Beijing Box Hostel

这两天,清早去跑步,路过政协礼堂,玉兰花香气四溢,继而向前,金融街的山桃花正值烂漫,就连马路夹道的迎春花也露出了嫩黄嫩黄的笑容.

清晨的脚步,和着春的气息,清新,舒缓,不曾防备地,来到了我的世界.

下午,Lawrence从天津过来,说想念北京春光明媚,说明天要去北京植物园踏青之类.北京植物园,正是一年一度的花之盛会了吧?春之妩媚玲珑,已然将冬日的凛冽甩起一个又一个漂亮的花朵!

不禁,期盼起元大都那满树的海棠来.

海棠花雨(2008年4月)

自从湘西回京，对于未成行的东湖赏樱，一直耿耿于怀。这些天，玉渊潭的樱花于我便变得滋味索然，无论如何提不起兴致前往。

前天，去西四北的胡同里赏玩海棠，那盛放在四合院里的花儿，花色灿烂，花香素雅。回来便把MSN签名换成“左岸–海棠”。昨天晚上上线，便有朋友告之，元大都的海棠开得正盛。

苏东坡曾有诗句云：“只恐夜深花睡去，故烧高烛照红妆”。事不宜迟。

google了一下资料，得知：元大都遗址公园，西府海棠、垂丝海棠争相斗艳，每年这个时候的海棠花节，与植物园的桃花节，玉渊潭的樱花节一起，算得上是京城春日里的三大花事。

去到元大都，才真正感受到栖木海棠成林，风入花落成雨的魅力，如此站立在浓重的一片缤纷花瓣如雨，花香淡雅如丝的氛围里呼吸，直叫人忘却世界上还会有其它杂物。

同去的范，是个典型的“花痴”，见花忘物。沉浸在海棠的世界里，能想象出他的愉悦与激动。

海棠一年只开一季，一季只有一周。经过冬的沉默，蓄积的力量和美，与香气，在一年365天中的7天盛放，怎能不画意诗情？

女人如花，海棠解语。

归去，在团园四合院客栈的院子里植上几株海棠，来年花落成雨，香飘千里，世界如此美妙。

28 Feb

Exhibition: Showcasing works by five diverse and well-known Indian artists, My little India, is a snapshot of a vibrant generation working across a wide range of ideas and concepts. It is skillfully expressed through the use of different media.

Marella Gallery in 798 Arts Zone. 4, Jiuxianqiao Lu, 酒仙桥路4号, 5978-9587

1 Mar

My Beijing: What do you think best visually captures the spirit of Beijing? The 2008 Olympics, the Great Wall, or the Forbidden City? The My Beijing Photo Competition, organized by the Beijing Administration Bureau, give you a chance to upload photos, videos or texts about Beijing to the official website of the Beijing Tourism Administration ( http://english.visitbeijing.com.cn/). The first place winner will receive a free trip to China.

2 Mar

Tango class: Tango invites you join dancing party Milonga La Portena, enjoying the passion and sensuality of Argentine in the most famous tango orchestras. 3 Zhangzizhong Lu, 张自忠路3号, 6403-0688

3 Mar

Peking opera: One of the most popular selections of Peking opera, Forest of the Wild Boars is to be staged by the Tianjian Youth Peking Opera Troupe in the National Center of Performing Arts. It is based on The Water Margin, one of the four Chinese classical novels. 2 West Chang`an Avenue,  西长安街2,6655-0000

4 Mar

Touch the sound: A group of professional musicians specialized in traditional Chinese instruments will hold an English lecture on the guzheng. You can not only appreciate the music but also have a go at playing the instrument in person as well. The event is to be held at Beijing Working People`s Cultural Palace, Nothe of Tian`anmen, Dongcheng district, 东城区天安门东侧, 6526-8132

5 Mar

Smash it up: Billed as "the world`s first mash-up band", Smash-Up Derby is flying to Beijing to play a series of shows at the famed nightclub Centro. Fronted by Adrian as the vocalist, the party of six includes a drummer and bass guitarist. 29 Zizhuyuan Lu, Haidian district, 北京市海淀区紫竹院路29号,6561-8833

6 Mar

Ballet: China National Ballet will present The Red Detachment of Women, a woman`s journey to the People`s Liberation Army. This well-known full-length ballet has a very unique Chinese style. Tianqiao Theater, 30 Beiwei Lu, Xuanwu district, 宣武区北纬路30号,8315-6337

Chinese box is located in hutong, lots of funny and old-fashioned things happen everyday. that`s the local people life. Mostly, it belongs to the past, deeply inside our memory, close by modern, close by tradition.

