Saturday, January 24, 2004
Spring Festival ... Part 2
See photos of Chinese New Year.
We’ve decided that the celebration of the Spring Festival is a combination of Christmas and the Winter Break, with July 1st thrown in for good measure.
Yesterday (Jan 21) we walked to the local department store to pick up a few things to see us through the next couple of days before we leave for Hong Kong. We went around 5:00 pm. We should have known better! Throngs of people at every check out in the supermarket, lines snaking back through the food aisles. Tired children, cranky husbands and exasperated wives; teens giggling and nudging; check out staff frazzled. But we pressed on into the store, heaven only knows why -- and found that the aisles were impassable, clogged with last minute shoppers looking for that final tidbit which would make their family celebration memorable. Eventually, we came to our senses, turned around and made our way out of the store, having purchased nothing. As we walked home, we thought how silly we had been to attempt to shop at this time -- it was like December 24th at 5:00pm, knowing that the stores would be closed the next day. That feeling of panic that there would be nothing to eat in the house for an entire day seems to be universal.
All around us were people carrying every kind of parcel - waffle irons, rice makers, air humidifiers, food, colourful packages of specialty items. Taxis were doing a good business taking the loaded shoppers home. The major intersection was jammed with vehicles and pedestrians, playing the favorite game of who should have the right of way.
Early on the morning of January 22, Lunar New Year’s Eve, we were awakened by fusillades of fireworks even before we got out of bed. Great noisy bursts have continued all day. Whenever the spirit moves, off they go -- no spectators, no fan fare (apart from the noise). Just now Ken called from the bathroom window because across the street two young men were preparing to light a long string of small crackers. They are employees at a new business which is about to open. Once the string was on fire and popping, one of the men waved it around in front of the store door - he had it on a stick- until the last explosion, then he put the stick down and he and his friend walked away down the street. We think that the crackers are to frighten away the bad spirits and make sure that the new year will begin with nothing but good luck, prosperity and happiness.
At noon, Keyan and Xiankui arrived to take us to lunch in their brand new, shiny black, Chinese made car (see pic). They have been discussing buying a car ever since we arrived (and probably before that!) and last week they did it. What a difference this will make in their lives. Xiankui’s Dad has required hospitalization and radiation treatments in Beijing, and the car will certainly make the trips to the city much easier. In fact, Xiankui was able to bring his Dad home from the hospital for Spring Festival because of the car. His family was certainly very pleased to have Dad home for such an important occasion.
We had a lively lunch with Keyan’s daughter, Mom and Dad, and youngest sister and son, Qi Qi,m whose 10th birthday was today. Of course there was a beautiful birthday cake covered with sunflowers, and because our meal hadn’t arrived, we ate the cake first, following the singing of the birthday song. While everyone else ate their cake with chopsticks, we ate ours with porcelain spoons. We find these spoons such a help when the chopsticks fail us.
Our Spring Festival lunch dishes were as follows: lemon birthday cake, sliced smoked fish, stir fried celery and onions, steamed asparagus, barbecued spare ribs, shredded pork in a brown sauce with sliced green onions to be eaten on tofu square wrappers, pickled cabbage and smoked pork slices in a hot pot bubbling cheerily, a steamed fish in a light sauce, julienned potatoes with pepper strips, battered and deep fried shrimp, soft tofu and egg custard with mushrooms, dumplings, all with toasts made with red wine. It was delicious.
All afternoon and evening the sound of fireworks was a background to our activities. At 11:15 pm, we bundled up in all the warm clothes we could find (temp was -12) to walk to the school where we would watch their fireworks display at the school gates. We had been aware that the volume of fireworks had increased around 11:00 pm but were hardly prepared for the incredible display which took place over the next hour. The entire city exploded in colour and noise and smoke. Judy gave up oohing and aahing because there was just too much to see. The air sizzled with the noise of explosions, huge booms, whistles, thwacks and dull thuds of all sorts of bursts heading skyward. Above us were starbursts in every colour, glittering sprays, blossoms which in turn produced smaller bursts. Everywhere we looked there was colour and smoke and the flash of exploding powder. We felt that we were in the middle of some gigantic July 1st celebration, or that we had somehow wandered onto one of the barges of fireworks in Toronto harbour. The rumbles and booms echoed through the soles of our boots, the smell of the powder and smoke was part of our lungs, the clatter of explosions deafened us, the constant changing sky display dazzled us.
