Ming City Wall Ruins Park

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Walking along the old city wall

As mentioned in a previous post after the Observatory talk, we had lunch and then journey south to the Ming City Wall Ruins Park and walk along the base of the walls with in-depth commentary and historical anecdotes provided by Jim Nobles. The tour of the corner tower was not possible that day due to another event. We started at the east section near the railways station where you can see the inner structure of the massive wall. We then went south turning around the corner tower.
Starting 10:30 AM the tour concluded at Chongwenmen subway station around 5:00 PM. It was another great event by The Royal Asiatic Society of Beijing.

The Beijing Ming City Wall Ruins Park is a park in Beijing with the longest and best preserved section of the Ming Dynasty city wall. The park is located 3 km from the city center and extends east from Chongwenmen to Dongbianmen and then north to near to Beijing Railway Station East Street. The park features a 1.5 km section of the Ming city wall and the Southeast Corner Tower, which are over 550 years old and surrounded by a lovely green park space to the south and east, where people gather to relax and play music.

Map of Beijing’s Ming City walls (Wikipedia)

The city wall from Chongwenmen to the Southeast Corner Tower in the early 1900s overlooking the moat and the Huashi neighborhood. The Corner Tower in 1921, after a gate was opened in the wall for railway tracks when the Beijing–Fengtian Railway was built over the moat outside the wall.

History of the wall

Preserved is a section of the Ming city wall and the Southeast Corner Tower, that once connected Chongwenmen and Dongbianmen, two city gates that have been replaced with roadway intersections. A shorter section of the eastern city wall is separated from the corner tower by a railway out of the Beijing railway station. The Beijing railway station and its rail depots occupy the area immediately north of the park.

The inner city wall was built during the Ming Dynasty in 1419. The Ming city walls stood for nearly 550 years until the early 1960s when most of the gates and walls were torn down to build the Beijing Subway, which runs underneath where the walls stood. The subway’s inner loop line turned into the Inner City at Chongwenmen to stop at the Beijing railway station, and did not need to run beneath a section of the wall at the southeast corner of the Inner City. Of the 40 km of the original wall, only this 1.5 km section was spared.

In the late 1990s, the city government decided convert the remnants of the wall into a park and relocate the small businesses and homes between the foot of the southern city wall and Chongwenmen East Avenue. Construction began in November 2001. Large trees that stood in the courtyards were preserved. To preserve the historical integrity of the fortifications, the authorities solicited donations of Ming era bricks from city residents to use in the restoration. About of one-fifth of 2,000,000 bricks used in the restoration are from the Ming-era.

The Southeast Corner Tower was built from 1436 to 1439 and is a major state-protected historical site. The tower, which rises 29 m in height with 144 archery windows, is the largest corner tower still standing in China. The tower could house 200 soldiers and has ramps for soldiers and horses. Inside the tower is an exhibit on the history of the city’s Ming-era walls. The Red Gate Gallery, a privately managed, non-profit contemporary art gallery opened in 1991 inside the tower and operated for over two decades before moving to the 798 Art Zone.

The inner city wall stood 11.4 m high and were topped with battlements that rose a further 1.9 m. The wall, lined with brick and filled with rammed earth, was 19.8 m thick at the foundation and 16 m at the top. Bastions protruding on the outside face of the wall are locally known as mamian or “horse face”. The bastions were spaced about 80 m apart, allowed archers to fire at attackers from three sides. The restored fortification has 11 bastions on the southern wall and two bastions on the shorter eastern wall. Only the battlements of the corner tower and one bastion has been fully restored.
During its history the city wall was never breached and artillery could not bring it down due to its massive construction. The city was penetrated at the gates.

Also on the park grounds is a restored signal house of the Beijing–Fengtian (Jingfeng) Railway built in 1901.

Beijing Ancient Observatory

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

The Royal Asiatic Society of Beijing

The Royal Asiatic Society of Beijing organized a journey back in time with a visit to the Beijing Ancient Observatory and Ming City Wall Ruins Park on 14 April 2019.
This the detailed overview as announced in my previous post.
The private tour of the Beijing Ancient Observatory was with commentary by a local expert on the history and the various astronomical devices.
This is the first part, about the observatory. Next post will be about the Ming City Wall Ruins Park.
The Beijing Ancient Observatory is located south of Jianguomen subway Exit C. See the view from the diplomatic apartments near the flyover, where I also lived for a few years in the eighties, see the red building. Some views from the observatory on the Second Ring and Chang’An Avenue.

Built in 1442 during the Ming Dynasty, this observatory is one of the oldest in the world. As the Emperor was considered the “Son of Heaven”, astronomy and the movement of the planets and stars were extremely important to Chinese cosmology. Later it was updated with the help of European Jesuits including Ferdinand Verbiest and Adam Schall von Bell.

