China Part 1 (Beijing)

I am really sorry for writing again just now. As most of you might already know, I was in China for 10 days. It was purely a leisure trip. I went with my Tita to visit my cousin who is currently studying in Beijing. Most of the time we were in Beijing but we also took trips to Lijian and Shangrila in the Yunnan province down south. We had to take a 4 hour plane ride to get there. I will talk more about those trips in my next entry. It was my 2nd time in Beijing and 3rd time to visit China. The first thing i noticed upon landing in the Beijing airport was the pollution. At first I wondered why it was fogging during a very sunny day in the city. Then I was told that it is actually the smog. Now i got worried how I am going to spend the next few days especially with my allergic rhinitis and asthma. Nevertheless, I had lots of fun just taking time out to unwind and visiting tourist/scenic spots! I was also able to meet up with some friends over there who took me out at night to experience the night life in a Chinese speaking land. I've decided not to pursue studying Mandarin anymore in Beijing because of my various commitments here in Manila. Anyways, i was able to practice my Mandarin a bit while talking to the taxi drivers, waiters, sales people, etc. I wasn't so bad after all. I guess the Mandarin I learned back in Xavier high school and in Ateneo really paid off. Some even thought that I was a local and couldn't believe that I was from a foreign country. The only internet access i had there was in my cousin's dorm room, which i hardly visit. That explains my blogging absence.

First stop, the Great Wall. This wall isn't great for nothing. It stretches from east to west for about 7000km. What makes this so special is the fact that this wall was built along mountain slopes rising and falling, twisting and turning in the Northern part of China. It served as an impregnable military defense for the Chinese dynasties against invaders. This wall was first built in 7th century B.C. and reconstruction continued throughout the following dynasties which lasted for almost 2000 years. What makes it even more amazing is, if you think about it, that it was built without any sophisticated machinery and equipment. There were no trucks nor cranes back in the 7th century to be used through the winding and extremely steep slopes, especially during the freezing winter. As a result, thousands of men lost their lives. Sadly, their bodies were said to be used as pavement too. My Tita and I went to the Badaling section, which is about 1 and a half hours away from the city. Anticipating the cold weather, I brought 3 layers of clothing but luckily i only had to wear 1 layer since the sun rays were very intense up in the mountains. Also, climbing up and down made me feel warm. It was really tiring but i didn't give up because i saw all these 60 to 70 year olds weaving their way through. If they can do it, we can do it too! We stayed for about 3 hours then headed back to the city.





That same night, after having the best Peking Duck at LiQun Kaoya in some alley, we strolled around Tian'anmen Square to help digest the food. Tian'anmen is located right at the center of Beijing proper and it literally means Gate of Heavenly Peace. It is the largest public square with a total floor space of 440,000 square meters, it can accommodate up to a million people. The Tian'anmen massacre also occurred in this square where possibly thousands of innocent people where killed while protesting for democratic reforms in 1989. Right across the road is the Forbidden City, the largest wooden cluster in the world today. The picture displays the gate of the empire. I did not enter its premises due to the lack of time in this trip (it will take one about 4 hours to really go around), but I have been inside before and I have to say that it is indeed a masterpiece in itself. Its construction began in 1406 during the Ming dynasty and it was completed 14 years later. 24 emperors lived and executed their supreme power over the nation from here. It is rectangular in shape and covers 72 hectares. Inside the city are 8,704 rooms and it is surrounded by 10-meter-high walls. For the emperor's security, It was said that the emperor sleeps in different rooms every night (of course with his concubines) and only his closest aides know where he will be spending the night.


That's enough for now. Keep posted for more China pics and stories :) When people hear the word China, you normally think of cheap labor, cheap goods, 1.2 billion people, etc. I hope this entry, together with the next few ones will help you appreciate the beauty and richness of China and its history :)

Chris