Every store, every public building, every apartment block, every individual family, it seemed, contributed to the display. What a way to see out the old year and welcome the new. At the school, we were a hardy band of about 20 people, including some of the staff’s children, as well as Principal Li and VP Gao. The men thoroughly enjoyed setting up the fireworks and lighting them, running a safe distance once they were ignited. At one point, a large police van came by, telling us over their loud speaker to move the fireworks out of the roadway. The men obeyed, but once the police were gone, they moved the display back to the road and continued.
Afterwards, we walked through the school campus accompanied by the booms and explosions of starbursts all around us, to the cafeteria, where a wonderful meal was laid out for us. Although this was our fourth meal of the day, we managed to taste many of the dishes, which included several vegetables, a beautiful steamed whole fish, beef ribs, sliced smoked fish, sliced cold beef, shredded tofu and cabbage, sweet dough balls filled with bean paste, and of course, dumplings. We had two kinds, spinach and egg, and pork and cabbage. These are always delicious. We toasted the year of the monkey with very strong rice wine, and Lou Lou, the famous almond milk of several articles ago. We wandered home through the smoke and debris of spent firecrackers, relieved that our apartment gate had not been locked, and fell into bed around 1:30 am.
Today, the first day of the Year of the Monkey, we were awakened by the staccato bursts of a string of firecrackers ignited just outside our bedroom windows. Sporadic explosions have continued throughout the day. Our Chinese teacher Jerri called from her home town to wish us “Hun jie hao” (happy Spring Festival), and Keyan called to say she was practicing her driving and could she drop in for a short visit. She arrived with bunches of huge grapes and bottles of Feng Shou wine (fung show - harvest). Gift giving at the lunar New Year is a wonderful custom. She told us Xiankui was waiting in the car for her, and we explained the phrase “white knuckle driving” to her, when she told us that she was having some difficulty gauging the car’s size, and stepping too hard on the brakes and the accelerator.
They returned to collect us for the annual New Year’s Day family dinner of Keyan’s brothers and sisters, Mom and Dad, aunts and uncles and cousins and all their children. We filled two tables in a large private dining room. Every year since Keyan stayed with us, we’ve sent her money at Spring Festival so that the family could have a special meal together. This was the first time we’ve been able to participate in such a meal. Strong rice wine and beer flowed freely. Toasts were sincere, funny and endless! No sooner would someone empty his glass than it would be filled, and another toast would follow. Glasses are always filled right to the brim. Trying to lift it without spilling is almost impossible. Gradually, the table and nearby dishes became puddled with rice wine.
Food continued to arrive in an endless variety, beginning with cold meats and salads, then hot dishes of fish, seafood, pork, chicken, tofu and tasty vegetables. When we thought we would burst with one more bite, Keyan asked us whether we would like rice, noodles, dumplings or pancakes to end the meal. We declined all offers saying “ Women chur bao le”. “We are full”.
Most fun was visiting with all the relatives, getting caught up on the latest achievements of each child, and generally feeling very much a part of this large, happy family. They have made us feel so at home. On the way home, we explained the term “back seat driver” to Xiankui who was driving, and to Keyan who was sitting in the back giving directions.
Today, January 23, we had lunch with Keyan and her husband, and her younger sister, husband and daughter. Tonight we will have dinner with Xiankui’s family. Each time we have been picked up in their lovely new car and whisked away to whatever restaurant has been chosen. We noticed today at lunch that the car was carefully soft mopped to clean some offending dust which had accumulated from a morning drive in the country.
Tomorrow morning we will fly to Hong Kong for 10 days of being tourists in this varied and fascinating country, our experiences of a wonderful Spring Festival fresh in our minds. To all the readers of our postings, we wish you a happy, prosperous and healthy year of the Monkey: CHUN JIE HAO!
See photos of Chinese New Year.
We’ve decided that the celebration of the Spring Festival is a combination of Christmas and the Winter Break, with July 1st thrown in for good measure.
