The Capital City

The last couple days in Beijing have been Great, I really like the city. With over 14 million people it always seems busy, but that just means there is always someone around to ask for directions (not that I have done that...). Sunday was spent in a place called the 798 Art Zone; it took about two hours to get there by subway/bus, but mostly because of the crazy traffic around rush hour. It was a very cool area filled with block by block of local artists’ works. From contemporary to modern it had it all, and we were able to leisurely walk through the area and enjoy a nice (Italian) lunch on the patio. We didn’t get back until late afternoon, so by the time we got back to the hotel, we had to head out to Hou Hai (the place some of us guys found the night before). We took a scenic walk seeing some more history of the area, and then arrived to the fun filled lake area. The evening was spent at Quan Ju De where we had a delicious Roast Duck dinner, a delicacy and a must have when you visit China. A performance was put on during dinner of acrobats and stage performers, the entire night was fabulous.

Today we went to Tian Tan, better known as The Temple of Heaven. This was a very large courtyard type area surrounded by two brick walls, which held not only the emperors’ palace, but also a sacrificial building among other structures. There is a lot of significance to many of the things attached to the building; like the number of pillars, the roof tops, and even the pathways in which the people walked on; another cool place to see, and fun to watch all of the people enjoying the area. We continue on to Silk Street, the most crazy shopping center I have ever witnessed. This place had 9 floors, not too deep though, so a manageable size, but once you enter, it is hard to get out of the grasps of these sellers, literally. From the moment you step foot inside the doors the sellers are grabbing at your arms trying to make a sale. Some places are better, but then it is the bargaining that you have to worry about. I went to a shop to a buy a T-Shirt, and they wanted 280 RMB (about $44)! No way was I going to pay that, so I told them lower, they came down a bit, I tried again, and it went from there. By the time I actually walked away from the place, they came after me and settled on a price, 40 RMB. This is the customary procedure almost anywhere you go. Shopping there took a lot out of us, but it was a good experience yet again. The day ended at a nearby Kung Fu show! We walked in to a gorgeous backdrop, and then they began with drums, and got right into the Kung Fu. There was no speech throughout the entire one and a half hour performance, but the action was intense the whole time, and the music was fitting to each scene. The show taught the story of Kung Fu and how one of the masters reached the Stage of Enlightenment.

Beijing has been a blast, and tomorrow we finally get to see The Great Wall! Later in the trip we will be visiting Olympic Stadium and the Watercube, and also traveling to the Beijing Zoo. A lot of great things left, and hard to believe the trip is coming to an end.