Forbidden No More

Forbidden City is a Fascinating Look at China's History

Fred and I went to Tienanmen Square to see the Forbidden.  Having been there once before, it was Fred's second time so he had some background about the history.  As you walk into the Forbidden City, the size of the city becomes apparent.  It was a city from the 14th century onward and Beijing grew up around it.  The many leaders and Emperors reigned there.   You might remember a movie about the Forbidden City and its youngest Emperor, Pu Yi, in the movie the Last Emperor.  There is much history here about the situation dramatized in that movie.  I don't recall everything about it, but I do recall that Pu Yi didn't reign for long before Sun Yat Sen and the new republic brought revolution and ushered in a new government.  The Dowager Empress pretty much ran the country into the ground and the Qing Dynasty was hopelessly shattered.  Pu Yi became just a cog in the Communist system.  Of course the reality is that any time there has been famine in the land as with the end of the Qing Dynasty there has been a change of government.

Just Outside of the Forbidden City

 The architecture inside is as you would expect of Chinese architecture, but you have no idea how large this area is as it goes for at least several miles.  The parks inside are very nice.  It took more than 1 million workers to build this city and 24 emperors reigned there.  The capitol city has mostly been in Beijing, but it was my host city for the Executive Service Corps, Nanjing, at one point.  When the Forbidden City was built in the Ming Dynasty, it was moved from Nanjing to Beijing and the City was built on the site of the former Imperial Palaces that were burnt to the ground at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

There is much to see and do here, but mostly this is the museum of Chinese history and a must see if you want to understand the rich 5000 year history of China.  I'll have more pictures to share that I will upload to Picasa as there are just too many pictures to insert here in this blog.  My next post will talk of my shopping experience in Beijing and a first in my life!

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to Beijing

Beijing is a vibrant city.  It is a large city covering a huge area with the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square right in the center.  East meets west here in Beijing.  It is loaded with embassies.   Being the capital city, you see compound after compound surrounding us as we make our way to the Temple of Heaven.  Living in the ex-patriot community you would think that you are living in a suburb of Atlanta, GA.  The homes and the people are generally western folks here on short term assignments.  We are picked up by a shuttle and with an hour and 15 minute ride through choked arteries of roads, we finally make it to the Temple of Heaven which is a set of religious buildings dedicated to sacrifice to the heavens.  Built in the early 1400's, it is exemplary of early Chinese architecture.  It is quite pretty and interesting.

It was a very hot day and despite everything you here about pollution in Beijing, it really wasn't bad.  On day 2 with the visit to the Forbidden City, we had blue skies and sunshine for most of the day.  Did I say it was hot?.... Yes.  Fred bought, as he would say in French, beaucoup d'eau.  We needed it.  You do a lot of sweating in 95 degree heat and very unbearable humidity.

Fred and Lisa Begtine at the Temple of Heaven

After spending time at the Temple of Heaven you realize that the past here is very old.  5000 years of dynasties and history is evident at the Temple of Heaven. To think that this place was built 1400 years AD is amazing.

There were displays of various types at the Temple, but most were dedicated to the various types of sacrifices that were made at the temple.

Leaving the Temple, we found ourselves in a more active area, the Pearl Market shopping district.  You can buy almost anything there.  I bought an interesting little speaker system that collapses into a ball like figure.  The price was right, 60 RMB, or about 10 dollars.   You see quickly here that China really does manufacture everything for the world.

Pearl Market - Loaded with Everything for Purchase

First Days in Beijing

As the Boeing 777 from Chicago to Beijing landed after almost 14 hours on the plane, I thought about the adventure that awaits. As I was leaving the plane there was a young American woman walking off the plane at the same time as I. She could have my daughter, Elise. Cute, long blonde hair, carrying a plush Panda bear and looking a little out of sorts. I asked her where she was from and if this was her first time in China.

From Minneapolis, Minnesota, she said this was her first time in China. I asked her if she knew anyone here. She said no. I asked her if she was a student. Again she said no. Realizing at the moment she was a college graduate who must have been advanced because I swear she looked seventeen, I asked her why she came. She said that she was here to teach English. Recently graduated from Bethany, a Christian school in Minnesota, she learned of this opportunity and signed up for to a one year contract with an agency. How young she looked and how great an adventure for someone not yet fearful of the great unknown.

Which reminded me of a quote from Mark Twain: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” I thought to myself, here I am 54 and it is my first time in Asia and this young girl not knowing anyone is here to Explore, Dream and Discover. I must confess, I would have had a hard time putting my daughter on that plane bound for Beijing. Youth knows know boundaries.

Good for her. China awaits. More tomorrow on my first full day in Beijing. My good friends, Fred and Lisa Begtine, who have learned the value and excitement of new adventures, treated me to a day of shopping and important Beijing landmarks.  The Temple of Heaven and the next day the Forbidden City.

Hmm... What to Bring

Today is packing day. What to bring besides sedatives for the flight? Let's see... clothes for a month, China Culture guide, 10 packages of Beer Nuts (can't get them in China), two dozen small packs of tissues - it seems that the Chinese don't have toilet paper in their bathrooms, anti-perspirant when facing the Chinese Media, and the book "The Amateur" by Edward Stein.

Time to load up my iTunes with enough podcasts to last a month. A few videos for the flight - found a PBS Series called "Inside China." I think I will be taking my camera and all of my Apple gear. Do you think I should take my Apple TV? I doubt I can get Netflix there.

I am really looking forward to seeing my good friends Fred and Lisa who recently moved from Nice, France to Beijing for a two year stint. They live in a expat neighborhood with their two dogs and a cat. They are wonderful hosts and I always enjoy seeing them. I'll be there for 3 days. Maybe see a few sites in Beijing.

2 Days to Go!

This trip is also my birthday present.  I leave at 5 pm on Sunday which is also my birthday. I think my good friends Fred and Lisa Begtine whom I am staying with in Beijing will have a birthday cake for me when I arrive.  So I get to celebrate being 54 once on this side of the International Dateline and once on the other side.  How fun is that?

I have a very tight connection in Chicago with less than one hour to make it to my flight to Beijing.  So be in prayer that American out of Bloomington takes off on time!  I have had some bad experiences with American Airlines this year as they have "for no good reason" cancelled two of my flights on my return from Chicago to Bloomington.  I never thought I would see the day that I would be praising Delta Airlines over American, but here is the deal.  After my last two cancelled flights, I wrote a letter to Thomas Horton now CEO of American.  My letter was never even acknowledged by American.  That is NOT a Remarkable Customer Experience.  American needs to do something to improve their posture in the industry. They need to do something other than bankruptcy and proposed mergers with Jet Blue to do it.  I long for the return of Bob Crandall.  Bob ran a tight ship at AMR.  He also made them profitable and a pleasure to fly with.

Thomas Horton, CEO AMR

I'll let you know how this flight with American goes.  13 hours and 25 minutes of flight time on American in coach no less.  I was able to secure a power port and an aisle seat but only by paying an extra $100 for the two legs of the trip.  Maybe I will at least be in Group 2 for loading?