12 September 2006
Why the Great Wall Matters
I have been prompted - some might say cajoled - into elaborating on why the Great Wall of China, one of the few man made objects visible from the moon, is so "great". As a form of defense it was surely lacking as both the Mongols and the Manchus breached its defenses, conquering the Middle Kingdom, establishing its own dynastic rule in the process. This was over a period of almost two thousand years so perhaps I am being a bit judgemental.
Further, undertaking such construction would have surely taken thousands upon thousands of workers, likely coerced by a king who flaunted his "mandate of heaven" like a cold blooded gangsta. Of course the same could be said about the Pyramids, Machu Pichu and Angkor Wat. That was then, this is now, and emancipating the slaves of today is more important than fretting over slaves of yesteryear.
On a purely aesthetic level, the "Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li", as it is known in Chinese, is stunning due to the rugged and bucolic terrain that it cuts across from east to west. The wall almost seems like an unnecessary defense considering the landscape. Undulating over the hills, our 8 km hike along the wall took us almost 5 hours to complete, stopping for the occasional snack and the frequent photo session.
I know that I risk trumping my own self importance too much by saying this (and so I hope that by acknowledging such self awareness I can mitigate it to some extent), but from Angkor Wat to Machu Pichu, the temples of Kyoto to the canals of Venice, the Great Wall of China is something that can compete of every level. As far as man-made structures go: this is the epitome of the Chinese civilization. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I have said - for now - all that I need to say about China, from a tourist perspective at least...
Further, undertaking such construction would have surely taken thousands upon thousands of workers, likely coerced by a king who flaunted his "mandate of heaven" like a cold blooded gangsta. Of course the same could be said about the Pyramids, Machu Pichu and Angkor Wat. That was then, this is now, and emancipating the slaves of today is more important than fretting over slaves of yesteryear.
On a purely aesthetic level, the "Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li", as it is known in Chinese, is stunning due to the rugged and bucolic terrain that it cuts across from east to west. The wall almost seems like an unnecessary defense considering the landscape. Undulating over the hills, our 8 km hike along the wall took us almost 5 hours to complete, stopping for the occasional snack and the frequent photo session.
I know that I risk trumping my own self importance too much by saying this (and so I hope that by acknowledging such self awareness I can mitigate it to some extent), but from Angkor Wat to Machu Pichu, the temples of Kyoto to the canals of Venice, the Great Wall of China is something that can compete of every level. As far as man-made structures go: this is the epitome of the Chinese civilization. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I have said - for now - all that I need to say about China, from a tourist perspective at least...
08 September 2006
Beijing and the like
Well... that was a longer break than I had anticipated. I really don't have any excuses, or at least any that would hold up in front of a jury of my peers. I promise to be a better blogger. I really have no ideas what that means.
This Q&A by the ever popular Christopher Hitchens about the Korea situation touches on Sino-Japanese relations. Hitchens can be a very convincing polemicist when he is not trying in vain to defend his pro-Iraq war stance ad naseum, but his contempt for the Kissinger/Scowcroft school of real politik is undoubtedly sincere.
I do want to talk a bit more about my China trip, namely the second half that was spent in Beijing. The capital and soon to be Olympic city was quite different from financial hub Shanghai. As a result it had its pluses and minuses.
The biggest minus was the weather. Blanketed in a humid, part pollution, part dust, haze, we did not see the sun the entire time were there. The humid air was oppressive, and we had to barely set foot outside before the sweating began. Other than that though, it was mostly positive.
The Great Wall, was indeed great. The Forbidden City had a Starbucks, and Chairman Mao is still fawned over by the thousands who everyday line up to be shuffled by his body inTianneman Square. Beijing was suprising easy to navigate, especially by bike. We paid visits to the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the largest Lama Temple outside Tibet and and a charming little Daoist temple.
Foot massages, a torn up hutong and a charming youth hostel, and excellent food also added to the charm that is Beijing. Below are some photos which hopefully will give you some sense of what the city is like.
Quality must trumph quantity, and I fear I am watering down these posts lately in effort to please the masses (i.e. the five people who read this thing). Translation: so long for now!
