Until you actually stand there, you cannot appreciate the size of Tiananmen Square. One million people can stand within the square shoulder to shoulder. I think there was about that many today...or it seemed like it, but it did not take away from the size or the historical significance and it gave me one of those "I am actually here doing this" moments. Walking on from there to the Forbidden city was a similar experience. The place with 9999.5 rooms because 0.5 more would have been for a "God" and this was for a mortal being. The architecture and preservation of it is amazing. After a banquet for one for lunch (awesome authentic Chinese food...not like home), it was on to the summer palace. The "dragon lady", the emperors mother spent exactly six months here every year. Three quarters of it is lake and tranquil gardens, temples etc make up the rest. The summer palace is home to the worlds longest corridor, some 780 metres long with over 1,000 hand painted panels. I can imagine without all the people how serene it would have been. The Hutongs or alleyways with traditional buildings (houses, shops and such) run side by side with new modern multi story office blocks and apartments. Beijing is a city of contrasts and to my surprise immaculately clean - we could take a lesson from that. Tomorrow the great wall and the pandas await me.
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