OTHER

Bookworm Talk

If you find all this stuff interesting, come here me blather on at the Bookworm on Tuesday night, starting at 7.30pm. I think it's free! Besides talking about the project in general I'll be focusing on Republican-era Beijing, Xuanwu District in particular, plus I'll probably stray into my current favorite topic, the Yuan-dynasty Tonghuihe canal. If this stuff gets you excited (you know who you are), I hope you'll come by Tuesday.

June 16, 12:19a.m.

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Free lecture on the origins of the hutong

Looks like there's a free lecture on Saturday, May 14 [edit: I meant June 14th, of course, sorry], by Professor Wang Yue of the Beijing Geological Society, on the origins of Beijing's hutongs. Were they actually formed around wells? How did the surrounding courtyards take shape? These and other questions answered...

Capital Museum
May 14, 10-11.30am
Check their website (scroll to the bottom) for more details.

June 7, 6:51p.m.

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Somebody Revoke My License

I've just discovered, to my humiliation, that 寺, the character for 'temple', is not pronounced sī first tone, as I've been saying it all these years, but rather sì fourth tone. Were you all laughing secretly behind my back?

June 7, 10:47a.m.

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Cultural Heritage Day Events

Preparatory to Chinese Cultural Heritage Day (June 14th, mark your calendars), the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center is arranging a series of trips to Beijing's outer districts, to visit government-protected sites that don't often get public notice. From their press release:

In September 2003, the Beijing Historical and Cultural City Protection Plan, compiled by the Beijing Planning Committee, was approved by the Beijing Municipal Government. This plan is the key constituent to the protection of the historical and cultural districts for the Old City. The plan concerns "historical and cultural protection districts" which are defined as "a specific block, buildings, villages, or towns which have traditional appearances or ethnic character."

The plan designates 33 historical and cultural protection districts within the Old City and 10 located outside. After the plan was issued, several organizations conducted research on the districts within, but there was little investigation conducted for the 10 districts outside the Old City. These districts are more remote in location so public awareness of the need to protect these areas is not very strong.

Seven trips will be conducted over the weekends of May 31, June 7 and June 14. Most are day trips, two are overnighters. Check here for more information, and to register for trips.

May 26, 4:21a.m.

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