooms. The room beside the entrance was used for sundry purposes.


The main building faces south to avoid northerly winds and gain the most possible sunshine during winter. Overhanging eaves keep the building cool when the summer sun is high in the sky, and also keep off rain. The main building is divided into three, or sometimes five, rooms, with the main living area in the center.


There is often a screen just inside the entrance so that passers by cannot see directly into the courtyard - and to protect from evil spirits (who are said to travel in straight lines and deterred by curved paths and screens).


Wealthy people would have a larger SiHeYuan, possibly with two or even more courtyards, one behind the other. A pair of stone lions would be placed outside the main gate, which would be painted red with a large copper or brass ring handle.


SiHeYuans were constructed next to each other in rows to form a hutong - an alley less than 9m wide (the narrowest are less than 1m wide). These lively communities are disappearing fast in Beijing, and elsewhere, although some such areas are now protected from redevelopment.

The Chinese Language


A brief introduction to the Chinese Language


Writing


Chinese script developed from pictograms. Early pictograms were in use about 3,500 years ago. Originally these were something like the pictograms we are familiar with from the ancient Egyptians. Over the years these gradually changed from depictional to be increasingly abstract although in some cases the similarity of original pictogram and modern character can still be seen.


Many characters are composed of two or more simpler characters. Some words are composed of two or more characters. The meaning of such words of more than one character may be based on the combined meanings or the combined sounds.


To be reasonably proficient one would need to know about 2,000 characters although there are many many more. On the mainland of China, the characters exist in a 'simplified' form, though perhaps do not look so to the western eye!


The order that the strokes of a character are written is important. One starts at the top and then left to right as one works one's way down. When writing with speed, cursive styles are possible. Historically, this behaviour will have contributed to the evolution of characters. Cursive styles are also sometimes used in Chinese calligraphy, which is an important art-form in Chinese culture.


What we call Chinese script is not the only script still used, but is the official common language (along with Mandarin for spoken Chinese). There are also Tibetan, Manchurian and Mongolian scripts. The Tibetan script, because of geographic location, resembles Indian and Arabic scripts.


Pin-Yin, an alphabet-based phonetic rendition of spoken Chinese is learned by young schoolchildren as an aid to pronunciation, just as it is for the foreigner learning Chinese. Pin-Yin enables non Chinese speakers to get a rough idea of the sound of Chinese and also allows words to be more easily recognised and remembered by westerners. Hence, place names are usually marked in Pin-Yin as well as traditional Chinese script.


Note that older Chinese people cannot read Pin-Yin.


Spoken Chinese


The official spoken language of China is called Mandarin and is based on the dialect native to Beijing.


Mandarin is a tonal language with four tones: flat, rising, falling and falling then rising. Ideally, Pin-Yin would be written with accents to indicate the tones but seldom is. For example, the sound 'ba' means 'eight' if said with a flat tone but 'father' if spoken with a rising tone.

Notable Chinese Materials (silk, porcelain, lacquer, jade)


There are a number of materials invented by the Chinese which became a key part of Chinese culture and are highly regarded.


Bronze


The use of bronze, an alloy based on copper and tin, that was tough and could be cast into many different shapes and sizes, has a history of over 4,000 years. Over time methods for elaborate decoration of bronze items were developed, including the inlay of other metals and jade. Besides various kinds of pot, some huge, bronze was also used for swords and mirrors and other artifacts.


Lacquer


Lacquer is sap from the lacquer tree. This remarkable material is very light but tough once dried - mechanically and chemically, able to resist strong acids or alkalis. Its use dates back an amazing 6,000 years. Early lacquerware was black and red and remains a popular combination. By the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), decorative techniques had been mastered and lacquerware was used widely for both commonplace implements such as bowls and also ornamental items.


Porcelain


By the time Europe learned the secret of making porcelain in 1709, Chinese artisans had been producing it for over one thousand years. First, scientists studied and learned the properties of silicate glazes. The potter's wheel was invented to shape the clay. High-temperature kilns were constructed to fuse the glazed clay into porcelain.


Porcelain is made from coal dust and a type of fine, white clay called kaolin. It is baked at 1200 degrees Centigrade but but ordinary ceramics are baked at 500 degrees Centigrade. The mineral cobalt is added to create blur porcelain.


Silk


Silk comes from the cocoon made by the silkworm, an insect that likes to make its cocoons on mulberry bushes. Silk has been produced in China for over 5,000 years and was kept secret for over 3,000 years, making a great trade item. In 552 A.D., Emperor Justinian sent two monks on a secret mission to Asia; they returned to Byzantium with silkworm eggs hidden inside their bamboo walking sticks. This was the earliest known example of industrial espionage!. From then, sericulture spread throughout Asia Minor and Greece.


It takes forty-thousand silkworms to make just five and a half kilograms of silk! Silk is cool in warm weather and warm in cold weather.


The threads from several cocoons are subsequently unwound together to form a single strand of raw silk. This fine thread is the basic component of all Silk yarn and fabric. Because the threads are naturally long, silk is, weight for weight, stronger than steel in tension.


The Chinese also invented forms of embroidery, for weaving textiles such as satin, damask, gauze, and brocade. In the second century AD, the Chinese invented a drawloom. Nearly as high as a two-story building, the drawloom made large-scale production of brocade possible.


Jade


Jade is a quality stone with fine texture, elegant luster and slick surface. It can be divided into soft jade and hard jade. There are a number of color variations and quality can vary enormously, based mainly on optical properties. Translucent emerald-green jade is one of the most prized varieties, both now and historically. Even cheap jade, which technically might not be jade at all but another mineral with similar look and feel, has a nice feel to it with a lot of its value coming from the way it has been carved and polished.


To the Chinese, jade is the most prized mineral, even if it is less expensive than gold or diamond. Jade is felt to be more 'alive' and is associated with merit, morality, dignity and grace.


This gem, with its discreet yet rather greasy lustre, which comes in many fine nuances of green, but also in shades of white, grey, black, yellow, and orange and in delicate violet tones, has been known to Man for some 7000 years. In prehistoric times, however, it was esteemed rather more for its toughness, which made it an ideal material for weapons and tools. Yet as early as 3000 B.C. jade was known in China as 'yu', the 'royal gem'.


In the long history of the art and culture of the enormous Chinese empire, jade has always had a very special significance, roughly comparable with that of gold and diamonds in the West. Jade was used not only for the finest objects and cult figures, but also in grave furnishings for high-ranking members of the imperial family.


Today, too, this gem is regarded as a symbol of the good, the beautiful and the precious. It embodies the Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage.

Food in Beijing

Beijing is a food lover's heaven! As you would expect in such a large and varied country, there are many regional cuisines - and you can find them all in Beijing, plus Korean, Japanese, Thai and Western dishes.


HotPot


Hot Pot is a varied and interesting 'cook by yourself' experience. You choose what to eat and the ingredients are prepared and arrive ready to cook. The common ingredients are meat (mutton, chicken, beef) and fish, plus various types of Tofu, mushrooms, eggs, noodles and many kinds of vegetable. These are cooked in a 'soup' that is heated by gas, electricity or flame.


Meat is prepared by being thinly sliced while frozen. When added to the gently bubbling soup, it cooks in about 30 seconds. Leafy vegetables and thread noodles cook even quicker. However, starchy vegetables, such as potato and yam slices, need a few minutes. Tofu and mushrooms perhaps 2 minutes or so.


Hot Pot comes in basically two styles - Sichuan and Mongolian. Both are commonly found in Beijing.


Sichuan hotpot involves a sesame paste 'dip' made from ground sesame seeds (paste) and sesame oil. Other dip types are sometimes available. The sesame dip is often topped with coriander. Other condiments are also usually available, including garlic, spring onion and chilli oil, to add either to the soup or dip.


Barbecue Restaurants


Similar to Hot Pot restaurants in the sense that you order the ingredients and cook them yourself - in this case by barbecue grill. One would normally order condiments and side dishes also.


'Small Eats' Restaurants


These informal cafe restaurants have a wide range of not so small (!), cheap and quickly prepared dishes, featuring a large range of staples. Look for the red and white sign as shown above.


The Chengdu and Sichuan versions are particularly good; the dishes are not all hot and even the spicy ones are not too hot in Beijing. Many dishes come with or without rice. Noodle soup dishes are many people's favorite, as is Kung Po chicken - boneless chicken pieces in a slightly spicy sauce with peanuts, spring onion and cucumber. Another popular, spicy dish is Mapo Dofu - soft tofu beancurd with minced pork in a rich sauce. Anothe is DiSanXian - eggplant, peppers and potato. And egg with tomato or peppers.


