We had booked our Beijing trip in advance and it included a tour guide and a driver. This is not how we like to travel, but it's what was recommended (and looking at the tourists around us, what the vast majority of travelers in China do). Our guide was a talker, and chatted (mostly with Chris) all the way through Beijing. Non-stop. Being a tour guide for Americans is a good job - he was university educated and told us that he and his wife were able to afford a small apartment in a good part of the city. Our first day started in Tienanmen Square. Other than the fact that we were cold (I almost bought a plush panda hat from a street vendor) it was impressive. Far bigger than I would have ever imagined it to be. The most impressive part was the line to see Mao's tomb. Hours and hours of waiting. We did not.
The Forbidden City was much like Tienanmen Square - way bigger than I had ever imagined it. We were there for a couple of hours and we only saw a fraction of it. Our guide tried to explain things as we looked at them, but I wish that I had brought my own guide book so I could read more as we walked. I also had the overwhelming sense that world history was an area where public education failed me. As much as I liked my world history teacher in high school, I learned remarkably little. We were also struck by the difference in world view between us and our guide. He constantly wanted to talk politics and religion (which, along with our adoption, were the main topics we were told in advance to avoid), and as much as we tried to change the subject, it was interesting to see what he knew of US history and the filtered view of current events that is presented in China.
Our last stop on day 1 was at the Temple of Heaven. Yet another place that was stunningly beautiful and far larger than I had ever imagined it. The main building - the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests - is what you see on the postcards, but there are other buildings and a huge park surrounding the Temple with locals playing cards and doing tai chi. Definitely a place I wish we had spent more time at. You'll also notice that the color of the sky has significantly changed from the morning pictures - it's not clouds, but pollution rolling in.
Our second day was a side trip to the Great Wall. The Great Wall is not in Beijing - the section we went to was 3 1/2 hours from our hotel (though 2 hours back with a more direct route and slightly less traffic). We went to the Mutinayu section - less toursity than the Badaling section (the section closest to Beijing, and the one you've probably seen in pictures) and much steeper. The Great Wall really is impressive - it's high up in the mountains and is unbelievably steep. We took a chair lift up - one of the scariest things I have ever done - and hiked along a few sections. It doesn't matter what picture I post - no picture can possibly do it justice. And, in an unexpected but of fun, we took the toboggan down. Yes, I SLID down the Great Wall of China.
Along with the Great Wall, we spent some time on day 2 in what Chris called "the machine". Tourism is regulated by the government. Each of the restaurants we went to were government run places specifically for tour groups. Don't get me wrong - the lunches we ate in Beijing were probably our favorite of the trip. There was a chicken and cucumber dish on the first day that I still think about, and the guide specially ordered kung pao chicken for Chris on day 3 that he still talks about. But they are very clearly part of the deal. We also stopped on our way to the Wall at a government run jade factory and on our way back at a government run cloisonne factory. Again, it was interesting to see how jade is carved and cloisonne is made, but we clearly had a length of time we had to spend there, and we bought a few little pieces of jewelry at each for Hannah which was sort of our ticket out.
Our last day we crammed the most stuff in. We started at the Summer Palace, which was a really nice little oasis. It was on the lake, which made the air quality a little better. I could imagine that in the summer all of the paddle boats are full and it's the perfect place to spend an afternoon. On the day we were there? Still shady spots with snow.
From the Summer Palace we headed to the most anticipated stop for me in Beijing - the Olympic sites. I am an Olympics addict, and our guide was sort of stunned by my knowledge of the stadium and the Beijing Olympics. I don't think he was expecting me to be pointing things out to HIM. Like everything else in Beijing, the Bird's Nest was much larger and much more impressive in person. And it was interesting to see how they had made the stadium into a paid attraction - very different from Centennial Park in Atlanta.
F
rom the Bird's Nest we headed to the Lama Temple. This is home to the world's largest wooden Buddah. And yes - it was huge. It was fascinating to see the prayer wheels and watch (and smell) people burn incense. The glimpse into how others pray is not one that I will soon forget. We didn't take very many pictures out of respect for those who were praying there, but I couldn't help but take this one. People throw coins and try to get them to land for good luck, directly in front of the sign telling them to not throw coins. (can you see all the coins that have been thrown?)
Our last stop in Beijing was a tour of the hutong, the small traditional residences in Beijing. Definitely the oddest part of our trip - we were handed over to our hutong guide, loaded onto a rickshaw, and driven through the hutong. We even were taken into a family's living room where they poured us tea and encouraged us to ask questions. While it was beyond strange, we loved our little tour guide - Jenna Tau - who followed us along on her bicycle and Chris deemed to be "pocket sized." Interesting fact - we noticed the raised doorways throughout Beijing, which she explained was to keep the ghosts out. How does it keep the ghosts out? Because ghosts don't have knees. It's the one fact I have retained from trip.
Would I ever go back to Beijing? Probably not. The places we visited were amazing. And it was nice for us to have those last few days alone as a couple. But the city itself? Not a fan. The pollution was horrific, as was the traffic. Chris kept joking that everyone smokes for the fresh air. He was also convinced by the end of day 2 that he was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. I brought every allergy and asthma medicine I own and still got sick. I don't know how people live in it every day. We were so done with it by the last day that we asked to go to the airport extra early, just to sit in the filtered air. The lack of diversity also bothered me, but it bothered me throughout our trip. It makes me proud to be an American, regardless of whatever nonsense is going on in politics.
