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Published: August 7th 2008
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This city is at its peak. Olympics fever is raging, creating a cleaner, tidier, and stricter city. Everywhere you turn, there are these “One World, One Dream” signs with the little Olympic monsters running around. Even on the street signs, you were reminded of the cities importance in the international arena with the words “Beijing 2008” added onto the top. I could’ve spent a whole month here, but we had to compress everything into 4 days.
The first place we went to was Tiananmen Square. Although it’s portrayed as a family friendly area with wide open, communal spaces, the feeling was a little more oppressive. We had to go through a security check (since when do outdoor, communal spaces require bag checks?) and the shifty-eyed looks of police officers. Once you got through, the police presence was everywhere; and, supposedly, there are even more policemen in civilian outfits ready to pounce at the first signs of trouble. And microphones to listen in on conversations. So if you want to fly a kite and talk politics, you may want to choose a lower profile area.
That being said, the space was wide and we got
to see the beginnings of a gorgeous floral decoration for the Olympics. Since we were there a week before the Olympics, they were only just setting up the greenery to prevent premature wilting in the Chinese heat.
*Can I just say that I got to be in the Olympics host city ONE WEEK before they started?! I would have loved to stay just for the Opening Ceremonies, which will apparently be epic. Plus, this city is at it’s peak in the international arena. Never before has Beijing been China’s sweetheart as it has been in the months leading up to the international games. And never before has the world watched with an attentive eye what Beijing will do next. But I’m so exhausted and ready for home at this point that I am quite willing to stick to my schedule and return home tomorrow as planned ☺
The neat thing is that Tiananmen Square is the gateway for the main cultural and political parts of Beijing. It is in the middle of the Congress Building, Mao’s Masoleum, and the Forbidden Palace. Tiananmen’s physical location embodies what Beijing hopes to achieve for itself in relation
Olympics Countdown
Only 11 days, 6 hours, 49 minutes, and 40 seconds to go! to the rest of China: as an entrance for opening the gates to all the sights that China has to offer.
I will skip through the Summer Palace and Forbidden City (saving that for back-to-school talks - a girl can’t reveal everything online!), but finish with the Great Wall. This was by far the highlight of my last weeks of travels, if not of the whole trip to China. My expectation was of a bundle of old bricks filled with tourists but lacking in trees and greenery. Thankfully, we drove to an area that was a couple hours outside of Beijing that wasn’t crowded at all. It was called Mutianyu. You could actually stop and hear the silence that the historic sight could best be appreciated in. Not only was it lush and green, but there was a tobogganing tube to go down!!!
And it was here that I began something that I hope to continue throughout my life. That’s taking pictures with my jade and the places that I travel to. While pictures of me in front of historic sights are dandy, there is something more special about an item that you consistently
bring with you throughout your life. And my jade has always been an important jewel to me, so it only makes sense that it takes the limelight in my travels once in a while. I was able to use some of the eroding wall glue to write out a message in the wall (I only used the stuff that had already fallen! No worries).
The Wall itself was incredible. The stairs were uneven and the hike was steep. At times, I felt more like I was rock-climbing than wall-walking; sometimes I would be face-to-face with a next step that started at my thighs. And despite its bloody creation with a cost of 2 to 3 million lives, the sight was really peaceful. It was hard to believe that 400 years ago, this was the sight of invasions by the Mongolians and other territorial squabbles. But I have no doubt as to why it’s so highly prized by the Chinese and the rest of the world. You gotta see it to understand it, ya dig?
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