This is a continuation of my RTW diary from November 2003.My first morning in Beijing, and I braved the chilly weather and did as Beijingers do… namely went for a stroll around Tian'anmen. It is one of the three places which claim the title of the Worlds largest square. The other two are in Esfahan, Iran and Mexico City, Mexico.
With the bright sunshine, the 7 degree temperature made for a refreshing change to the tropical heat and humidity I had encountered since leaving Britain. The day was bright and sunny, which helped me to appreciate the scale and the sights of the square more easily.
At the north end, sits the Forbidden City, the former home of the Ming and Qing Dynasty Emperors of China. Hanging from the wall is an enormous portrait of Chairman Mao, which beams happily South down the square, past the temporarily closed ‘Revolutionary Museum’ to the East, and the Parliamentary ‘Great Hall of the People’ to the West. In the centre stands the obelisk of ‘The Workers Struggle’ and further South is Maos’ Mausoleum, where his body resides on public display. The square is bordered to the south by the Qi’anmen Gate, pictured.
Tian’anmen Square was full of two things. Arts students trying to persuade me to go to a ‘gallery’ and buy a painting of theirs and ‘Secret’ security agents, looking anything but unobtrusive in their uniform leather jackets and sunglasses.
If I chatted to any of the students for longer than a minute or two the secret service guys made little secret of sidling up and listening in to the conversation. Dozens of students approached me the two times I went into Tian’anmen Sq. They were all quite keen to practice their English even if I wasn't interested in their paintings.
I had a long conversation with one woman about the relative merits of Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool FC. It was her choice of conversation I might add as she is a big Michael Owen fan! I wonder what the earwigging security police thought of her opinion of Graeme Souness?!
I got the impression from their faces though that none of them could speak English, so god knows how they would have known if I was being a subversive element. Anyway, I kept bourgeoisie anti-revolutionary statements to a minimum just in case.
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