Beijing

"798" art district in Beijing. Former factory spaces converted to art galleries; also shops and cafes. Rather commercialized (read: mediocre art, high prices) but some is quite interesting. The old factory walls have maintained slogans from Maoist era (below, "Long live Chairman Mao"). For more on 798 see link, left.




We stay at my cousin's house for a few days. My mom visits with childhood friends while my cousin's daughter takes me to 798 etc etc. Some serious eating here including a roast duck dinner with all the duck side dishes--the deboned feet with hot mustard; kung-pao duck hearts; duck liver and meat in white wine sauce; deep fried duck gizzards served on shrimp chips--and of course the roasted duck.

My cousin is a retired heart surgeon but he still does rounds once a week in the ICU (here with my mom). He has the residents give their reports in English.
But Chinglish is still everywhere. Florist shop near my cousin's house.
On the last day, a visit at Beijing University (Beida), where I gave a lecture to Prof. Wang Xi's seminar on U.S. history and citizenship. Below, in front of the history department's building. Campus has lovely lake (middle)and a lakeside guest house where we stayed (bottom photo). This area is preserved in the old style (or, as in the case of the guest house, newly built in that style) but much of the campus is modern.