Green Beijing

So I have been warned, in a variety of ways and by a number of different people, to brace for my arrival in Beijing: suffocating pollution that creates an constant haze, road construction leading up the 2008 Olympics impeding movement around the city, and throngs of tourists congesting every square inch of scenic spots.

So far, I would have to say that only the last of these has proven true in the 10 or so hours I've had to explore the city. My train arrived, on schedule, at 6:30 a.m.. After chatting with a couple of folks from my hostel in Xi'an who were on the same train, I decided to ditch my hostel reservation (in a cozy and cheap, but remote location) and try for something more centrally located. I am now in a brand new, very institutional-looking youth hostel that's a five minute walk from the Forbidden City, and an easy bike ride just about everywhere else in town. And the bikes are free with the room! Now there's a perk I can get excited about.

They're decent bikes, too, modern Giant mountain bike frame and knobby tires, but still only a single speed. I spent my morning on bike circumnavigating the Forbidden City (now they'll let just about anyone in!), climbing a hill-top tower in an adjacent park which affords great views over the Forbidden City's walls, and taking in some other sites as I begin to get oriented to Beijing.

Overall, the impression I have on this warm, sunny, blue-sky day is that Beijing is a city with lots and lots of green-space, and a fair bit of water as well. I guess I'd somehow imagined there being lots of history, but finding it a lot less pleasant to wander around in than it turns out to be. Lucky me!

In my wanderings, I also learned there's a national film festival happening through tomorrow. I'm going to try to catch at least one flick tonight or tomorrow (although the web site makes it nigh-impossible to discern where the films are being screened or whether they are open to the public, even after asking several Chinese speakers for assistance with the Chinese version of the site).

I am also happy to learn that Shanghai was spared the worst of the typhoon heading its way, which makes my return there for my flight home continue to seem feasible...

I may decide to stay in Beijing for the mid-autumn moon festival next Tuesday, rather than return to Shanghai as originally planned, since folks report that it is also celebrated heartily here. It tends to be spent at parties in private homes rather than in public, akin to Thanksgiving or New Year's parties back home. My job over the next several days will be to see if I can get invited to a party. Now where is that gregariousness switch, again?