Sketches of Classic Beijing

Tian Zhenkun

A young artist and graphic designer. Graduated from the School of Intermedia Art at China Academy of Art (CAA)， his art works have been included in China International Cartoon amp; Animation Festival. His designs have won many design awards and carried out many illustration collaborations with brands such as Zhejiang TV， Chow Tai Fook， and so on.

Yuan Xiaocha

Content creator， traditional culture writer， translator， and editor. Master of Arts from Renmin University of China. Staff writer for Readers and China Publishers.

The Chinese-English version of Sketches of Classic Beijing depicts 104 trendy lifestyles in Beijing through 104 hand paintings and 104 beautiful short passages. It integrates traditional cultural landmarks with the youth’s modern life， telling the stories of the livelihood of Beijingers.

Sketches of Classic Beijing

Illustrated by Tian Zhenkun， Guo Caijun， Ma Jia and others

Written by Yuan Xiaocha

China Pictorial Press

October 2021

98.00 (CNY)

Watch falling cherry blossoms in Yuyuantan Park during late spring

A famous scenic spot in the northwest suburb of Zhongdu as capital of the Jin Dynasty (1115--1234)， Yuyuantan was a favorite place for imperial scholars and officials to relax in tranquility. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty， a reservoir was constructed in the area with water introduced from the Fragrant Hills via a new canal. A temporary palace for the emperor was built to the east of the lake. Today， the area has become one of the largest cherry parks in China. Yuyuantan Park now hosts more than 2，000 cherry trees. Sunny spring days are ideal for a picnic by the lake in the ancient capital of the Liao (907--1125)， Jin， Yuan (1271--1368)， Ming (1368--1644) and Qing (1636--1912) dynasties serenaded by falling cherry blossoms at dusk. The view will remind you of the famous Southern Tang Dynasty poet Feng Yansi’s poetic verse， “The spring breeze blows， causing ripples on the water surface，” of Tao Qian’s quote “falling petals of cherry blossoms， ” and of the petals flying “gently with the evening breeze” as Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty wrote.

Enjoy blooming magnolias planted by Empress Dowager Cixi in the Summer Palace

Spring can never be complete without waiting through a kilometer-long line to see the blooming magnolia trees planted by Empress Dowager Cixi in the Summer Palace on the northwest outskirts of Beijing. Originally named the Garden of Clear Ripples， the Summer Palace was an imperial garden of the Qing Dynasty. As depicted by Cao Xueqin in Dream of the Red Chamber， the imperial garden is “so beautiful in the light of the sun and the moon that it cannot be described with words.” With Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake as centerpieces， the layout of the Summer Palace was designed with the famous West Lake in mind， and construction involved landscaping techniques of classical gardens of southern China. In spring， magnolia trees in front of the Hall of Joyful Longevity， a dwelling of Empress Dowager Cixi in the Summer Palace， are in full bloom， setting off the hall’s plaque bearing words derived from The Analects of Confucius， which translate to “the benevolent enjoy the mountains.” Its major downfall is that magnolia blossoms don’t last long—just like the transient youth.

Fly kites by the Bird’s Nest

Beijing National Stadium resembles a nest or cradle that incubates hopes for the future， which inspired its nickname the “Bird’s Nest.” It was the main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The stadium seats about 91，000 people. After the 2008 Olympic Games， it became a site for the public to exercise and enjoy sports and entertainment activities amidst landmark buildings and legacies of the Beijing Olympics. In springtime， the Olympic Green， a city park near the Bird’s Nest， is an ideal place to fly kites while smelling flowers in bloom.

Enjoy the lotus pond under the moonlight at Tsinghua University

Even as a child， I was impressed with the description of lotus leaves as “the green skirt of a graceful dancing maiden” upon reading famous Chinese scholar Zhu Ziqing’s essay Moonlight over the Lotus Pond. Many years later after I gained a deeper understanding about life， the opening line of the work， “I feel anxious these days”， began to kindle sorrow in my heart. Jinchun Garden at today’s Tsinghua University was once a dwelling place of Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty. When Anglo-French Allied Forces burned down Yuanmingyuan， the garden was dilapidated and abandoned. To commemorate Zhu’s Moonlight over the Lotus Pond， an eponymous pavilion was built there. “One can just sit there and think of nothing or think of anything， whatever they wish.” Decades later， the moonlight described by Zhu remains on display at today’s Tsinghua University.

