BEIJING 北京

so.. its MARCH 2010! and its been two months since I left the greater China area. i did promise myself i'd finish all these posts so i might as well have a complete collection of my study abroad experience on one site. something to look back on when im 80 and can no longer travel, or when im 30, broke, and unable to afford traveling beyond the mcdonalds down the street.

Great wall:






Forbidden City: shoulda woke up earlier to get in when there were less tourists. the site loses its effect when there are hundreds of people crowding into the same alley or building youre trying to get into. still grand nonetheless


^love to have seen this on a less smoggy day where the air wasnt supersaturated with pollution. alas, Mao wanted "a forest of smokestacks" around Beijing in the 50s to show how industrialized the nation had become.




Temple of Heaven:

a high point in Ming dynasty architecture, where the emperor sacrificed a lamb (or was it a goat?) on the winter solstice for good fortunes

Summer Palace: finally the air cleared up after a night of rain, and it was BEAUTIFUL! not stuffy like the forbidden city. dozens of temples, palaces, pagodas, and walkways scattered throughout the playground for Empress Cixi. she bankrupted the nation with her marble boat.





Snack Streets: selling some pretty weird stuff, crickets (ehh too crispy), scorpions (tasted like kebab seasoning), starfish (dry and gross), and some other critters along those lines.