Monday, August 21st. After exploring the beauty and history of the Forbidden City, we didn’t think our day could get any better or more interesting. Our trusty taxi driver and good friend Hao Shifu picked us up and we were off to our next destination. We stopped to browse at a small street market selling Chinese gifts and souvenirs and again our bargaining skills were put to the test.
Imitation Terracotta Warriors:
Cole found himself some neckties! He couldn’t resist, and yes, he bought all of them!
Not too far from the street market was the Drum Tower, or Gulou. Originally built in 1273, the drums located at the top of the tower were beaten to mark the hours of the day.
The sun was slowly beginning to set and the busy bustle of the loud city streets seemed for a moment to disappear. We pleasantly strolled along the quiet street and peered into the local shops and old homes in the nearby hutong neighborhood.
A very romantic kiss in Beijing:
Rickshaws are a common tourist attraction in Beijing where drivers take customers on hutong tours. It is interesting and important to take time to visit these the hutong. They are the old, traditional, residential areas of Beijing and in this day and age they are disappearing quickly. A maze of narrow alleys connecting small homes made of gray concrete and crumbling brick with carefully crafted wood show how locals have lived for centuries. Today, the Chinese government is quickly replacing the hutong with big shopping malls or office buildings or even hiding them away behind temporary facades.
Rickshaw tours on their way to the hutong:
Our new friend is a cheerful and friendly rickshaw driver:
Our final adventure for the night left us in pure awe! At Beijing’s famous Chaoyang Theater we were entertained by the world famous Peking Acrobats. They showed off their magnificent talents and abilities using plates, bicycles, wine glasses, and anything else you could possibly think of and left the audience speechless! If you ever get the chance to see them on tour or yes, even at a Utah Jazz half time show like we did, I promise you won’t regret it.
Spinning plates!
