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After breakfast at the hotel, the four of us met Candy. Candy will be our personal tour guide for Beijing. So, I have to admit when Ellen told us she had booked us with a personal guide I was a bit hesitant. If you've read any of my blog, you've found I am very happy wandering aimlessly and stumbling onto amazing things. Then when Candy handed us name tags, my body cringed. All I could think of was the big tour groups in Alaska in their matching jackets and lack of common sense. I refused to put on the name tag.
Candy took us to Tiananmen Square first. Before we had even gotten out of the van, I had taken out my notebook. 14! 14 pages of notes by the end of the day. Suddenly, I fully appreciated the personal guide idea. She was so knowledgeable. She also shared personal stories to really connect you to the moments. For example, she talked about how in college she used to come to the square and have no security. Now, you have to go through a metal detector, check bags, only to stand in lines that are surrounded by armed guards. She remembers people drenching themselves in gasoline, then setting themselves on fire and how now that means there are no trees or wood in the square. She talked about how when the protests were happening when she was five in 1989. Candy told us she just remembers being upset that her cartoons were interrupted, but her father, a police officer, explained to her the importance of what was happening. I will do my best to condense literally a day of stories and information for you. But only the Lord knows how I'll do that considering I spent my day like this:
Alright, Tiananmen Square. Built in the 1300's during the Ming Dynasty. Dave connected it to Washington D.C. I've never been to D.C. (How have I been to the capital of Spain, Switzerland, Serbia, and China before America...) But I took Dave's opinion. He pointed out the layout is the exact same. The important buildings all lie on the same access line. The Tiananmen Square is similiar to our Mall. Protests, big events and such occur here in the open area next to capital buildings. Now, the most familiar story of Tiananmen Square to us is the protests in the late 80's. You know the famous picture of the man standing in front of the tanks? I didn't know much about this history until yesterday. I wasn't born yet, in my defense. Candy was clearly not going to go into this topic until Dave began to ask questions. She reluctantly began to describe the situtation. She wonderfully crafted scenes with facts and memories, as she did all day.
Tiananmen Square was the beginning of elbows and patience. I immediately regretted my comment in the morning. The only phrase to describe these crowds lays between - pardon the french- "Holy shit" and "Help me." Candy would lead us through the crowds until we found a spot to stop walking. No, not a quiet spot. Don't be naive. A spot where the crowd didn't pull you along. That was the goal. In these spots, she would describe for us history and fun facts of what we were about to see. Then we would get sucked back into the organism of the crowd, swept up in the movement. It wasn't until the end of the day I hit the wall of "Get me out!" I like to call that the DisneyWorld wall. Where it starts out fun, but by the end of the day you will kill a puppy to get out of the crowd. Or maybe that's just me... (I have not killed a puppy... disclaimer...) But anyway. Tiananmen Square is before the Forbidden City. We wove through the square before we found the entrance to the Forbidden City.
Forbidden City. Oh my goodness. How do you summarize this many notes?! Frustration...
Alright. So the Forbidden City was built around 1406, finished in 1420. It is made up of palaces and many other buildings. It's huge. When the final stones were placed, the emperor of the current
Ming dynasty was ecstatic. It was short lived however because one of his officials told him in 100 years a fire would destroy it. The emperor was furious. He told the official if the fire didn't happen, he would kill the official. Everyone was beyond careful for the next 100 years. The day came- 100 years later. The emperor scoffed and killed the official. Same day, a fire destroyed part of the Forbidden City. They rebuilt the area that had burned. But fire became a major concern from then on. The whole place is built out of wood from northeast China, then covered in dried cement like powders. Flammable is an understatement. The security took away lighters as their main concern. They have never refurbished the Forbidden City except for safety repairs and painting the main temple for the 2008 Olympics.
I truly am trying to keep the stories to a minimum. Because I could go on forever. But my point is, if you don't feel the history around you, you're not paying attention. The stones are smooth and crooked due to thousands of years and millions of feet. The dragons on the wall are shining from the billions of hands rubbing them for good luck. The lions next to the doors smile because their stories are still told. Phoenixes watch from rooftops as the crowds revel in the glory of the palaces. It is a moving experience.
