Temple encounter leads to salvation
BEIJING (BP)–The team of six women and one child did not know what to expect when they entered the Buddhist temple. They just knew that God had led them to come and pray. Arriving from the subway at one of countless temples in China’s vast capital city, Beijing, the team members could smell the burning […]
Beijing: A city of opportunity
BEIJING, China (BP)--The sign at the park's entrance said much. It was the social contract for Beijing. It admonished the Chinese to cherish the young and to show respect for the elderly, to work well and hard, to live in harmony with all, and to be broad-minded and open-minded. With 18.2 million people crowding the city, Beijing's 500 parks are filled daily with people who are approachable. Early in the morning, groups gather for Tai Chi, muscle-strengthening exercises tied to the martial arts. They also gather to play sports and musical instruments, to walk, think and engage each other in conversation. Scores of people visit the parks to escape the busyness of the city. The beautiful, intentionally landscaped parks are a great contrast to the bustling city streets, which congest the air with stifling smog. The smog also is due to an overabundance of industry, especially active now in preparation for the 2008 Olympics to be held in Beijing in August. Modern buildings overwhelm the city's hutongs, where for centuries communities gathered together. All over the city's landscape, new buildings are being built, new subway lines developed, and people everywhere are preparing to be in the world's limelight.
Scavenger hunt paves way for missions
BEIJING, China (BP)--The assignment was to take a bus to the subway station, choose an unexplored subway stop and spend the day sizing up the area to determine what a team of volunteers could do there.
