This trip was definitely not a vacation, as I was very busy every day. I was very happy to spend my last two days in Beijing, with some time to relax and enjoy this city I really love.

Beijing has changed a great deal since the first time I visited, growing as a modern and progessive city.. But the progress seems more superficia,l with appearances, and I wonder if the conditions for people is deteriorating. I had expected to see more progress for the Chinese people since entering the World Trade Organization, and winning the bid for the 2008 Olympics. But what I saw was more of police presence, very young men in uniforms with guns, and very serious. There had been a fire in an internet cafe a few days before I arrived. It was started by a 13 year old boy who was angry because he didn't have enough money to pay his fees for using the public computers. Many people were killed in the fire, as iron gates bar the doors and windows, and people could not escape. So the government closed all 2200 internet cafes in Beijing, which angered many of the adults who used these internet cafes as many cannot afford a computer at home, as well as the internet cafe owners as their livelihood was taken away. .This fire was an excuse for the government to impose more control over the internet access, the "Great Red Firewall", which they had been trying to find a reason for awhile. Also, because of Korean refuges trying to get into the embassies, the embassies are surrounded by barbed wire and police. From my observation, this is a step backwards from what I saw during my visit last summer.

Also, the government has just recently blocked the BBC News program from the satellite, including the service to foreign hotels.

But most Chinese people don't feel concerned about the issues of human rights and democracy. They tell me that they feel safe, and their government is the reason for that safety. (Sounds like what I hear people saying about the loss of some of our civil liberties in the U.S. for the sake of "safety".)

Last summer was the first time I felt hesitant to take a taxi by myself, as some of the drivers were either so new they didn't know where to go, or they would drive me around for several km to rack up the fare. This year I found that taxi drivers didn't want to take people on short distances. They would rather wait until they could get a fare to the airport, or a longer distance. Some drivers absolutely refused to take me on what would be a 10 yuan ride. I had to show them 20 yuan before they would agree. They pay 200 yuan per day from the taxi owners, so they have to make more than that to make some profit on which to live. (8.26 yuan=$1 U.S. dollar.)

Another change that I noticed was seeing money on the streets. Small amounts, equivalent to pennies and nickels, but Chinese people have traditionally been so frugal that I had NEVER seen any of the coins just laying around. People are more prosperous now. Actually, people who live in the cities are become more wealthy, but most people who live in China exist in great poverty.

One of my favorite things to do in Beijing is visit the wonderful parks. In a city that is so busy and full of traffic and elbow-to-elbow people, the parks are peaceful and serene Jingshan Park is within walking distance from the Prime Hotel. It is north of Forbidden City and next to Behei Lake. In the morning, there is are many senior citizens practicing the ancient art of qigong and taiji, and some prefer doing modern dance for exercise.

I also saw many people in large groups practicing the outlawed Falun Gong. From what I was told, people can practice in the parks, but not demonstration style, like in Tiananmen Square.

Jingshan Park is popular because there is a hill to climb, lots of steps. I saw people climbing up and down, for the exercise. But it didn't feel right to take their photos. So I didn't.

At the top of the hill, you can see Forbidden City, and get a great view of Beijing. There is also a big Buddha statue on top of the hill. It wasn't a temple, so I thought it was all right to the the photo. You are not supposed to take photos of the Buddhas in temples. This was a very interesting Buddha, as there was also a little Buddha. Buddha is sitting on an open lotus. Very classic pose. The lotus is symbolic of enlightenment. The roots of the lotus grow in murky water, but the lotus does not bloom until it is in the light.

Walking along the streets back to the hotel was interesting, too, as the sidewalks are very nicely designed, with brick and/or concrete patterns. The little shops have been demolished to make for progress. Some of the older shops that are still open for business don't carry as much as they did last year. There is a silk fabric shop that I really like, and in the past you could choose a fabric and they would measure you to make clothes. Or you could buy the fabric, which I wanted to do. But there was no pure silk for sale anymore. Just cheaper fabrics, and business was not very good, either. Too bad.

I went to the popular silk market by the embassies. It was not very busy, and had been cut back in size considerably because of the tight security of the embassies. You have to be careful here, because certainly everything that is claimed to be silk is not, and most of the name-brand merchandise is counterfeit. But you can still get some great deals. I purchased a cabled silk sweater set, a silk and linen blend skirt, and some water color scroll paintings in a nearby shop.

Shopping on Wangfujing Street has changed in the past couple of years, as now all the stores are new and modern, and the little shops are gone. Some of the most interesting stores include a huge foreign language book store, a very large shoe store where you can buy cute fashionable shoes or traditional Chinese shoes, (and they do carry the "da da" very large sizes for foreigners), a big sporting goods store, a mall with a Chinese culture display on the bottom floor, and a government department store, where I found a surprising variety of very good quality clothes at reasonable prices. You can't "bargain" in the government stores. I bought a silk and linen blend skirt and silk blouse, and got carried away by the uniqueness of a hand painted dress that I will probably never wear (but it fit so well I couldn't resist it.)

There are two "food streets" just off of Wangfujing, which are open for business most evenings and offer an incredible variety of foods. Vendor after vendor have basic foods like roasted corn to exotic foods like scorpions on a bamboo skewer. The various things on skewers are cooked while you wait, and some are scooped out of huge woks. The prices are very cheap, but still considered high for local people. Most of the customers are foreigners or wealthier Chinese people. I really like eating from these street vendors. I have peeked inside the kitchen of some of the larger restaurants for tourists, and don't think the health conditions of the vendors can be any worse than some of the restaurants. You just have to choose carefully.

I always have mixed feeling when I leave China. I am sorry to leave, always wish I could stay longer. But I am always happy to be home again, too. Yin and yang. I feel very fortunate for the friends I have in China. They always help make my visits so enjoyable and I learn so much from them. They very generously open their homes and share their family life with me. I am very fortunate to also have my Chinese related business, Calm Spirit web site and Ying Yu Jade. This internet business gives me a reason to visit China each year.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my June 2002 trip to China. My qigong master, Tianyou Hao, will be offering an opportunity for travel in China 2004. If you would like more information about anything you read on my web site, or about China, please contact me.