Finals week! I will officially be leaving China in just seven days! I have so much work to do, but I'm also hoping to squeeze in a little more fun before I go. I think I have managed to visit the majority of the major sites in Beijing over the semester. Here are some of the places I've been:
1. Tiananmen Square
I've been to Tiananmen Square several times this semester since it's pretty easy to get to from campus. It's always swarmed with tourists. My history class took a field trip there one afternoon and climbed to the top of the gate.
2. The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was built during the Ming Dynasty (1420), so the architecture looks very similar to the Temple of Heaven which is also from that time period. It was the home of the imperial palace: the emperor, his household, and court officials were the only ones allowed to live inside. The rest of the population were forbidden from stepping inside, or even viewing the city by thirty feet walls surrounding the entire thing. There are apparently over 900 buildings inside the walls, so it really is like its own little city.
3. The Hutongs
I also explored the hutongs, which are traditional Chinese neighborhoods made up maze-like alleys of siheyuan, historical courtyard residences. Some areas are very touristy, but others are more isolated and really feel like old-China.
4. The 2008 Olympic Stadium
The old Olympic Stadium is a pretty cool place to see. It's so futuristic looking, and a lot cleaner than most of China! Hosting the Olympics was such a big deal for China back in 2008, and they still use the stadium as a kind of display of their accomplishments. It's also the only place in all of China that I've seen a public water fountain (though I definitely don't trust it enough to drink from it)!
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| The "Bird's Nest" |
5. The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace served as a summer resort for an empress of the Qing dynasty. We took a trip there with the Chinese roommates one Saturday afternoon. After we hiked around the park, we rented pedal boats and paddled around the lake!
Up next: Great Wall pictures!
