| Beijing: September 10-13, 2000 |
| September 10-13, 2000. During the Korean holiday Chuseok (harvest festival), Heather and I went on a package tour to Beijing and surrounding area. This was our second sojourn into China, but the first to last more than a few hours. We had a chance to visit some of the most famous structures in the world, and we got the opportunity to see what the "new" China looks like up close. |
| Considering the events that took place there in 1989, my visit to Tianenmen Square (to the left) felt a little more significant than what one might expect from a vast space of open concrete. Things were quiet on this day, but only a couple months after our visit some members of the Falun Gong set fire to themselves in this very location. This is where all important events are held in Beijing. We also learned that Chairman Mao's embalmed body is entombed nearby, against the traditions of Chinese rulers from the past who were buried far away from the centre of the city. |
| The high-lite of the tour was the visit to the Great Wall. What a workout! In some places, the steps go almost straight up. People with a fear of heights are not advised to climb the Wall. That didn't deter Heather and me, as you can see to the right. It is truly amazing to consider that the Great Wall stretches across the better part of China - some 6000 km. It's even more amazing to imagine that it took hundreds of years to build, and cost thousands of lives along the way. And it STILL didn't stop the Mongols. |
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| The PLA - People's Liberation Army - holds a special place in Chinese society. I thought I'd try to get myself in a picture with them, but felt slightly embarrassed when they started marching directly behind me. And then there was the guard who put his hand up in front of my camera when I tried to take his picture. I imagine that the PLA soldiers get a lot of dumb tourists like me trying to photograph them like some kind of novelty. But, hey, how often do you get to see soldiers of an army, face-to-face, that murdered a thousand of its own people? |
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| One must of course visit Beijing's most famous landmark, the Forbidden City. While it is hardly forbidden anymore (Starbucks has opened a shop inside its walls), it is obviously rich with history. If you've seen the movie The Last Emperor, part of it was actually filmed inside the Forbidden City. Today, tourists are the only people who refer to it as the Forbidden City. Apparently, most Chinese are unaccustomed to the reference, and it is known as a museum to most residents of Beijing. Interesting. |
| The building to the left is the Temple of Heaven. This might be the most revered structure in all of Beijing. Below, you can see elderly people doing Taichi exercises at the entrance to the Temple of Heaven. This happens every morning. |
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