天安门

Literally meaning, Gates of the Heavenly Palace, 天安门 (Tian An Men) is one of the most famous sites in China. Equivalent to the National Mall (but completely concrete) in Washington, D.C, 天安门 lies in the very center of Beijing, and acts at the point of access for almost all of the city's famous landmarks. Although it's pretty touristy ( hagglers are constantly trying to shove their wares in your hands, and there are an abundance Japanese tourists snapping photos), 天安门 is the embodiment of modern China. It is a place where China's varied history becomes visually apparent as Beijing's millennium old 故宫(imperial palace) sits only steps away from Mao's mausoleum and the 人民大会堂（Great Hall of the People).

When a couple of friends and I took the subway here last evening to explore downtown Beijing, we were all struck by the sheer size of the space. Although there were clearly thousands of people, they all looked so tiny in comparison.  Also surprising to me was the large number of Chinese tourists who come to the the capital city. I don't know why that shocks me. Living in DC, I always dread the summer rush of domestic tourists with their oversized fanny packs, Hawaiian T's, and bratty kids (I'm a snob, I know). Non the less, 天安门 has an abundance of 外地人 (non-local Chinese), many from western China, who have never seen foreigners (let alone black ones). If you ever want to feel like a class B movie star ( think the actors in Sharknado 2), this is the place to go. Many of these non-locals were waiting to see the lowering of the Chinese flag, a daily occurrence that is very popular with domestic tourists. One kid around my age, told me that his family had been waiting for two hours to get a good spot to see the flag lowered. This type of patriotism is constantly capitalized upon at 天安门 as street vendors hawk small Chinese flags, pictures of Chairman Mao, and knockoffs of the hats that the 红卫兵（Red Guards) used to wear. The cult of Mao, though feeble, still lives.

 Only a few blocks away, the sight is extremely different. As my classmates and I searched for a restaurant, we strolled through a beautiful public park that, if not for the smog, could almost be considered European in style. There were lots of people walking dogs,  one couple walking hand in hand, and someone selling ice-cream. The park is home to the 国家大剧院 (National Centre for the Performing Arts), a huge egg-shaped theater that sits in the middle of a shimmering reflecting pool. Constructed in 2007, The国家大剧院 is part of a large-scale attempt to make Beijing a destination for the visual and performing arts. The center hosts performers from around the world, and has made Beijing a more culturally internationally city. This park is very characteristic of the new Beijing--it is still very Eastern, but has clearly picked up on some western influences. I wonder how The Chairman would feel about this?

The Old City Gate

Some of the 外地人

Flowers for Chiarman Mao?

国家大剧院