Writer of the Day, Jessie

The homes in the Hutong area have colorful doors (gates) and are surrounded by roof capped walls..

Some of the park inhabitants visiting with the AACE group.

Some of the streets in the Hutong neighborhood are quite narrow.

Jessie writes:
Today we visited a group of hutongs surrounding Lotus Lake. These specific hutongs are known as the shi cha, meaning “ten houses” in reference to the emperor’s top ten officials who held residences here. It is probably the cause of their preservation and restoration. I was surprised by the condition of the hutongs along with the number of shops, restaurants, and Visa signs we saw while exploring around the lake. From what I heard about the hutongs, I expected them to be only homes, not shops.

After spending about an hour exploring the hutongs, we visited Liulichang Street near the Old Beijing Noodle Restaurant where we enjoyed our lunch. The street was packed with shops where antiques, chops, and calligraphy supplies were for sale. The highlight of the day was our trip to the Pearl Market. Five stories of side-by-side stalls gave us plenty of opportunity to buy luggage, pearls and many other knickknacks. Several of us bought items like carry-on luggage and pearl earrings.

Perhaps the most interesting place I found was a small shop selling Mahjong. I had a few minutes and was interested in the popular ancient Chinese game so I sat down and enjoyed a conversation with a couple of shop owners about how to play. Eventually, I ended up purchasing a set. I was very relieved at the kindness, understanding and even patience of the salesman of the Mahjong set.Some other salesmen were not so ‘cool’. Many of us had encounters with salesmen who would grab our arms and beckon us back with aggravating English phrases.

By the end of the day, none of us could believe we were leaving the next morning, or that our indescribable days in China were coming to an end.

We began our day with a tour of Hutong, the traditional old neighborhoods of Beijing.

Mr. Blomgren and George focus on carved lions standing guard by a front door of a shop.

This neighborhood surrounds a lake around which people play games, music, or socialize, like many city parks in China.

The Hutong neighborhood is a blend of old and new, and has become quite chic just like many inner city historical neighborhoods in America.

Left: Electric and pedal bicycles are still popular for transportation; the dragon-mobile is a hit with this tyke.