BEIJING DAY 2

DAY 50 — February 23,  2017 — Xingang (Beijing), PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

We started our day at the breakfast buffet at the hotel which was lovely, providing a wide variety of international foods but you had to pay attention.  The sign in this bread basket says “Only provide to appreciate.”

Tian’anmen Square. 

 

Our first stop this morning was the famous and infamous Tian’anmen Square (Gate of Heavenly Peace), built in 1417.  It is the largest city square anywhere in the world, with Chairman Mao Zedong’s white columned mausoleum placed front and center.  It was also the site of the bloody Tian’anmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989 when 1000 pro-democracy protesters were killed.  The Great Hall of the People is on the left side and the National Museum of China on the right.  Families come here to meet, fly kites, pay respects to Mao, and visit the Monument to the People’s Heroes.  Tourists come here to get their photo taken. 

A busy ring road encircles Tian’anmen.  Conveniently, pedestrian subways are provided.  We saw a lot of smart traffic flow planning in China.

When a foreign leader is visiting Beijing, the flags of both countries are flown all around the square.  Someone from Italy was visiting this day.  When President Obama visited Beijing, Chinese flags and US flags flew side by side.  I wish I could have seen that.

The Forbidden City

Walking out of Tian’anmen Square under Mao, you enter the Forbidden City.  The largest ancient architectural complex in China it is an enormous collection of temples and imperial buildings that once housed the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties,  Construction was begun in 1407 and was finished in 1420.  We thought Tian’anmen was big and some of the imperial cities in Japan and Korea we visited were enormous but this place is ridiculous in size.  With 9,000 rooms, it covers an area of 72 hectares.  For over 500 years, it was a city within a city with complex rules and an intricately woven social structure under the rule of 24 emperors   

It took us 90 minutes just to walk through the center.  We only had time to notice that every street that ran off to the left and right opened on to other courtyards and intriguing buildings. And every spot had a wonderful name.

Directional signage in the Forbidden City.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The Hill of Accumulated Elegance.

After wearing ourselves out at Tian’anmen Square and The Forbidden City we stopped for lunch to have MORE Peking Duck and, we think, other homemade foods.   We found restaurant food in China to be good, sometimes difficult to identify, but certainly plentiful.  

Temple of Heaven

Our last stop before heading back to the port for our departure from Beijing was the incredibly beautiful Temple of Heaven, made even more stunning by the gloriously blue skies and clear air that day.  Either Beijing is making progress in getting rid of its pollution or we were just incredibly lucky.  Ron (along with many others) said he had never seen a day in Beijing like it.

Built in 1420, the Temple of Heaven was where the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped heaven and prayed for Good Harvests.  In 1998, it was put on the UNESCO World Heritage list, ensuring its protection and maintenance.

The Beijing skyline from the Temple of Heaven.

Area retirees like to gather at the Temple of Heaven to meet friends and play cards and board games.  It’s an outdoor senior citizen center with a really great view.

Beijing was certainly a memorable city.  So much to think about here and, suddenly, I am so aware of the huge gaps in my education.