My dad and his siblings, for the most part, spent the majority of their childhoods in Beijing. Growing up in a family of 8, he no doubt had his share of misadventures through the 'hu tongs' (traditional Chinese alleyways). Even as a child, I heard many stories of wall climbing, law breaking, and other activities that you would expect out of four bored boys. Today we spent some time with my aunt and cousins touring my dad and his siblings' old stomping grounds. Judging by the expression on my aunt and uncles face, the places we visited today were absolutely nostalgic for them. Our first stop was Bei Hai. Once an imperial garden lying directly northwest of the forbidden city, it is now a well preserved park with Qing dynasty architecture. A lake, now iced over, runs throughout. The view of Beijing from the pagoda at the top of the hill is spectacular on a clear day. Here are some pictures to better explain:
(Clockwise from the top left: Lake at Bei Hai, stairway to the pagoda, view of the Beijing cityscape, view of the forbidden city)
My dad and his family lived about a three blocks from this park. My grandfather worked nearby at what is the equivalent of the Pentagon in Beijing (he was a general in the People's Army). When we left Bei Hai, we went to have dinner at the apartment building where they used to live (now converted into a classy hotpot restaurant). My whole family gathered totaled over 20 people. The food was delicious and it was wonderful to have the whole family together again. However, at events like this I always miss the one person that cannot be there, my grandmother. More later...
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