The tour

See the pictures of the instruments with some of the explanations. We had a VIP visit to the observatory under a blue sky, followed by a tour of the exhibition halls, exhibits and statues in the courtyard. Some children were also visiting and making drawings of the instruments. See the pictures of the exhibition area.
As an engineer I was amazed by the complexity and ingenuity of the instruments. To be honest, no clue how those worked!
Our Ferdinand Verbiest is prominently displayed.

Recent book

Veerle De Vos wrote a book in Dutch about Ferdinand Verbiest “Ferdinand Verbiest en de ontdekking van China. Alles onder de hemel” published by Pelckmans.

See her interview here.
And her interview on VRT

In the footsteps of Ferdinand Verbiest

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

400 years

The Provincial Governor and the Mayor of Pittem organized a commemorative event entitled ‘In the footsteps of Ferdinand Verbiest’ on Friday 20 October 2023 in Beijing.
This event is an initiative of the Province of West Flanders and the Municipality of Pittem, with the support of the Howest Confucius Institute and the Embassy of Belgium.

On 9th October 2023, it was exactly 400 years since Jesuit Father Ferdinand Verbiest was born in the West Flemish municipality of Pittem, Belgium. Starting out in Pittem, he eventually became an advisor to Emperor Kangxi in the 17th century. Ferdinand Verbiest did more than practice astronomy, he also managed to surprise with numerous new and revolutionary instruments.

A large delegation from Flanders visited Hangzhou and Shanghai before the event in Beijing, with delegates from the Province of West Flanders,  the Municipality of Pittem, the University of Ghent and others.
Governor Carl Decaluwé became a Douyin sensation with his clip about Hangzhou!

The program

Prior to the visit the Belgian Ambassador Bruno Angelet visited the Beijing Ancient Observatory. The Director of the Observatory, Mr. Qi Rui, gave the ambassador a tour of the premises and recounted the observatory’s history and the development of Chinese astrology. See here the report of the visit with the background of Ferdinand Verbiest: 231016 Verbiest

October 9 marked the 400th of Ferdinand Verbiest’s birth. On this significant day, an international symposium took place in Beijing, where the Belgian Ambassador Bruno Angelet, esteemed sinology experts and scholars from various fields came together to honor the extraordinary legacy of Verbiest. See here the report of the symposium: 230921 FerdinandVerbiest.

The memorial event was organized in the afternoon of 20 October in the garden next to the Ancient Observatory. The delegates first visited the Observatory.

Morel’s Restaurant provided canapés and drinks before the speeches:

  • Welcome address ‘In the footsteps of Ferdinand Verbiest’ by H.E. Carl Decaluwé, Governor of West-Flanders
  • Opening remarks by H.E. Bruno Angelet, Ambassador for Belgium in China
  • ‘Flanders-China relations in the fields of science, research and trade’ by Koen De Ridder, Economic Representative of Flanders in Beijing
  • Music by the Chinese Orchestra of the Zhejiang Provincial Government
  • Monologue ‘The Discovery of Heaven’ by Kurt Defrancq, actor
  • ‘Ferdinand Verbiest, son of Pittem’ by H.E. Denis Fraeyman, Mayor of the Municipality of Pittem
  • ‘Imperial observatory, landmark of Beijing’ by H.E. Tang Li, Vice-Mayor of the Dongcheng district Beijing
  • ‘Ferdinand Verbiest’, by Dr. Huang Luqi, Vice President of CAST
  • ‘The image of Ferdinand Verbiest in China’ by Prof. Dr. Stephan Rothlin, Director of the Macau Ricci Institute at the University of St. Joseph, Macau
  • ‘The involvement of Verbiest at the Old Observatory’ by WANG Xiaofeng, Director of the Observatory
  • Unveiling ceremony of the commemorative plaque by Belgian and Chinese officials
  • Closing speech by H.E. Carl Decaluwé, Governor of West-Flanders

A great dinner

Later in the evening the delegation and invited guests were treated to a real Belgian dinner in Morel’s Restaurant.

Lively discussion! I also had the pleasure of meeting the delegates from the University of Ghent, where I received my Master in Engineering.

More details

I will soon publish the report of my visit to the Observatory on 14 April 2019 with many pictures of the instruments and the museum.
See here an earlier article about Verbiest,:
25 July 2019 – Belgian Father Ferdinand Verbiest
In 1659, Belgian Jesuit missionary Father Ferdinand Verbiest departed to China, initially to increase the pool of Chinese Christians. He however ended up taking a public test ordered by Emperor Kangxi to compare the merits of European and Chinese astronomy. Unlike his Chinese adversary, Father Verbiest succeeded in all the related tests, and was immediately installed as Director of the Beijing Observatory.
Read all: 190725 FerdinandVerbiest

See above details about the Verbiest Foundation in Leuven, Belgium. They publish a regular newsletter “Courier Verbiest”.

