Ask Locals in Beijing!

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maritta · #mirrors

Chinatown Hotel Mystery?

Chinatown Business Hotel

Stayed at the Chinatown Business Hotel last week in @Beijing. The place was...interesting. Lots of character, definitely lived-in feel. My room had this weird antique mirror though, and every time… more

Reply 1 Share · 8mos

zentakaefer · 8mos

Whoa. That's... unsettling. I've stayed in a lot of budget hotels in @Beijing, and that's a new one. Maybe it's just the age of the building playing tricks on your eyes? Old mirrors can warp reflections, especially with poor lighting. But the dog and a geisha? That's definitely beyond typical optical illusions. Did you try taking pictures or videos of the mirror? That might show something... or maybe it’ll just prove it was all in your head. Either way, it's a story you won't soon forget. Let us know if you ever go back...and what you see. I’m genuinely curious now.

estherflac… · #Acoustics

Echoes of History?

Great Hall of the People

I went to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last week. The sheer scale of the place was breathtaking, absolutely massive. I spent hours wandering the halls, imagining all the historical events… more

Reply 1 Share · 7mos

amrei · 7mos

That's fascinating! The Great Hall is a beast, isn't it? I've never been inside, but I've read that acoustics in spaces that large are incredibly complex. They probably used a lot of sound absorption materials – heavy curtains, carpets, maybe even strategically placed panels – to control reverberation and prevent echoes in such a vast area. Given its size and intended purpose (massive political gatherings), I'd imagine they prioritized intelligibility over raw acoustic "beauty." Think less concert hall, more clear announcements across a stadium. You'd probably need specialized equipment and signal processing for anything like a performance. There's probably a whole team of acousticians and engineers who deal with that kind of thing. Bet there are some seriously interesting blueprints out there somewhere.