The disparity in Beijing is great; great between rich and poor, old and new and almost every other contrast. I love this city but it has its problems, as well as its greatness. The architecture is awesome, the food great, the history amazing, but there is also poverty here and some pollution. Such is the contrast between areas of China's capital it could almost be two cities. On one side we have a city that could challenge New York in terms of wealth and infrastructure, but on the other hand there are problems here more associated with Africa. And whether its good or bad, it all makes for quite a package!
Wow! What a few days. I have experienced some of the most amazing sights and events of my life, and I feel so privileged to have been accepted onto this programme and to be representing the UK here in China.
I have settled well into Beijing and am still completely mesmerised by the city as I see more of it and explore it further. The only downside is that I cannot get the internet on my laptop and so I am unable to blog as frequently as I would like but I will blog as much as I can and try to cover everything in it. So watch out, they could be long! Beijing is the most amazing city I have ever been to; it is so big and there is so much going on. I love going out and looking at the buildings and just getting the feel and atmosphere of the place. China is an incredible country and Beijing epitomises that wholly.
When I arrived on Wednesday I wasn’t too tired but the first day was spent getting a feel for our new location and getting to know our Chinese leaders better. On the second day we had the Opening Ceremony where we heard established guests deliver speeches on what the programme means to both the UK and China and how we can get the most of it. After the ceremony we had an introductory lesson in Mandarin where we got to meet our Chinese peers. During this session we discussed each other’s perceptions of the other country. It transpired that Chinese students thought that we were very mature and more informal then they had thought, and they also said they think British students do not work so hard. Similarly, we also thought the Chinese students weren’t as formal as we had expected but they do work hard and all of them speak exceptionally good English. This has already highlighted a vast difference between our nations; on one hand China sees it as crucial to be multi-lingual and many people endeavour to become so, but in the UK we are seeing a decline in second language learning and instead rely on the world’s ability to produce people competent in English. At lunch time we got to dine in a very nice restaurant, and I am pleased to say I can now eat all my meals with chopsticks! Some things can be tricky, such as getting meat off of a bone, but all in all its quite a nice and efficient way to eat. In China, you tend to order as group rather than individually. The tables have a circular tray on them which rotates and all of the many dishes are placed on that so that people can take as much as they wish. I prefer this system as it allows you to try many different things.
During the afternoon we were given a tour of Beijing Normal University (BNU) by some students here. The university was established in 1902 and was used mainly as a college for training teachers; nowadays, although many still come here to learn to teach, it has transformed into an international university and has students from over 70 countries, including lots from the USA. BNU has over 20,000 students and the buildings here are very nice. There are also lots of facilities here, including a swimming pool, an athletics track and a gym. We are staying in the hotel for international students and we have very nice single rooms, but our tour guide informed us that some rooms have to be shared with up to 8 people. We are very lucky!
During the first two nights I also experienced that Beijing obsession – karaoke! Karaoke is very popular hear and 20 of the fellows rented a private room, which was very cheap. Many of the songs played were English and this is also an example of western influence of China. Globalisation is everywhere here, and American brands such as McDonald’s, KFC, Armani, Adidas and Gucci are everywhere, including on the bags and clothes of Beijing citizens.
On Saturday I had simply the best day. In the morning we travelled north of Beijing to climb a section of the Great Wall. In pinyin (phonetic Mandarin) the wall is called “changcheng”. It began construction over 2000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty, and was built to protect the northern provinces from nomadic tribes. At over 8800 km long, the wall is the largest manmade object ever and the only one visible from space. Those who have climbed the wall are said to be true men, and you cannot become one unless you have. Climbing the wall was one of the best things I have ever done; it is truly amazing to see the real thing as you can appreciate the scale and magnitude of it. It was very hot and I sweated loads whilst climbing it but I got some fantastic pictures. To me the wall represents the capability of the Chinese people, and a sign of the magnificent feats that can achieve. It is also a permanent reminder of the heritages and history of this great land. A heritage which the Chinese people seem very proud of and interested in.
After lunch we then travelled to the Olympic Park to see the Bird’s Nest stadium and the National Aquatics centre. As an athletics enthusiast I was very excited to see these great stadia which made the 2008 Beijing Olympics so spectacular. It was so awesome to get to go inside the stadium and see the track. In the Park some of the fellows became temporary celebrities as children and adults alike flocked around us for photos. It was very surreal but another reminder of China’s past isolation.
The next day we got to visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, two of the most famous places in China – they are also some of the busiest. Plus, they are the only sites marked on the subway maps, again showing their importance here. Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world and is surrounded by glorious and ornate buildings. At the foot of the square is the famous portrait of Chairman and the entrance to the Forbidden city. The square holds so much spiritual connection to the people here and receives over 100,000 visitors each day, sometimes up to 150,000! Following the square we entered into the Forbidden City, which gets its name from the fact that no one was allowed inside or outside the palaces without the permission of the emperor. The FC was completely spectacular. Over 8000 palaces and all carved with the same care and detail as the first one. It was such an honour to be experiencing it and I saw some things I will never forget. Again it was really hot and I was pretty tired by the end of it but it was so worth it!
On Sunday afternoon me and another fellow decided to take the subway to the Silk Market. I am eternally fascinated with underground transport and I had wanted to ride the subway ever since we arrived. There’s something about them that makes me feel a part of the city and the people, and how amazing it is to have this transport artery below the bustling city. The Beijing subway was excellent, and more modern than London Underground. The trains are modern and clean and air conditioned (!) and the stations are also nice. I definitely saw a few things that they use in Beijing which could be used to help make London better. It is also very cheap, as we got one journey for 2 Yuan, which is about 20p. The Silk Market was one of the craziest things ever! It’s an inside market which is very big, and is infamous for its bargaining and bartering. They say you should offer 10% of what the person asks for as that is closer to its true fellow. They also sell a lot of fake designer brands there such as Armani, Abercrombie & Fitch and Nike. I bought a Chinese football shirt for 60 Yuan and the starting price was 250. I am not a hard bargainer but I am learning. It’s quite funny because they say they won’t give you a lower price and then when you walk away that shout at you to come back as they’ll do it. They are really desperate to sell their stock. I loved the Silk Market. Afterward, we walked into Beijing some more where I saw some amazing buildings. There were so many skyscrapers it could have been New York. We got to see the Chinese Trade Center and the CCTV building which is the most incredible shape. I love exploring the city and finding new buildings and things to look at. You get to see more of China and the less touristy places. On some of the subway trains we were the only white people on them, and I preferred it like that.
Security here is also very good, and for access to Tiananmen, the Forbidden City, the Olympic Park and the subway we had to have our bags scanned. So far, Beijing seems like a safe place.
I have loved my time here so much, and it is evidence of the great contrast which exists here. Some parts of the city could be in any country in Europe in the US and some parts are even better. But there is also a lot of poverty and many people sleep on the streets. On the subway, one woman was begging for money on a train. Sometimes, its hard to not give money to beggars, especially when there are children. But I feel if I cannot do it for all of them they I shouldn’t do it to any, and plus it is not charity they need but opportunity to help themselves out of this situation. I hope that as China develops and becomes richer it will begin to help those in need as everyone should benefit from their economic growth and not just the rich and powerful. China is definitely reawakening and from what I’ve seen so far it seems unstoppable.
Bye for now. I have more exploring to do.
Ollie :D