Wangfujing (Street with Shopping, old and new)

 

 

Down a side street was the old Bazaar, teeming with people shopping for the ordinary things of life, and tourists taking pictures and bargaining for trinkets.

These beetles were still alive, legs kicking frantically ~ waiting to be deep fat fried and eaten off the stick!

 

 

 

Back on the main street there were more upscale modern upscale stores.
The advertizing on the buildings was impressive ~ large and bold, bright colors and lit up at night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

China is a land of many contrasts...the upscale shopping and tourist bazaar shopping mixed yet separate.  The last three pictures were from the hotel where we ate later that night.  LOTS of restaurants had Buddhas in the lobby...he must have enjoyed eating!

Outdoor Food Market

After lunch we went back to the hotel for a rest...well, Andy rested and I went to the biggest supersized grocery/Walmart type store I have ever seen...in the basement of a mall.  Was fun to see all the products they have...from all over the world.  Foods, candies, treats, baby items, dishes, clothing, games...you name it they had it.  No bags at checkout...most bring their own.

Later in the afternoon we went to a section of the city that has shopping for locals, a market area for tourists to buy trinkets, and an outdoor food market ~ which was amazing.  We saw everything you could imagine...snakes on a stick, whole frogs, squid, fish, whole crabs and pigeons, silk worms, scorpions, roaches, and some big bugs still alive and kicking, just waiting on a stick to be fried and eaten.  They even had starfish to eat...
The market was a couple of blocks long on a wide sidewalk.  Along the street there were trash cans every so often.  The man on the bike in the pictures went from can to can, picking out skewers people had thrown away...and eating what was left.  Desperate people, unashamed to get they they need however they can.
From all the stuff he had on the back of his bike, I'm guessing he was homeless.

The Forbidden City and Eating Chinese Style

Qianqing Hall
Many of the buildings in the Forbidden City were closed and most were empty.  In 1937 war with Japan broke out.  3000 crates filled with treasures from the City were moved to Taipei, Taiwan.  Many were lost or never returned.

We thought this couple was getting married, but David told us that people like to come dressed like Emperors and take pictures at the Forbidden City.  They looked very serious, but loved having people take their picture.

 

I didn't catch what the significance of this building was, but it was high on a hill overlooking the City.

Parts of the City were surrounded by a moat.
One of the Corner Towers

Foot traffic through the Forbidden City is one way.  Everyone enters through the Meridian Gate...in Yung Lo's day only the emperor entered through this Gate.
When we left the City we were on a small crowded street with dozens of coaches and buses.  The sidewalk was full of aggressive vendors pushing their wares into your hands, pleading for your business....and many poor people begging for your help.  One couple, each one with a sick looking child in their arms,were quite pushy and crying for help.  The woman sort of latched on to Andy and stayed with him for quite a ways.  It was heart wrenching, but our guide warned us not to give them anything. 

On the other hand, he encouraged us to have our picture taken with people if they ask...many are visiting from the far western provinces and have never seen a foreigner before...so it is a big deal to them.  In the time we were in China, we had our picture taken with strangers, mostly young people, dozens of times.  They were so very happy and proud to be your new friend.

We went to a little out of the way local place for lunch.   We had our first Chinese meal together as a group here.  We were seated a large round tables set for 10-12.  In the middle of the table was a very large glass round lazy susan.  The waitress would deliver 10-14 dishes and place them on the lazy susan...rice and noodles, beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, and pork dishes, vegetable dishes of all kinds.  You had to be very careful to put the spoons to the back, or you would spill your drink as it went around the circle to serve each one at the table.  You never really knew how much you would get to eat or which foods would be left by the time they got to you.  To add to the challenge, you got a small bowl and about a 5-6 inch plate.  Most places offered chopsticks and forks.  Just about every meal watermelon and cantelope were offered for dessert.  Nearly every lunch and dinner we ate in China was served this way, so each meal was interesting and sometimes challenging!

 

Bikes, motor cycles, and motor scooters are still very popular in China.  There are parking lots right on the sidewalks in some places...others have fancy covered lots for them.  Most of the main streets have a small lane on the far right for them to ride...they cross the street with pedestrians. 

First Morning in Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City

Friday was sunny and 80 degrees with just enough breeze. We left for Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City by 8:15 in the morning in an air conditioned coach.  Took a while to get there...lots of traffic.  Did you know that people in big cities are controlled by a number in their license plate that determines which days they can and cannot drive?  20% of the cars are off the roads each weekday...they can drive three out of 5 days.
The picture above is Zhengyangmen Gate.

There was some kind of wreath laying ceremony by some dignitaries in the Square, so the entire area was blocked off for about an hour.  Guards like this young man kept us under control.  We chose to cross the street and walk around the ceremony to enter the Forbidden City.  We passed the Museum of Chinese History...you could have spent a whole day in there, I'm sure!  On the far side of the Square was  the Great Hall of the People.

Monument to the People's Heros

 

 

Hundreds of Chinese people waited in line over an hour to get in to Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in order to have a quick glimpse of Mao in this large building at the end of the Square.  They say a million people can stand in the Square for special events, celebrations and military reviews ~ it's the largest public square in the world.

