Sightseeing in Beijing

September 4, 2011

Yesterday, I went sightseeing in Beijing. Unfortunately, visiting the Great Wall had to wait. Sylvie, Al and I left Wuqing at 7:30 a.m. (CST) and walked an few kilometers to the train station. The cost from Wuqing to Beijing return was 78 RMB. Sylvie was our tour guide. She was kind enough to let Al and I tag along for her Saturday morning routine.

We boarded the High Speed Train at 8:37a.m (CST). The train was very comfortable, spacious and air conditioned. The temperature outside was 25 degrees Celsius. The average speed of the train was 294 to 298 km/h. It took us 30 minutes to arrive in Beijing. By car it would take just over an hour.

Once we arrived in Beijing, we took the subway to Tiananmen Square. To take the subway we used a pre-paid card system. With my card, I boarded the subway. To exit the subway station, I had to return my card through a different checkpoint.

Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the second largest city square in the world (440,000 m² - 880m by 500m). It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history. I was really taken by the history.
You will find in my slideshow, pictures of the outside of the Forbidden City. You will note the green in the front of the city building, as the workers are polishing it for the week long National holiday in October. Also you will see a picture of the National Museum of China which opened in June 2011. Moreover, you will see the line-up of people visiting the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall. Furthermore, you will see me in front of the Monument to the People’s Heroes. Lastly, you will see a picture of the Great Hall of People. I plan to visit the National Museum of China, the Forbidden City, and Mao Zedong Memorial Hall in the future. We just had no time to see it all in one day.

On our journey, I saw quite a few interesting scenes on my walk. I saw some old gentlemen huddled around two others playing Chinese Chess. I stood and watched but didn’t quite understand the rules. I saw a young boy studying outside a tobacco shop on the sidewalk. Near the embassy quarter of Beijing, I saw a guard asleep at his post. I hope his boss doesn’t see this blog. There were many interesting people and shops to visit. It was also interesting to see how the locals run electrical wire.
For lunch we stopped at a North American where I had a club sandwich and fries. I also had a personal size pizza as I had nothing to eat for breakfast. It was nice to have a delicious and fattening treat different than Chinese food. The cost was reasonable at 90 RMB.

We ended up at a 4 level store, where the deals are incredible. There I got 1 hour head, neck, back, feet and legs massage for 60 RMB. Quite relaxing! They also do manicures and pedicures. I thought about how much my wife and girls would enjoy being pampered.

After the massage I went to a Starbucks where I met two of Sylvie’s friends. It was nice to sit and chat about their experiences of China. Finally we returned home the same way we arrived. I felt rested and rejuvenated.