More on hutong destruction, Poet Ma's house and Xmas in Beijing

Last time I wrote about revisiting a part of the traditional alley neighborhood south of Qianmen to see how much had changed since I first discovered it being demolished (see 12/10/08 blog). Some things were rebuilt, like enlarged roads and walls and homes, while a few lanes away the ubiquitous "destroy" character Chai, seen above in the circle, was already gracing the walls of hutongs now slated for destruction.


It took me a while, but I finally translated the "protest poem" written on one wall in the hutong.


I call the poem "Chongwen Poem of Three Hopelessnesses," because the character jue means both a type of poem AND a sense of despair (sophisticated writers in Chinese know how to link various meanings through homophones and/or characters). It basically reads something like this:

Destroying hutongs, selling off old people's heirlooms, (he) has great skill in being without wisdom and in failing (his) family

Spending government funds, erecting steles to laud (himself), (he) feverishly works on projects to achieve much in (his) official career

(He) plays both sides for (his) own gain, and in the entryway of the yamen* are many dirty swine.

* yamen was a feudal government office like a police department today

Basically this is a heartfelt protest at what the writer sees as official corruption in the destruction of his hutong home. Poor man.

In other news, last month I revisited Mentougou, the area west of Beijjing nestled in the mountains, and I revisited the birthplace of the poet Ma Zhiyuan in West Dire Straits. Again, progress has marched on, yet the quaint, ruined home is now a tourist spot complete with ticket seller, and one can hardly recognize it! See before and after pics I've added to the 10/19/08 blog.


Finally, a bit of holiday cheer. While most Chinese say they are atheist, that does not mean Christmas decorations and consumerism are not embraced here! Here are some of the more "cheeky" holiday trees set up at The Village shopping complex in Beijing. Who would have thought to use badminton birdies or pens to create Christmas trees?? (Corks, well, maybe.....)

Happy Holidays!