China
This post could be huge, much like the country. But I’ll try to keep it as concise as possible.
The taxi picked me up around 7am. It was a strange feeling, as the rest of Singapore arose, kicking into gear for the 9-5, I was off on another adventure. It felt awesome.
I already began to feel a culture shift from the moment I got to the gate. The people lining up were Chinese, but there was something different about them. From the way they dressed to their curved accents, it was pleasantly surreal. I boarded the plane and looked out the window.
I was going to China.
Touching down in Beijing was as expected… Smoggy. It really is as bad as everyone says. But on the upside, their airport is beautiful. I went through the usual procedures and managed to obtain a phone sim card despite my dodgy mandarin.
I hopped in a cab and handed the driver a sheet of paper with the address of my friends workplace in chinese, written with embarrassing precision and caution, the driver knew I wasn’t a local. Beijing really is incredible, the scale is epic. This road isn’t even a highway, yet it has 10 lanes.
I was staying with a friend in Chongmenwen, a slightly poorer district southeast of the centre of Beijing.
Tiananmen Square - probably one of the first things I saw. Epic. Everywhere in Beijing was filled with Chinese tourists from other provinces and Tiananmen was no exception. The heat on that day was intense.
The Temple of Heaven, where the Emperor would come to pray for good harvests. Huge, grand and pretty mind blowing when you’re there.
People in China really like Mao…
They also really like Yao…
The Forbidden City. Before I went in I thought that naming it a ‘city’ was a bit much. How big could it really be? But I stand corrected… It was big.
The Summer Palace. One photo does not do this place justice. I’d say it was the highlight of Beijing. An amazing mix of gardens, temples, artwork and beauty.
The Old Summer Palace. Ruins of European architecture and many gardens featuring lotus flowers everywhere. Nice.
The Great Wall… Amazing. People talk about it all the time and it’s always hyped up - Almost to the point where you kinda ‘get over it’ before you’ve even been there. But when you do get there it’s so huge it’s shocking. Shocking.
Proof I was actually there. That grimace is part sun in my eyes, part exhaustion from all them steps.
Apart from all the touristy places, I went clubbing, I went to a housewarming, did some shopping and plenty of exploring. The most memorable moment of the whole trip was bicycling through Beijing. It sounds basic, but the sense of nostalgic childhood freedom I got while soaking up a city considered the centre of such a culturally and historically rich civilisation (made even more exciting by the impending Olympics) was truly incredible.
Next up - Mongolia.
