Here we go - DOG MEAT! + Temple of heaven park

The final touristy thing i got to in beijing was the temple of heaven. The temple of heaven is where the emperor used to make sacrifices, offerings and prayers to the gods for things such as good harvests. The temples are impressive but since the architecture and style is very similar to that of the forbidden city i found the whole experience a little boring. Actually the main reason i went there was to check out the surrounding park which houses the temple grounds. I'd checked out a traveler's forum before coming and all past visitors had unanimously said it's the park and its inhabitants that's the real attraction. after visiting i agree with them too.

The temple of heaven park is a social meeting spot for the older residents of beijing. You can see all sorts of interesting sports, music and dancing going on. alot of these are types you wouldn't see in the west. It's cool how it's all concentrated around small areas, so that you could listen to a group singing chinese folk songs then walk a few metres away to listen to a harmonica band! Then of course theres the usual smaller groups playing cards, chinese chess and dominos scattered in between.









One of the sports they play is shuttlecock (jianzi), which is something like hacky sack but instead uses a shuttlecock. I tell you some of these older players are pretty damn skilled! they all seem to be able to back kick the shuttlecock from behind them over their heads to the front. I can remember first approaching some of these oldies thinking these would be very short rallies, then later feeling absolutely dumbfounded after watching the same rally continue for a couple of minutes. i think they'd absolutely kick my ass in a rally! The lady in pink in one of these pics is actually juggling 2 shuttleocks with one foot! She wasn't doing it just for show though, as she was actually selling these special shuttlecocks.

theres alot of women dancers accompanying the various musical bands, but they aren't dressed up in any costumes. I didn't recognize any of the dances, but they seemed pretty folksy. As far as i could tell all the groups seemed to be performing for enjoyment and to entertain the crowd rather than busking. i didn't see any laid out hats or boxes for money anyway. There was one guy though that people were giving money to. He was singing chinese love songs, but something about his getup and expressions cracked me up inside. He reminded me of some sleazy night club singer. He didn't have a box or hat for busking, but i did see people come up to him in the middle of songs to put something in his hands, which i assumed was money. (unless these girls were wooed by his sensual voice and were giving phone numbers)

Most of the inhabitants seemed to be middle aged or older, so i wonder if the current younger generations will start coming to the park when they reach this age. It would be sad if they didn't and to see this social gathering slowly wither out. It was such a fantastic atmosphere and facinating to watch.

The berth train ride home was again pretty smooth, having slept throughout the night. Had a good rest once i got back to uncle and auntie's place in xi'an, but then awoke to a special lunch treat - DOG MEAT!!

i hadn't really set out to find dog meat during my time here in china. In the end the dog seeked me out :)

it must've been left over dog meat from a new years dinner my uncle and auntie had had the day before, since there was only 3 pieces left and was mixed in with a whole bunch of other meat types. when auntie told me its 'gou rou', i had to double check she meant dog meat - "What, 'gou' as in 'mao he gou'? (cat and dog?)" You see they give all sorts of names to varous cuts of meat from the same animal, so thought 'gou rou' might have been a special cut of beef or something. when it was confirmed i felt a mix of both excitement and uneasiness!
since it was only 3 pieces it didn't look too threatening, or resembling anything other than sliced ham. Still though i was trying to think of dumb and mean dogs when i had it in my mouth, and locked out images of cute little puppie dogs. actually I never did ask what breed of dog i was eating. I'm sure theres different tastes and textures according to breed.

so the verdict? tastes like ham, but alot more chewy. Can't say i'll be craving it again anytime soon.