Well we finally, successfully made it to Beijing and it was quite the experience! One jam-packed weekend was all we needed to see the major sights. Friday night we gleefully raced out of the jia to the train station where we traded our tickets for passage on an overnight train to Beijing. We had booked passage for three of us in a hard-sleeper cabin. Fourteen hours later I sorely regretted not spending the few extra dollars to book more luxurious accommodations. A standard hard sleeper cabin has two bunk beds in a very narrow cabin. A small table sits adjacent to the window. Each bed is covered in a thin white sheet and there is room to store one’s belongings below the bottom bunk.
Each cabin could probably comfortably fit four. Unfortunately, there are six people assigned to each cabin, making for a very awkward ride. Our group got there early and took over two of the bunks. I shared a bottom bunk with a friend, while another member of our party took the top. Three other Chinese men joined us in our cabin. It made for one awkward night. Not only was there no room to sleep, but the men also made me feel uncomfortable. One man didn’t sleep at all during the 14-hour ride and kept waking me up. Furthermore, the other passengers in our car were noisy. Overall it was not the best experience. However, it was a very effective means of transportation. At 8:00 AM the next morning we arrived at the North Beijing station and stepped out blinking into the sunlight.
My first impression of Beijing was gray; everything was gray and made of concrete. Communist office blocks are punctuated only by national monuments and ancient architecture. The air pollution was suffocating and the wind bitter. All in all, it was not the world’s best environment. But our party was undeterred; we dropped off our things at the hostel and set out for a day of sightseeing.
First stop was Tiananmen Square where we saw the changing of the guard and took pictures in front of the palace. Next, we entered the Forbidden City with its numerous rooms and gaudy gilt. The grand scale of it all struck me. The walls, rooms, and sculptures are all enormous dwarfing their surroundings. Another realization I made was simply how old the nation of China is. American history only spans 200 years while China’s story stretches back more than two thousand years.
Next, we moved on to see the Summer Palace, which is another enormous, ornate complex. The summer palace encompasses extensive gardens and even a large lake. Because it was so cold, the lake had frozen over and many of the trees were bare. It was quite eerie, but still very beautiful. After that, we ran off to see the Temple of Heaven. Unfortunately, by that time the main temple was closed, but we could still got on to the grounds so we spent some time wandering around. Too late we realized that night was falling fast and there were no street lamps. We found ourselves alone in a dark, quiet, cold temple. As we searched for the exit, we began to notice enormous animals peering out at us from the bushes. They had bright eyes and long fur, but they were too far away and well concealed for us to distinguish them. Finally, we found our way to a raised walkway but just as we rounded a corner, we were assaulted by a strange wailing noise. It sounded as if it was coming from several locations on the temple grounds. As we walked, the noise drew closer and eventually we came upon a small and unusual party. Two women were singing while a man played the accordion. Several people stood around them occasionally joining in with the music. We finally realized that this was an impromptu performance of Beijing Opera. All around the grounds we could see and hear similar groups that were forming. It was truly a unique cultural experience. Also, due to the light from the musicians, we could identify the enormous animals that had been stalking us. They were cats. No, I’m not joking. Massive cats. Enormous, furry cats the size of dogs with yellow eyes. They were everywhere. Cats of every color running across the grounds of the temple. Finally, we returned to our hostel, grabbed some food, and fell asleep. It was an amazingly long day. We walked many miles and saw so many amazing things.
The next morning we awoke early and checked out of our hostel with another long day ahead of us. We were all excited as we were finally headed to see China’s crown jewel: The Great Wall. It took two stints on a subway and a train ride to get to a section of the wall suitable for tourists. It was cold and there was snow everywhere. We were carrying all of our belongings in backpacks. In short, again, not ideal conditions. Yet we still bravely began our hike. One thing that is not made clear to many tourists is quite how steep the wall is. It was perhaps one of the more difficult physical tasks I have ever been asked to preform. At some points we were climbing nearly vertically on our hands and knees. After what seemed like hours, we reached a summit. There we stopped to take pictures and catch our breath. I had to sit down and take it all in. I was standing at the top of the great wall. At 19-years-old I was over 2,000 miles away from home having the adventure of my life. What did this mean for my future? What had I done to deserve such opportunity? It was a moment of thanksgiving and reflection. Ultimately that was the defining moment of the trip, and perhaps of the whole first semester.