The Forbidden City is at the other end of the square.  There were thousands of people there to visit a place they could not even enter for five hundred years.  It is just beautiful, rich in history and stories of intrigue.
I did lots of reading this winter before we went on the tour (most of the historical ones were junior high level reading, so I got the basics).
Yung Lo became the third emperor of the Ming dynasty in 1402.  He was known as the "Black Dragon" and was hated and feared by the Chinese people.  He built a great palace ~ the largest in the world.  One million slaves and prisoners were needed to build it.  It was started in 1406 and Yung Lo moved into the City in 1421.  All main buildings faced south for good luck ~ money, health and happiness came from the south.  Deer, flowers, fruit, butterflies, and birds were other good luck symbols in the city.  Wives and children each had a palace.  24 different emperors of the Ming and Qing dynastics lived in the Forbidden City between 1421 and 1911.  During the Chinese Revolution in 1911 the emperor was overthrown and doors to the City were opened.  It is the largest and best preserved group of ancient wooden architecture in the world.  Occupying an area of 720,000 square meters, the Palace Museum has 8,707 rooms.  8,000,000 visit the city each year.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace was the main entrance of the imperial city in both the Ming and Qing dynasties, where the Emperor promulgated his edict.  Tian An Men is tall and solemn and its rostrum looks majestic with its upturned eaves, carved beams and painted rafters, its yellow tiles and red walls.  It is now the symbol of new China.

In 1949 Mao Tse-tung brought communist rule to the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our adventure begins...

Our adventure to China began on Wednesday morning, April 11, 2012.  We left Milwaukee on a short flight to Chicago and had about one hour to catch our direct flight into Beijing.  The attendant told us we needed to go to the International Terminal so we hopped on the train and headed in the right direction.  At security we were told we really needed to be at Terminal C....half way across O'Hare.  On the train I suddenly realized I did not have my ticket or passport...I checked everywhere...Andy watching my frantic search with "the look".  It was no where to be found...I figured it must have been left at the security desk.  I somehow had the notion to ask Andy what was in HIS hand...and there I found my ticket and passport!  Whew!  When we left the train, I stopped at the United counter to let them know we were on the way.
We had to go through security again and made it through just about the time our flight was due to take off.  Fortunately there was another couple trying to make the flight as well and they waited for us.  Do you know how it feels to walk the aisle of a 777 all the way back to economy with everyone looking at you?  Alas, we were glad to be on the flight...and settled into our seats...a little too much drama to start us off.
It is a 13+ hour flight...11 time zones and about 6500 miles.  We each had our own little screen for movies, TV, music, maps, etc.  I watched four movies (We Bought a Zoo, The Iron Lady, The Descendants, and Hugo) and the time just flew by...no pun intended.  We went north over Canada and the western end of the Hudson Bay about 2000 miles.  From there we were over the Arctic Ocean another 2000 miles when we headed what seemed to be southwest another 2500 miles over Russia and China into Beijing.  It was fun to watch the ground speed (500 to 575 mph), the altitude (32000 to 38000 feet), and the outside temperature ( 57 below zero over the Arctic Ocean and 80 below over Siberia).  Fortunately we were warm and comfortable ~ and fed well along the way. Did I have a little sticker on my forehead that said, "Feed Me"?   About every two hours they brought us a snack or a meal...and they were quite tasty.  I was impressed.
When we reached Beijing, my suitcase came  fairly quickly...Andy's never came...it was still in Chicago and would arrive on the same flight the next day.  Oh, joy.
Our tour director from Go Ahead Tours was there to greet us and the 30-40 minute van ride to our hotel gave us our first glimpse of this vast and beautiful country.  We were the first to arrive of the 21 on our tour.  We were impressed with the many parks, forests, and green spaces along all of the major roads.  David explained that most of them are new in the last 10 years ~ to help keep the dust down during the long windy season.  Most roads were 8 lanes, even right downtown.  There are 5 rings around the city center.
Along the way, David taught us how to say hello and thank you...very helpful!

 

The Paragon Hotel was located right downtown, near the Beijing Railway Station.  We arrived late afternoon local time.  Andy wanted to take a nap...I chose to take a walk, exploring the neighborhood.  I found 2 huge malls, dozens of little eateries, the train station and the underground all within one square block of the hotel.  Streets and sidewalks were teeming with cars, buses, trucks,  motorcycles, bikes, and people.  It appeared to me that people just made their way across the street whenever there was a clearing in the cars.  It didn't matter if there were actually traffic lights or not. 
There were hundreds (maybe thousands) of people lingering in the plaza outside the Railway Station.  Some were sleeping, others were playing cards, many were talking in groups.  I don't know if they were waiting for trains or rides home.  Some were definitely homeless.

The hotel (the large glass building in this picture) was just blocks from the old City Wall.  David had pointed it out, so I walked down there.  A very pretty park was built around this section of the wall.  I felt safe.  People stared at me but didn't bother me. 

 

When I got back from my walk we went out for dinner at a little noodle bar.  David said that many young people know some English, but no one in this little place could speak or understand any English.  We just pointed to the picture, which gave the price, and handed them the money.  So, we did okay on our own.  Fortunately I had Andy's shaving kit and our electric toothbrush in my suitcase.   We bought him a short sleeved shirt for the next day...and his bag did arrive on schedule the following day.
Later that evening I went to the lobby and tried to get on Facebook to post pictures and report on our day.  The iPad would think and think and then tell  me to check my Internet connection.  I discovered the next morning that the servers in China do not allow you to go to Facebook or YouTube.  They also have limited access to information on Google.  Interesting!