Tiananmen Square. Site of the historic student movements of the late 80s. Site where the Cultural Revolution was born – and where it died. The largest “square” in the world, it holds one million people during military parades, National Day, etc. The snaps below show the site of the student demonstrations of the past and the countdown clock for the Olympics that will help def
ine this country's future.
From there we progressed toward the Forbidden City, built in the 1400s… with its beautiful architecture and glimpse into the past centuries of leadership. Mao’s portrait hangs at the first of many entry gates and is refreshed yearly. Jet-lag has me in its firm and mighty grasp, so I’m going to return and provide more detail in the next few days when my eyes aren’t quite so heavy….
I just got an email tip from my nephew, Jackson. He says that the roofs are angled the way they are because spirits can only walk in a straight line. (Third grade - how do these kids get so smart these days?!) Doesn't surprise me at all. Despite their recent history leading to not recognizing organized religion, "superstition" permeates their thinking and discussion of ways they ward off ghosts is quite common.
This tree is known as the "Lovers Tree" as it resembles a couple in an embrace. I had to be very patient to get a shot without a "happy couple" in front of this famous tree.
From the Forbidden City, we toured the Hutong area of Beijing – in a rickshaw! These tiny streets weave in, out, and around in the thriving district where there are 135 bars and clubs that cater to the city’s working class as they stop for a libation on their way home. While visiting 
the Beijing hutongs, I was escorted to the home of a lovely retired couple. I have adopted a new grandma in Beijing - sweet Mrs. Mai - should you ever need to borrow one.
The Hutong district was most interesting. It is a very trendy neighborhood because of its optimum feng-shui and close proximity to the Forbidden City. Although everything looks very similar from the streets, there are vast differences on the inside walls... with some properties being carved up into tiny state-owned homes supporting multiple families and other properties belonging to very high-ranking government officials and rock stars. The visit to Hutong sparked an interesting conversation with my guide, Rina. We all know that it's very difficult to purchase a home in China. One of the "side-guides" for our Hutong visit told of spending $2M US for his home recently. Rina explained that in many families it is unthinkable to "own" a home... Interestingly, you have to save for decades to afford one. But when you do "buy" one -- the government still "owns" it and in 70 years you have to repurchase the property from the Government.After a hearty and authentic noodle lunch, we left for Temple of Heaven – often used as the symbol of Beijing (and China). The architecture is beautiful and the city has really cleaned up and refurbished worn paints, etc. in preparation for the Olympics. What I was struck most by, however, is the amount of planning and consistency among these key public places. People of China pay very close attention to the meaning of numbers (as they are the keys to health, wealth, and longevity - example "8" is very lucky... so the Olympics begin on 8-8-08), the hierarchy of north-facing vs eastern-facing objects, etc. And the fact that they could keep all those concepts in check while building multiple HUGE projects across the last four centuries is impressive.
So – having exhausted my patience with this living history lesson, Rina mercifully took me shopping. And I’m here to tell you – all that prayin’ for me and my pearls made a big difference, y'all. I haggled for three hours with four different vendors and came away completely empty-handed. Thanks, I think… :-)
Tomorrow – the Great Wall. If ever there was a test for the mighty Long Johns, tomorrow will certainly be it!
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