Eric's Beijing Diary

Beidaihe, on the Bohai Sea, used to be the favorite summer resort area for high-level communist officials. I had planned to make a side trip to Beidaihe after my trip to the West this summer, but I discovered just before I left that the Software College was planning a faculty retreat to Nandaihe at the end of August, so I cancelled my plans and decided to go with the flow. We holed up at a small resort hotel about a ten minute walk from the beach. In China, usually if there is a beach that is swimmable, it is very crowded. But this one was actually quite nice. Yesterday, we took a bus to Shanhaiguan, where Wu Sangui, the Chinese general opened the gate and let the Manchu's through the Great Wall, putting an end to the Ming Dynasty. The Manchu's (Qing Dynasty) ruled China until the Revolution in 1911. Near Shanghaiguan, is the place where the very tip of the wall meets the Bohai Sea. All of these places are in the vicinity of Beidaihe, which, as I said, is the former favorite summer get away for Party leaders. During Mao's time, there was a special Friendship house for visiting Russian diplomats. Because of this, there are still a number of Russians who come here every year, and you can still see lots of signs in Russian.

Labels: Dynasties