Posts Tagged ‘Beijing’

What is a Hutong?

Friday, April 10th, 2009

Hutongs are narrow streets or alleys, most commonly associated with Beijing, China. Hutongs were formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences. Many hutongs were formed by joining one courtyard to another and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such combinations of neighborhoods.

The number of hutongs has decreased rapidly recently because of the expansion of new roads and buildings in Beijing.  Recently many hutongs have become protected as national landmarks to protect and preserve them.

Links to check out

“‘Real people’ transition in China’s old hutongs,” USA Today, August 14, 2008

Sights and Sounds of Beijing From USA Today - Scroll down the slides to find an interesting feature on Hutongs entitled “Progress threatens traditional Chinese lifestyle.

Zaijian,

Mr. Crawford

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Tiananmen Square History

Friday, April 10th, 2009

As seen from the Google Earth Video, Tiananmen Square is a very large open plaza.  It is extremely flat with only lampposts breaking up the long streches of concrete.  The square itself is 880 meters by 500 meters, almost 100 acres large!  It was originally designed and built in Beijing in 1651.  It was expanded to current size, fourtimes the original size, in 1958. In 1958, the Monument to the People’s Heroes was also added to the square.

The square itself has been used for many different purposes over the last few centuries.   Occupying armies have used it to station their troops specifically the English and the French in the 1860’s and the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.  Tiananmen Square has also been a location to showcase national pride and strength.  It has frequently been the site used for parades and speeches. This includes the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China by Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949.

Zaijian,

Mr. Crawford

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The Forbidden City

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Today we should be traveling to the Forbidden City which got me thinking how it got it’s name and how big it really is because it looks massive on Google Earth.  I found a map of the Forbidden City online with a description of many of almost 1,000 buildings inside of the 26 foot tall walls that surround the city.  The Forbidden City is also surrounded by a moat that is 18 feet deep and 170 feet wide.  Those seem like formidable defenses to protect the city.

The Forbidden City, also known as the Forbidden Palace, was home to the rulers of the China from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It took over fourteen years to build, starting in 1406.  The Forbidden City covers almost 7,800,000 square feet. For a comparison a football field covers about 48,000 square feet.  The Forbidden City is almost 163 football fields large! It is a rectangle 3,150 ft from north to south and 2,470 ft from east to west.

When you get a chance read about the symbolism in the colors and architecture of the Forbidden City.  Find out why most of the buildings have yellows roofs, except for the library at the Pavilion of Literary Profundity and the Crown Prince’s residences.

Zaijian,

Mr. Crawford

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Posted in Beijing, History, Places | 2 Comments »

First Meal in China

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

After arriving safely but weary, the group of 24 teachers and principals with whom we are traveling, all went out to dinner. It was a feast and everything was delicious.

Clockwise starting from the teapot:
fish, pork, rice, celery, chicken, beef, egg, and in the center, lamb, and egg plant.

FirstMeal.jpg

Mr. Wood

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Posted in Beijing | 1 Comment »

Beijing

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

“Northern Capital”

Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China. The name “Beijing” means northern capital.

Beijing was home of the 2008 Summer Olympics and people around the world had a close look at a modern city of tall buildings laced with highways. The city was settled nearly 2500 years ago. Compare that to New York City which was first settled about 400 years ago by the Dutch. Of course both cities were inhabited by humans prior to their settlements. There were Native Americans living in the area that became New York when the Dutch arrived. Near Beijing, there is evidence of early humans from about 250,000 years ago.

Our visit in China begins in Beijing. Watch for more on the sites and history this major world city.

Mr. Wood

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Weather in China

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

One of the most frequent questions I have been asked about our trip is, “what is the weather going to be like when you are in China?” From my research it seems that the weather will be very similar to ours in Connecticut at this time of year.  Thanks to the internet I am able to even find a 10 day forecast for the major cities of Beijing and Jinan.

If you would like to follow along here are some sites that you can use to check the weather in China.

weather.china.org.cn

WeatherUnderground -  Jinan , Beijing

Weather.com Beijing

Hopefully this will help me pack the right clothes!

Zaijian,

Mr. Crawford

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Posted in Beijing, Jinan, Preparation | No Comments »