May 18th- Bustling Beijing

The next busy day in Beijing started at the Forbidden City and Tiananmen square! While the buildings are certainly beautiful, I can't get passed the giant picture of Mao's face on the entrance, nor the horror of thinking of the massacre that happened here. To think that many people don't believe it even happened is especially disturbing. Instead of memorials for all those who died here, children march with flags to show their pride in the government. While I think every government has it's strong points and faults, the censorship in China has truly begun to disturb me.

After learning about Chinese history, we went to the silk factory to learn about a Chinese craft. We got to see how silk maggots went from creepy little bugs to beautiful thread. We learned that there are single cocoons that are used for threads, and double cocoons used for mattresses/bedding. The material felt amazing and it's unbelievable that such beauty can come from an insect! After shopping around the factory, we went to get lunch at a nearby restaurant. I actually really enjoy eating family style, but it's VERY easy to overeat when plate after plate of food is brought out to you!

Fully filled with delicious food, we made our way to the Temple of Heaven! This building is completely round, symbolizing it being closer/connected to heaven, and it is painted so amazingly. Besides the Great Wall, I think this is my favorite piece of history we have seen. Just to stare up at the ceiling made me feel like I was up in the clouds in an ethereal place.

Next was another little nugget of culture: the tea ceremony. Now I'm not one for tea, but it was really cool learning about the different teas and how they are used. Some are good for diabetes or relaxation, whereas some are full of caffeine and can make you sick if you drink it on an empty stomach!

Once we had something to drink, it was time for MORE FOOD! This time we were off to try a Chinese delicacy, peking duck! I've never had duck before now, so I was super excited for this dinner. When the main course finally came out, I rushed over to see how they cut the whole duck into small chunk (it still had it's head when they wheeled it out!). I wasn't sure if I would like duck or not, but I ended up loving it. ^^

After dinner, I opted to go see a Kung-fu play. It was at a theater and was all about a grandmaster telling a young boy about his journey to becoming a Kung-fu master. Seeing how athletic all the actors were, including kids!, really impressed me. I could tell it took a lot of dedication and hardwork to put on a show like this.

The Kung-fu show ended when it was dark, so I obviously I'm super tired after such a long day. I still have to pack though because tomorrow we head straight to the train after our sight-seeing! Our weekend in Beijing is coming to an end.