Lost in China

It’s not only a lake. It’s also places for hang out, gathering and dinner on a boat.

Located on the northern of Forbidden City, you can ask the taxi driver to go here just by saying "HouHai". I never realize that this place is so big until last weekend me, Andam and Fitrix had a visit. It’s a place for hang out indeed.

You will find (western style) cafes along the lake (including Starbucks, I have to mention it hehehe…) and a lake with small boats (you can have a dinner on a boat). I think none of them has a Chinese cultural background for their entertainment package, except a live Chinese pop songs. So many expats at the area, just like the Sanlitun Area in a bigger scale with a lake inside. Well, all I can say that: this place is not for Chinese culture. It’s for me (and you) to hang out.

Just outside this lake area, you also can find the "HuTong", a Chinese traditional  housing area. The HuTong people always try to survive against the modernism. From the latest magazine,  I found out that all HuTong area in BeiJing will be demolished and replaced with high buildings for apartmentsas the preparation for Summer Olympic 2008. Pro and contra always comes up from the residents.

I’m wondering is there any lake in Jakarta that can be plotted just like this HouHai Lake entertainment area…??? Eh…

This is the place if you’re looking for the beautiful landscape of Chinese temple. Make sure that you have a best weather of the day.

One of my best visit beside the Forbidden City (the history) and Simatai Great Wall (the landscape & the challenge). Temple of Heaven is truly a must visit if you’re in BeiJing.

Located just southern of Wang Fujing Street, about two or three km to the north gate of this temple. The ticket is 35 RMB for "through ticket", the ticket that allowed you to enter the main gate, the Circular of Mounds and the Temple of Heaven itself. In my opinion this is the place that I always want to take pictures and still want to. Specially when you have a bright blue sky. Magnificent.

photo by: edwin 

Built first in 1420 during the Ming Emperor Yongle’s reign, it was expanded and renovated during the Ming Emperor Jiajing’s (1522-1566) and Qing Emperor Qianlong’s (1736-1795) reigns. The Temple of Heaven is a magnificent masterpiece of architecture in a solemn environment. Since the founding of New China, the government has allotted major resources to protect and restore the cultural monuments here. The Temple of Heaven with its long history, deep cultural significance and magnificent architectural style mirrors the ancient culture of the China.

Toilet business is my biggest complain in China. I had thousand of experiences…a bit hyperbolic… of using public toilet/wc and none of them resulted in satisfaction. Sometimes, I found them as disgusting, weird, strange and unpleasant experiences or even nightmares. Toilets in China had received bunch of complains from expatriate, tourist or foreigner who just dropped by in China. I heard that Chinese government really take this matter seriously and they gear up to handle this problem soon as this country will face 2008 Olympic Games.   

One of my experiences is really strange but i found it quite funny and become unforgettable for my entire life. Most of the toilet problem I had is about the sanitation of the toilets but this one is not.  It happened when we had a dinner with a Chinese friend in a hot pot restaurant. During the dinner, I had this urgent, emergency condition that I really needed to go toilet right away. After a waiter told me where it was, I hurried up to settle my business but unfortunately there was only one toilet and 3 other ladies already in queue before me, so I need to wait. When my turn came, I quickly entered the toilet and how surprised I was when I entered the toilet there was a young lady squatted, crouching with knees bent and she mumbled some words to me but off course I didn’t understand what she said. I just assumed she said “You can have your own business…never mind me, have a nice time”……whatttt???

In my mind, an ideal toilet should be a very personal place, sometimes it’s a place for people to enjoy their time of being alone….for me, it’s a good time to recall back memories, pondering, reflecting or reading papers or magazine…hehehe.  How can I settle my toilet business with other people squatted before me and maybe she will take the opportunity to peep…Ooo no way, it will never happen to me, my brains shouted….as I about to beg her to give me some space and ask her to leave the toilet , I saw her crying and seemed like in a deep pain…Oh Gosh, what should I do with her….she just drooped and waved her hands to me refusing to get out ….and I was in really deep trouble because of this urgent need….there was no other way to run for another toilet….so I just closed the door  and took my time with this lady in front of me, still crouching and bowing her head…In my heart, I yelled out to her…Don’t you dare to peep me, miss!!!

Today (Friday September 15, 2006) me and Fitrix did the Friday pray (sholat Jum’at) at NiuJie Masjid, Beijing. Located southern part of Beijing, near the Temple of Heaven to the west direction.

We (me, Andam and Fitrix) arrived at 11.40am and found out that Friday pray at this masjid started at 1.30pm. Well, at least we still had two hours and we decided to take a lunch first at moslem restaurant around masjid. On the way to the restaurant we found one big moslem Supermarket: NiuJie Moslem Supermarket. That’s brilliant…!!! Looks like this area is a moslem area, so many people with XinJiang faces, people from middle east and also so many moslem restaurant.

While we wait for our orders at the restaurant,  someone waving at me. From his face I could tell that maybe he’s from South East Asia (Indonesia/Malaysia/Brunei). I bet he think the same way that I think, that’s why he waved at me. Mmhhh…brothers…

The masjid is a mixture of Islamic and Chinese cultures. The outside shows the Chinese influence while the inside decoration is rich in Islamic flavour. Founded in 996 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the masjid was rebuilt in 1442 in the Ming Dynasty and expanded in 1696 under the Qing Dynasty. It consists of an observation tower, prayer hall, and minaret with a pavilion on each side. The observation tower is just behind the entrance. It was built and originally used for astronomical observations needed for drawing up the Islamic calendar. The hexagonal wooden structure is also Chinese outside but Islamic inside, with Arabic designs on the ceiling and the beams.

At masjid, we found so many different faces: Chinese (including XinJiang faces), middle east, western and South East Asian. All together doing the same thing, praying. I’t been a long-long time since I arrived in BeiJing, I finally found the big moslem community. And guess what, we met other Indonesian people also at that masjid.

Next Friday, I will be on a flight back to Jakarta.

That’s it. I’s my one and only chance to do Friday pray at this magnificent masjid. I hoped I can do Tarawih in BeiJing, but maybe Allah wants me to go back to Jakarta, to face the Ramadhan together with my little happy family.