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China notebook

My Chinese week with Elle Macpherson, the Prince of Wales and Tony Blair

David Tang

Wednesday, 7th November 2007

David Tang's China Diary

But back to Elle, whom I have known for as long as her legendary body. It was her first time in China, and she happily stayed at the China Club, a 400-year-old courtyard mini-palace that stands in defiance of all the ghastly and mindless skyscrapers that have sprouted up and are still feverishly springing up all over Peking. Those descending on the capital for the Olympics will not fail to notice the sorrowful architecture. My heart aches, not for the nightingale, but for the wanton destruction of old Chinese buildings, especially courtyard houses, and all the magical hutongs, the traditional alleyways, that had for millennia defined the ancient city, 75 per cent of which have now been destroyed.

London

In London, the Prince of Wales is well aware of the plight of the dwindling hutongs. His Foundation for the Built Environment (PFBE) has already been to China to work with Chinese experts from the prestigious Tsinghua University in order to find ways of preserving what there is left and resuscitating it with traditional craftsmanship and materials. It might surprise many that he cares so much about such things in faraway China, whose leaders he had likened to those resident at Madame Tussaud’s. It might also surprise many that in recent times the Prince of Wales has been embracing and has been embraced by the Chinese community. He is, of course, well-known for being friendly with the Indians, Pakistanis and Muslims but, last Thursday, it was the turn for thousands of Chinese. Accompanied by his wife the Duchess, he came to Gerrard Street and spent over two hours touring the heart of Chinatown. Lots of Chinese turned up, and smiled and shook hands with the royals — almost as if it was a day out of colonial Hong Kong. Behind barriers, many of my compatriots wanted to speak to the Prince, who questioned a man in the crowd: ‘Do you work in this country?’

‘I pay you tax!’ he barked back. It drew a royal chuckle.

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