May 09 2008
Liu Youyu was Yeye’s colleague in Suiyuan 绥远 now Hohhot. When he moved back to Beijing, he became Yeye’s tenant at Canzheng Hutong. Liu was one of four Feng Yuxiang 冯玉祥’s lieutenants that sent to Germany to further study and training. They all came back with German wives, but eventually all of them divorced due to cultrual [...]
Apr 16 2008
I don’t remember what I was looking for on the Internal - where and what else? - but found Uncle Zanzeng, Harry (1923 Shanghai - ). It was his picture that caught my eye, an elegant elder with silver hair and long silver beard to his chest, 孔子翻身? Don’t know why I didn’t ask Jiujiu first, [...]
Apr 16 2008
Long before the one child policy, Chinese families were well stocked with kids born from the wife and sired by the concubines. More generations living under one roof symbolized the prosperity and longevity. The patriarch could be the father upto the great great grandfather. They number coded the off spring - paihang 排行 seniority among sibling, on [...]
Apr 09 2008
I did a little research on Tibet few years ago, as a by product: I was gathering info on one of my great great grandfather who’s Viceroy of Sichuan during the Qing dynasty. In his memorials 奏折 to the Emperor or the edicts from the Emperor to him, Tibet occurred rather frequently, hence my research. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan and the logistic [...]
Apr 02 2008
After Bei Chizi, Zengzu moved to a siheyuan in Bei Changjie, North of Changjie 北长街 belong to Jia Deyao 贾德耀 (1880-1940). Jia was Feng Yuxiang’s clique, served as Prime Minister 国务院总理 in 1926. When Jia later made a comeback, Zengzu sold a row of houses in Tianjin, bought an elaborated European villa on Tangfang Hutong from Huang Fu 黄郛 who served as Premier in [...]
Apr 02 2008
After Songshu Hutong, Zengzu moved family into a palatial siheyuan in Bei Chizi 北池子, North Pool. The incendiary moment of Warlord Era in China was the sudden death of strong man president Yuan Shikai (1859-1916). It last till 1928. During that period, China was dominated by war lords, one clique fighting another. The losing faction would seek [...]
Apr 02 2008
In 1922, my Zengzu, great grandfather served as Secretary-General of the State Council 国务院秘书长 under President Li Yuanhong (1964-1928), his third presidency. Zhang Shaozeng 张绍曾 (1879-1928) was the Premier (later acting). According to Lucy, they moved into a rental, an European villa on Songshu Hutong - Pine-tree, number 7 with an enormous garden. In 1923, Zengzu’s good buddy Cheng Ke 程克 invited his favored [...]
Mar 21 2008
In The Dirge of Liang Fu 粱父吟, Pai Hsien-yung 白先勇or Bai Xianyong used muliao 幕僚 when one character talked to another, “你做过他这些年的幕僚，你当然知道” He translated to ‘’You were his secretary all these years, of course you know.” So Bai’s interpretation of muliao was secretary. NJStar depicts it as “aides and staff; assistant to a ranking official or general [...]
Mar 12 2008
A decade or so ago, we visited VIP, a high end night club in the city (Manhattan) where the girls had to pay to work there every night. Lin and partners learned quickly, made the beauties pay 120 yuan ($15) a night to work at the Passion, the night club in Beijing. The prospect that a night out with a [...]
Mar 06 2008
This is THE stamp of China, forwarded to me by David.
Each country has its own holy grail of stamp, this one is for China - a block of four $1 Small Character Surcharge on 3 Red Revenue Stamp 红印花加盖小字当一元 四方连, the block of four 四方连 for short, for those in the know. Perhaps the Inverted Jenny is for the [...]
Mar 06 2008
1961-06-25 2003-07-28
I hadn’t been back to China since settling in New York for two decades, but even before I touched down in Beijing, Jiujiu, my mother’s brother, had drawn up a list of relatives to whom I should be paying respects. This was not wholly unexpected, and I was quite happy to let Jiujiu [...]
Mar 06 2008
The main gate, left with my cousin (Jiujiu’s) Sophie, Zhenzhen and Xiao Peng, right with Popo, 1979. Pic below Uncle Jimmy with my Mom 1955.
With the proceed from the villa, grandaunt Lucy bought a small siheyuan on Qianbaihu Hutong 前百户 in 1944, not far from Canzheng Hutong. Jiujiu said that at time the inflation was so severe, goods were paid with fabric in [...]
Mar 06 2008
My first home - left pic: east wing to my right and the 2nd door 二门 (festooned) to my left; the center pic: main hall and the pic on the right shows the west wing to my left and the wall.
Canzheng Hutong in Xidan is a standard siheyuan (liangjin 两进). After great grandfather passed away in January 1942, [...]
Mar 03 2008
Although it was a common practice, but my great grandpa did not have a concubine or concubines, as Lucy insisted. But he had a woman that was a gift to him from his subordinates while he’s working in Suiyuan 绥远 - Hohhot, Inner Mogolia alone. He usually uprooted his family for new post around the country, but when the [...]
Mar 03 2008
Before 1942. From L to R: chauffeur Lao Xing 老邢, a maid, my great grandma, grandaunt Lucy, great grandpa, Sun Baichuan 孙百川 and Xiao Sanye 小三爷.
This European villa was on Tangfang hutong in Xuanwu Men - Martial Announcement Gate, near the Catholic church Nantang (Xuanwumen is located on the southern wall’s western section). Jiujiu, Mom and Xiaoyi were all [...]
Mar 01 2008
Looking at my families from different branches, it’s obvious that in the past, the families in the city would hire their servants almost enitrely from their own countryside, job opportunity, trust worthy, same taste and tradition perhaps were the main reasons. Today Jiujiu looked at one of the pictures I put up on the Internet, remembered one of the men [...]
Feb 29 2008
China is hot and sexy, so are the one storey grey brick Siheyuans (quadrangles or courtyard dwelling) and the surrounding hutong, the sprawling and vernacular narrow lanes that lattice the heart of Beijing, 咸鱼翻身 too. Oh well .. don’t throw away your old jeans, it will become fashionable again, :)
This pic depicts a san jin - three courtyards siheyuan [...]
Feb 16 2008
It’s hard to describe the feeling of taking it home the third time, knowing its not done. Michael’s seems can’t get their act together: they ordered the thin frame again. The map is dry-mounted, looks flatter, but no vertical wires. Last time, the lady manager mentioned that they need to add two vertical wires to hold the [...]