We got up at 4:30 so we could be packed up and walking by 5. We were flying out of China that evening and were going to be gone all day so we had to check out etc...the plan was to make it to Tiananmen Square for the daily flag raising ceremony. Customarily this happens daily at sunrise and the reverse at sunset. Our hostel people told us that if we're there by 5:45 we would be okay. We were a tad late, as we decided last minute to take the subway instead of only walk, but were there by 6. Unfortunately our hostel friend was off on her timing. The ceremony was over long ago, which we had a hunch for at 5:35 as we saw small pockets of people holding their flags and walking in the opposite direction. Missing this was disappointing to say the least. I was right pissed at the time as this was one thing I really wanted to experience. But I only have me to blame: if I really wanted to make it happen i should have done better timing research. Ill look for it in YouTube and pretend.
Even though we missed the ceremony, being at the square was incredible. At 6am it was packed. It is an absolutely massive space with a lot of activity. There are monuments, gardens and big screens. There were locals, tourists and a lot if school groups. If we had had more time Teresa and I both agreed this is a place we would have been content to just sit and people watch. Hopefully pictures add to my weak description:
Entrance to the Forbidden City in the background
The most interesting thing of the morning? Kids saluting because some had their grandfather tell them to and the others had their teacher tell them to. This plus the army guys of last night combine to give me a very different feel about China.
From here we waited until 8:30 when the Forbidden City opened. This palace, essentially a large royal property with multiple palace and rooms and gardens, was where the emperors used to abide.
Through our site-seeing adventures thus far Teresa and I have both realized we're guide people. We like to learns as much a we can about a place. We prefer audio guides (electronic systems which, at least in china, are GPS activated: wen you walk to a certain spot the voice will begin to describe that part of the tour). We prefer audio guides because we are free to move and repeat at our own pace.
The moat surrounding the city.
Well, the Forbidden City was absolutely packed. And it was stinking hot. I am writing this much too log after going but here is what I remember:
- there were huge vats to hold water scattered throughout the entire city in case of fire
- at the entrance to the entire city and again at the entrance to the first palace of city are two lions. Lions represent power and strength.
- there are palaces for boatloads of things like:....
- unfortunately I do not have any pictures on my phone from the forbidden city so I am google-bound
- this isn't much detail to show for almost three hours of exploring, but a lot of it is semi-repetitive old history stuff. It is still absolutely fascinating to be in a place where life was real and there were legit emperors and kingdoms hundreds of years ago.
Near the end of our tour, while Teresa was taking pictures, I noticed a teenage girl (13/14 maybe?) watching me. She eventually came up and asked I spoke Chinese. After my 'no' reply she asked if she could have her picture taken with me. Of course I obliged.
This reminds me of something I neglected to write on earlier. I am a celebrity here. People are constantly pointing, staring and laughing. Teresa gets some of it as well, but not as much as me. It is almost constant. At the Forbidden City the attention was at its peak. Constantly stared at, 'accidentally' touched/grazed as people pass. People talking pictures of the sites with me in the background (or foreground, lets be serious). Folks blatantly taking my picture as they walk by. Constant. Hilarious for the most part and the girl who asked for the picture was super cute. I started to have fun with it: when I sensed people wanted my picture I would duck or turn away. The best? When they would move and try to get my face again. That's usually when my hand would go up. I made it a party! ;)
This pic is a shout out to my mom because she used to play the accordion:
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