Beijing Shichahai
It's like walking out of a piece of history, it's so quiet and tranquil inside. Now we are back to the noisy street and we want to upgrade our transportation, from bicycle, to tricycle.
The tricycle rider took Changying to an unexpected place. Another celebrity used to live around this area in Shichahai, a Peking Opera artist - in fact, the most famous Peking Opera artist in China.
Female characters were presented with extreme elegance and softness in Peking opera. But best actor to play female elegance is a man, his name is Mei Lanfang.
Any account of the Peking Opera would be incomplete without mentioning this legendary impersonator. Born into a family of Peking Opera performers, Mei Lanfang started to learn the art when he was 8 and made his debut at the age of 12. Today, his techniques for the artistic portrayal of female characters are passed down through what is known as the Mei School. During the 50 years that he performed, Mei Lanfang endeavored to improve the performance of Peking Opera, exploring new skills while maintaining the old tradition. The great artist spent the last ten years of his life in this quiet and comfortable courtyard home, before he died in 1961. It is now a museum commemorating him. The address is number 9, Huguosijie Street.
The Hutong neighborhood strikes me as a warm and caring community. On the black board one reads kind reminders such as "be careful with fire and gas".
Temples and more temples, you find temples all over the country. The region is called Shichahai, which means the ten-temple area along the lakes. Here another temple is called Guanghua temple, if you come over here right now, on the first and the 15th of the lunar calendar, it's all packed with people.
The tricycle has replaced the rickshaw, which was the common mode of transport in Hutong in the old times. Now they transport the increasing numbers of visitors who pour into the little area from morning to evening. Sometimes the outsiders are extra sensitive to the beauty around them.
The doorways of the courtyards are indeed something worth saving. The strict hierarchy of the feudal system is reflected in these doors. There used to be strict regulations regarding the size and format of the doorway a family could have. But of course, that was long time ago. Now people can put up the gate of their choice.
After our visits to the courtyard homes, and meeting the people living here, we've developed a real fondness for the place. Life here is so comfortable and relaxed. Everywhere we clearly feel people's kindness, and their pride in their homes. And it's not a nostalgic pride. It's full of confidence and vigor.
