beijing
April 2023, a reception desk long enough to land aircraft on: the ballroom where the Chairman danced, breakfast alone under the chandeliers, Tiananmen in haze with a lamp post that grew cameras instead of leaves. I rented Ming silk at the Forbidden City and learned what a costume teaches about posture. The Wall got its debt paid in May, in green.
11 entries, newest first.
2023
The Wall, at Last
· The debt from week one gets paid: the Great Wall in May green, and a souvenir shirt earning its keep.
Lanterns at the Drive
· Last night in Beijing under the porte cochere: a row of glowing umbrellas and a goodbye to the overture.
Passing Dynasty II: Head On
· The frontal frame: no glasses, no makeup, freckles under the peonies, and a face refusing to act.
Passing Dynasty I: The Bicycle
· Qing silk on a share bike, a hutong smeared into speed lines, and the century collapse Beijing does daily.
Borrowed Dynasty
· An hour in rented Ming silk at the Forbidden City, and what a costume teaches about posture and centuries.
The Square at Nine
· Tiananmen in haze: flags, the mausoleum queue, and a lamp post that grew cameras instead of leaves.
Breakfast in the Ballroom
· Alone under the chandeliers at seven, a slipped strap, and the parquet where the era practiced its steps.
The Facade at Night
· Sitting on the steps after closing time with the neon overhead, watching Chang'an go quiet.
The Hotel Where They Danced
· The Beijing Hotel by daylight: three buildings, one century, and a ballroom where the Chairman took his turns.
Checking In off Chang'an
· Four days of trains, one extravagant decision, and a reception desk long enough to land aircraft on.
The West Window
· Ask for a west room, high up: the bed, the last of the trains in my bones, and the Forbidden City below the sill.