May 01 2008
Yang Guifei in costume
A sign of Yang Guifei (719-756) exhibit staged in a small side wing in the Forbidden City. Yang was the most famous and beloved concubine in history - Chinese version of Wallis Simpson for whom King Edward VIII gave up the throne to marry the woman he loved. My interest in her was due to my research. Having been in Beijing for couple of weeks, it made me leery.
“What’s the exhibit was all about?”
“About Yang Guifei.” The old guy who manned the door. Duhhh.
In any places here (US), they would let you peek before paying for it. So I asked so. I am not too bright.
He gave me a dirty look. “Sure you can peek AFTER you pay. You can actually go in there and take a look.”
“How big is the exhibition room?” Since when I became so petty?
“It’s large.” the ticket collector made a big circle with his arms. There were more people waiting to go in. Was only few dollar. Don’t be so silly. So I paid and got admitted.
Yang was one of the four beauties - Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun and Diaochan. Legend had it that her face would put flowers to shame. There was a long bollard (among many others), Changhen ge, A Song of Eternal Sorrow by famed Bai Juyi. The emperor neglected his empire due to her .. It was in the Forbidden City, I did expect something substantial.
But I was wrong. No, I was right.
The exhibit room was bit larger than my living room, crowded to the ceiling. A glass top long table in the middle displaying few items, few artifacts mounted on the walls .. all looked out of date with that time period, couple of dresses to the left on mannequins looked like made from nylon, freshly peeled of Li Tiemei 李铁梅 or someone from a culture troupe 文工团. I was disgust. What a joke! So they learned the worst part of capitalism quickly. With 1.3 billion of suckers, they didn’t have to worry about return customers. I’d think something inside of the Forbidden City would of quality? So what’s their qualm about Starbucks being there that eroding Chinese culture? I thought those low moral behaviors erode more.. And the very act trying to get Starbucks removed was wrong, (oh, they needed the money back then .. or whatever the ‘petty amount’ that coffee house dangling for the right to open) what about keep the promise - contractual obligation?
Was I stupid or what? Haven’t I always bragged that Beijing runs in my blood, I knew what’s going on without being there?