Yesterday (Jan 21) we walked to the local department store to pick up a few things to see us through the next couple of days before we leave for Hong Kong. We went around 5:00 pm. We should have known better! Throngs of people at every check out in the supermarket, lines snaking back through the food aisles. Tired children, cranky husbands and exasperated wives; teens giggling and nudging; check out staff frazzled. But we pressed on into the store, heaven only knows why -- and found that the aisles were impassable, clogged with last minute shoppers looking for that final tidbit which would make their family celebration memorable. Eventually, we came to our senses, turned around and made our way out of the store, having purchased nothing. As we walked home, we thought how silly we had been to attempt to shop at this time -- it was like December 24th at 5:00pm, knowing that the stores would be closed the next day. That feeling of panic that there would be nothing to eat in the house for an entire day seems to be universal.
All around us were people carrying every kind of parcel - waffle irons, rice makers, air humidifiers, food, colourful packages of specialty items. Taxis were doing a good business taking the loaded shoppers home. The major intersection was jammed with vehicles and pedestrians, playing the favorite game of who should have the right of way.
Early on the morning of January 22, Lunar New Year’s Eve, we were awakened by fusillades of fireworks even before we got out of bed. Great noisy bursts have continued all day. Whenever the spirit moves, off they go -- no spectators, no fan fare (apart from the noise). Just now Ken called from the bathroom window because across the street two young men were preparing to light a long string of small crackers. They are employees at a new business which is about to open. Once the string was on fire and popping, one of the men waved it around in front of the store door - he had it on a stick- until the last explosion, then he put the stick down and he and his friend walked away down the street. We think that the crackers are to frighten away the bad spirits and make sure that the new year will begin with nothing but good luck, prosperity and happiness.
At noon, Keyan and Xiankui arrived to take us to lunch in their brand new, shiny black, Chinese made car (see pic). They have been discussing buying a car ever since we arrived (and probably before that!) and last week they did it. What a difference this will make in their lives. Xiankui’s Dad has required hospitalization and radiation treatments in Beijing, and the car will certainly make the trips to the city much easier. In fact, Xiankui was able to bring his Dad home from the hospital for Spring Festival because of the car. His family was certainly very pleased to have Dad home for such an important occasion.
We had a lively lunch with Keyan’s daughter, Mom and Dad, and youngest sister and son, Qi Qi,m whose 10th birthday was today. Of course there was a beautiful birthday cake covered with sunflowers, and because our meal hadn’t arrived, we ate the cake first, following the singing of the birthday song. While everyone else ate their cake with chopsticks, we ate ours with porcelain spoons. We find these spoons such a help when the chopsticks fail us.
Our Spring Festival lunch dishes were as follows: lemon birthday cake, sliced smoked fish, stir fried celery and onions, steamed asparagus, barbecued spare ribs, shredded pork in a brown sauce with sliced green onions to be eaten on tofu square wrappers, pickled cabbage and smoked pork slices in a hot pot bubbling cheerily, a steamed fish in a light sauce, julienned potatoes with pepper strips, battered and deep fried shrimp, soft tofu and egg custard with mushrooms, dumplings, all with toasts made with red wine. It was delicious.
All afternoon and evening the sound of fireworks was a background to our activities. At 11:15 pm, we bundled up in all the warm clothes we could find (temp was -12) to walk to the school where we would watch their fireworks display at the school gates. We had been aware that the volume of fireworks had increased around 11:00 pm but were hardly prepared for the incredible display which took place over the next hour. The entire city exploded in colour and noise and smoke. Judy gave up oohing and aahing because there was just too much to see. The air sizzled with the noise of explosions, huge booms, whistles, thwacks and dull thuds of all sorts of bursts heading skyward. Above us were starbursts in every colour, glittering sprays, blossoms which in turn produced smaller bursts. Everywhere we looked there was colour and smoke and the flash of exploding powder. We felt that we were in the middle of some gigantic July 1st celebration, or that we had somehow wandered onto one of the barges of fireworks in Toronto harbour. The rumbles and booms echoed through the soles of our boots, the smell of the powder and smoke was part of our lungs, the clatter of explosions deafened us, the constant changing sky display dazzled us.
