Like a tourist should, my first goal was to check all the iconic sights that have been publicized by travel agencies/tour guides. Beijing has its own story that stretched thousands of years back and most of the architectural structures I visited have been a major part of Chinese culture for centuries. The merging both modern industrial skyscrapers and traditional grand palaces have made Beijing a unique destination to check out. Not only did I filled up my SD card in a matter of just a few locations, so was my head with the historic stories of each (though, I must admit, Wikipedia has lent a helping hand for the write up of this post. My memories aren’t as accurate as the photos stored in them SD cards.)
Here goes day 1:
I blame jet-lag. and internet. I was so pumped about the trip, I stayed up till 6AM to research all the spots that I wanted to swing by. I’m big on spontaneity, but all the homework should have been done prior to my departure from the state. Half of the day wasted. Lesson learned.
According to some sources, China’s air isn’t as cleaned as their weather forecast broadcasted. The sky’s been grey 5 out of the 6 days that I visited. I’d rather be safe than sorry, hence, the mask:
The mask kept me free of pollutant AND added a swagger of a ninja. Win, win.
Transportation of this place is super convenient. and incredibly cheap. I was able to get to ANY spot for 2 RMB. I couldn’t even get on the bus with 35 cents in the States. 
Unlike Japan, everyone talks on the phone in these transportations.
The subway’s always filled.
Cool thing about China is they have their own EVERYTHING. Facebook -> RenRen. Google -> Baidu. Twitter -> Weibo. And Yelp -> Dianping. And those things don’t coexist, all the western social networks are blocked by the censorship and are unaccessible anywhere in the country. People offer proxies to grant access, but with a Mac, it’s even more difficult.
Great power more people comes with great responsibilities. The YouTube videos are true.
Tiananmen, also known as the Gate of the Heavenly Peace.
It serves as the gate to the main palace. On the other hand, there’s been many student protests in front of the gate since early 1900s. The infamous June fourth incident also took place here.
This video explains it all: video.
I wasn’t the only one taking self-portraits.
Weather was pretty gross.
But it also made the plaza clear of people.
Indoor ice skating rink is boss.
Leica store! Each camera worth $6000+, hand made in Germany. One of my every photographer’s dreams has always been to own a legendary Leica camera. The store also displayed a couple of limited edition Leicas, including a pure gold anniversary release.
As I browse through the shops within the China trade center, I only saw the following:
Ramen time:
I really wanted to try authentic Chinese food through out my trip here, but due to the horrible weather and the holes in my shoes, I decided to stay in to satisfy my craving for Japanese that I’ve been having for awhile.
Less than $4!
In a blink of an eye..
The marts here offers assorted style of beer:
..and transparent canned drinks.
Their Arizona’s are almost $3. Everything here that’s America related is incredibly expensive. 
Proof:
Eventually chose the milktea by Kirin. 3.60 RMB.
Oops.
Later in the evening, Yen showed up!
He’s been working in Shanghai for a year and a half now. While working, he also took trips (business and vocational) around the cities of China. Other than catching up, he also became my guide for Beijing when Max isn’t around. Chyeah!
Dinner first.
Indeed, only in China are there restaurants that opens 24/7. And not just fast food, they’re legit.
BAM:
Good meal pairing with good people. It was a good start for this trip.
Getting late, heading back to the hotel “loby.” ..ha.
Time to wrap up the day and prep for the next trip.
’til day 2,
-Benson|| Twitter || Facebook || 365. || Shop of Imagination ||