Listen to the falling rain in a pavilion at Taoranting

The ancient Chinese had a knack for graceful names. For most modern people， Taoranting (literally， “Pavilion of Leisure”) is merely a place in Beijing. Adjacent to Beijing South Railway Station， it witnesses numerous passengers every day， but few stop there for leisure. In 1695， the 34th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty， Jiang Zao， secretary of the Ministry of Construction， was assigned to supervise black pottery kilns. He built a small pavilion to the west of Cibei Nunnery which was the predecessor to today’s Taoranting， whose name was derived from a poem by Bai Juyi， a renowned poet of the Tang Dynasty (618--907). In ancient times， pavilions were built for travelers to rest and relax as they enjoyed the scenery. Rainy days are particularly ideal to enjoy Taoranting and listen to the raindrops at dusk.

Take a summer nap in Ji Xiaolan’s “Yuewei Thatched Cottage” at Zhushikou

The former residence of Ji Yun (also known as Ji Xiaolan)， a famous scholar and high-ranking official of the Qing Dynasty， is on Zhushikou West Street in Beijing. It was originally the residence of Yue Zhongqi， the 21st-generation descendant of Yue Fei and the Minister of War and Shangan Governor during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng. It is a typical Chinese courtyard ( of late Qing style characterized by “skylight awnings， fish vats， and pomegranate trees as well as dwellers including a scholar， his maiden， and a fat dog.” Ji Yun lived there for 62 years， during which time he compiled Notes of Yuewei Thatched Cottage. The building complex is composed of a brick-and-wooden structure and two courtyards. The main gate faces the street and features a thatched roof with decorations symbolizing good luck. Legend holds that the Chinese wisterias in the front courtyard and the crabapple trees in the rear courtyard were personally planted by Ji Yun. One may feel as if “l(fā)ife is as negligible as a speck of dust in this eternal world” when gazing at the serene compound at dusk.

Experience the natural oxygen bar in Tongzhou Canal Forest Park

A saying that has been passed down across generations in Tongzhou goes， “one can recognize Tongzhou by catching sight of a pagoda.” The “pagoda” refers to the Dīpankara Pagoda in Tongzhou district that dates back to the Liao Dynasty. Across centuries， the water of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal has flown ceaselessly at the foot of the pagoda. Along with the development of Tongzhou as the “sub-center of Beijing，” a forest park was constructed along the Grand Canal. It has become the only canal-based natural oxygen bar in Beijing. In spring and summer， when migratory birds return and plants thrive， one may ride a bike around the Canal Forest Park to enjoy the fresh air in the sub-center of Beijing. Besides natural scenery， the park also offers facilities with a strong cultural flavor of Beijing. Riverside recreations， camping， cultural activities. Whatever you like， you may find your own fun here.

Enjoy the cool night breeze on the “hutong canal”

Every commuter passing through Shichahai Station on Beijing’s Line Eight subway is in a hurry during the evening rush hour. Even a moment’s hesitation swiping your card to leave the station can prompt an audible sigh from trailing commuters. However， the hustle and bustle quickly melts into a vast expanse of serenity just three hundred meters to the south in an old hutong. Within the hutong is the wandering Yuhe (Jade River)， which used to be the end part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal that extended thousands of miles. For this reason， the river is called the “hutong canal” by Beijingers. How did the river get its official name? According to historical records， as part of the Grand Canal， the so-called Jade River was dug during the Yuan Dynasty as a channel for transportation. In the Ming Dynasty， the river was included in the expanded Imperial City and renamed the “Imperial River” (also pronounced Yuhe in Chinese). Later， it again became known as the Jade River. The Grand Canal that once served as the main water transport artery linking northern and southern China and nourished the prosperity of the country had an offshoot veering into the hutongs， where it became integrated into the lives of local residents. Amidst the noisy singing of cicadas on summer nights， the cool breeze over the Jade River dispels the sweltering heat.