Writes of Passage

北京协和医院住宅群: 别墅区
Dongdan, Beijing

Peking Union Medical College/Hospital housing complex: villa District, in Dongdan.

After lunch, we wandered by this housing complex. In 1918, when Rockefeller Foundation was building the PUMC, they also built the villas for its professors/experts. The project took three years to finish.

… we then headed to Eight Great Hutongs.

More photo of Xiehe 协和 and a little history: 

Dr. Thomas Cochrane (1866-1953; 科龄) was a Scottish medical missionary who went to China in 1900, as Boxer Uprising was in session. He then moved to Beijing, trying to restore the hospital. Because he had healed Cixi’s chief eunuch Li Lianying and her lady in waiting, when Dr.  Cochrane proposed a teaching school for Chinese doctors, Cixi readily agreed. When the hospital ran into financial crisis, Rockefeller Foundation stepped in, and expanded it.

• 1900, Dr. Thomas Cochrane, found a medical school
• 1916, Rockefeller Foundation purchased 
• 1917, expansion completed

Photos below is from this post: 

The Eternally Peace Gate in Beijing is on the central axis 中轴. It was built in 1553 and four hundred years later, demolished in 1950s for the new road construction. The current one is reconstruction in 2004.

The In 1950 fm wiki. In 1900, a Japanese was killed by Dong Fuxiang (董福祥 from Gansu province) near the gate, in the early stage of Boxer Uprising.

..

Beijing, China

Coming out of Yanzhi Hutong @ Bada, we stopped at this tiny garden on the Zhushikou W Street 珠市口西大街. It has many old Beijing opera performers.

55 Baishun Hutong
Beijing, China

He was one of the celebrities who lived in the area.

Xicheng
Beijing, China

The former red district, Bada Hutong begins and ends at Wudao Jie (五道街). The few most famous streets are:
百顺胡同 Baishun, #18 @ Dabaishu
石头胡同
韩家潭 Hanjia Hutong
万佛寺湾
大外廊馆
小外廊馆
王寡妇斜街
胭脂胡同 Yanzhi
陕西巷
朱茅胡同 &Xibiying.

There are also plaques commemorate the old celebrities, such as Cheng Changgeng 程长庚, Chen Delin.

19 Gongmenkou 2nd Alley, Xicheng
Beijing, China

The layout of the museum

Everywhere I went, they demanded my ID, even for going into this museum. What do they do with the info they collected? And all I can pray is, they shred them thoroughly.

Beijing Wansong Old man Tower is on Zhuanta Hutong 西城区西四南大街41号旁门, 第一胡同砖塔胡同. The only dense eaves brick tower (?) 密檐式砖塔 tower in Beijing, is a bookstore now.

55 Xisi North Blvd. next to Guangji Temple
西四北大街255号 (广济寺旁)
Xisi, Beijing

This bookstore is called Corner Building 西四街楼 (also called 皇城警卫楼) is in a landmark building at the corners of … The two 2-story buildings were built in 1894 to celebrate Cixi’s 60th birthday. However, she had to scale down the party within the Forbidden City because Japan had invaded China. The bookstore is on the northwest corner 西北角 and a bank is on the northeast corner of Xisi Blvd., which was, however, demolished in the 1980s.

… and the Xisi N Blvd up till Dahong Luochang Street 大红罗厂街.

Old Beijing Hutong Post Office 老北京胡同邮局

Or Shishahai, is a historic scenic area in the northwest of Forbidden City, a stone throw away from Prince Gong’s Residence.

2020, there’s a 37 episode tv series named after it.

After lunch at Xiaodiao Litang 小吊梨汤, I took bus to go to tennis tournament. As I was busily taking pictures of Beijing, I missed my stop by more than 10 miles. Not mentioning that I missed the date with my friend … but my misfortune got me to see the beautiful sunset.