2013 China Ag Class

May 18th, 2013

We started our Saturday by visiting the Tian'men Square located in the center of Beijing. 500,000 tourists visit this area daily, or 15 million a year. The area of the square amounts to 110 acres. The China National Museum, China's People’s Congress Building, Mau's Mausoleum, and the Gate to the Forbidden City surround the square. Tian'men to the Chinese means the Heavenly Peaceful Gate.

We then ventured into the Forbidden City. It was built in the Ming Dynasty starting in 1420 AD and took 30 years until completion. We were constantly getting bombarded by the local people wanting to get pictures with the westerners. The Forbidden City has 8,764 rooms and covers over 200 acres. 12,864 dragon statues are located within the enclosed walls. Only 3/5 of it is open to the public. It was full of beautiful sites and ancient architecture. Many decorative relics and treasures are located in the original sleeping chambers of the Emperor and Empress. The walk through popular tourist attraction took us almost an hour.

Following the Forbidden City we all boarded 2-person rickshaws manned by Chinese men on bicycles. The route took us through the Hu-Tong Village along the Rare Lake River. The area was a quiet and pleasant change from the busier car filled roads. Our destination was a local family’s residence where they served us a traditional Chinese meal. It was refreshing and filling.

After our meal we visited the Olympic Village where the 2008 Olympic Games took place. The main visual attractions were the Birds Nest and the Water Cube. It is still a very popular tourist destination for both Chinese and international travelers.

We students were then able to practice our bargaining skills again as we went to the Pearl, Toy, and Jewelry Markets. After spending most of our remaining Yuan we were ready for FOOD. We fulfilled this need by going to a Hot Pot supper. Each of us had a pot of boiling broth with spices, meat, and vegetables at our disposal to cook in the pot and eat! It is the equivalent to American 'fondue'.

It was a very informative and eventful final day in China as tomorrow morning we will depart for the homeland. Peace out.