Every store, every public building, every apartment block, every individual family, it seemed, contributed to the display. What a way to see out the old year and welcome the new. At the school, we were a hardy band of about 20 people, including some of the staff’s children, as well as Principal Li and VP Gao. The men thoroughly enjoyed setting up the fireworks and lighting them, running a safe distance once they were ignited. At one point, a large police van came by, telling us over their loud speaker to move the fireworks out of the roadway. The men obeyed, but once the police were gone, they moved the display back to the road and continued.
Afterwards, we walked through the school campus accompanied by the booms and explosions of starbursts all around us, to the cafeteria, where a wonderful meal was laid out for us. Although this was our fourth meal of the day, we managed to taste many of the dishes, which included several vegetables, a beautiful steamed whole fish, beef ribs, sliced smoked fish, sliced cold beef, shredded tofu and cabbage, sweet dough balls filled with bean paste, and of course, dumplings. We had two kinds, spinach and egg, and pork and cabbage. These are always delicious. We toasted the year of the monkey with very strong rice wine, and Lou Lou, the famous almond milk of several articles ago. We wandered home through the smoke and debris of spent firecrackers, relieved that our apartment gate had not been locked, and fell into bed around 1:30 am.
Today, the first day of the Year of the Monkey, we were awakened by the staccato bursts of a string of firecrackers ignited just outside our bedroom windows. Sporadic explosions have continued throughout the day. Our Chinese teacher Jerri called from her home town to wish us “Hun jie hao” (happy Spring Festival), and Keyan called to say she was practicing her driving and could she drop in for a short visit. She arrived with bunches of huge grapes and bottles of Feng Shou wine (fung show - harvest). Gift giving at the lunar New Year is a wonderful custom. She told us Xiankui was waiting in the car for her, and we explained the phrase “white knuckle driving” to her, when she told us that she was having some difficulty gauging the car’s size, and stepping too hard on the brakes and the accelerator.
They returned to collect us for the annual New Year’s Day family dinner of Keyan’s brothers and sisters, Mom and Dad, aunts and uncles and cousins and all their children. We filled two tables in a large private dining room. Every year since Keyan stayed with us, we’ve sent her money at Spring Festival so that the family could have a special meal together. This was the first time we’ve been able to participate in such a meal. Strong rice wine and beer flowed freely. Toasts were sincere, funny and endless! No sooner would someone empty his glass than it would be filled, and another toast would follow. Glasses are always filled right to the brim. Trying to lift it without spilling is almost impossible. Gradually, the table and nearby dishes became puddled with rice wine.
Food continued to arrive in an endless variety, beginning with cold meats and salads, then hot dishes of fish, seafood, pork, chicken, tofu and tasty vegetables. When we thought we would burst with one more bite, Keyan asked us whether we would like rice, noodles, dumplings or pancakes to end the meal. We declined all offers saying “ Women chur bao le”. “We are full”.
Most fun was visiting with all the relatives, getting caught up on the latest achievements of each child, and generally feeling very much a part of this large, happy family. They have made us feel so at home. On the way home, we explained the term “back seat driver” to Xiankui who was driving, and to Keyan who was sitting in the back giving directions.
Today, January 23, we had lunch with Keyan and her husband, and her younger sister, husband and daughter. Tonight we will have dinner with Xiankui’s family. Each time we have been picked up in their lovely new car and whisked away to whatever restaurant has been chosen. We noticed today at lunch that the car was carefully soft mopped to clean some offending dust which had accumulated from a morning drive in the country.
Tomorrow morning we will fly to Hong Kong for 10 days of being tourists in this varied and fascinating country, our experiences of a wonderful Spring Festival fresh in our minds. To all the readers of our postings, we wish you a happy, prosperous and healthy year of the Monkey: CHUN JIE HAO!
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Gearing up for the Spring Festival
See photos of Huairou gearing up for Chinese New Year.
Our first clues were the pink, red and yellow silk flowers which appeared one afternoon on the small fruit trees in the park around the corner. A large group of very enthusiastic women had spent the afternoon gluing silk flowers to the bare branches of these small trees. Their bright colours were indeed a welcome sight in contrast to the dull winter brown of all things at this time of year.
