Day for walking

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I am doing much better than last time I wrote. I have adjusted got into a routine and life is full of excitment and adventure.

Seeing the forbidden city on a weekend was not the smartest idea I have ever had. I realized this as soon as i stepped onto the already overcrowed bus. But I decided to go ahead and go rather than sit around my apartment. I had a very nice tour guide who knew a lot of history which made me very happy even if he did repeat himself several times because his English was erratic.

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Photos

Gate of Heavenly Peace
The Entrance to the forbidden city can't be missed with the imposing picture of Mao and its guard.

Me in front Tiananmen Gate
The Tianamen Gate or Gate of Heavenly Peace. From the top Imperial edicts were read. It is here that Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949. On the other side of the gate lies the Forbidden City.

Outside the Forbidden city
The imperial city served as a safe haven for Chinese emperors from its construction in 1420 to 1911. The city is surrounded by a wall large at its base getting narrower at the top making it nearly impossible to scale. The city is also surrounded by a 6ft deep moat.

single stone slab
millions of laborers were conscripted to build the imperial city. Every 50 meters they dug wells to slide huge stones in the winter. This is a single piece of stone.

Red
I am quickly learning that here there are meanings behind everthing. Red was the imperial color and only the king was allowed to use it. The city was also known as the purple city and yellow was also associated only with the emperor.

Dragon
Okay I was so excited about this dragon I don't even remember why now. My tour guide was laughing at me as he said, "that's not a dragon thats a unicorn."

Mixed up
this crossbread animal represents longevity and good fortune which I am discovering it is the Chinese favorite word.

golden roofs
There are 9,999 rooms in the forbidden city because there are 10,000 rooms in heaven according to the Chinese.

courts
Everything in China is underconstruction for the 2008 olympic games. The government issued that after 2006 no new construction can be done. They are busy restoring main areas in the forbidden city. This huge area was where official business was carried out. walking around I can only imagine how cold this place must have been. There were no windows and its barren. I can't imagine carring on anything official outside. The city was a huge fire trap. In the winter they kept fires going under big pots of water in case of fire. The moat would freeze over.

courts
People are always trying to talk to me in english. After leaving the Forbidden City these two girls, who were touring Beijing from Sichuan China ,very persistently followed me out of the city. The great thing about being on vacation and alone in the city is i really had no where to be and nothing better to do than accept their invatation to tea. It was so much fun. They were great. They are the third person to ask me if i wanted a chinese boyfriend. Why is that a young girl traveling alone must be in search of a foriegn husband? We had tea and I told them if they came to america i would take them to coffee.

Every where
This is what most of the streets look like in Beijing. Its not a very pretty place and not being able to read I have to just walk and look until I find what I need or is of interest.

Comments

[Erin Ellis]

i would take them to coffee
Trisha! You're in China! I like this blog of yours, it allows me to keep up with you right through my inbox. It sounds like you're doing well and adapting. I'm glad. I can imagine being in a foreign country by yourself is overwhelming. I mean, heck, I'm nervous about making a 9 hour roadtrip by myself! Your presence is missed, my dear. Be good! Oh and where would you take these lovely chinese ladies for coffee??

[Tara]

Great pictures! I feel like I know more about what's going on in your life now than when you were in Columbia :)!

[Uncle Dan]

Great pics!
I loved the red arches and the girl in the red dress. What a great picture! I downloaded it to my hard drive.

[Dad]

unbelievable!
Your pictures keep getting better and better. The juxtaposition of the girl in red through the red columns says it all. I am enthralled by the one piece concrete monolith- please explain its use again? I am unclear on the sliding into wells in the winter deal. Don't get spoiled about having all this free time. I hope your school duties will not interfere with your passion for absorbing the chinese culture. -Dad

[alden]

wow, these people are impressed with you, they take you to tea, offer you a husband, you are doing good for a foreigner. Your pictures are beautiful by the way. Keep posting i feel more connected. love you.