The Trip

China was a great experience. I was able to see so many things that you've only seen in pictures. I was able to check out the Great Wall of China, Ming Tombs, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven. I think my favourite spot in Beijing was the Forbidden City. This gigantic area (about 170 acres) was the palace of emperors in ancient Chinese history (Ming and Qing dynasties). This immense area was filled with tons of elaborately decorated wooden buildings with 10 metre walls surrounding the grounds. It was pretty extravagant.

What else can I say about Beijing? Foreign people in China is an even stranger sight to see than in Korea. We had many stares and gasps which always makes me laugh. My favourite is the request to have our pictures taken with various families from around the world. A group of travellers from Taiwan, Iran, and China all asked us to take pictures with them. Strange but funny. I'm not sure what they'll do with those pictures.

I was reallllllllllllllllllly excited to be able to shop in China. It's difficult to find clothing in Korea so when I was actually able to try on jeans in China I was thrilled. I bought a couple pairs of jeans, some gifts, shoes, and a new suitcase to bring home all my new purchases. It's a cheap place to shop.

China was a great place to visit - the weather was nice, my travel mates were swell, and the destinations were 'wow'. I hope to check out Shanghai someday.

Hope all is well.

Forbidden City

The Great Wall of China

Tiananmen Square