Pre-Pyongyang: Japan and China
24 February 2008
After two weeks in
Japan and China, we leave tomorrow for North Korea.
The "we" includes about 260 New York Philharmonic
orchestra members, staff, board members, patrons and
international media. Today, I'm blogging from
Beijing. Tomorrow, from Pyongyang.
In the last week, we've attended Philharmonic concerts in Shanghai and Beijing. On Tuesday, the concert will be in Pyongyang. The Ping Pong diplomacy of 1971 may -- or may not -- be emulated by the Philharmonic diplomacy of 2008. Nixon visited China in 1972. Will our new president visit North Korea in 2009? The pundits will have fun with that one for months to come. But in the meantime, Donna, I and the other 258 visitors are in for an experience that we'll not soon forget.
Prior to our arriving in China, we spent a week in Japan. So before we get to the serious stuff in our next blog, here are some random photographic impressions of our stays in Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai and Beijing.
Tokyo architecture gets groovy
Where we ate noodles in Tokyo -- different architecture
Famous mountain shot from the bullet train on the way to Kyoto
Kyoto is beautiful -- in parts. Underground wiring is not yet widespread
Kyoto temple
Pedestrian tunnel to I. M. Pei's Miho Museum in Kyoto
Bridge at the end of the tunnel
Entrance to the museum
Inside the museum
Donna inspecting kiln at ceramist's studio
Geisha who entertained us at dinner in Kyoto
She was a very appreciative audience
All geishas are not created equal -- the one on the left is the musician
Our Zen Master
Gorgeous bamboo forest in Kyoto
More bamboo
Shinto gates -- many thousands of them
Do these gates remind you of a recent public art work in Central Park?
Contemporary Shanghai architecture
And more
The beautiful old architecture of the Shanghai Bund
And more
Crickets bred for fighting at the cricket market in Shanghai
A champ gets a closer inspection
And food for the other critters sold in the cricket market
Famous large wall outside Beijing
Donna checking for approaching Mongol hordes
She may have spotted one
Beijing's Temple of Heaven
Dancing outside the Temple of Heaven
And ribbon dancing
And exercising
And practicing street calligraphy
Not only cute, but they speak fluent Chinese
Cloisonne bowl in early stage of fabrication
Cloisonne bowl about half-way done
Cloisonne horses
Model of Rem Koolhaas CCTV tower
CCTV tower under construction
Another view of the construction
Model of the "Nest Egg," the main Olympics stadium
Nest Egg under construction
An indelible memory of Beijing
In the last week, we've attended Philharmonic concerts in Shanghai and Beijing. On Tuesday, the concert will be in Pyongyang. The Ping Pong diplomacy of 1971 may -- or may not -- be emulated by the Philharmonic diplomacy of 2008. Nixon visited China in 1972. Will our new president visit North Korea in 2009? The pundits will have fun with that one for months to come. But in the meantime, Donna, I and the other 258 visitors are in for an experience that we'll not soon forget.
Prior to our arriving in China, we spent a week in Japan. So before we get to the serious stuff in our next blog, here are some random photographic impressions of our stays in Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai and Beijing.
Tokyo architecture gets groovy
Where we ate noodles in Tokyo -- different architecture
Famous mountain shot from the bullet train on the way to Kyoto
Kyoto is beautiful -- in parts. Underground wiring is not yet widespread
Kyoto temple
Pedestrian tunnel to I. M. Pei's Miho Museum in Kyoto
Bridge at the end of the tunnel
Entrance to the museum
Inside the museum
Donna inspecting kiln at ceramist's studio
Geisha who entertained us at dinner in Kyoto
She was a very appreciative audience
All geishas are not created equal -- the one on the left is the musician
Our Zen Master
Gorgeous bamboo forest in Kyoto
More bamboo
Shinto gates -- many thousands of them
Do these gates remind you of a recent public art work in Central Park?
Contemporary Shanghai architecture
And more
The beautiful old architecture of the Shanghai Bund
And more
Crickets bred for fighting at the cricket market in Shanghai
A champ gets a closer inspection
And food for the other critters sold in the cricket market
Famous large wall outside Beijing
Donna checking for approaching Mongol hordes
She may have spotted one
Beijing's Temple of Heaven
Dancing outside the Temple of Heaven
And ribbon dancing
And exercising
And practicing street calligraphy
Not only cute, but they speak fluent Chinese
Cloisonne bowl in early stage of fabrication
Cloisonne bowl about half-way done
Cloisonne horses
Model of Rem Koolhaas CCTV tower
CCTV tower under construction
Another view of the construction
Model of the "Nest Egg," the main Olympics stadium
Nest Egg under construction
An indelible memory of Beijing
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