Beijing is the Chinese capital. This ancient city received its modern name when it became the capital for the second time in 1402! Beijing means Northern Capital.
We arose early on Friday, April 1st and went to Tiananmen Square, the gate of Heavenly Peace. It is largest Public Square in the world! The line of people waiting to enter the square was very long. There are two HD screens, similar to TV screens that measure the size of a football field, in the center of the square that displayed pictures of the people, art and other items. Two soldiers stood in the middle of the square on each side of the Chinese flag guarding it. The military conducted drills in the square. The square was filled with hundreds, possibly thousands, of adults and children from all over the world.
From there we went to the Forbidden City (Gugong), once only accessible to the Emperor. We went to the Imperial Palace, one of the world’s most beautiful architectural achievements. It actually had a gold roof at one time, but it was removed during the 18th century. ! It took thousands of workers to construct this complex during the Ming Dynasty. A moat and a protective wall surround the Forbidden City. The water in the moat was used to put out fires and the wall served to protect the emperor. The emperors often spent their entire lives in the complex. It wasn’t until 1949 that a commoner could visit the area. It was hard to believe that Mrs. Shanks and I were walking into rooms where emperors and their families once lived.
We walked from one beautiful building to the next. The walls are very ornate and beautifully decorated. On the roof of each building are small-carved animals. We wondered how they had made such beautiful carvings without many tools during that time. There could be anywhere from one to ten carved animals on the top of the building. The number of animals represented the rank of importance of the person who resided in that particular building.
When we returned we went to a local neighborhood restaurant that served handmade stretch noodles. They were served in a ginger broth and were very good. We also drank hot jasmine tea with our meal. Everyone had a great time.
From lunch we went to a shopping market. The market was four stories high and contained any item can imagine. Their specialty was pearls. The pearls were a variety of colors.
That evening we went to the Mongolian restaurant. Mongolian singers and dancers entertained us. One of the dancers, danced with four cups stacked on her head. We couldn’t figure out how she could do this without dropping a bowl. The food was served on a lazy Susan. We sampled each of the dishes served, but we weren’t sure what each item was. Some of the food was rather unusual, but we are being very adventurous!
As you can see we had a packed day. It was so much fun. We are learning a lot about the Chinese culture. The people are truly amazing. Everyone is very friendly. We can’t wait to visit our sister schools! Five days and counting!.
How exciting! I wish I could see all the things you are seeing. We expect to see lots of pictures! Have a great adventure on the wall.
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