Soon after, other flowers began to appear, filling empty planters on the side of the street, and covering pillars in the civic square in front of the conference centre. Tulips, calla lilies, chrysanthemums, small daisies burst forth into this cold and barren world. Almost the same day, a large new outdoor candy shop was installed at the corner nearest the school. Bin after bin of wrapped candies, pick your own and pay by the “jin” (500 gms). Business was brisk at all times of the day and early evening.
Then the large department store on this same corner, called Huairou Bai Huo Da Lou (Hundreds of Products Big Building) began to decorate outside. Hundreds of strings of triangular flags were stretched from the face of the building to a special wire installed above the sidewalk, several meters away. Pink, red, yellow, blue and green triangles fluttered in the wind. Then large red lanterns trimmed in gold were tied one above another and hoisted to the face of the building over the main entrance, creating their own colourful display. And several workers unrolled, inflated and erected a large red arch made of plastic in front of the main door. This arch has two fierce yellow dragons facing each other at the highest point of the arch. These arches are very popular in Huairou, kept in place with guy wires and kept inflated with what looks like a hair dryer, always on.
Soon pictures of monkeys started to appear. Ken bought two posters featuring cartoon monkeys holding scrolls which wished everyone prosperity, health and good luck. Similar large pictures began to appear in storefront windows. The largest and most colourful monkey is on the face of the Huairou Conference Centre, above the front doors.
2004 is the year of the monkey in the Chinese zodiac. We are reminded that the monkey has great mythical status in China. The Monkey King is the hero of the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West”. He is the trickster character causing his own version of disorder and chaos. He is no respecter of persons or shibboleths, but in his playful antics there is intelligence, wit and wisdom. It was the Monkey King who ate all the peaches of immortality - every one. This was much to the dismay of the immortals themselves who were much more decorous in eating only one peach at a time, while our monkey just gorged himself on all the fruit and in so doing became immortal. It takes forever for such peaches to grow so the immortals themselves were much put out by such presumption. Such an unruly character appears in many of the world’s literatures and gives vent to our need to challenge the status quo.
The sound of exploding fireworks -- always part of the soundscape here -- has increased in frequency and intensity. We began to notice small boys squatting on the ground in the courtyards of apartment buildings, and then throwing small firecrackers and running madly in the opposite direction. Large booms come from garbage bins. Small plastic bottles explode to giggles and shouts from mischievous boys. The other night in the apartment courtyard immediately behind us, there was a lovely display of fireworks, complete with starbursts and whizzing whistles, which lasted for a full ten minutes. Several outdoor booths have appeared, where fireworks are on display, and obviously purchased by passersby. Every hour during the day there is the sound of firecrackers somewhere nearby.
On Wednesday (January 14) we ran into a school parade which occupied the middle lanes of Hauirou’s main street, Qing Chun Lu. Primary school children paraded and proud parents and friends watched from the curb. First there were two girls on unicycles carrying a large red banner with white letters between them, the display taking up the entire roadway. Then there were two groups of kids on unicycles each carrying aloft a huge structured dragon which dipped and swayed when the kids moved the supports they carried in their hands. Behind them were two groups of kids on green stilts, each person dressed as a character from Beijing opera. Behind them, a band dressed in blue and white, mostly drums and cymbals, followed by a band in red costumes playing a wide variety of instruments. They were on their way to the Conference Centre, which has become a giant outdoor auditorium, where people come to watch singers, dancers, acrobats and much more, a more or less continuous performance during the day.
The following morning, we watched another short parade made up of staff from the Bai Huo Da Lou, see above. First there was a 3-wheeled bike with a large drum on the back and a drummer keeping the beat. Then a group of women dressed in red with red sashes, who clanged cymbals with theatrical sweeps which were emphasized by yellow scarves tied to each cymbal. There followed a large group of women dressed in bright pink and lime green traditional Chinese costumes, using fans and scarves to dance in time to the percussion. We saw them again today, headed in a different direction.
