Shichahai Impression
By Kate Florence
In the modern world of speed and efficiency, people built all kinds of roads to go faster and faster. We have expressways, highways, and railways. Let me take to you some small alleyways, where life takes a much slower pace, to see how tradition stands firm amidst modernization.
Early in the morning, we start the venture into the Shichahai area with Zhou, a newspaper delivery woman. The morning sunshine pours like honey upon everything, rendering a golden splendor to the humblest buildings here. Yet it's hard to say if it's the light adding beauty to the place, or the place that makes you notice how beautiful the light is. Shichahai area is among the few areas in Beijing where the Hutong alleyways and the courtyard houses are preserved. No matter how small, 
each family here has a little courtyard, all to its own, or to share with neighbors. On her way distributing newspapers, Ms Zhou delivers us to two of Beijing's most outstanding buildings, the Drum and the Bell Towers.
The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower are Beijing landmarks. For three dynasties, for nearly 800 years, they fulfilled a special duty: announcing the time to the city. The gigantic bell weighs 63 tons.
Not every one could sound the drum any time he likes, just like the bell tower, the drum tower used to be the clock of the city. Every day at 8 o'clock sharp in the evening, the drum will be sounded. There are 24 small drums on the tower, symbolizing the 24 solar terms. When the drums were sounded, people all over Beijing can hear it.
As recently as 50 years ago the whole city of Beijing was completely composed, along this axis, of such courtyard homes, linked by over 1,000 alleyways, or Hutong. But the time when the whole city could hear the drum is gone forever. Today the noise of the traffic is loud enough to drown the beating of the drum. Shichahai, which lies to the north of the Forbidden City, is like a basin surrounded by modern high-rises as the courtyard homes are usually only one story structures. The dense vegetation and the lakes make the small area look like a special retreat in the concrete jungle, a cool oasis in a desert.
Riding a bicycle through the Hutong is a pleasant experience. You can easily get lost here, but it doesn't seem matter too much. It's just fun to hang around without any particular direction.
Hutong is the name given to the narrow alleyways between courtyards. An alleyway that is about one point five meters wide is called a Hutong. Anything wider than this could be categorized as a Street.
If you try to drive a car around here, at least you take the risk of getting your car scratched.
We can't help imagining what it would be to like to grow up around a neighborhood like this: to go to school on a bike, or ride in a rickshaw, and to navigate your way back home through endless alleyways, passing all the doorways behind which live your neighbors who've known you since you were a baby.
We are half way through this fantasy when our way is blocked by a huge eagle, well a kite eagle actually. A kite is definitely one of the official toys for adults in Beijing.
Paper and silk kites are made here in this small shop. The owner, Mr. Wang told me that it takes him days to make one nice kite. It's all handwork, from treating the bamboo shoots for the structure to painting the different patterns. The kites are usually flown in northern part of Beijing in the springtime. Traditionally, it's good luck to lose your kite to the wind, as people believe kites could take away bad luck. But personally speaking we wouldn't want to lose any of these exquisitely made treasures.
This is the oldest attempt of human beings to fly.
One charm about living in a place like this is that they have all kinds of little shops around the corner within walking distance.
This is a sesame-flavored pie. By the time they're ready to come out of the stove, people are already waiting.
But if you are tired of roaming around here aimlessly, there are plenty of temples and former residences of royal princes or other eminent persons to explore. And people are always happy to give directions, even the most serious-looking/busiest one. Me asking direction with an old man sitting along the road beating a little wooden drum without expression.
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.
This is called the Pipe Street and it's now a famous shopping street you get clothing, antiques.
We've seen more pet dogs and birds around Shichahai than anywhere else in Beijing. And here on the Yandai or "Pipe" Street we've found someone with a bird that talks.
Little shops line the street, mainly selling antiques and clothes. And we can see that the owners have all racked their imaginations to make their little shop unique and stylish.
These shops have an alternative and funky look, a bit like the people who like to hang about the area.
Our last stop at Shichahai is at a restaurant without a sign. It's the Li Family restaurant. The owner of the place is an 87-year-old professor of applied mathematics who holds several degrees in other disciplines.
Mr. Li keeps records of his guests in a special ledger. They include quite a number of famous figures, including the former US Secretary of Treasury, James Rubin.
The restaurant provides a set menu dinner and you must telephone in advance to book a table.
As night falls, the Shichahai area takes on another look. After dark this is the most chic place to be seen, the trendy spot for the city's hip circle
It's interesting to see the combination of the new and the old. Enjoy nightlife in an ancient neighborhood. It's the people who live behind the open or closed gates of the courtyard homes. You never know what kind of people you will bump into. Descendents of the Royal family, famous singers, pop stars, learned scholar, or even a foreigner. Maybe the old quiet lifestyle of Beijing will never be the same, but the region needs to grow. With the new things and the old things together could only make it more wonderful.
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