Hutong Food

Hutong Game

Hutong Flag

Hutong Life

Hutong Chess

2nd-9th Feb, Chinese Art Museum will hold "folk artists show on the scene" activities .

In the museum lobby, a number of folk arts and crafts masters will personally make  flying kite, paper cutting, Beijing silk people, facial mask, gourd carving, painting, egg painting, windmill and so on.  you can watch how they would be made and purchase what you love.

Museum Introduction:

Address:  No.24 Goldfish Pond Chongwen District.

Hall area:  nearly 31,000.00 square meters.

There are five floors: the first floor: arts and crafts treasures museum of Chinese; the second floor of the Beijing Art Museum such as cloisonne, inlaid gold painting; the third is about Chinese national art museum, the exhibits to the national characteristics of 56 ethnic-based arts; the fourth is the gifts of international friends for People’s Republic of China ; the fifth is non-material culture Heritage treasures Museum.

２月２日至２月９日(农历正月初八到十五)，中华民族艺术珍品博物馆将主办“民间艺术家现场秀”活动。到时，在中华民族艺术珍品博物馆大厅，多位民间工艺美术大师将亲临现场，进行风筝、面塑、毛猴、剪纸、北京绢人、脸谱、葫芦雕刻、内画、彩蛋画、风车等传统工艺的制作表演和展卖等活动。     主办这次活动的中华民族艺术珍品博物馆表示，希望这些老北京玩意儿能重新唤起人们的广泛关注，也希望大家通过现场观摩，感受民间工艺美术的魅力。

中华民族艺术珍品博物馆介绍：
博物馆坐落于崇文区金鱼池中区24号，展厅面积近3万1千平方米。该馆地上五层都将作为展厅开放。其中一层是中国工艺美术大师珍品馆，主要展示1949年以来，我国工艺美术行业整体发展水平；二层是北京艺术珍品馆，景泰蓝、金漆镶嵌等著名的 “燕京八绝”；三层是中华民族艺术珍品馆，展品以全国56个民族的特色艺术品为主；四层是中华人民共和国国务礼品馆，“主打”建国以来国际友人馈赠的艺术珍品；五层是非物质文化遗产珍品馆，近百种国家级非遗项目将集体亮相，另外该层还将推出国际唐卡艺术珍品展。

The Gubeikou Great Wall （古北口长城） is one section Great Wall surrounding Beijing, which is not open for tourists, but famous for backpackers who love hiking. I have been there not the first time, and every time, I find I love it more while I keep in touch with it more deeply, it is original and unique.  Of course, go camping on the Great Wall is best choice to know it!

In this gallery, there are some photos that I took last month while it first snowed on the Gubeikou Great Wall. With these pictures, we have a chance to get to know them, ask questions of them. Their version of beauty and power won`t change with time.

Source Wikipedia:  Gubeikou Great Wall

The Tiananmen Square lies at the heart of downtown Beijing, cross-section between the central axis of Beijing. Its original name is Chengtian Gate which was first built in Ming Dynasty (1417). It was twice destroyed, once by lightening, once by war. In Qing Dynasty (1651), it was rebuilt on a large scale and changed its name to Tiananmen.  Imposing and magnificent, it stands out among ancient city gates in China.

Tiananmen Square was measured about 880 meters long and 500 meters wide, 440,000 square meters. To its east is the National Museum; to its west, the Great Hall of the People. In the middle of it stands the Monument to People’s Heroes, to the south of which is Chairman Mao’s Memorial Hall. The national flag ceremony is held in the square every day stirs strong patriotic feelings in the bosom of everyone.  The flag-rising time goes with sun rising time, which is different everyday, you can check out  flag rising time.

Either Chinese or foreigners, Tiananmeng Square is definitely an attractive site.  It is quite easy from Beijing Box Hostel to take bus 22, 808 bus station guide about 4 stops to Tiananmeng Square. By the way, it is free entry.

Spring Festival 2009, Beijing invite you to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Totally, there is a large amount 5000 tickets free to every tourist, including 20,000 tickets free: the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, Badaling Great Wall, the Ming Tombs; 10,000 tickets free: National Nest Stadium, Water Cube; 20,000 tickets free for New Year`s Temple Fair: chaoyang Park, the Temple of Earth, Longtan Park, Shijingshan Amusement Park. In addition, the 100 major tourist sites in Beijing during the Spring Festival will also be at a lower price about 20-40% off discount.