Roast Duck


Beijing's most well-known contribution to the world of gastronomy is its delicious, and incredibly moreish, Beijing Duck.


After being marinaded in a mysterious deep-red sauce, ducks are roasted directly over flames stoked by fruit-tree wood until crisp, then sliced thinly and served with small pancakes with a black bean sauce, cucumber and spring onion.


The QuanJuDe (which has branches in Qianmen, Hepingmen or Wangfujing) and BianYiFang dishes among the most popular variations, each using a different method of preparation, spices and sauces, but both producing wonderful results.


Teriyaki


Japanese style quick fry, with just a little oil, on a hot plate just in front of you.


Dim Sum


Cantonese style snacks.


Imperial Court Food


Imperial Court Food is a style that has its origins in the Imperial Palace - it is based on the foods that were served to the emperor and his court. There are several places where you can sample these rather unique dishes. The Fang Shan restaurant in Beihai Park and Ting Li Guan restaurant in the Summer Palace are perhaps the best two.


Some of these dishes will seem rather strange to the western palate - and quite expensive too. For the true gastronome.


Shopping Centre Food Courts


All the large shopping centers and indoor markets have these, usually at the basement level or top floor. The quality ranges from good to excellent, depending on what part you visit.


On the lower ground floor of the Oriental Plaza one can find a wide range of restaurants and cafes; among these is the MegaBite, which itself has dozens of types of food and is well worth a visit.


Outdoor Dining


Beijing has very warm evenings from May to September (inclusive) and so outdoor dining is very popular in these months.


Side Dishes / Entrees


Many restaurants, especially Korean ones, provide free small side dishes, often as entrees, such as the one shown below. Nuts, seeds, beans or dried fruit are often provided free as nibbles.


Western Style Food


There are about 1000 McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in Beijing. At McDonalds, prices are about 1/3 of those in the West. Pizza Huts have similar prices to the West but the service and decor in these are particularly good.


Ice-Cream Parlours


These include the popular Haagen Daaz.


Drinks


Try something different with your meal, such as haw juice, almond juice or coconut milk. Or how about flower 'tea' (infusion), such as Chrysanthemum or 'Eight Treasure Tea' - much nicer than you might think!


If you would like to buy some teas to take home, you'll find tea shops have more choice than you dreamed possible. An excellent choice is ***.


You might also like to try 'Pearl Milk Tea' - an iced tea based drink that also contains small balls of tapioca that are sucked up through a wide straw. The drink may also contain milk and fruit pulp - in fact there are many varieties available.


The local Yanjing beer is cheapest (3 yuan in an everyday restaurant). There are a number of higher quality versions that are avaiable in restaurants a little up market (often 10 yuan). TsingTao beer is generally rated as better than Yanjing and is also common in Beijing. Expect to pay more for western lagers (an unnecessary choice) - and much more in bars and clubs.


Wine is a fast growing drink in China - and a fast growing industry. Local wines are often made with French know-how and investment. 'Great Wall' is perhaps the best known brand but there are many others.


Street Snacks


Don't be afraid of the street food - in Beijing it's amongst the best in the world, and you'd be missing out on a crucial part of the city's cultural life if you chose to eat exclusively in the (many) top class restaurants.


Beijing has over 250 types of traditional snack foods, freshly prepared and served fast. Many of them are made of glutinous rice, soy beans or fried materials.


Some types of street snack appear at different times of the day. For example, HongShu (sweet potatoes baked in their skins), a filling, quick snack, perhaps served with diced lamb or chilli, appear in the afternoon. Then there are the night markets where steaming stalls appear, as if by magic, when the sun sets.


One very palatable snack found in many places is shown below - meat or fish on bamboo skewers that are deep fried then optionally coated with cumin seeds and herbs and/or chilli powder.


7/11 stores often have hot take-away dishes.


Vegetarian


All restaurants have many delicious vegetable only dishes.


There are also specialised vegetarian restaurants that also offer dishes that mimic meat dishes, often based on various types of tofu. Every dish in the following picture is vegetarian.


JiaoZi and BaoZi


These are both types of chinese dumplings. BaoZi are more like stuffed buns and are steamed. JiaoZi are made from thinly rolled dough and sealed by crimping; they can be steamed or cooked in other ways (fried or boiled). JiaoZi are often served with a dip of soy and vinegar or chilli sauce. Both may contain either meat or vegetable fillings.


