Portrait of China

The gentleman plays a sanxian in a pavilion atop Jingshin Park. After spending all day walking around Tian an men Square, and the whole of the Forbidden City, we walked through Jingshin Park.

It was hilly! We had been walking all day with only a short lunch refueling. It was bitterly cold. Colder than I had ever been ( I later moved to Chicago which surpassed Beijing’s chill factor). My memory tells me that Jingshin Park was an ever-increasing incline up to that top pavilion. We were so tired upon reaching the top, we sat for quite some time resting. The haze was not too bad, or Beijing and we could see all of the Forbidden City and beyond from this height. The lovely melodies from the sanxian were pleasant as we rested. The man watched me take his photo and continued to play. I wonder how long he had been playing there. I recall he had a collection hat, or donation box.

The montage is a mix of the historic locations, buildings, and icons, plus people. It was New Year’s and places were busy with locals, despite the cold. I don't remember there being too many tourists about.

My favorite discovery was the life in the Hutongs. What a warren of narrow streets and close living quarters. It wouldn't have been as exquisite to peruse in the Summer time. The bitter cold made it all the more interesting to see life happening outside in the sunshine. Haircuts, markets, food preparation, shopping.

This Digital Photo Montage print is now available for purchase via Imagekind.com