Day Two Part Two: The Summer Palace

            After some lunch we went back into the busy subway to head to the Summer Palace.  The Summer Palace is one of the most famous tourist spots in Beijing.  It's had a huge cultural influence on Chinese horticulture and landscape.  It was originally built as a royal garden but was expanded by the Empress Cixi in 1888.  To pay for the expansion she embezzled navy funds and was overthrown a decade later, by a naval invasion.  For a more in-depth description on the layout of the Summer Palace click here.
            Because of Tsinghua's isolation from the general population you couldn't tell that we were traveling on one of the busiest Chinese holidays, May Day.  Click on the video link to see all the people and the ever present smog:  Summer Palace 1.
            Clearly it was hot, smoggy and crowded.  We slowly made our way through the crowds and climbed up to the Tower of Buddhist Incense.  Along the way Mom and Abigail were stopped by some Chinese women to have their picture taken with them.  This was the first time but it wouldn't be the last during our trip.  (I was used to it from living in Korea but Abigail and Mom weren't).

People everywhere!

One of the massive gates we entered through.

Hopefully you're getting the idea that it was crowded.

            Here's another video of us just walking around, listen to what Abigail and Mom say at the end:  Summer Palace crowds.

A beautiful Pagoda on the way up.

The Tower of Buddhist Incense

Walking up to the tower.

            Here's a quick video of us at the base of the tower:  Buddhist Incense Tower.

            Once we reached the top of the tower we checked out the gorgeous interior and the view.  However, one of the most surprising things I saw was a child peeing on the manhole while his father helped him!!!!  I could not believe it and quickly snapped a picture:

Running from the scene of the crime!

            Now I know that this seems strange to us here in the US but it's pretty common in China.  You can tell that this isn't a singular event because children's diapers are sold with a tear in the rear so a child can quickly squat wherever they may be.

           The view from the top of the tower was breathtaking. It wasn't the scenery that was impressive but the architecture.  Again, I have to stress that it wasn't raining.

Abby Mullen enjoying the view.

            We saw some cool statues on the way down, took the boat back the entrance and then headed back to the hotel completely exhausted from walking and not being completely over the jet lag.

Heading off to China

            This past May, I went with my mother, and then girlfriend, to visit my brother for two weeks in China.  He was studying at Tsinghua University in Beijing and I was extremely excited to visit him and travel abroad with my mother and girlfriend.  Three weeks prior to leaving for China I had returned from living in South Korea and was excited to get back to Asia, following my experience of living there for a year.  I was also excited to see China, not alone, but with my family.  This blog is about the places we went to see, and how you can go there too, but it’s more about the people I went with.  

            We each have our own perspectives and I asked everyone to write their thoughts each day, no easy task, and only my mother returned them to me.  So with each post you’ll have my perspective and my mother’s.  I’ll do my best to weave our two different perspectives together but my mother’s words are her own and have not been altered.

            Also, some might be unsure why I would write about our experience in China if I’m no longer with the girl that traveled with us. Quite simply everyone has different ways of moving on, so for me sharing the great experience, one that is attainable for anyone, is my goal.  It would be disrespectful, and small by me, of our relationship to completely write her out of the trip. Moreover, she made things lighter and more enjoyable when we Monday’s and Mom were getting on each other’s nerves.  I feel that if one of the main reasons we dated was for her to help us be closer as a family then I’m grateful she came.  

            Moving on, since we spent two weeks in China the first week is about our time in Beijing and the second is about our travels through the country.  I’ve decided to break it down into each day for the first week and then where we went for the second week.  I’ll have links to our hotels, how to plan for tickets when travelling and how to pack for when you’re only visiting Beijing or when you’re travelling.

            In sum, China is a country that we all hear about but rarely see for ourselves.  This blog is not meant to self-aggrandize our trip but to make it relatable for anyone who’s curious about visiting or just wants to know what it was like to go there as a family. I look forward to your comments, questions and emails.

Our First Day In Beijing

On the last Friday in April we gathered our bags and headed off to Beijing.  Since we were sitting together for the flight we had our Kindles, our neck pillows and sleeping pills.  The flight went smoothly, we got through customs relatively quickly and then met up with Landon.  He got us to the hotel and along the way we passed the Bird’s Nest from the 2008 Summer Olympics.  It was impressive to see, lit but empty, if only from the interstate.

Mom planned our trip and was not going to stay in something she didn’t trust so she booked our week at a Holiday Inn in Beijing.  It wasn’t your average Holiday Inn due to its spacious bathroom, large room and great breakfast spread.  I was pumped to know this was our home base for the next week.

Day 2: Part 1 Tsinghua University

             After that long first day we met Landon at his dorm so we could tour his school, Tsinghua University.  Tsinghua is the "Harvard" of China and it's where 50% of all Chinese Ph.D's  get their undergrad degree.  It's an immense honor to attend the school not only because of it's prestige but also due to China's one child policy.  Families only get one chance each generation for their child to attend so it's massive for the family's reputation if they do.