Old China Hands 6 October

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Last day of holidays

We had our Old China Hands 6 October 2023 lunch in Morel’s Restaurant with a more modest attendance of 24. Reasons: holiday travel, some COVID cases, some with injuries, unplanned other meeting and yes Matthew who forgot to set his alarm (again). But he was kind enough to leave a big tip to the staff as compensation. Thank you!

Renaat finally put the frame up of our Anniversary event!

Again all loved the food and the lively chat. One of the dishes is from my hometown, “Waterzooi of fish, Ghent’s way”. See more about waterzooi here.

Our stars of the month

Kevin is a part of the “Brian & Kevin DUO”, along with following of bears. They have been performing in several locations in Beijing.
I personally love their songs, most I (try to) sing in the KTV.

Brian is a US citizen, currently self employed as a communications consultant with a primary focus on enhancing public speaking skills, international communications, and brand recognition; married to a Chinese lady.
Brian has been entertaining crowds with his music in the USA for more than 20 years. He continues his musical journey here in China and loves connecting with many musicians from around the world. Playing as a duo with Kevin has been one of those great connections and pleasures. Styles of music include – Rock, Country, Jazz, Blues, R & B, and much more.

Kevin Paul is also US citizen with a Chinese wife. He is a German-trained Master Piano maker (Klavierbaumeister) by profession, and has been working as a consultant in this field the past several years. Previously, he lived and worked for many years in both Germany and Denmark, and is fluent in both languages. He can also speak and read Chinese on a basic level.
Kevin studied music composition and guitar in his younger years, and played in numerous bands in America , Germany, and Denmark. He came to Beijing in 2014, working as a master piano maker. He has been working together with Brian, complimenting Brian’s stage presence with solid musical underpinnings.

MAHA Beijing Mid-Autumn Party

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

MAHA

We were invited for the “2023 MAHA Beijing Mid-Autumn Party” in MAHA Beijing Park on 28 September 2023 by the general manager Ms. May Fu, all through Ms. Lydia Long (Moldova wines and more). I was invited to promote the Art Exhibition in the Louvre, the UWEE-WFP initiative.
Hong Kong-listed Hopson Development Holdings Ltd. created the brand MAHA in Beijing, in a 400,000 square meters of native forest (originally part of Chaoyang Park). MAHA Residential Park in 8 Xiaoyun Road won the 2022 Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award in the Private Garden category.
There are several serviced apartment blocks with units of 450m²; rent is in the range of ¥220,000 /month (up to about US$ 30,000), among other. There is also the Hopson Club with the Man Fu Yan Restaurant where Elon Musk had dinner on 30 May 2023 after he arrived in Beijing on his private jet.

I had the pleasure of meeting the general manager and the lady ambassador of the Bahamas, as well as the well-known influencer Chen Wei.
There was also a market with a stand of the Belgian chocolate Pierre Marcolini.
Some nice performances and disk jockeys – music through individual headphones.
Some 400 guests enjoyed a nice lamb dinner.
I did my speech about our painting exhibition in the Louvre, see below, after showing the promotion video of the Exhibition.
Clip supplied by MAHA with my small clips added about the Launching Ceremony of MAHA a Flow Club in the MAHA Park on 28 September 2023, including my speech. (needs VPN)

5th consecutive annual exhibition in the Louvre

Every January, UWEE collaborates with the World Food Program to organize an international art exhibition at the Louvre Museum. This coming January will mark our 5th consecutive annual exhibition. I am currently the Chairman of the Exhibition.
This year more than 10,000 works were exhibited on the online exhibition platform. About 870 children’s works from 36 countries were exhibited in the Louvre.

Our art exhibition serves multiple purposes.
Firstly, we celebrate artworks created by talented young artists from across the globe.
Secondly, it is a charitable endeavor. Every penny goes to World Food Program “School Meals Feed Futures”, a noble cause.
Finally, we aim to create a community of global citizens through the exhibition. Our motto, “One World, One Future”, is a vision that aspires to bring people together in this world.

Background of the Art Exhibition

Based on The State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022 from the UNWFP, 345 million people worldwide, including 153 million children and young people face starvation. Presently, 87 countries have joined the School Meals Coalition, to ensure that, by 2030, every child receives a healthy, nutritious daily meal in school. School meal programs have benefitted 420 million children worldwide and become the world’s most extensive safety net.
Since 2018, WFP China has implemented the Preschool Nutrition Improvement Program in Xiangxi (Hunan Province), Jingxi (Guangxi Province), Linxia (Gansu Province), and Wangcang (Sichuan Province), by providing nutritious school meals, conducting nutrition and health advocacy and education, upgrading kitchen facilities, and empowering smallholder farmers.
In 2023, the Union of Western and Eastern Education (UWEE) is joining forces with the UN WFP China Office to gather artwork from school-age children benefiting from the national nutrition improvement program and young art enthusiasts worldwide.
Noteworthy submissions will have the opportunity to be showcased at the prestigious Louvre Museum. Through these initiatives, we hope to raise awareness about child nutrition improvement and invest in the future of children.