Shirley and I took a day trip that was sponsored by the Chinese language school I attended. We boarded a very comfortable bus and started our adventure early that morning. Our destination was Dajue Temple, one of many ancient Buddhist temples located northwest of Beijing way up in the hills. In fact, it was far enough from the center of the city that the air was actually fresh. This temple is also home to a one thousand year old Ginkgo tree. It’s actually pretty amazing to stand next to something that old.
We visited a pavilion with several different temples. The locals burn incense and make prayer requests at the temple. Out of respect for the ancients, tourists are not allowed to take pictures inside the temples but we could go inside and pray or just quietly look around. We ended the day with a riverboat cruise where we saw the Beijing Zoo (not much to look at) and the Summer Palace. Lots of good photo ops!
What was more interesting to me however was the history lesson the guide provided. I was quite surprised by her candor. She shared some of the not so pretty things about Chinese history and society in general. Our guide gave an oral history beginning with the earliest dynasties, the last Emperor, the rise of the Communist party and the changes in China after Nixon’s historic visit in the 1970s.
One of China’s most pressing problems of course is over population. Many Westerners know of China’s one-child policy. This tour was the first time I was really able to talk with a Chinese woman about the issue. Her first comment was that abortion in China is simply not a controversial issue an issue as it is here. There is absolutely not stigma attached. It’s just something that women do when it’s necessary. The one child policy has been in place since the 1970s. Couples can legally have one child and if mom gets pregnant again, it’s have an abortion, pay a heft fine or face some other penalty. Apparently, the policy does not apply to wealthy Chinese who can pay the fine, peasants in the countryside and to those considered to be ethnic minorities. Incidentally, twins count as one child. So, forced abortions, forced sterilization – these are not anecdotal
