Day two from Beijing was a little chilly and reminded us of Wisconsin after a warm day one. But the Badgers braved the chill and had a wonderful second day in the Chinese capital city!
After another delicious breakfast at the hotel, we ventured to the Forbidden City to take advantage of the cultural history we had missed out on the day before. We found a number of things interesting - first, it is HUGE! We were amazed at the scale of the City and how intricate the detail was over every square inch. It was unlike anything we've ever seen. It also surprised us at the amount of areas that people are able to touch. A few areas were blocked off, but for the most part, we could go right up and touch 500-year-old-history.
While in the City, the American group felt like a piece of culture as well. It seemed like we couldn't stop for more than five minutes without people wanting to take pictures with us and of our group. Some were more amused with it than others, but after a while, we decided that being famous is NOT all it's cracked up to be.
After spending 3 hours in the Forbidden City, we were treated to a rickshaw tour of the oldest section of Beijing. It didn't seem old, though. We were surprised that it seemed nicer than a lot of the main streets we had traveled so far. There were a lot of bars and shops along the way, but it was interesting to experience a larger area at a slower speed. And while there was a lot of activity in this residential area, it wasn't all pristine, as it was obvious there wasn't a lot of wealth in the area.
We then got to experience yet another traditional Chinese meal. As college students we don't usually get to spend a lotof time eating, nor are we used to eating a lot at once, so these meals have been EXTREMELY welcome. We enjoy being able to sit with a large group and share stories while the food just keeps on coming. Today we had the pleasure of trying abalone, orange-fried shrimp, lemon chicken, tofu, eggplant dishes, orange fish, Chinese-style "pot roast" and much much more! (Of course, we're not entirely sure what the dishes are, but most are amazing!)
After lunch we got to experience the Summer Palace, a complex with a huge lake, lots of gardens, and more beautiful buildings. Turns out, one of the Emporer's had a tough time. Long story short - the Dowager Empress wanted the power of the throne, so she put the Emperor on house arrest for 10 years. It was a lot of history to take in, but it was really interesting to learn about a culture and period in history few of us knew anything about.
Besides all the culture at each of our sites, we were also able to learn about business in this area as well because of the prevelance of all the vendors who want our attention. From briefcases with "Rolex"'s to dishes with our faces painted on them (Logan was flattered but had to decline), we are amazed at the amount of people who want to sell us "stuff". Yet we admire their persistence. It doesn't matter if one person says "no" five times, each person in the group must decline before the haggler will leave. Each offers a "great price" but because we're American, it is assumed that we have a lot to spend, and are willing. It's smart of the vendors to ask where we're from - we assume that the initial price doubles when we tell them - and it's interesting to see the various strategies each vendor has developed.
That's all for now from Beijing! By the time you read this, we will have been at the bus at 4am for our flight to Shanghai (did you know a lot of sites are inaccessible from China, like any site connected to Google and Facebook?). Thanks, Angie, for posting for us.
And HUGE thanks to Shirley and Jasmine from Li & Fung for planning all our time abroad. It has been amazing so far, and we can't wait to continue! Also, thanks to Robin (our tourguide) and Bruce (our favorite Panda), and of course Kohl's and Li & Fung for making it all possible!
Zaijian!
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