Temple Fair in Baiyuan Guan

You can get free tickets via a list of Beijing major media recently, and the website as following: www.bjta.gov.cn and www.qianlong.com.  You are welcome to leave comments or email oldhutong@gmail.com to know more about the tickets.

Beijing cuisine(chinese:京菜or北京菜;pingyin:jīngcài)is a cooking style in Beijing, China. It is also formally known as Mandarin cuisine.

wellknown Beijing food:

Meat:

• pecking duck (北京烤鸭)
• Peking Barbecue (烤肉/北京烤肉)
• Mutton Hot pot (涮羊肉)
• Sweetened Vinegar Spareribs (糖醋排骨)
• Stir Fried Tomatoes with Scrambled Eggs (西红柿炒鸡蛋 xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn)
• Sweet Stir Fried Mutton/Lamb (它似蜜) (Ta Si Mi)
• Fried Small Meatballs (炸丸子) (Zha Xiao Wan Zi)
• Cold Pig ears in Sauce (拌双脆) (Ban Shuang Cui)
• Sauced Meat (酱肉) (Jiang Rou)
• Upper Parts of the Pork Hand/Leg (水晶肘子) (Shui Jing Zhou Zi)
• Three Non-Stickiness (三不粘 ; San Bu Nian)
• Wood shavings meat 木须肉 (Mu Xu Rou)
• Quick-Fried Tripe (mainly intestines) (爆肚) (Bao Du)
• Peking Dumpling (饺子/北京饺子) (Jiaozi/Beijing Jiaozi)
• Peking wonton(馄饨/北京馄饨) (Hun Tun/Beijing Huntun)
• Braised fish (酥鱼) (Su Yu)
• Meat wrapped in thin mung bean flour pancake (煎饼馃子) (Jian Bing Guo Zi)
• Egg and shrimp wrapped in corn flour pancake (糊饼) (Hu Bing)
• Fried tofu with egg wrapping (锅塌豆腐) (Guo Ta Do Fu)
• Wheaten cake boiled in meat broth (卤煮火烧) (Lu Zhu Huo Shao)
• Fried wheaten pancake with meat and sea cucumber fillings (褡裢火烧) (Da Lian Huo Shao)
• Fried butter cake (奶油炸糕) (Nai You Zha Gao)
• Fried cake with fillings (烫面炸糕) (Tang Mian Zha Gao)
• Fried dry soybean cream with diced meat filling (炸响铃) (Zha Xiang Ling)
• Dried Soy Milk Cream in Tight Roll with Beef Fillings (炸卷果) (Zhua Juan Guo)
• Beef wrapped in pancake (门钉肉饼) (Men Ding Rou Bing)
• Meatballs soup (清汤丸子) (Qing Tang Wan Zi)

Noodles (Can be either vegetarian or served with meat)

• Noodles with Thick Gravy (打卤面) (Da Lu Mian)
• Zhajiang Mian(炸酱面)

