Beijing and The Great Wall

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I arrived in Beijing, the political heart of China, at nightfall on June 17th. Because Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics, getting from the airport to the city centre was insanely easy. In fact, the public transport infrastructure here may be the best that I have seen yet on my entire trip. The only problem was that once I got off the subway, my hostel was down a dark alley, or Hutong as they call them in Beijing. The ten minute walk down this alley was never ending, but eventually I saw a light and found the hostel. I settled in for the night, excited for my four days in China's capital.

Beijing is not the economic powerhouse that Shanghai is, nor is it the cultural centre that Hong Kong has become. However, anyone wondering where the real power in the World's next superpower lies, need look no further than the massive Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square. This is where the decisions are made and at some point in the next fifty years, this is where they will start to run the World from. Beijing is a city filled with history, both from a historical and a contemporary perspective. The former home of the Emperors, The Forbidden City, lies next to modern China's most famous landmark, Tiananmen Square. Beijing is also the jumping off point for that most famous of Chinese sites, The Great Wall of China. In other words, I would have a hard time fitting all of Beijing's numerous attractions into my four day trip.

On my first morning I made the twenty minute walk from my hostel to The Forbidden City, former home of the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a massive and intact palace complex lying in the middle of the sprawling city. Filled with squares, palaces, great halls, and gardens, it is not hard to see why the Emperors and their concubines only left this place when they absolutely had to. The pure size of the complex is impressive but unless your an Oriental architecture enthusiast, the buildings and designs can seem repetitive. Next up was Tiananmen Square, which lies due South of The Forbidden City. The World's largest public square, it is watched over by a giant portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Beyond Mao it is easy to see the the snipers also watching the square from the surrounding rooftops. These snipers, along with the numerous soldiers and plainclothes policemen roaming around, ensure that a repeat of the 1989 demonstrations will be quelled before it begins. The Chinese remain acutely aware of how the Tiananmen massacre of 1989 hurt their standing in the World, and they would like to avoid a repeat at all costs.

The next afternoon I checked out Olympic Park, home to the massively successful 2008 Summer Olympics. I walked by the Water Cube where Michael Phelps became immortal, before coming to the famous centrepiece of the Beijing Olympics, The Bird's Nest. This strikingly modern stadium sits in Olympic Park and for a small fee you can go inside and take a look. I was able to sit in the lower bowl and imagine the spectacle of the opening ceremony, before stepping onto the very track where Usain Bolt shocked the World. They even have a Mini Olympics set up where you can do chin-ups, push-ups, test your grip pressure etc. This was very cool, but the most poignant moment came as I was leaving and noticed an older Chinese lady quietly weeping in the third row. At first I didn't understand, but after seeing her smile through the tears, I realized these were tears of joy. This was a lady who had probably lived through the Cultural Revolution and the rest of modern China's turbulent past, and was overcome by how far her country had come. Make no mistake; China is still immensely proud of what they accomplished here in the summer of 2008, as well they should be. It is my belief that the Beijing Olympics will not be surpassed in terms of being an overall success for a long time.

The highlight of my time in Beijing though was definitely my visit to The Great Wall of China. Mao Zedong said that, "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man," so I was determined to become one when I arrived in Beijing. I chose the rather remote spot of Jinshanling to try and avoid the tourist hordes who pack the Great Wall sights closer to Beijing. After a three hour bus ride, and a twenty minute cable car I arrived at the top and marveled at how stunning the Great Wall truly is. It rises and falls in steep successions into the mountains for as far as the eye can see. Walking it at Jinshanling can be a strenuous experience because of how steep the climbs are and how unrestored (dangerous) some sections can be. During my climb I met a Jamaican girl around my age and her British father. The father eventually got tired but myself and the Jamaican girl continued on into some quiet and rough terrain. I learned that she had grown up in the Caribbean but was now pursuing a Master's degree in Harbin, a Chinese city close to the Russian border. The best part of climbing with her was seeing the expression on Chinese hawker's faces when this black girl responded to their sales pitches in fluent Mandarin.

On my last night in Beijing I tried Peking duck, the dish that the city is justifiably famous for. Being solo, I ordered a half duck which was served with small fajita like pancakes, scallions, and a sweet and thick sauce. They carve the bird up at your table and then you make your own roast duck pancakes. This was more expensive than my typical trip meal but very filling and very good.

After four nights in Beijing I can say that it is my favourite city in Mainland China. It doesn't appeal to me quite as much as Hong Kong but it is a great Chinese city. On June 21st I caught a 8:00 P.M. flight to Seoul to see Korea and visit another friend from home. I also left Beijing with a flight back to Toronto booked, giving my trip a clear end date for the first time. Stay tuned to find out when my trip ends.

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Photos

Selfie at the Forbidden City
I don't have monkey arms so these don't usually turn out well for me.

I'm the Tourist Attraction
Several times in Beijing I was approached by Chinese people and asked to pose for a picture with them as if I was a celebrity. This time I turned the tables and got them to take a picture with my camera as well.

Mao and Soldier
I liked this picture until realized that the soldiers eyes were closed. Racist jokes can start now.

Mao's Maosoleum
I didn't actually go in because apparently the lines are very big to see the body. I also don't find dead bodies very exciting.

Sunset at the Great Hall
The sun setting over the Great Hall of the People. I am standing in Tiananmen Square in front of it.

In Front of The Bird's Nest
Coolest sports stadium ever!

Push-Up Machine
Showing the Chinese the importance of working out your chest.

Sprinters
A Chinese guy wanted to be in this picture with me. Felt pretty cool to be on the track at such a big stadium.

Chinese Relaxing
This is how Chinese people stand sometimes if they are waiting for something or as in this case hanging out with friends. I have tried to crouch like this and I can't even do it for one second. They all seem to be able to do it for hours, pain free.

The Great Wall
Continuing on into the distance.

Watch Tower
Every couple of hundred metres you come upon these covered watch towers. This is where the soldiers would spy coming invaders and take shelter at night.

Rough Terrain
Some of the climbs can get pretty sketchy at some points. The Jamaican girl fell at one point but with my Merrell trekking shoes I stayed on my feet.