Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Beijing, China
Metro again to Tiananmen Square but after the long 20 minute plus queues for security on Sunday, box clever and avoid the north east exit and head to the south west underpass exit of the Metro, the other side of the road, and straight through the security checkpoint into Tiananmen Square looking at the very long queues on the other side of the road.
No flies on me, dear reader.
Yet another bright blue sky day and quite hot now. Enter the Forbidden City via the main entrance gate. It was here that I came in 1996 and remember having to pay much more than the locals to enter because I was a foreigner. Now everyone pays the same.
Can now visit the main entrance gate podium which is where the Chinese President and Politburo oversee the various parades in Tiananmen Square. It’s the equivalent of the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Have to queue for a ticket. Ny NUS student discount card is produced. Cos I’m still a student, obviously. Ahem. And need the discount.
Have to provide passport.
Security. And more security.
Then on to another hut for security checks.
X-ray scanner and airport style metal detector. It’s a bit stupid as I deliberately walk through with my camera and all belongings in my pockets and little security girl gives a cursory prod with her wand. Have to stand on a little six inch high step whilst she does so. I tower over her and she now comes up to my knees.
Asked what’s it my camera bag.
Camera I say and start unzipping the bag.
But am waved through without having to show camera.
Had this palaver at the Metro X-ray security this morning. They wanted to X-ray my camera bag but, in typical Taurean fashion, I just walked past and simply said ‘Camera!’ and was waved through.
Clearly not a security threat.
Finally, once through security find myself on the outside podium of Tiananmen Gate with an awesome view of Tiananmen Square. It’s only looking at it from a distance that you realise how big it is. The whole place is teeming with tourists. Young security men dressed in black trousers, white shirts and obligatory sunglasses guard the podium. Woe betide the person stepping out of line. There will be no hesitation in forcibly putting you back in line.
Or worse.
Exit Tiananmen Gate and having already bought an entrance ticket assume that’s for the Forbidden City complex, of which Tiananmen Gate is a part.
Er no.
Have to buy another entrance ticket. The previous entrance ticket was only for Tiananmen Gate not the Forbidden City.
More queuing for a ticket.
Surprisingly, I have to produce my passport and they tap the document ID into their computer.
Another security check.
Setting alarms off as I wander through. But am waved through.
The lolloping giant is clearly not a security threat.
When I last came to the Forbidden City in 1996 it was me and a few others, notwithstanding the minus 10C temperature, and recall that it was a haven of peace of tranquillity.
Yeah. That’s my memory.
Now it’s heaving and full of the chatter of thousands of tourists. Slow going to make your way through the complex with too many tourists tripping over each other and being herded about by tour guides with flags on extendable poles which get in my eyes.
It’s just too busy so merely walk through without enjoying the history, a potted version of which is as follows.
Spread over 178 acres, it was originally built in the early 1400s by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty and occupied in 1420. Called the Forbidden City as access was restricted to most of the people and had a 3.5km perimeter wall. Was the centre of power for five centuries until the Chinese Revolution in 1911. 16 million people now visit each year.
The stuff you learn on this blog, dear reader.
The north gate leads to Jingshan Park, the former imperial gardens of the Forbidden City. Built on an artificial hill created by the soil excavated from the moat that surrounds the Forbidden City. Yet more huffing and puffing as I wend my way through the forested footpath to the top for more magnificent views of the Forbidden City.
Back down to street level find a pedestrianised shopping street full of Western stores and malls. I could be in any country in the west.
But then.
A proper little Chinese archway with red lanterns hanging from it suggesting what might be the entrance to Chinatown in a western city entices me in. It’s a food market.
But not your M&S type food.
No.
This has live scorpions on sticks ready for deep frying wriggling about (see video below!).
And grubs.
And cockroaches.
And grasshoppers.
And seahorses.
Chuffing seahorses!
On a stick to eat.
Of all things.
Hopefully the food will be better in North Korea.
Which I fly to tomorrow.
And the start of the North Korea trip (and blog) proper.
2 responses to “NK 5. Scorpion on a stick”
I can eat most things, but stuff like that on a stick. I’ll stick to candy floss and magnums.
These photos are clear proof of why the Covid19 virus started in China. It also makes you become a vegetarian…….