Upon our return to Beijing, we headed to a major site we had yet to see: Tian’anmen Square.

While the Tian’anmen Square doesn’t necessarily trump the Forbidden City or the Summer Palace in Beijing, it is impressive, historical, (and a reminder of prior tragedy), in it’s own right. It’s also one of the biggest (or THE biggest, depending on the source) squares in the world, and walking around the unforgiving pavement you can certainly feel this. Don’t let that stop you, though, because it’s a must-see in Beijing. Just make sure to hydrate, or those unforgiving miles may make you REALLY feel that beer you stop for afterwards (not that I know anything about that…).

One side of the square is marked with this:

Directly opposite, the square is bordered with this monument:

And you can’t forget the middle:

But the part you REALLY can’t forget is the mausoleum that displays Chairman Mao’s body. (Which I did not snap a picture of, because there were a lot of guards around it and I’m a scaredy-cat).

Yes, you can see his body.

And, no I did not.

First of all, I did happen to see Ho Chi Minh’s preserved body in Hanoi, Vietnam, many years ago (okay, try three) and I think one passed Communist leader’s remains is might be enough to see in a lifetime (although that’s obviously just a personal choice). Also, viewing hours are only in the morning, something to remember if you ever happen to visit.

Nearby Tian’anmen is Qianmen Street, a fun, touristy shopping area full of little alleys like this:

Qianmen is a good way to end a trip to Tian’anmen–we grabbed some souvenirs, traditional Chinese noodles in a centuries-old building, and some green tea ice cream, along with our beer.

Although Tian’anmen feels like a strangely closed-off area for a public square (there are rigorous security measures before you enter, and they don’t allow ice cream, which I learned the hard way) it feels massive and, on a clear day, has the best view of the sky I’ve found in Beijing–they even restrict building height around the square.

^my two fellow students and our tour guide for the day, a graduate student from Beijing.

As you can see from the final photo, Tian’anmen captures the spirit of China in a unique way: mysterious, with beautiful architecture; massive, with half-forgotten and tragic history; protective, yet wide open and crammed full with people. China is a country of enigmas and Tian’anmen is no exception.

This is letter T for the A to Z Challenge!

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It’s crowded with tourists, students, workers, families. It’s the capital of China, one of the most populous countries on Earth, and Beijing follows as one of the most populous cities on Earth.

Coming from the Wild, Wild West of the United States, Beijing was an assault to my senses. The nonstop sounds, combined with a complicated language I didn’t understand, gave me a constant headache. So did the constant, suffocating smog combined with humidity. My eyes were sore from the many things to see (and the smog probably didn’t help that, either).

Then, in the middle of this giant concrete jungle, we found an oasis.

The Summer Palace is not a sight I ever thought to see in China (nor I had really heard of it…). But, of all the major landmarks in Beijing (and one of the many World Heritage Sites), I loved the Summer Palace the most.

The Summer Palace was started during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) as a second palace for the emperor. Many emperors have used it since then, adding on, changing the name, and eventually using it as a summer resort, hence the current name. It’s full of traditional Chinese architecture, but unlike the Forbidden City, which is endless miles of pavement, the Summer Palace is on beautiful grounds, many acres of land, with a lake where you can rent a paddleboat and a little canal (complete with a “model village”). It is known as a gem of Chinese Imperial Gardens.

It felt most like an escape to me because, once you got past the entrance, you could actually escape (and pretty easily) the matching-hat tourist groups and families flocking to get the best pictures. It’s easy to climb up a slightly harder trail or slightly steeper steps to get away from it all in the trees. There, you’ll discover lovely pagodas and tiny buildings hidden amongst ancient trees, and pretty views of the lake (despite the smog, as you’ll see). We paid a little extra to go to the little village by the canal and have a beer, and it was quiet and perfect.

It was familiar, and comforting in the middle of culture shock. It was a reminder that I was not in just in any big city, but in China.

There, In the Summer Palace, I found China as I had imagined it would be.

a lovely view of the lake…and the smog.

my travel buddies, K and J.

Tsingtao, my first Chinese beer!

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