It also is a moving experience because of the crowds. See what I did there? Pun 100% intended. To get to the viewing of the inside of the palaces you have to just jump into the crowd. Literally there is a moment of, deep breathe... okay go! Johann and I would make sure we were some how connected because you would truly get lost if you didn't. While I was chest to back with another American I just burst out laughing and said hi. He laughed and said "The only way to do this is patience and elbows." We obviously bonded in terror of being crushed and excitement of the palace in front of us.
I'm going to refrain from writing the other million stories I was told. Stories of empresses, 600 year old trees, assasins, murders, dragons, and more. Mostly because I haven't even reached lunch yet. I'm going to just put pictures now. But if you're interested in these stories, and you should be, let me know. I have them!
Lunch was at a Peking Duck place. Just to let you know the level of food we are talking here, it is in the area of all the embassies for the international leaders- and Jackie Chan!- to eat there. One word: yum! Johann liked it too, despite the look on his face.
Our next stop was the Temple of Heaven. It is four times as big as the Forbidden City. The crowds were the same but spread out over 4 times the area. You could walk around! It was pretty magical. Again. I have pages of stories and information, but I'm trying to keep this on point.
The Temple of Heaven is more important than the Forbidden City. The emperor believes he is the son of the General God- the main god. Every so often the General God comes to earth. The Temple of Heaven is for him. But also, twice a year, the emperor comes to the Temple of Heaven to pray and fast in hopes of helping the country have a good harvest this year. The whole focus of the park is centered around this concept. There are the buildings for the emperor to change into his praying clothes- from yellow (color of power) to blue (color of the sky and for the General God, most important). There are buildings for the sacrafice before his prayers. They have an alter for the emperor to stand on and read aloud his letter to the General God. The alter is designed so that his voice is amplified. Candy told us she has tried this early in the morning when no one is there, and it works. We, obviously, did not experience this. But the beauty of these temples is splendid. They also have one building set aside as a small museum. They show the temple in different scenarios. The temple solidly sitting beneath Japanese fighter planes. The temple in glory being shown during the Olympic games. The temple in rain, sun, good times and bad, sitting in solidarity. If you aren't impressed, you need to check your pulse.
We all hopped in the van. Our next stop was a Kung Fu show. I was skeptical to say the least. Frankly, I was planning on going and doing the nod and smile afterwards. I was so wrong. That is beyond impressive. I close my eyes for the guy spinning on his stomach on a sword that had just split a mango in half. But Ellen made me watch the guy lay on the swords, a bed of nails on top of him. On top of this man, another man laid with another bed of nails on him. Then the third man took a hammer and just whacked the whole stack of pain. But this wasn't the only feat. Little boys did back flips. Men used speed and agility to wow the entire crowd. What I liked was they combined a story of love and friendship, the strength and power of Kung fu, and the beauty of dance to make a show that will forever leave a mark on your memory. 100% Becca recommended for Beijing trips. Obviously I didn't get many pictures due to the fact you can't really take pictures at shows like this.
We all left singing the Kung Fu song. You know the one I mean. We went to the hotel and said goodbye to Candy. Oh my goodness. I forgot the story of her name...
She was 13 when she began to study English. She went to a supermarket before class. Then in class they asked her to pick a name. She liked Candy because candy is colorful and delicious. It stuck. That is on her passport.
For dinner, we went to the mall next to the hotel. We found a Thai restaurant. Sweet and sour sauce over prawns in a pineapple bowl was my dinner. Fantastic. To end the evening, we wandered around the mall a bit. Neither Dave nor I know how to play the ukelele. But we grabbed two and went for some good old fashioned Hawaiian duets. Ellen and Johann left.
We happily laughed our way through stores. Finally, we made it back to the hotel. Johann and I stayed up for a bit. We talked for a while as we wandered the streets of Beijing. But eventually we all fell asleep to dreams of the adventures that are to come.
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