Note that JiaoZi and BaoZi are different from wontons (a south china dish) which look similar but are served in a soup.


Lunch Boxes


Popular with some office and shop workers.


Cakes


These include sesame seed coated buns, often containing pumpkin or red bean paste and served hot in restaurants.


Beijing's Hutongs and Courtyards

Video : China : Beijing's Hutongs and Courtyards

For those who want to experience the local customs, as well as the history and culture, of Beijing, a visit to the HuTongs (alleys) and SiHeYuans (courtyards) is an indispensable part of a visit to Beijing. The HuTong A hutong is an ancient city alley or lane, typical in Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousand. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In those times, the emperors planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to systems of etiquette. The center of the city of Beijing was the royal palace - the Forbidden City. The word 'hutong' came from the Mongolian language about 700 years ago. It originates from the word 'hottog' in Mongolian meaning 'water well'. Where there was a spring or well, there were residents. The word 'hottog' became 'hutong' after it was introduced into Beijing. Hutongs are the passages formed by lines of siheyuans (courtyards). One hutong connects with another, and siheyuan connects with siheyuan, to form a block, and blocks join with blocks to form a neighbourhood. In ancient China, there was a clear definition for a street or lane. A 36 m wide road was called a big street (DaJie). An 18 m wide one was called a small street (Lu). A 9 m wide lane (or smaller) was called a hutong. The shortest hutong is just 10 m long, and the narrowest hutong is only about 40 cm wide. Some hutong have more than 20 turns. Most of the hutongs in Beijing are in east-west or south-north directions. That resulted from the need for houses to face south so as to take in more sunshine. The Weaver and the Cowherd There are many stories and fairy tales about hutong. Near the Forbidden City, in the heart of Beijing lies a hutong called 'Girl Weaver', which is named after a fairy from the Heavenly Kingdom, who descended to the human world and married a cowherd. Her enraged father, the Celestial Emperor, took the girl back and separated the couple with the Milky Way. Symmetrically, on the other side of the Forbidden City, there used to be a 'Cowherd Bridge'. In part, this tale suggests that emperors living in the Forbidden City are sons of Heaven. In the rich and historical culture of Beijing, the hutong has a very special and important position. It is not only a kind of architecture, but also serves as a window into Beijing folk life and an embodiment of the history and culture of Beijing. The SiHeYuan A standard siheyuan consists of houses on all four sides. The house that stands at the north end facing south is called the 'main house or 'north house'. The ones on each side are called the 'side houses', and the one which stands at the south end facing north is called the 'opposite house' or 'south house'. The siheyuan's entrance gate is usually at the southeastern corner, in accordance with the traditional concepts of the 5 elements that were believed to compose the universe, and the 8 diagrams of divination. Normally there is a screen wall inside the gate so that outsiders cannot see directly into the courtyard; it is also believed to protect the house from evil spirits. Outside the gate of larger siheyuan, there is a pair of stone lions, one on each side. Such a residence offers space, comfort and quiet privacy. It is also good for security as well as protection against dust and storms. The gates are usually painted vermilion and have large copper door rings. The courtyard often contains a pomegranate or other type of tree, as well as potted plants. Usually a whole family lives in the compound. The elder generation lives in the main house, the younger generation live in the side houses, and the south house is usually the sitting room or study. From their size and style, one can tell whether a siheyuan belongs to ordinary folk or the powerful and rich. The simple house of an ordinary person has only one courtyard with the main building on the north facing, across the court. The mansion of a titled or rich family would have two or more courtyards, one behind another, with the main building separated from the view of the southern building by a wall with a fancy gate or by a GuoTing (walk-through pavilion). Behind the main building there would be a lesser house in the rear and, connected with the main quadrangle, small 'corner courtyards'. Not only residences, but also ancient palaces, government offices, temples and monasteries were built basically on the pattern of the siheyuan, a common feature of traditional Chinese architecture. Once ubiquitous in Beijing, siheyuans and hutongs are now rapidly disappearing, as entire city blocks of hutongs are leveled and replaced with high-rise modern buildings. Residents of the hutongs are entitled to apartments in the new buildings, of at least the same size as their former residences. Many complain, however, that the traditional sense of community and street life of the hutongs cannot be replaced. However, some particularly historic or picturesque hutongs are being preserved and restored by the government.

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