And the number of people who are on the streets has increased dramatically. The stores are full of shoppers, getting ready for the Spring Festival, which means new clothes and special foods. Endless boxes and presentation packages of everything from honey to ginseng are leaving local stores bound for the family gathering which will occur on January 22nd, the first day of the Lunar New Year. These will be gifts when family members go visiting. At our neighborhood fruit and vegetable stalls, there are boxes of fruits piled high: strawberries from Sichuan province, coconuts, kiwi fruit, grapefruits, special oranges, melons, pineapples, large apples wrapped in protective tissue. Everyone is encouraged to shop -- our school gave each staff member 400Y as a Spring Festival gift. Is this why the Chinese economy grew at over 8 per cent last year? Ken has pumped up the economy with his 400 yuan. He purchased a new spring coat on sale at the corner department store. . . . Judy is still looking, but determined to contribute to the national spending spree! All school staff also received from the school a special assortment of teas, packaged in a bright red bag. This is in addition to the 50 kg bags of rice which had been the school’s gift for the calendar new year.
And people all over China are on the move. CCTV has featured the story, showing long lines at bus stations and railway terminals, making dire predictions about not enough buses and trains, not enough tickets for all those wanting to go home. According to CCTV, officials expect some 1.8 billion trips to be made during the holiday period. Our trip to Hong Kong on the 24th of the month will be one of this vast sum. Many extra trains and buses have been put into service, and in Beijing, tickets are on sale 24 hours a day. When we were in Beijing on Tuesday (January 13), we were very much aware that people were traveling. There were suitcases on wheels everywhere, and huge plastic bags of stuff carried by the most petite of people. We noticed one young man who had a separate supermarket bag filled with instant noodle packages, obviously his way of coping with a long train ride, where only hot water would be available.
In our local post office, people have been sending off huge bags of goods, each one sewn shut after the post office staff had inspected the contents. The post office supplies needles and thread for such packages. Most of these packages contained bedding and clothing, from what we could tell.
Thus, one week before the actual event, we are well aware that an important holiday is ahead. What we call Chinese New Year is here called Spring Festival. Since the weather continues to be decidedly wintry, we have concluded that this is a fond hope, especially for those of us living in northern China.
See photos of Huairou gearing up for Chinese New Year.
Our first clues were the pink, red and yellow silk flowers which appeared one afternoon on the small fruit trees in the park around the corner. A large group of very enthusiastic women had spent the afternoon gluing silk flowers to the bare branches of these small trees. Their bright colours were indeed a welcome sight in contrast to the dull winter brown of all things at this time of year.
Soon after, other flowers began to appear, filling empty planters on the side of the street, and covering pillars in the civic square in front of the conference centre. Tulips, calla lilies, chrysanthemums, small daisies burst forth into this cold and barren world. Almost the same day, a large new outdoor candy shop was installed at the corner nearest the school. Bin after bin of wrapped candies, pick your own and pay by the “jin” (500 gms). Business was brisk at all times of the day and early evening.
Then the large department store on this same corner, called Huairou Bai Huo Da Lou (Hundreds of Products Big Building) began to decorate outside. Hundreds of strings of triangular flags were stretched from the face of the building to a special wire installed above the sidewalk, several meters away. Pink, red, yellow, blue and green triangles fluttered in the wind. Then large red lanterns trimmed in gold were tied one above another and hoisted to the face of the building over the main entrance, creating their own colourful display. And several workers unrolled, inflated and erected a large red arch made of plastic in front of the main door. This arch has two fierce yellow dragons facing each other at the highest point of the arch. These arches are very popular in Huairou, kept in place with guy wires and kept inflated with what looks like a hair dryer, always on.
Soon pictures of monkeys started to appear. Ken bought two posters featuring cartoon monkeys holding scrolls which wished everyone prosperity, health and good luck. Similar large pictures began to appear in storefront windows. The largest and most colourful monkey is on the face of the Huairou Conference Centre, above the front doors.
2004 is the year of the monkey in the Chinese zodiac. We are reminded that the monkey has great mythical status in China. The Monkey King is the hero of the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West”. He is the trickster character causing his own version of disorder and chaos. He is no respecter of persons or shibboleths, but in his playful antics there is intelligence, wit and wisdom. It was the Monkey King who ate all the peaches of immortality - every one. This was much to the dismay of the immortals themselves who were much more decorous in eating only one peach at a time, while our monkey just gorged himself on all the fruit and in so doing became immortal. It takes forever for such peaches to grow so the immortals themselves were much put out by such presumption. Such an unruly character appears in many of the world’s literatures and gives vent to our need to challenge the status quo.
