Beijing China

Beijing China is a city of conflict. It intermixes centuries of ancient history with present day politics and modernization. The ancient parts are filled with granduer, elegance, and history. The modern parts are dull, rigid, and dirty.

Beijing is surrounded with the splendor of ancient China. My two days visiting these wonders left me feeling in awe of such a great culture. The little time I spent taught me more about ancient china than I'd ever imaged, both the good and bad. And yet I'll never come close to learning all that there is.

Modern (since the introduction of communism) Beijing has turned into a concrete jungle. Many of the buildings haven't been painted since they were first erected. Amazingly, with 13 million people, 10.5 million bicycles, and 1.8 million motor vehicles, the roads were in excellent shape. But sidewalks were a nightmare. There wasn't a single one that didn't desperately need repair. The government is making efforts to clean up and repair them, but one must always watch their step. Additionally, walking can be quite overwhelming, especially if you want to cross a street. No one pays much attention to the traffic signals, and yet everything moves in a smooth flow.

While in Beijing I was able to visit the following: