If wine is like poetry, then tea is like philosophy, according to the part-owner of a tea shop nestled among old-style Beijing streets near the west gate of the Imperial Palace.

While the drinking of alcohol creates an atmosphere that is romantic and expressive, the drinking of tea encourages people toward more serious contemplation, said Zhang Jie while performing a Chinese-style tea ceremony. Zhang, an elegant 25-year-old lady, owns the Purple Vine Teahouse  along with her Taiwanese boyfriend, Chen Fuhua.

The Chinese tea ceremony is known as gong fu cha as it requires considerable effort (gong fu) to perform the elaborate process, which is restricted to the preparation of oolong tea. The Chinese tea ceremony does not involve the ceremonial details or strict adherence to procedural rules of its Japanese counterpart. However, as my Chinese friends are quick to point out, the Japanese art of drinking tea is another example of an ancient Chinese practice that was adopted by Japanese people in former times. Zhang said this style of serving and drinking tea is a custom that dates to the Qing Dynasty but is now enjoying a revival in Taiwan.

Visitors to the Purple Vine are greeted by traditional Chinese ornaments. Red lanterns hang from the edge of the roof at the entrance, and two small stone lions stand guard in front of a large, red wooden doorway. Painted on the wooden mantle above the doorway is a depiction of Yao Di, a benevolent farmer and later king who came to be known as the god of tea. As the legend goes, Yao spent much of his time traveling through the countryside, picking and tasting many different sorts of plants and herbs to identify which ones could provide medicinal benefits to people. One day he collapsed from the ill effect of a poisonous plant. But luckily, as he lay unconscious, a drop of water fell off the leaf of a nearby tea tree and dropped into his mouth, curing his illness. After his recovery, Yao spread the benefits of tea far and wide.

Tea was originally considered to be more important for its medicinal properties than for its flavor. According to Zhang, it was thought that drinking tea was effective in clearing the eyes and preserving beauty, as well as helping to cure high blood pressure and 100 other illnesses. As a regular tea drinker, I am unable to confirm any of these claims. I can attest, however, to the pleasant sense of refreshment gained from drinking Chinese tea.

The teahouse's customers consist of a wide range of middle-class Beijing locals, overseas residents and visitors, and lovers wishing to build their own moments of intimacy away from the hustle and bustle of the outside city. The teahouse offers a sanctuary for those wishing to enjoy a peaceful respite from the pressures and deadlines of work and the high-paced entertainment of Beijing's bars and nightclubs.

Add: 2, Nanchang Jie, Xicheng District
Tel: 66066614
Open: Noon-2am daily

How to gong fu

Oolong tea should be brewed for between 30 and 45 seconds to produce the best flavor.

At Zhang's teahouse it is poured into dainty, cylindrical cups and small round cups are placed upside down over the top. With thumb and forefinger, the two cups are inverted so that the small cup is on the bottom.

The cylindrical cup is then raised while being gently twisted to leave the small cup containing aromatic tea. The fragrance should be tested before tasting by placing the nose over the rim of the cylindrical cup and twisting the cup to persuade the aroma to spiral upward.

The small cups are never filled to the brim ?the space left at the top of the cup is left to signify friendship. People are meant to meet over tea to enjoy each other's company, rather than to enjoy the sensual pleasure of drinking tea alone. The guest is expected to take three discrete sips of the tea; the number corresponds to the three mouth radicals that form the Chinese character for "taste."

The activity offers several routes featuring such sights as Kangxi Grassland, Guyaju, Songshan Mountain, White Dragon Pool, the Simatai section of the Great Wall, Yunyougu, Black Dragon Pool, Tianxian Waterpool, Yunmeng Mountain, Silver Fox Cave, the Peking Man site and Shidu. For more information, call 6552-3437 or 6552-3443.

The new ESCADA boutique held its grand opening in March in the Lower Lobby of the Palace Hotel. This spacious new shop offers a full range of products from the ESCADA Margaretha Ley Collection with accessories including handbags, shoes and silk scarves. Here you can find the latest spring and summer collections, which are an embodiment of modern femininity and are divided into five categories: collection, executive, weekend, events and knits.

The distinctive design features of these collections are the strong tailoring, seamed detailing and sexy fit, which bring out the feminine shapes and the trendy side of modern women. The fabrics, such as the colorful summer floral prints, leopard prints, the signature horse logo jacquards and ML embroideries, are glamorous. The knits feature unusual silhouettes, yarns and styles, all designed to give the ESCADA woman a distinctive look and feel.

White Peacock Arts and Crafts World has launched a Folk Arts Festival. During the festival, folk artists and craftsmen from all over China will demonstrate their skills. There will be demonstrations of more than 10 kinds of traditional Chinese folk crafts in the sales hall each day. Visitors can have a close look at the whole process of making a dough sculpture, paper-cutting and embroidering. The folk arts of some Chinese minorities will also have space in the hall. The demonstrations will last until October. For more information, call White Peacock Arts and Crafts at 6201-8084.

Add: Deshengmenwai, Beibinhelu

Longmai Hot Spring in Beijing is a great resort combining the mysterious culture of China with the pleasure of travel. It is the first imperial villa village in China and the biggest entertainment palace offering indoor hot springs in Asia.

The entertainment palace can play host to 2000 people. Swimming pool, diving platform, bar, billiards and KTV are available together with the steam bath, mist bath, rain bath and massage room services. There are also 39 villas in the holiday village, built in classical style and offering indoor hot spring swimming pools and big gardens. Each villa can hold 20-30 people, and is equipped with conference room, chess room and gymnasium. In addition, a fishing center, shooting range, golf course and tennis courts are also available. It is a ideal place for entrepreneurs and celebrities to have a good rest.

Tel: 61781021 , 61782465 , 61782448

Add: Beijing Xiaotangshan Longmai Hot Spring

by Bettina Fetzer-Muller

When new friends inquire about where I am living in Beijing, they often cannot understand how I can voluntarily reside 20 km from the downtown area. Because we wanted to offer our dog a safe environment with the chance to run free, we had to concentrate our search for housing on the suburban area. Being fond of tennis and golf, our family looked for a compound which could offer these facilities. The most important point for me and my teenage girls was to find a place where we had friendly and open-minded neighbors and a professional clubhouse management. Having lived in a compound with very low occupancy before, we had learned that even the most luxurious villa is no fun if there are no people to socialize with. We had four wonderful tennis courts, but I could not find a tennis partner for months. Luckily, we discovered Dragon Villas. Right off we were fascinated by the luxury clubhouse and facilities. Lying in a deck chair by the spacious and very clean outdoor swimming pool I felt as happy as in a holiday resort. A lot of social activities made it easy for us to make friends with other residents. Together we went to the horse racing and to the go-kart course, as well as on outings for fishing or hiking. Coffee mornings in the clubhouse, parties with live music in the Celebrity bar and Poolside BBQ with Beijing opera performances give us a change from the daily routine. Aerobics, art and cooking classes, movie nights as well as ballet, swimming, tennis and gong fu classes for kids are on the monthly schedule. Our gymnasium is well-equipped and oft-frequented. We have two outdoor tennis courts and many enthusiastic tennis players, so it is easy to find a partner. Another sports complex will open this autumn featuring bowling, indoor tennis, karaoke and a bridge room. Ninety percent of the 177 villas have tenants. They come from all over the world ?many are from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia or Germany. Dragon Villas is the ideal area to live with small children. Parents don't have to worry if their kids play outside the house or ride their bicycles. Having teenage children, it is very important to have a frequent and reliable shuttle bus service, because they love to go downtown on their own. Dragon Villas provides a free shuttle bus 14 times a day from 7:00am until midnight. The bus stops are convenient ?Lido, Kempinski, Capital Mansion and Traders Hotel. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings we have our own car. With a well-stocked supermarket there is really no need to have your own car. In the Clubhouse you can get fresh milk and cheese, bread, meat and a good selection of wine and other Western products.

Located in the countryside, at Dragon Villas the air is fresh and traffic is less. Every villa is surrounded by green grass and trees. Compared with downtown residential areas, you get much more space for the same money. The architectural style and interior of the houses are of high quality. So our family never regrets having moved to this new home.

The restaurant will provide diners with the open-plan food preparation and exquisite presentation that is regarded as the finest in Japanese cuisine. Nishimura will also be the first Japanese restaurant in Beijing featuring Robatayaki, a most soughtafter dining experience that allows diners to chose from fresh seafood, meat and vegetables grilled by the expert Japanese chef right in front of their eyes.

Nishimura will also feature a Sushi Bar. For private pleasure and business entertainment, the restaurant provides a Teppanyaki area plus a private Teppanyaki room where imported Japanese beef will be the specialty. In addition, two traditional tatami rooms and one modern-style private room will be offered.

Nishimura Japanese Restaurant is located on the second floor of the main building of the Shangri-la Hotel and has a capacity of 135 people. The restaurant's design features an exquisite combination of ancient and modern Japanese architectural art.

The restaurant is open daily from 10:30am to 2:30pm for lunch and 5:30pm to 10:30pm for dinner. Telephone: 68412211 ext. Nishimura.

For more details, call 65942288 ext. 1526/1528.

It's a part of almost every palace, temple and park in China; in Tian'anmen Square and scattered all across the Forbidden City.

So what is it?

Chinese white marble has been in use for centuries in Chinese architecture. Sculpted into ornate railings, staircases and statues, this stone is prized for its pure white color. Today, Chinese white marble is seen most often carved into those ubiquitous stone lions guarding residences, apartment buildings, offices and restaurants.

Fangshan district, southwest of Beijing, is a big supplier of the stone, satisfying not only nationwide demand but international buyers as well. The stone comes out of the earth in large chunks as white as snow. Hauled up from the ground, the stone is then divided into smaller slabs and sent to carving workshops where they are transformed into decorative and functional pieces.

Dotting the area around the Fangshan district quarry are dozens of carving workshops. One of the larger ones, the Shiwodiao carving factory, produces a wide variety of stone sculptures. Here, everything from giant stone rabbits to a 2 meter tall bust of Sun Yatsen can be had. Stone lions crowd the lot in sizes varying from 10 centimeters to over 2 meters.

Artisans work at the stone with picks, hammers, and electric saws on the lots. Carving marble is a time-consuming and difficult task. Furthermore, most items cannot be made from patterns or molds. A small stone lion, perhaps half a meter high, takes around 20 days to complete. Artisans must learn their craft at carving workshops, gradually working their way to more and more difficult tasks. Art schools also send students to carving workshops as part of their education. The Central Academy of Fine Arts sends some of its sculpture students to the Shiwodiao carving factory for apprenticeships.

Many of the works produced are custom made. Tombstones, for example, can be designed and engraved on site. In addition, some businesses may order large items such as huabiao or ornamental columns. These columns, which bear a slight resemblance to totem poles, are traditionally placed selectively around buildings. Tall and cylindrical, the poles are engraved with dragons and swirling clouds and capped with a lion. In Tiananmen Square, two huabiao point north and south and were believed to help the emperor rule for the good of the people. Nowadays, less majestic versions can be had for companies able to afford them.

The carving factories make a fun stop en route to some of Fangshan's more scenic site. Stone lions vary in price from ?00 to ?000 and up.

The toothpaste contains "natural keep-fit material." While brushing your teeth, the material is dissolved by the saliva. Then it is absorbed by the skin mucosa and blood capillaries in the mouth and is passed to other parts of the body to dissolve the extra fat, protein and sugar.

The toothpaste goes on the market this month in Beijing.

Other offers include:

Stay 2 nights and get the 3rd night at half price or stay 3 nights and get the 4th night free plus free room upgrade on availability, late check-out up to 3:00pm, 20 percent discount on Business Center charges (excluding post and telecommunications), 20 percent discount on all food and beverage consumption, 30 percent discount on laundry charges, complimentary welcome amenities and free pressing of the first suit.

The 19-story hotel was re-opened in April 1998 following an extensive renovation and complete refurbishment. It offers 429 guest rooms and suites. The top three floors are Executive Floors.

Harbour Plaza Beijing is the second hotel to be managed by the Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts group and is sister hotel to the award-winning Harbour Plaza Hong Kong, which was recently named in the World's Ten Best Hotels by LEADERS Magazine of New York.

Bookings can be made directly through Harbour Plaza Beijing on 86-10-64362288 or fax 86-10-64376310 or through Harbour Plaza Hong Kong on 852-29968059 or fax 852-26213318.

The new Fenghuang Ling Natural Reserve is a protected site with both beautiful landscape and historical and cultural connotations.

There are more than 40 natural sites featuring unusual stone formations, rare plants and beautiful flowers.

The reserve is also a frequently visited religious site of Buddhism and Taoism. Some of the temples have been listed as key cultural relics protection sites by the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau.

To get there, take bus 346 and get off at the last stop. If you drive yourself, it takes 30 minutes going north from the Summer Palace by Yiyang Road. Then drive 5 minutes following the sign to the west.

Ticket: 8 yuan

Yangtaishan is a nearby mountain area worth a visit in May and June for its exquisite flowers.

Take bus 346 and get off at "Bei An He Bei Kou." Go west for one kilometer. Signs to the mountain are available after half an hour's drive north on Yiyang Road. Tel: 62456816.

You may be fascinated looking at Chinese traditional arts and crafts, but have you ever considered doing them?

The International Youth University of the Sino-Japanese Youth Exchange Center provides regular and irregular classes in 24 subjects including Chinese, traditional Chinese instrumental music, Chinese cuisine, Chinese dim sum, dancing, Chinese checkers, martial arts, fashion, Chinese embroidery, calligraphy, seal cutting, Chinese painting, paper cuts, tea art, tai ji chuan, qigong, Chinese beauty techniques and Japanese flower arranging.

The university is the former education department of the Sino-Japanese Youth Exchange Center, mainly doing seminars or short-term classes for Japanese students. But the suddenly increasing needs of foreigners who want to learn more Chinese culture prompted the development of the department, and it was built into an informal university for all foreigners two years ago.

The university is open to anyone interested in taking the classes. Private classes can also be arranged, and the times of classes are also flexible. If needed, lodging is also available. Tuition is charged on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis according to the subject, length of class, number of students in class and other factors.

You can call Satomi (speaks Chinese, Japanese and English) at 6462-8472 (phone & fax), 6466-3311 ext. 3500, or mobile phone 9085-3987 for more information and to obtain brochures about the university.

The ever-increasing use of computer reservation system (CRS) bookings by Chinese travel agents has forced airlines to place more emphasis on training to make efficient use of this important tool.

Swissair Beijing is the first foreign airline office in China to be equipped with a computer terminal from China's largest computer reservation system provider.

Travel agents, airlines and ultimately airline passengers will benefit from this new venture. Reservation files created by travel agents can be transferred electronically to Swissair, where specially trained staff can add features to the file such as seat selection, waiting list inventories, special meal orders, prepaid tickets, fare quotations and various other special services.