Destination: Beijing! (5/30)

Bright and early at Daegu's airport!

T H E   M O R N I N G   T H A T   welcomed us as we stepped out of our beloved Hongbeopsa Temple was eerily silent and still. If the previous day had been one last hug from the little world that had cared for us for the last week and a half, then this was surely the release at the end of the embrace. With goodbyes and best wishes, we began our journey to Beijing.

One last taste of Korean culture before our departure

Although our bus left the temple a tad late (because for some reason we held off cleaning up after ourselves until the morning of our departure!), we were ready and waiting at Daegu's airport before it opened. I didn't realize that airports close, but I suppose that tells you something about the size of the airport! It was just a short jaunt from Daegu to good 'ole Incheon, where a layover made time for us to steal some sight-seeing and nap-taking before leaving the country.

The view from Incheon

Our flightpath-- Seoul to Beijing!

First sight of China!

O U R   F L I G H T   to Beijing was actually the most turbulent I've ever encountered, but of course our pilots managed masterfully. And, I must admit, dropping 10 or 15 ft in the blink of an eye felt more like a fun roller-coaster ride than a threat to my life.

The day's pace certainly picked up from the second we touched down. We were able to breeze through customs and security, and quickly loaded onto what would be our tour bus throughout our stay in the city. There, we were welcomed by our state-appointed tour guide, who introduced himself as Mike before beginning to bring us up to speed on Beijing.

Our tour guide, Mike!

As we rolled out of the airport, Mike explained that Beijing was China's 2nd capital, that it was laid out like a chessboard and lay 2 hours from the sea, and is home to 8 districts, 10 counties, 56 ethnic groups, 23 million people, 10 subways, 8 million bicycles, 3 million cars, and over 100 universities*. He also explained that the crystal-clear skies that surrounded us were an anomaly that occurred maybe five days out of the year. I'd been wondering where the legendary Beijing smog was since leaving the airport, but Mike assured us we'd be seeing it soon enough.

*Note: all these figures came from Mike-- not all hold up to a quick google search. He gave us a good idea of scale, though!

Beijing from the ground

O U R   F I R S T   S T O P   was the Summer Palace, which lies on the other side of Beijing's center than the airport, which meant seeing a nice slice of the city on the way. I was surprised by the diversity presented by the city, which was an impression that only deepened as I grew more familiar with my surroundings. But, more on that later.

Lilies at the Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was a bit too much of a tourist attraction for me to really connect with it. You'd think this wouldn't be a problem-- I was a tourist; I was there to see the sights! But a tourist attraction in Beijing ain't like a tourist attraction in, say, Busan, where we'd been staying. The size of the city we were now within seemed to bring bigger scale to everything we saw: bigger attractions (the Summer Palace is a large place!), bigger crowds, bigger spectacles. Everything was gilded and shiny-- it didn't feel as historic as it felt Disney. I feel terrible writing that-- this is someone's culture! But what I was feeling was most certainly a chaotic culture shock.

One of many gorgeous bridges across the palace's lakes

I scoped out the sights and sounds of the palace, avoiding crowds and street vendors alike. I even checked out the Buddhist temple on the grounds, hoping to meditate some and clear my head. Unfortunately, that wasn't quite the mood that surrounded the temple-- people were selling things right by the door, and people were swooping in and out with cameras and without respectful bows or doffed shoes. Again, the spectacle: this seemed less a place of spiritual practice and more a spot for travel pics.

Another famous sight in Beijing: traffic.

F R O M   T H E   P A L A C E  we went for food, which meant another trek across the bustling city-- more studies in traffic, architecture, and urban planning. At this point, Beijing seemed like one big contradiction: home to oppressive pollution, yet I see fluffy clouds and crystal blue skies! Land of explosive economic growth, yet I see crumbling buildings, from Communist-era high-rises to tragic traditional ruins right beside gleaming modern colossuses! Already my ignorant pre-conceived notions were folding in on themselves in the face of the realities that surrounded me. China may be an economic powerhouse, but that doesn't change the fact that it is still very much a developing country; and a history of rich cultural traditions doesn't mean an escape from gritty economic realities, like swarms of street vendors selling touristy kitsch.

I'd never been in a place so large, so old, and so dynamic, which on top of culture shock and travel fatigue was making my head swim. Luckily, we took the rest of the day easy-- we grabbed food, checked into our hotel, and hit the hay early! Here are some shots from around the city.

The newer, shinier side of Beijing

The older, utilitarian side of Beijing

The growing-pains of rapid development

And an example of Beijing's diversity

The culinary side!

Our hotel lobby-- home, for now!