Saturday April 22th
Last summer, my father and I stayed in Beijing for three days. It was mid-August, the hottest time of the year in China, and the main attractions all consisted of walking around for extended periods of time in zero shade. For both the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, my father and I did not stay for long at all, given that there was not a single cloud in the sky to block the sun and that you could literally wring out sweat from my father’s shirts. All I remember was this sort of blur, a collection of colors and mesmerizing views distorted heavily by the intense heat.
I realized this is simply a Beijing thing. The heat thing.
By now, as a collective, HBA has probably produced a few buckets of sweat. This is an unnecessary thought, but it is by no means an exaggeration. But it’s been worth it. Every challenging experience has been twice as rewarding.
Climbing the Great Wall was soooo much harder than I remember, probably because this time I climbed instead of taking the car. The steepness of the steps were constantly changing and my lack of exercise over the past couple of months did not help. But somehow, by some miracle, a group of us made it to the end.
It was a thrilling feeling. From the very top, you could see the meandering wall all the way down to the horizon, a scene that was impossible to capture on any phone no matter the angle. More than finishing the climb, the rewarding feeling came from the fact that we had done it together. For five hours, we were able to communicate and tell jokes in only Chinese, alongside teachers who were also attempting the Great Wall for the first time. It was our first official outing all together and an unexpectedly fantastic way to bond with people.
The Forbidden City was less physically intensive, but challenging nonetheless. When it was built during the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor believed that he should not have to share his home with any other animals. Having trees in the central part of the palace meant that birds and other creatures would disrupt his peace. As a result, the Forbidden City, with the exception of a garden, does not have any trees. This was obviously a very carefully thought out design and I’m sure the Emperor stood by it wholeheartedly. However, as tourists of this beautiful place, the lack of shade really took a toll on us. At one point, I became so drained and overheated that I began to slur my words. Speaking clearly required way too much energy—energy I no longer had.
Still, thanks to our incredible and hardworking teachers who stayed up all night researching the history of the Forbidden City, we learned so much about royal tradition and life in the olden days. When the teachers finished their custom tour for us, we had some free time to roam around. Across the street from the exit was the entrance to a park called 景山公园. With only 2元 and 10 minutes of climbing, we were able to reach the top of a small mountain. From there, the entirety of the Forbidden City was right there for our viewing pleasure.
As for an update on classes, they're still hard. But the teachers are incredible, the students are motivated, and the memories are pretty golden. That's all I can really ask for.
- Amy
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