The next day I spent playing tourist in Beijing. The first order of business was to the Forbidden City. Alas, I would not make it to the Great Wall on this trip to China, but I will be back so fret not. If anyone has seen a picture of the forbidden city recently, or the front gate at least, a massive, massive picture of Mao hangs over the main entrance. The Forbidden City is huge, it is incomprehensibly large, imposing, and impressive. The gates just to enter the city are about as long as the ship I'm currently on is wide. The press of people is also staggering. Now, being 6' 3ish in an Asian country is interesting. Generally speaking I'm a solid head, if not more, taller than anyone else. Being in a crowd of people and looking our over the mass and swarm of heads and people, which I am also caught up in, is astounding.
Tangents aside, the sheer impressiveness of the Forbidden City is matched by the Chinese. While I was walking its halls and courtyards, the Chinese military was running drills or rather parading around the area. Much as movies suggest a tightly organized, choreographed unit moving in a single motion, the Chinese military was doing the same in the area. I'm sure this is simply a display for the people of Beijing and the tourists alike, but its still impressive.
Finally, as a testament between American Individualist society and Chinese Collectivist society, I would compare the line to leave the Forbidden City. It so happened that right when I was planning on leaving, the flag raising ceremony was taking place in Tiananmen Square. This ceremony happens every day at dawn and sunset. They raise, and remove the Chinese flag. While this is taking place no one is allowed to leave or enter the Forbidden City. A mass of several hundred people were waiting at the open gate to leave. And when I say waiting, they were waiting patiently. No one was pushing or shoving, no one was harassing the two lone guards, no one was trying to jump the minimal restraints holding them back.
I could only imagine a similar scene in the United States, the people would be belligerently demanding to be let out. Most like yelling at the guards, or possibly just ignoring them and leaving of their own behalf. To me it was a stark distinction between our societies. The Chinese were content to wait without any particular reason or demand. I can't imagine a similarly large group of Americans patiently waiting to leave - especially given the circumstances.
Tangents aside, the sheer impressiveness of the Forbidden City is matched by the Chinese. While I was walking its halls and courtyards, the Chinese military was running drills or rather parading around the area. Much as movies suggest a tightly organized, choreographed unit moving in a single motion, the Chinese military was doing the same in the area. I'm sure this is simply a display for the people of Beijing and the tourists alike, but its still impressive.
Finally, as a testament between American Individualist society and Chinese Collectivist society, I would compare the line to leave the Forbidden City. It so happened that right when I was planning on leaving, the flag raising ceremony was taking place in Tiananmen Square. This ceremony happens every day at dawn and sunset. They raise, and remove the Chinese flag. While this is taking place no one is allowed to leave or enter the Forbidden City. A mass of several hundred people were waiting at the open gate to leave. And when I say waiting, they were waiting patiently. No one was pushing or shoving, no one was harassing the two lone guards, no one was trying to jump the minimal restraints holding them back.
I could only imagine a similar scene in the United States, the people would be belligerently demanding to be let out. Most like yelling at the guards, or possibly just ignoring them and leaving of their own behalf. To me it was a stark distinction between our societies. The Chinese were content to wait without any particular reason or demand. I can't imagine a similarly large group of Americans patiently waiting to leave - especially given the circumstances.
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