Day+1+May+22


 * DAY 1: May 22**

May 22nd (Sa): Tour Tian an Men Square, the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven

We've had a very busy day, with a lot of walking and a lot of tourist activity. Really, it's been a fabulous first real day for this trip. After an excellent breakfast in our hotel, we met at 8:30 for our departure to Tiananmen Square. We drove down the broad boulevard with views of the square and the famous gate into the Forbidden City. Immediately as we disembarked from our van, hawkers with postcards and photo books and Mao wristwatches descended on us. We quickly grew comfortable with the phrase "bu yao," meaning "I don't want it!" As the day went on, though, some of the boys got good at negotiating down to better prices. Besides the sights evident in the pictures below, we found ourselves being asked on a number of questions to get into pictures with Chinese tourists. Ms. McNeilly with her blond hair was especially popular. We were amazed by how extensive the grounds of the Forbidden City were. One expansive courtyard led to a set of buildings enclosing another enormous courtyard with its own set of buildings leading to yet another large courtyard with another set of buildings. Then came the first of many sets of gardens that carried off into the distance. On exiting, we found that the whole thing was surrounded by not only by high walls but by a large moat. Lunch followed our tour of the Forbidden City, after which we added another stop to our itinerary. We visited the Chinese National Children's Center, located on the grounds which had been designed to serve as the living quarters for Chairman Mao. Despite amazing gardens and huge buidlings, Mao apparently never lived there. After his death, the property became the home of the CNCC, which now offers a variety of extra-curricular activities for Beijing children. Swimming, sports, dance, Chinese opera, traditional music, drawing, painting, and calligraphy are only some of the offerings, many of which we saw in action during our visit today. The Center also has sponsored a number of murals painted by children from China and around the world. From there, we drove south to the Temple of Heaven, another expansive property. Besides temple and its accompanying buildings, these grounds have become a gathering place especially for Beijing's middle-aged and elderly population. It's almost like New York's Central Park, except there is an admissions fee. But instead of people gathering to play baseball or football or other games on the great lawns, people have gathered to play music, sing songs, play cards, and dance. The oragnization and participation involved in many of the activities was amazing. As a final stop, we had a tour of a government silk-making operation. A little shopping there and we were off to dinner, with the special treat of Peking duck. To parents, the boys are doing great. Everyone is eating well. A few of us were suffering a bit from allergies and/or the smog (you'll notice the haze in any of the pictures with background). We are working hard not to lose anyone in the crowds, not always an easy feat with curious boys. Tomorrow is another big day, with a tour of the Great Wall on the itinerary. With that, here are a few pictures from today's adventures...


 * [[image:DSC_0155.JPG width="477" height="300" caption="A dance class at the CNCC"]] ||


 * [[image:DSC_0173.JPG width="449" height="300" caption="Silkworms in action"]] ||