4 Star Toilets

I traveled like a local today by bus, to the Beijing Botanic Garden and Summer Palace complex. I wanted to mix with the average Beijinger. It’s hard to describe what the people look in Beijing. I guess like most cities there are people from many different countries and also the various regions of China. I caught an early morning bus so there was a good cross section of migrant workers. The largest group really stood out for me because despite looking Asian they did not look Chinese. Very dark skin, hazel coloured eyes, pointed noses and flicking worry beads. We spent much of the bus journey curiously at each other. In fact most of the bus passengers just stared at me. I guess they don’t get many tourists taking the local bus. Tourists, like the ex-pats travel by taxi as they are cheap, however not always easy to catch. I learnt from watching that the only place you can hail a cab is from a minor road. On any of the boulevards it seems that it is illegal to catch a cab.

All of the buses have a conductor or conductress in my case. There is a Chinese version of Celine Dion's (or Jennifer Rush?) The Power of Love playing from somewhere. Over the top of this the conductress is what I can only describe as MC’ing over the top of the music. I don’t speak Chinese so can only guess that she is telling people to move down or what stop we are coming to. After I have paid my fare she asks one of the migrant workers to give me his seat. Do all tourists get this treatment or is because I look more knackered than the guy who has probably worked a double shift?

Lots of the passengers are carrying clear flasks of green tea. No tea bags just leaves in hot water. The leaves sit at the bottom of the container and eventually unfurl and float. Apparently the best leaves float vertically. I got to enjoy some myself when I met the vice director of the Beijing Botanic Garden for an unplanned meeting in the garden's botanical conservatory. At the time, 1999, the conservatory was one of the biggest construction projects in Beijing, covering an area of 6,500 square meters with over 3000 different plants. This building is a mere egg when compared to the nearly finished Birds Nest stadium.

Statues inside the conservatory

Beijing Institute of Architecture www.biad.com.cn/Products/Detail_06_05.htm

The botanical gardens are set at the foot of the West Hill (Xi Shan) in the suburbs of Beijing and seem to be the only place to escape the smog and bustle of the urban areas. Being China though you are never alone for long and despite being set in 200 hectares and being a weekday the garden was busy. I could have easily spent the whole day here but my next location was a much older garden.

More info about the Beijing Botanic Garden www.beijingbg.com/English/index.asp

Originally called 'Qingyi Garden' (Garden of Clear Ripples) the Summer Palace was constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). During the succeeding reign of feudal emperors it continued to be extended. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. Sadly as was the case with Yuyan Gardens, plundering by foreign troops in 1860 destroyed most of the buildings. In 1888 they were renovated by Empress Dowager Cixi using embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit. It was then that it became known as the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). Subsequent foreign destruction occured again in 1900 but happily in 1998 it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The Summer Palace is an archetypal Chinese garden with water playing a dominant feature namely a giant lake. Dotted around the shoreline and amongst the hills are magnificent palaces and temples. From the Tower of Buddhist Incense you get a panoramic view of Beijing.

This was another place that I could have spent all day as there are over 200 hectares to explore. However the light started to fade quickly and I had no idea what time the garden shut so before it got too dark I looked for any signs that looked like EXIT but I just kept coming across 4 star toilets!

Fears of dying of hyperthermia in the garden overnight began to set in, aided by not knowing the words for 'How to I get out of here?' Luckily I remembered that there was a McDonalds near the entrance. Having on first sight cursed whoever allowed the American golden arches to be built near a world heritage site I was actually glad for this landmark. Using the universal language of fastfood I just had to ask one person 'McDonalds?' and I was shown the way out.