On my first day in China Appa asked me in jest over phone “So, have you seen Communism yet?”In little more than two weeks I have fallen in love with the China I have seen for more than one reason. Yifan, friend and my amazing travelling companion for these days, has often let me sidestep the touristic gaze and look beyond what is apparent.
Day 1 in Beijing, we accidently strolled in through the gates of the imperial library from the Ming Dynasty.
(I am almost sure it is the Ming Dynasty. Trained historian that I am, I have managed to muddle up most of the facts and figures on the signboards that Yifan painstakingly translated for me).We had started out towards the Tiananmen Square and realized too late that the Square was cordoned off. The nation was celebrating the 75th year of its victory against the Japanese forces. Simultaneously, the city was hosting the IAAF World Athletics Championship. It meant long vacations and a clear blue sky. Blue sky, I hear is a rare sight in Beijing. But the factory emissions around the city were slashed by 30% in view of the Athletic meet. Thanks to that my memories of Beijing are all set against an azul backdrop to which the shades of the evening and the night would gracefully seep in.
Day 1 in Beijing, we accidently strolled in through the gates of the imperial library from the Ming Dynasty.
(I am almost sure it is the Ming Dynasty. Trained historian that I am, I have managed to muddle up most of the facts and figures on the signboards that Yifan painstakingly translated for me).We had started out towards the Tiananmen Square and realized too late that the Square was cordoned off. The nation was celebrating the 75th year of its victory against the Japanese forces. Simultaneously, the city was hosting the IAAF World Athletics Championship. It meant long vacations and a clear blue sky. Blue sky, I hear is a rare sight in Beijing. But the factory emissions around the city were slashed by 30% in view of the Athletic meet. Thanks to that my memories of Beijing are all set against an azul backdrop to which the shades of the evening and the night would gracefully seep in.