Vegetarian

• Mustardy Chinese cabbage (芥末墩) (Jie Mo Dun)
• Beijing preserved fruit (果脯) (Guo Pu)
• Beijing candied fruit (蜜饯) (Mi Jian)
• Hawthorn cake (京糕) (Jin Gao)
• Stir fried hawthorn (炒红果) (Chao Hong Guo)
• Almond drink (杏仁茶) (Xin Ren Cha)
• Beijng cheese (奶酪) (Nai LAO)
• Thin Millet Flour Pancake (煎饼) (Jian Bing)
• Thin pancake (薄饼) (Bao Bing)
• Pancake (烙饼) Lao Bing
• Deep Fried Dough Cake (油饼) (You Bing)
• Baked Sesame Seed Cake (烧饼) (Shao Bing)
• Shortening cake (牛舌饼) (Niu She Bing)
• Glutinous rice cake (切糕) (Qie Gao)
• Thousand-layer cake (千层糕) (Qian Ceng Gao)
• Lamma cake (喇嘛糕) (La Ma Gao)
• Proso millet cake (黄糕) (Huang Gao)
• Glutinous rice cake roll (卷糕) (Juan Gao)
• Glazed steamed glutinous rice cake (水晶糕) (Shui Jing Gao)
• Rice and white kidney bean cake with jujube (盆糕) (Pen Gao)
• Honeycomb cake (蜂糕) (Feng Gao)
• Buckwheat cake (扒糕) (Ba Gao)
• Rice and jujube cake (甑糕) (Zeng Gao)
• Mung bean cake (绿豆糕) (Lu Dou Gao)
• Soybean flour cake (豆面糕) (Dou Mian Gao)
• Bean paste cake (凉糕) (Liang Gao)
• Fried Cake (炸糕) (Zha Gao)
• Rice cake with bean paste (花糕) (Hua Gao)
• Chestnut cake with bean paste (栗子糕) (Li Zi Gao)
• Chestnut broth (栗子羹) (Li Zi Geng)
• Glazed/Candied Chinese Yam (拔丝山药) (Ba Si Shan Yao)
• Glazed thin pancake with Chinese yam and jujube stuffing (糖卷果) (Tang Juan Guo)
• Thin pancake of pork fat (油皮) (You Pi)
• Sweet hard flour cake (硬面饽饽) (Yi Mian Bo Bo)
• Sweet flour cake (墩饽饽) (Dun Bo Bo)
• Fried sugar cake (糖耳朵) (Tang Er Duo)
• Fried cake glazed in malt sugar (蜜三刀) (Mi San Dao))
• Chinese “fajitas” (春饼卷菜 — not to be confused with spring rolls [春卷])
• Chatang/ Miancha / Youcha (茶汤/面茶/油茶)
• Fermented Mung Bean Juice (豆汁) (Dou Zhi)
• Baked Wheaten Cake (火烧) (Huo Shao)
• Sweetened baked wheaten cake (糖火烧) (Tang Huo Shao)
• Bean Jelly (凉粉) (Liang Fen)
• Sweet Potato Starch Jelly (粉皮) (Fen Pi)
• Crisp Fritter (麻页) (Ma Ye)
• Crisp Fritter with Sesame (薄脆) (Bao Cui)
• Crisp Thin Fritter Twist (排叉) (Pai Cha)
• Crisp Noodle (馓子) (San Zi)
• Stir Fried Starch Knots (炒疙瘩) (Chao Ge Da)
• Fried Ring (焦圈) (Jiao Quan)
• Fried Dough Twist (麻花) (Ma Hua)
• Pea Flour Cake (豌豆黄) (Wan Dou Huang)
• Fermented Mung Bean Juice Dried (麻豆腐) (Ma Dou Fu)
• Jellied Bean Curd (豆腐脑) (Dou Fu Nao)
• Almond Tofu(杏仁豆腐)
• Glutinous rice ball (艾窝窝) (Ai Wo Wo)
• Kidney bean roll (芸豆卷) (Yun Dou Juan)
• Dried Soy Milk Cream in Tight Rolls (腐竹) (Fu Zhu)
• Sugarcoated haws on a stick (糖葫芦) (Tang Hu Lu)
• Millet Zongzi(粽子) (Zongzi)
• Tangyuan(元宵) (Yuan Xiao)

Peking Opera is the Chinese essence, it opens a path for foreigns to konw about Chinese tradional culture. As a tourist overseas visiting Beijing of China, Peking Opera is indespensible. It`s my pleasure to show you some famous showplace enjoying Peking Opera: 1. Chinese National Mei Lanfang Peking Opera Theatre Address: Southeast of Guangyuan bridge, Xicheng district, beijing Tel: 58331288 58331388 Tickets: from 80RMB to 1280RMB Website: www.cnpoc.cn 2. Huguang Huiguan Address: 3 Hufang Rd. Xuanwu district, beijing Tel: 010-63518284,63510019,010-63518284 Tickets:180,280,380 RMB Website: www.beijinghuguang.com 3. Chang`an Grand Theatre Address: No 7 , Jianguomennei Dajian, Chaoyang district, Beijing Tel: 010-65101307/09/10 Tickets:50,80,180,380,800 RMB Website: www.changantheater.com 4. Laoshe Teahouse Address: Qianmen west street, Xuanwu district, Beijing Tel: 010-63036830/63021717 Tickets: 40-130 RMB Website: www.laosheteahouse.com

 The Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) in the heart of Beijing is the largest and most complete imperial palace and ancient building complex in China, and the world at large. Its construction began in 1406 and was completed 14 years later, having a history so far of some 580 years. Twenty-four emperors from the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties lived and ruled China from there. Most of the buildings in the Forbidden City were rebuilt many times, although they maintained the original architectural style.