Tiananmen Square

Today we decided to try venturing out on our own without the help of a guide.  We knew that our hotel was  fairly close to Tiananmen Square and agreed that it would be our first stop of the day. There were always taxis sitting outside of our hotel, and so with the help of some translation cards we had a driver take us to the square.  We arrived at the square around 9:00 a.m.

It is considered to many as the heart of Beijing. It is the largest public city square in the world. The square is 440,000 sq. meters or about 109 acres. It can accommodate 600,000 people at one time. Trees line the east and west sides of the square. Tiananmen gate translated as, Gate of Heavenly Peace, is to the North of the square. It was originally the starting point of the Imperial City. The Great Hall of the People stands to the West of the square and Chairman Mao's mausoleum is to the South. On the east side of the square, is The National Museum of China which opened in 2003. Each morning at sunrise a flag raising ceremony is held. The square has quite a bit of historical significance to the people of China. On October 1,1949 Chairman Mao made the proclamation of The Peoples Republic of China in the square. It is also the site of the famous Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.

We saw hundreds of people lined up for a chance to pay their respects to Chairman Mao. The year after Mao's death in 1976, a mausoleum was built near the site of the former Gate of China.

There were many decorations being put up around the square in honor of the upcoming Olympics. Beautiful floral arangements of every kind lined the edges of the square.We also got our first glimpse of the Fuwa   福娃 (the official mascots of the 2008 Olympics). 

City photos

Here we are standing in the Forbidden City. Everything had so much detailing.

In the garden area of the city.

Imperial City

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was originally a royal garden and a temporary dwelling for the emperors of the Qing Dynasty. The park was started in 1750 and named the Garden of Clear Ripples. It was burned down by French and British troops in 1860. In 1866, the Empress Dowager Cixi began reconstruction on the park and renamed it the Summer Palace. Hills and water surround the palaces, temples, and gardens. A large lake known as Kunming Lake holds a beautiful boat made of marble.

Temple of Heaven

Early Saturday morning we decided to walk to the Temple of Heaven. It was located very close to our hotel in the Chongwen district of Beijing. The temple was originally built in 1420. This building was a marvelous example of Chinese architecture. It was the place where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshiped Heaven and prayed for good harvests. There were multiple buildings within the walls of the temple area. We toured the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. We were unable to see the echo wall because it was under renovation in preparation for the Olympics in 2008.

The area around the temples was also lovely. In fact it was my favorite part. There were ancient tree lined paths leading to all of the different areas. Outside of the main building areas, groups of people were scattered all over. Many were dancing or practicing Tai Chi. I have never visited a place in the US that was anything like it. We learned that it is a popular spot for retired people to meet and socialize. Everyone was very friendly. We talked with several people and I discovered that I need more practice on my Mandarin. One group invited Matt to exercise with them. They clapped and cheered for him as he used the various pieces of equipment. Then they all told me that I had a fine son.

The Beijing Zoo

I had wanted to see as much as possible during our short stay in Beijing, so I had scheduled a trip to the Beijing Zoo for the same day that we had arrived. Our guide Steven had planned for us to step off the plane and head straight to the Zoo. We had no way of knowing when we left the US that it would be 100 degrees that day in Beijing. We were dressed way to warmly and felt extremely tired from our flight. The Zoo raises over 650 different types of animals. It is also home to some of China's Giant Panda Bears. The pandas were the main focus of the zoo and many people visit just for the opportunity to watch the bears. Some of the other animals were living in somewhat poor conditions, as compared to standards at US zoos. Many of the animals were very close to the public. I witnessed people throwing pop bottles at the monkeys and all sorts of things at the brown bears.

Heading to Beijing

On September 17, my mother, oldest son and I left for Beijing. As I walked across the tarmac, I couldn't help but let my eyes fill up with tears. I was finally going to meet my daughter!!

Over Siberia
We took a direct flight on a 777 from Newark to Beijing. Many people have asked if we flew east or west. The answer is neither. We headed north over Canada and the North Pole. We had a smooth flight and plenty to eat, but 13 hours is a very long time on a plane. Unfortunately, I was so excited about everything that I wasn't able to sleep.

As soon as we arrived in Beijing, we met up with our guide Steven. I was so relieved to see him standing there waiting for us. (I had discovered that it was much less expensive to book our Beijing tour for ourselves. The adoption agency wanted quite a bit more money.) We hired Beijing Xinhua Tours. They did an excellent job!!! They were waiting with a very nice Mercedes van. As we left the airport, the first thing that struck was me was the traffic. I have never seen anything like it!! New York City seems tame in comparison.