Culture and arts, The Hague

I didn't realise Den Haag has a 'Chinatown' and it was sheer luck that I spotted the rather nice gateway as I wandered along Spuistraat.

Through the gate, on Wagenstraat and the surrounding streets, you'll find a variety of Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian restaurants and eating places as well as shops selling all types of Asian goods.

Worth exploring (I didn't have time to give more than a quick look).

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I'm not sure whether these are permanent or temporary..... or perhaps the bases are permanent and the sculptures are occasionally replaced by new ones. But I was pleased to see them along Spuistraat and Lange Poten: they added interest to the streeetscene (almost entirely focused on shopping on Spuistraat, which is lined with shops on both sides).

I couldn't always see the name of the sculpture or artist, and when I could the information was in Dutch (quite rightly and not a surprisingly). So I have no real idea what each sculpture represents. I just enjoyed looking at them.

My favourite was the realistic girl on her knees but, ironically, that was the one I could not photograph well. Her position on the corner of two streets with tall buildings added to the position of the sun at the time made it very difficult.

Forget the shopping...it's worth a walk along both streets just to see and enjoy the sculptures, though probably best not to do this when Spuistraat is packed with shoppers (as I discovered!). :-)

The palace Lange Voorhout nowadays houses the Escher Museum. There is much to see.. from famous work like Ascending and Decending, Babel's tower and Day and Night to the announcement card he made for his son's birth... as well as letters, diaries and much more.

On the top floor you can experience Escher's work via virtual reality. And there are several computers programmed with Escher games.. for you to enjoy..

In the Basement there is a cafe. Kids can play there. The door comes from the ceiling, the table is hanging on the wall and the stairs are unclimable. The cafe serves lunch and hightea. But you can also sit down to a cup of coffee or tea.

Location: Lange Voorhout 74

Opening hours:
Tuesday-sunday 11.00 till 17.00
Closed on 25th of december and 1 January

Admission fee:
Adults 7,50 Euro
Kids between 7-15 5 euro
Kids under 7 are for free
Family ticket 20 euro

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This is a monument of a female statue I just discovered. Her name is Lammetje Groen or Green Little Lamb and her history is an interesting one.

People of the neighbourhood named Rivierenbuurt, The Hague, got involved to give an idea for some art in their area. Led by Cees de Brabander they choose for a young woman who was famous here in the 16th. century. In these old days the washerwomen were well-known who laid their white washing in the green meadows to dry and to bleech. The guys of the tow-boats approaching The Hague noticed the white laundry and named it after "green little lambs in the green meadows".

So the monument-statue, designed by Teun van Beijnum, became a young washerwoman named Lammetje Groen. At 20 October 1995 she was unveiled with style and honours. She sits there to welcome any passer by, and watch the changes of the neighbourhood for ages long. You can find her at the corner of the Ammunitiehof and the Lamgroen in the neighbourhood Rivierenbuurt.

It wasn't the Dutch who made of Hansje Brinker, an almost 8 years old boy of Haarlem, a legendary hero. He stuck his finger in a little opening of the dike of a polder, and saved many inhabitants living in the fields of drowning. It was the American writer Mary Mapes Dodge who wrote the famous "Hans Brinker, and the silver skates"-book in 1865. His statue became world-wide known, to be seen here at Madurodam, The Hague. Its original you can find in Spaarndam, close to Haarem city ...

The Year of the Rooster/Chicken, that was 2005. The Chinese prophesy told we would have a better year as 2004... Well, did it work out for you? Better find out in 2006, the Year of the Red Flaming Dog... wowww!!!

The photograph shows the beginning of the Chinese New Year 4207, officially celebrated in The Hague. Indeed The Hague got its own Chinatown! A super cultural highlight in The Hague by the Chinese with the famous Lion and Dragon Dances, and fireworks (starting with 2x 100.000 bangs!).

Info The Hague:
Stichting Chinatown
St. Jacobstraat 15
2512 AN Den Haag
or
Gedempte Burgwal 20C
2512 BV The Hague

please, see some great pics by Jeroen Jansen >>>
Jeroen Jansen Chinese New Year

and more The Hague Events by
Jeroen Jansen

Next to the center of The Hague you'll find one the most popular "strip shops". Besides strip books they sell cute strip dolls, too like Batman, Lady Vampire, Goofy etc. Whenever looking for a special item of Dutch strip books this is the place to go ... and very nice, helpful people!

Haagse Stripshop
Stille Veerkade 43 The Hague
(area behind Bijenkorf)

Closed at Monday and Sunday
Tuesday - Wednesday: 11.00 - 18.00 hrs
Thursday: 11.00 - 21.00 hrs
Friday: 11.00 - 18.00 hrs
Saturday: 10.00 - 17.00 hrs

A very nice neighbourhood to go for a walk is at the Regentesseplein. Named the "other" The Hague most tourists miss this region where the beautiful square reminds of the Dutch Queen Regent Emma. A special obelisk with a charming Lady Victory has been specially dedicated to her. Go for a wonderful shop nearby the Weimarstraat ...

Ofcourse some names of famous people contribute its mite and one of them is Baruch/Benedict Spinoza. Born in Amsterdam in 1632 he settled down at The Hague where he got the famous philosophical formulations. In The Hague you'll find the Domus Spinozana, the house where the philosopher died in 1677. You can arrange for a visit and read some texts by Spinoza.

Find and see the statue of his image in front of the house, in the centre of The Hague. I do love philosophy and this place got very special to me, just around the corner of my humble living-place ...

"Desire is the very essence of man"
~ SPINOZA ~
Paviljoensgracht 72-74, The Hague

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Famous People Who Had Visited The Hague

In front of Palace Noordeinde (Noordeinde 68) next to Queen Wilhelmina, you'll see the statue of Prince William II Of Orange (Willem Van Oranje) on horseback, dated form 1845.

This legendary prince (1625-1650) was long-haired Prince William II of Orange, and Count of Nassau in 1647. He married Mary Stuart (1631-1650) of England, Scotland and Ireland and, daughter of King Charles I. The poor guy would be crowned emperor by the Pope, but died in a battle of war before the event. So he never finished to build the Ridderzaal (Knight Room), which his only son William III did. Another famous William Of Orange ...