(FYI, pictures start here)
So I just spent the weekend in Beijing, touring around with the help and generocity of my program manager. He moved to Beijing when he was a kid, and now lives outside the city. He worked in downtown, though, so he knows a lot about the area and where to go/what to see. Let's just say that without his help I would have had no idea where I was going!
We started right off with a wander through Tiannamen Square. Lots of people, but it's pretty empty except for the center-building that houses the casket of Chairman Mao. Directly across the street is the Forbidden City, which is absolutelt monsterous! You don't even enter the heart of the palace until you go through 3 different gates. Once you're in, the palace is gi-normous, way too big to ever think of seeing in only one day. The architecture and buildings were a signt to see; large, ornate, and beautiful to see.
We then traveled to the Temple of Heaven, a park-like temple that is actually made up of large walled areas with buildings... and the park/Temple itself is enclosed by it's own exterior wall. The whole temple is geared toward worhshiping to heaven and praying for a bountiful harvest, and every building and artistic/architectural detail has a meaning. There are other temples to worship the Earth, Sun and Moon, but the Heavens are much larger so they require the largest temple.
Today we started with a morning jaunt to the Great Wall site in Mutianyu, which is about 45 minutes from downtown Beijing. You have to be fit to walk up and around this wall. Since the wall follows incredibly tall mountain peaks, the sharp rises and falls of the mountain are mimicked by the wall. This means the wall can get very steep and steps are bountiful. This was definitely my workout for the day!
The rest of the day was spend in downtown Beijing with eating and shopping. I'll have to dedicate a small posting to the shopping in the markets, as this is an adventure that rivals the driving.
Posted by Austin at June 24, 2007 05:05 AMHi Austin! These entries are really cool to read, and I LOVE your pictures!! David and I leave Friday for a month-long trek around Asia, so it is especially timely and fun to see your accounts of China!!! Everything looks/sounds really amazing. Enjoy the rest of your trip!!!
Posted by: Julie on June 25, 2007 08:43 AMHey Julie! Dave emailed me and told me about your trip and how you guys are staying overnight in Chicago before you leave. The irony is that I arrive in Chicago the same day you do, but I'm heading to Michigan as soon as I hit the ground.
You guys will love Asia. Communication will be interesting, but you should be able to get by just fine. Don't forget - if you go shopping, haggle! If you pay 50% of the marked price in some markets, that's still too high. ;-)
Posted by: Austin on June 27, 2007 09:33 AM