Day 1 in Beijing

Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City

I’m happy to report I actually slept pretty well last night. I awoke refreshed and ready to take on the day. Woo hoo, our first full day in Beijing! After 25 hours of travel time, we aren’t quite ready to tackle the Great Wall. We decide to do Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

One of the first things that strikes me as we walk through the city, is how beautifully landscaped it is. The city looks so well thought out, almost like an architect’s model. There are so many trees and gardens along the way, the walk itself is beautiful. The second thing that strikes me about the city is the dichotomy of old and new. Here you are walking along a street lined with modern office buildings on either side and suddenly you come across an ancient building. It’s odd to see such a stark difference in architecture, but it somehow works here.

We get to Tiananmen Square and I am speechless. I have to take a moment. I can remember vividly the events that took place here and the students that died deserve a moment of silence, of rememberance.

After the square, we head across the street to start our long trek through the Forbidden City. What can I say? I can’t even begin to describe this amazing city. Words just can’t describe how remarkable it is. What an amazing feat! I’m even more bummed knowing that my pictures will never capture its beauty and grandeur.

After hours walking through the Forbidden City, we decide to head to Jing Shan Park in an attempt to capture the massiveness of the Forbidden City from overhead. As we walk along, rather slowly I have to admit, we get approached several times by “rickshaw” drivers. We finally decide, why not? Just another Beijing experience. At first I didn’t want to do it because I felt bad for this poor soul trying to pull two of us on the back of his “bicycle.” But boy did it feel good to sit down! After 5+ hours of walking, my legs needed the break! Plus he took us through some back alleys that we otherwise would not have seen. All in all, it was a great first day in the city.

Time for a little rest before heading out for dinner and cocktails. After the miles and miles we walked today, a cocktail or two is well deserved!