Forbidden City
Monday, October 11, 1999
I guess the trip to the Great Wall, or at least the early start yesterday was why I woke up quite late today. The Danish guy who is apparently sick left without saying much. Cindy and Lars were also leaving today. I went to the Forbidden City and walked around the huge complex along with loads of other Chinese and Foreign Tourists. Some of the buildings, architecture and stone carvings are amazing but it soon becomes a bit ‘samey’. I found a garden inside which is totally different from all around it and has a more natural look with natural rocks and trees. Chilled out here away from the crowds for an hour or so in the sun and tried to decide where my next destination should be. Not really any further forward than before. Then finished off the tour of the Forbidden City and went to the two parks behind it. Jingshan Park which is on top of a small manmade hill and has nice views over the vast Palace as well as Chinese singers practicing their chords. Beihei Park is basically a huge manmade lake with an interesting temple on an island. I imagine it is quite nice in the winter when the lake is frozen and has locals ice skating around it. Continued North along Beihei to the other lakes and the Drum Tower, but somehow got massively lost and never found the Drum or Bell Tower. I walked miles in one direction (not really sure which one!) before I found a subway. I went in completely the wrong direction and nowhere near where I thought I was going. Beijing is so big you can’t walk it easily – not that I was trying to, but the map and straight roads make it confusing and misleadingly small. Once on the subway it was easy and I went to the main train station and eventually, after many attempts at various windows and counters bought a ticket for tomorrow night. Then realised it was for the wrong place – not Xi’an but Cheang (Shenyang?) and not Xi’an pronounced see-anne? I will hopefully be able to exchange it as I have no wish to travel further North to Shenyang. By this time it was 9pm and hard to find somewhere to eat so ended up having a KFC at Qianmen. There was an elderly woman in there struggling to eat with two spoons as chopsticks. I gave her some hashi and she was quite grateful. Shows how China is changing slowly, but is becoming separated at the same time as if they can not keep up with the speed of change. They have the Western KFC but still will not eat food with their hands. Would have made a good photo but too embarrassed to embarrass her.
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