Hard to say goodbye to Beijing

By Yasir Habib Khan (Senior reporter of Pakistan)

Bidding adieu to Beijing incurred a heavy toll on my heart. Its cherishing environment, ever-greeting gestures, people to people china-Pak bond, living heritage, cultural fascination, modern technological advancements and top of them galaxy of new friends had been stopping me not to depart. The highest degree of care and love I received during my tour hosted by CRI Online had forced me to think to stay one day more. Whenever I tried to close my eyes, I saw lovely faces of Chinese friends to who I regard as my family asking me to defer the decision to return to my homeland for some days. But hard fact could never be changed and I had to leave Beijing to Lahore.

Let me share my sentiments that kept brewing my last day in Beijing. It was a bit easy and relaxing day in which I got a chance to look into the intangible cultural heritage conservation. I felt sensitized about production of snuff bottles and workability of old stationary, calligraphy and paining shop.

[Photo: CRI Online]

These kinds of art could have been dying arts, if government had not managed to preserve them and had facilitated them to stay alive. Though youth seem to be less inclined to learn such craftsmanship that is heart-pulsating chapter of Chinese embedded culture, but sincere efforts invested both by government and people breathed a new life to this intangible art.

After watching some historical acrobats, I and foreign delegation enjoyed magical tricks done by a wonderful wizard. How could I miss to tell about making a Panda with various soft material using hands under the instructions of a mentor. Panda adored by everyone is symbol of soft image of China. Panda manifests mythology of Yin and famous in Chinese culture. If Chinese dragon is dubbed as the symbol of China, innocent panda serves as an emblem of loving face of China. I remember Panda is official logo of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

[Photo: CRI Online]

Visit of capital museum also made me sit and take notice. It is true window of Beijing cultural history. It helped us to figure out about traditional lifestyle, marriage values, child-raising practices and other important characteristics of Beijing origination and transformational phases.

I believe that still there are innumerable thing are left to go through as China is among those ancient and modern countries that has much to offer.