Forbidden City

I made my first trek to the center of Beijing and it lived up to the hype. Beijing is a massive city that is built around the Forbidden City, which is a landscape of royalty. The area nearby the Forbidden City is called Tian'anmen Sqaure and is a hub for Chinese history. With all of the museums and landmarks in this location it reminded me a lot of the Washington Mall in D.C. But instead of celebrating 200-plus years of history, this area is celebrating more than 2,000 years of existence.

I got my first glimpse of the Square and Forbidden City as I came out of the subway tunnel and it was unfathomable. I am finding out quickly that similarly to Texas, everything is bigger in China. To my right was a gigantic red hall with intriquite detail and amazing presence. Hanging on the entry gate to the City was emperor Mao, who was an influential Chinese leader years ago. The City featured several other halls and breathtaking buildings that were built 600 years ago.

Despite the mamouth buildings and notable history of the City, the group I was with also became noteworthy sights too. While touring, many Asian tourists requested to take pictures with the group of Westerners. It was the first time I experienced this and it was fun. I got a great sense of enjoyment from many of the people, which may surprise some people. I wasn't sure how we would be welcomed but it has been a great experience thus far.