The sound of exploding fireworks -- always part of the soundscape here -- has increased in frequency and intensity. We began to notice small boys squatting on the ground in the courtyards of apartment buildings, and then throwing small firecrackers and running madly in the opposite direction. Large booms come from garbage bins. Small plastic bottles explode to giggles and shouts from mischievous boys. The other night in the apartment courtyard immediately behind us, there was a lovely display of fireworks, complete with starbursts and whizzing whistles, which lasted for a full ten minutes. Several outdoor booths have appeared, where fireworks are on display, and obviously purchased by passersby. Every hour during the day there is the sound of firecrackers somewhere nearby.
On Wednesday (January 14) we ran into a school parade which occupied the middle lanes of Hauirou’s main street, Qing Chun Lu. Primary school children paraded and proud parents and friends watched from the curb. First there were two girls on unicycles carrying a large red banner with white letters between them, the display taking up the entire roadway. Then there were two groups of kids on unicycles each carrying aloft a huge structured dragon which dipped and swayed when the kids moved the supports they carried in their hands. Behind them were two groups of kids on green stilts, each person dressed as a character from Beijing opera. Behind them, a band dressed in blue and white, mostly drums and cymbals, followed by a band in red costumes playing a wide variety of instruments. They were on their way to the Conference Centre, which has become a giant outdoor auditorium, where people come to watch singers, dancers, acrobats and much more, a more or less continuous performance during the day.
The following morning, we watched another short parade made up of staff from the Bai Huo Da Lou, see above. First there was a 3-wheeled bike with a large drum on the back and a drummer keeping the beat. Then a group of women dressed in red with red sashes, who clanged cymbals with theatrical sweeps which were emphasized by yellow scarves tied to each cymbal. There followed a large group of women dressed in bright pink and lime green traditional Chinese costumes, using fans and scarves to dance in time to the percussion. We saw them again today, headed in a different direction.
And the number of people who are on the streets has increased dramatically. The stores are full of shoppers, getting ready for the Spring Festival, which means new clothes and special foods. Endless boxes and presentation packages of everything from honey to ginseng are leaving local stores bound for the family gathering which will occur on January 22nd, the first day of the Lunar New Year. These will be gifts when family members go visiting. At our neighborhood fruit and vegetable stalls, there are boxes of fruits piled high: strawberries from Sichuan province, coconuts, kiwi fruit, grapefruits, special oranges, melons, pineapples, large apples wrapped in protective tissue. Everyone is encouraged to shop -- our school gave each staff member 400Y as a Spring Festival gift. Is this why the Chinese economy grew at over 8 per cent last year? Ken has pumped up the economy with his 400 yuan. He purchased a new spring coat on sale at the corner department store. . . . Judy is still looking, but determined to contribute to the national spending spree! All school staff also received from the school a special assortment of teas, packaged in a bright red bag. This is in addition to the 50 kg bags of rice which had been the school’s gift for the calendar new year.
And people all over China are on the move. CCTV has featured the story, showing long lines at bus stations and railway terminals, making dire predictions about not enough buses and trains, not enough tickets for all those wanting to go home. According to CCTV, officials expect some 1.8 billion trips to be made during the holiday period. Our trip to Hong Kong on the 24th of the month will be one of this vast sum. Many extra trains and buses have been put into service, and in Beijing, tickets are on sale 24 hours a day. When we were in Beijing on Tuesday (January 13), we were very much aware that people were traveling. There were suitcases on wheels everywhere, and huge plastic bags of stuff carried by the most petite of people. We noticed one young man who had a separate supermarket bag filled with instant noodle packages, obviously his way of coping with a long train ride, where only hot water would be available.
In our local post office, people have been sending off huge bags of goods, each one sewn shut after the post office staff had inspected the contents. The post office supplies needles and thread for such packages. Most of these packages contained bedding and clothing, from what we could tell.
Thus, one week before the actual event, we are well aware that an important holiday is ahead. What we call Chinese New Year is here called Spring Festival. Since the weather continues to be decidedly wintry, we have concluded that this is a fond hope, especially for those of us living in northern China.
All text and photography © copyright Harkaway, 2003 - 2004
