Literati's Depiction of Old Beijing's Atmosphere

Author: Yu Runqi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features:
Friend, do you want to learn about Old Beijing? What was Old Beijing like in the past? It has little left today, and we can only see some glimpses of it in past writings or photographs, glimpses of its former beauty and past glory. The most fascinating account of Old Beijing is The Travels of Marco Polo. Old Beijing was like a magnet, attracting the children of all ethnic groups in the Chinese mainland, calling merchants from ancient Rome, Persia, and the Mediterranean. Oh, Old Beijing, how much charm do you possess? How many sorrows do you carry? What kind of great power do you have? What kind of vast and profound heart do you have? For thousands of years, you have moved the sentiments of countless writers. Old Beijing, you are a series of odes, you are a symphony: you are Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, "Eroica", you are Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. No, you are yourself, you are the lament of the Forbidden City. Although you are not as elegant as a serenade or as leisurely as a pastoral piece, sometimes you may play dissonant notes, or even emit strange variations.