Beijing in My Perspective

A birthday treat for myself and my best friend last 2010 was a quick trip to the mainland Beijing, China. But first, we had to run for visa at the Chinese Embassy and as first timers, there are quite a handful of papers to produce that I had to resort an agency's help to get me out of the hassle of queuing as time's ticking fast. Fortunately, I got it just in time.

Olympic Logo outside a building within the Olympic City

Bird's Nest - Olympic Stadium.
Converted into skating rink during winter  and indoor pool in summer

The Cube - Indoor pools inside
made of rubber walls reflecting the color of water from the outside

Olympic Torch fired up in 2008 Olympic Games

Beijing is now becoming a combination of the modern and traditional city inspired after its sister Shanghai. Having hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics paved way to remodeling what just used to be swirling roofs and dragon paintings into tangled fiber steels stadium and a water cube indoor pool. The event gave birth to a city within the city, a representation of what it is capable and what it can eventually turn into anytime they wanted to. Also because of the historic sporting affair, English road signs and directions became visible, a very helpful tool for non-Chinese readers like us and the rest of millions of tourists flocking the city every year. 

the unsinkable marble ship floating on a pond
inside the gigantic summer palace

the Summer Palace Tower gleaming above
the whole wide wondrous Garden

Yet the structural marvels were not the key treasures of Beijing. The classic Summer Palace, the mirage-like Forbidden city, the seemingly empty but symbolic Tiananmen Square and of course the one and only Great Wall are the main stars here. These sites will forever epitomize how Chinese customs were born and transformed, their struggles and triumphs, who they were and why they are at this present time.

At the main gate of the Forbidden city sits the huge image of Mao
fronting this on the other side of a 6-lane hiway is the Tiananmen Square

Great Wall at Badaling section - the most famous thus touristy area

The Chinese people in the mainland are maybe one of the most intricate individuals to comprehend by having to mingle with them in just two days but they are definitely one of the hardcore 'traditionals' with utmost veneration to what they believe in. We exist and co-exist so we have to give it to them, anyhow they allowed themselves by opening their doors to the rest of the world and share with us what they have and maybe what they intend to achieve in the future.

PS
Applying for Chinese Visa for the first time? Please click this link. Thanks to Pinay Travel Junkie for the comprehensive and updated info. I have also created another version of that page here. Click on here.