Reflections on Beijing

So, I went on a little trip to Beijing recently. It would very easy for me to just post a bunch of vacation photos, but almost all travels blogs do that kind of thing. There are plenty of photos of Beijing all over the web. I thought it would be better to write about how much truth there is to the myth of China being so hardcore red.

Until now, I had never been to a communist nation. During my childhood and teenage years I was always told that the commies are evil snakes in the grass. Never trust a Red, was a common response to any question I had about Communism when I was younger. During college I read the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx. I found many theories in the Manifesto to be interesting. Considering my working class background the idea of sticking it to the man appealed to me. Although, given the track record of Communist governments I have never been able to accept the communist agenda. So, going to Beijing I had many preconceived notions about the Communist system.

My first taste of Red China came at the airport in Beijing. The airport itself was very clean and well maintained. Trying to get through Immigration was a bit of a hassle though. I don`t know if it is normal or not, but the line at Immigration was very long. It was almost as long as the lines I expect to find at the airport in Tokyo. I waited in line for about 1 1/2 hours before I finally had my passport and visa checked. The guy at Immigration reminded me of the people who work Immigration at airports in America. He tried to act tough and make me sweat a little. I just answered his questions and got the process over as long as I could.

When we got to the hotel it was time to relax a little; and checked the overall quality of our living conditions. The room itself had plenty of space. The bathroom was clean and had all the comforts of home. We also had Internet access! A lot of people have told me about the poor quality of water in Beijing hotels. We must have gotten lucky because our water was clean and drinkable; not the brown river water I was expecting. Overall, the hotel was very nice and well serviced.

I did not have a lot of time to really get the full experience of Beijing, but I saw enough to make a few observations.

Tianaman Square
I have heard so many things about the government center of Beijing. All the important government buildings are located at Tianaman Square. There was enough Communist propaganda to start the revolution all over again. The hammer and sickle was plastered on almost every building. It was a little shocking for me too see such a sight. The area itself was very peaceful and in perfect order. Nobody was getting out of line for any reason. I did feel a little tense feeling in the air. It was as if the Chinese people are under some kind of forced control in the area. I have not felt this kind of tenseness since I left America. The strangest part of being at Tianaman Square was when it was closed for the night. A gang of military guys showed up and started demanding that everyone leave the area or be arrested. I have never seen such a thing before. Military patrolling the streets while policing citizens is something I hope to never see in Japan.

The Great Wall
It was a great experience to see the Great Wall. It was almost an all day trip to visit the great wall but it was well worth the effort. I did not see so much Communist propaganda at the Great Wall. Things were kept pretty traditional. I guess the reason for this is to delight tourist while not scaring the shit out of them.

Beijing Duck
I did have time to enjoy some Beijing Duck. The duck was actually pretty good. I had a fine roasted duck for New Year`s. The size of the duck was slightly smaller then a chicken. I drank plum wine which matched the taste of the duck perfectly. I would suggest having duck if you visit Beijing.


Like I said, I was not in Beijing for very long; only a few days in fact. I spent most of my time checking out a few things and trying to relax a little. I had to rush to be able to even see The Forbidden City. The one thing that really stuck out in my mind was all the rough looking people I saw. It looked like a lot of people did not have a stable job. From time to time I saw small groups of man, wearing worn-out tops and bottoms, trying to keep warm using a trash can fireplace. China must have the world`s largest temp. work force. I am willing to bet that those men wonder from job to job just trying to make a little money to feed their families. People in China do not seem to be living in a worker`s paradise like the Communist model promises.

Overall, it was a very good trip. The gal and I got to relax and ring in the new year with style. I hope to plan another trip sometime down the road.

I`m off to see the Reds

So, on December the 30th I will leave Japan for a few days. I will be traveling to The People`s Republic of China; or Red China. I love to travel to others places in the world. I enjoy the adventure of being in a strange land. While, China has been on my travel list for years I still feel a slight fear of being in Red nation.

I know that many people consider China to be capitalist with a single party political system. What is shocking is that a lot of people I talk with seem to have no problem with such a system. I personally think that the Chinese system of government is a smack in the face of liberty. The government of China should be ashamed of some of the actions it has taken against its people. Sadly, considering that China is becoming a superpower it is highly unlikely that its government will have a chance of heart anytime soon. So, I am visiting China the understanding that I can have a great time but I am to never questioned the government while inside its borders. Usually, I would have a little problem with such an agreement but I really want to see some things in Beijing so I am biting the bullet and playing along.

With the golden rule in mind for visiting Beijing I have given some thought as to what I want to do and see. There are something which I know for sure I want to see.

The Great Wall Of China.
One of the only things a knew about China when growing up in the mountains of West Virginia was the great wall. We all heard the story of this giant wall the Chinese build a long time ago to keep out invaders. I have only seen pictures of it in books and internet sites. I still find it amazing that such a building project could have been constructed all those years ago. Back in those days slaves where still used to do most hard labor. It must have taken a lot of slaves to complete the great wall. Considering the way slaves must have been treated in those more uncivilized days I am willing to bet turnover rate for slaves was really high. I wonder why China never created a special monument to honor those who suffered so much during the building of the wall? Anyway, a round trip from Beijing to the wall and back is about one day. I will have to get up early to go to the wall. It should be well worth the effort.

The Forbidden City.
This is something big on my to do list. The Forbidden City has been a fascination of mine since I first read about its history in college. For many years it was the home of the Emperor and the political center of China. So many important political events in China`s history has happen at the Forbidden City. There days it is open to the public as it no longer is used for political means. It is a testament to the history of China. I am looking forward to seeing the large painting of Mao which is on display at the main entrance of the Forbidden City.

Tianaman Square
The modern political center of Beijing is Tianaman square. All of the major government buildings are located in this area. I have read that politicians address the people directly in the square itself or from a balcony overlooking the people. It must take a lot of `security forces` to protect the politicians during public speeches. Speaking of security forces Tianaman square also claims fame as being the site of one of the bloodest political resistence in the history of China. Most people have seen the tank man video which stands as a symbol of resisting oppressive governmets. I am sure that such a video has been banned by the great fire wall of China so most people in China have never seen tank man. Such an event in history makes me more edger to see Tianaman square.

Beijing Duck
I have wanted to try this for years! I have head that Beijing duck is a great meal. I have never eaten duck before. In fact, were I grew up duck hunting was not popular at all. We just did not look at ducks as food. My wife says it is really good but a bit greasy. I will have to eat the stuff first and make up my own mind. Any suggestions for the best way to eat duck?



There are a few others things I have on my list of things to do and see in Beijing but I always welcome and suggestions. I still do not know much about what new years activites are being planned in Beijing. Any information would be helpful.