Arianne K. Phillip
Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City
Saturday, May 7 2011
Today we went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. I was very excited to finally visit this historical site that we have been learning about for the past four months. The walk over to Tiananmen Square was great. On the way our group witnessed a Chinese wedding at The Beijing Hotel. Even though it was not a part of our planned itinerary for the day, I found it astounding and a beautiful event to see. When we reached Tiananmen Square we had seen an array of people from different parts of China. They seemed very excited and amazed to see foreigners. Some people asked for our pictures, others seemed a little shy to ask. I thought it to be very flattering that people wanted a picture with us. They were very humble and grateful when taking pictures with us. I think taking pictures with the Chinese people opened my eyes to how different Western culture is from the culture in China.
The view of Tiananmen Square was amazing. It was enormous and had beautiful statues and buildings. The guards walking around were really exciting to see. My friends and I were so excited to take pictures with them. Some guards did not want pictures taken of them, but most of them allowed us to take pictures with them. I loved it and really appreciated their generosity.
After walking through Tiananmen Square I grew a great appreciation for the Chinese culture. I felt wonderful to actually walk on the ground where so much history has taken place. Movements from the May 4 event and the student protests took place in the very spot that I was standing. It felt very surreal.
When we went to the Forbidden City I was in awe. I learned that there were 999 rooms in the Forbidden City and that it was only for the Emperor and his servants. I did not expect to see the actual place where the Emperor slept and held activities in their courts. I also learned about the significance of statues on the buildings in the Forbidden City, the color schemes, and some Chinese characters. I thought it was amazing that everything in the Chinese culture has a meaning behind it. Over all, the trip was an amazing eye opener about China’s history and culture. I reached a higher respect and love for Chinese culture.
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