My June 2025 Visit to China: Touchstones of History

FUSHUN, the location of the great open-pit coal mine:

the strip-mine is now covered with greenery:

The coal mine museum:

Public art showing mining work:

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SHENYANG: I stayed at the old Yamato Hotel:

it is still elegant, although a century old and much larger than I had imagined:

the very stage where Yamaguchi sang at the age of thirteen:

an article about Yamaguchi which was posted in the hotel: 

the old Shenyang Railway Station:

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SANHAIGUAN, which Yoshiko mentions in her memoir:

BEIJING: at the location of Yoshiko's 1935 Beijing residence on Picai Hutong. 

The residence is no longer there, having been replaced some time ago by a small commercial building. 

Qi Baishi passed away in 1957 and his house appears to have been undisturbed since then. I think his property looks the same as it did in 1935 when Yoshiko lived next door.  

looking at the commercial clinic that occupies the former Pan residence:

this tree fronting Picai Hutong clinic may have existed in 1935:

The general neighborhood looks to be higher-end apartment buildings, and I assume this was the case in the 1930's also:

looking at Qi Baishi residence from the street:

and from opposite direction:

front door of Qi residence:

walking around the Qi Baishi residence:

other famous Beijing locations that Yoshiko mentions in her memoirs:

John M. bicycling around Tiananmen Square on a ShareBike:

the moat around the Forbidden City:

the Beihai Lake Park:

the Temple of Heaven:

 

:Under Construction: