Exploring Beijing

          My Dad served in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II and had visited Beijing many years before me.  I had seen his black and white photos of the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City and it was quite a thrill to finally get to see them myself.  During the three days I had in Beijing I walked all over the central part of the city where most of the important sites are located, near Tiananmen Square.  Of course, I had to see the Mao Memorial Hall, just out of curiosity, and stood in the fast moving line with mostly older locals and other tourists.  I was surprised at how up close and personal the encounter was and can report that after 34 years he is looking rather pale.  One could spend days exploring the Forbidden City, which is a labyrinth of gardens, halls and ancient buildings.  During the 500 years it was home to the Ming and Qing Dynasty Emperors, it was off limits to outsiders, hence its name.

          On my second day in Beijing I took a tour which I booked through the hostel to the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall at Badaling (40 miles outside of Beijing).  Begun over 2000 years ago, the wall spans nearly 3700 miles.  The section at Badaling is the most famous and the one most tourists visit.  I walked and climbed the wall for several hours along with crowds of other tourists, often in a slight rain, but it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

          On my last day in Beijing I took the metro to the Summer Palace on the outskirts of the city.  By that time I was getting pretty good at using public transportation.  Again, one could spend days walking through the Summer Palace grounds, perched above Kunming Lake.  It is replete with gardens, temples and pavilions and was a refreshing respite from the hustle-bustle of the city.  On the way back I stopped at the Beijing Zoo and must admit I was somewhat disappointed in the Panda Exhibit, which only had a few pandas which could be seen sleeping off in the distance.  That night I boarded the train for the trip to Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warriors.  My ticket for a nice sleeper seat cost about $35.00, for a ride the equivalent of going from California to Texas!

Travel Tip:

          While in China take time to get to know the people.  Everywhere I went in Beijing and throughout China people came up to me wanting to talk and ask where I was from and what I had seen and liked about their country.  Beijing, in particular, has many students who are curious about the United States and many who just want to practice their English.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting these friendly people.  I could not count the number of times throughout my trip to China that locals asked me if they could have their picture taken with me, almost making one feel like a celebrity!