Forbidden City and Tien An Men square

Forbidden City

Mt first day in Beijing is the same day when I arrive, 5 hours extra sleep I then checked out and moved to my real room I booked in Internet. Yes it is a share room with 5 others people. i was thinking if it is going to be as bad as NY hostel then I might find my own room but it isn’t. the room is very nice with confi and white blanket. i share with 4 girls and 1 guy and 3 of them are American. Im glad I have someone to talk. i didn’t feel well after long walk to forbidden city. My throat hurt I guess I had tonsil inflammation cos of the MSG food I ate. Oh my oh my… I can’t eat anything here other than plain rice. Everything tastes so MSG and I’m allergic, it makes me sick. I asked the American girl for an aspirin i don’t trust medicine here cos they all in Chinese I can’t read sh#t.

My very first Chinese meal was roast duck, 50 RMB or about ($9) , I have booked the great wall tour cost 280 RMB ($45) this is pretty expensive compare to the price of the tour agent outside. I booked mine in the hotel I stay. I could get 180-200 RMB for the same tour. Damn it! but it happens. I stayed in Beijing King Joy’s hotel in MeiShie street, 10 minutes’ walk to famous Tian An Men square and Forbidden city.

Dahalan Jie St.

I walked to Dahalanjie Street, 5minutes from hotel. It is very touristy street with a lot of shopping stores and stalls. The building looks old with Chinese design and architect. So cool so Chinese just like on movie. Everything seems so cheap, cheaper than back home. ahhh I finally got to buy thing from China and I’m proud cos I buy it in China not in Indonesia, Australia or USA. I walked to the small alley the more I walked the more Chinese things I saw. Things I bought from the main street are even cheaper. I need to see more and learn to shop. Not getting excited to soon.

market

So many store where sells tea I heard China is famous with their herb and vary of tea. So many kinds of tea, I bought a small jasmine tea for 10RMB ($1.50), im in heaven of shopping, I can’t wait to shop. I guess I have to buy extra luggage, i came with just a small backpack. I walked to the Tian An Men square, it’s a big square Located in the heart of Beijing City, it is the side for massive parades. In 1949 on Tiananmen (the gate of Heavenly Peace) the chairman Mao proclaimed the established of the People’s Republic of China. Such a historical square, this square is surrounded by Tiananmen on the north, the Great Hall of the People, the meeting place of national people’s congress and National Museum of China on the east.

magic, this pot doesn't attach to anything

Each gate has security system whose check your bags etc, it is free entrée. Across the square is the famous Forbidden city. it is free to get to the main entrance, 60 RMB ($10)  to get inside and 40 RMB for electronic guide rent, it has GPS system so it explained automatically where you at. Pretty cool. It is just like on movie I saw.. it is huge, old and breath-taking. The Forbidden City is also known officially as the Imperial Palace Museum was built between 1406 and 1420. It was burnt down, rebuilt and renovated countless times. It is the seat of Imperial power for 500 freaking years… each site I stopped I looked at the details of each building and imagine what it was like back then. It is said the total area is 183 acres it is huge, takes me 3 hours to walk through.

forbidden city, Gate

It has more than 9000 rooms with 4 main gates. It also divided into 2 parts; front court and back chamber, I had no idea what is that mean. I kept walking to the end of the last gate I can’t really remember the name of each building since everything is in Chinese. All I could say “wow’ I heard a lot about this city now I actually see it. The last gate called Dvine Prowess (Shenwumen) 2RMB to enter into the Jingshan Park, to overview the panorama of the Forbidden City I have to climb up to the top. It has big gold Buddha statue. I could see how big the Forbidden City is from the hill.

forbidden city

My feet sore, couldn’t even walk. i didn’t know the way to the hotel. i asked 2 Chinese students and they said it take 2 buses to get there. I decided to take taxi but it was difficult to find. I just walked to the end of the road and find this bus stop. I took the bus for 1RMB show the driver the address. He nodded and spoke in Chinese pointing direction ahead. I guess I’m in the right bus. it stopped in Qian Men Dong street which is 10 minutes walked from hotel. I couldn’t walk straight too tired but I made it. Feeling unwell I then postpone my great wall tour which supposed to be the next early morning, after those hours of walking I don’t think I could hike the great wall the next day.

overview forbidden city

Those long pain in the @ass flight and hours of walking felt nothing compare to these’ experience and things I have seen I’m on my own in this strange city, totally illiterate speaking no Mandarin. But this smile on my face and this blog explain how great this journey is.