Thousands of people died the night that the People's Liberation Army indiscriminately opened fire on protestors and civilians, and one of the most important cultural centers in China became forever linked with violence, rebellion, and government power... for those who know what happened. Amazingly, an incredible percentage of Chinese citizens are not aware of what happened. They still see Tiananmen as the cultural heart of China for no other reason than its great presence and location.
That is what brought hordes of people to the Square to celebrate the National Holiday, which, in turn, brought me there to see them. In reference to my previous post, it's easy to forget how many people there are in China until they all show up in Beijing! On a side note, speaking to them in Chinese was really entertaining. To a one, they all did a double-take and stared at me until they heard and saw me speaking Chinese to them again. Then, still confused they answered whatever question I happened to ask, and finally asked, "Where are you from? You speak Chinese so well!" Rewarding? Yes :)
Now I've already taken some pictures of Tiananmen on two other visits, so we'll see how those pictures compare to the zoo that was Tiananmen Square during the National Holiday:
Viewpoint
-typical-
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-National Holiday-
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Tiananmen Gate
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Tiananmen Gate from across the street
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Looking left from Tiananmen Gate
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Looking across Tiananmen Square from the Gate
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Looking down the north-south axis of the Square
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Looking towards the National Museum
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Looking towards the People's Congress
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Middle of Tiananmen Square
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Miscellaneous photos of Tiananmen Square
all dressed up for National Holiday!
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| National Museum |
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| Mao's Mausoleum |
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| Qianmen Gate |
Dramatic photo finish!
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| crowds held back from the flagpole |
Alright now, this is getting serious. Your blog pretty much needs to be publish, promoted, promulgated (and any other good 'p' words). Amazing!
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