When Man and Mountain Meet

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. -Henry David Thoreau

A couple weeks ago, I visited the Beijing Botanical Gardens along with some family friends, or should I say friendly families. We passed through the gardens, and then we passed through some forest settings as part of a small hike towards the top of a small mountain. My friends served as my tour guides due to the disparity of our familiarity with the region (I had none).

The weather wasn’t completely cooperative on that day, as precipitation ranged from light drizzles to heavy showers. We nonetheless forged onwards with umbrellas in hand to the top of the peak, metaphorically speaking. It was more of a quasi-peak, designed for the enjoyment of visitors. I hear that there is a famous butterfly exhibition center, but it was unfortunately closed. However, to make sure that I did not miss out on the variety of wildlife and to guarantee that I will have some recollections of the experience, my hosts gave me about 10 dried up and preserved samples of butterflies and leaves that may be found at the park. Pleasant. There most definitely existed serene beauty in both nature and the artificial structures. But beauty speaks for itself. Allow the following picture album to communicate what I cannot.

An elegant display of flower power

I guess lots of people like to take their minds off of urban complexities on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It seems that nowadays, nature is a good escape from reality.

There are cool displays in this building, but it was closed. You might be able to make out the words "one world" written with flowers. It is part of the Olympic slogan "one world, one dream."

An Olympic doll riding a bicycle. So apparently, more and more people are starting to ride bicycles. 3 reasons: rising oil prices, traffic congestion, and environment protection. I learned this from a guest speaker today.

A complete contrast from the hustle and bustle of the city (although this is technically in the city)

Scenic view. Should have waited until the people walked out of the way.

Very cool rock. As you can see, I am easily fascinated.

A gate. I don't look too excited, but appearances can be deceiving. This is a general lesson for living in China. For example, some of the shabbiest restaurants have the best food. The locals agree.

I think the the harmonious arrangement of the parallel roads and trees is neat. Again, I am easily fascinated. Sorry if you don't derive the same level of pleasure from looking at this as I do.

Bamboo garden. It is currently off limits.

Sights like this are commonplace.

This ancient aqueduct called "River Wall" was constructed in 1749. It is a water transfer system beginning at the Cherry Valley and ending at the Jingming Garden of Yuquan Hill.

Neat architecture

Falling off would be bad.

Water, bridge, and mountain

It became pretty dark at one point.

A cross-sectional view of a really large tree trunk

At the top. A memorial for the December 9th Movement.

As part of the December 9th Movement, teachers and students of the Architecture Department of the Beijing Industrial University designed these structures. The triangles symbolize military camp tents. They are arranged in the form of the character 众, indicating that the Chinese people are united together against Japanese aggression.

They say that touching this stone is good luck.

Total tranquility

After leaving the botanical gardens, we went to a pretty expensive (good thing I wasn’t paying) and well furnished, nearby Manchu-style restaurant. The restaurant is supposedly owned by some well-known Chinese movie star, but unfortunately, he is not well-known enough for me to remember his name. The food was delicious. It tasted like Chinese food, but it came in a slightly different form. Also, I guess it is a Manchu habit to sit on the floor while you eat. (On a related note, my uncle told me the following information: eating and sleeping on the floor was actually a Tang dynasty invention. Because Japanese scholars believed the Tang culture to be very developed at the time, they brought the habits back to Japan with them, thus explaining their modern behaviors.) For specific details of my experience, check out the following pictures.

Inside the restaurant

There's not much room from the floor to ceiling.

The menu is made of wooden sticks. You pick the sticks that represents the dishes you want to order.

One of my favorite meals yet