Beijing - Part II

My first night in Beijing I discovered the “western” area of the city. I was a bit disturbed to see so many American chain restaurants – especially when I walked past a Hooters. It was embarrassing to see this infiltration of such tasteless, corporate crap. Though I must admit that I did fold under the temptation of Starbucks. While I try to boycott the chain back home, a genuine frappachino was too tempting, despite the ridiculously high price. There are probably more Starbucks franchises in Beijing than in New York City. I was relieved to see that they had done away with the controversial Starbucks in the Forbidden City, but did get a report from another hostel guest that you can order steaming hot Starbucks lattes on the Great Wall from the section that’s most heavily visited. Yeah, pretty disgusting. Other major chain restaurants that have found their way to the Chinese capital include Outback Steakhouse, TGI Fridays, Subway and of course countless KFC and McDonald's franchises. The Chinese love them some fried chicken!

For my second day in Beijing, my feet were so tired from traversing the spread-out city streets, that I decided it was time to attempt the subway. While the lines aren’t too extensive, they are building more as we speak to accommodate the influx of tourists this summer for the Olympics. First stop – the Lama Temple, a beautiful and ornate temple and the largest one outside of Tibet. Lately the Chinese media has been using it as “proof” that Tibet has “always been a part of China”. Unfortunately, what should have been a spiritual and peaceful experience, a big tour group of Spaniards who had recently adopted Chinese babies were running around the grounds shouting in Spanish and blocking all the temple entrances with their giant strollers. It dawned on me that Chinese people don’t use strollers. Everyone carries their babies either in their arms or wrap them snugly to their backs. With babies always snuggled tight against their mothers, you hardly hear a baby crying in China.

I set aside the afternoon to explore Factory 798. Located outside the city’s third ring road in the industrial area, old and abandoned factory buildings have been renovated to house dozens of art galleries, studios and funky cafes. Once I actually found the place, it was like stepping into another world. The retro industrial vibe complete with graffiti brick walls and hipster Beijingites was a refreshing experience. As with most Chinese cities I’ve been to, you really have to dig deep to find the artsy communities that stray from the shiny and new of today’s China. While traditional arts and antiques are widely valued throughout the country, the modern art scene is still struggling to find its place. I was blown away by the diversity, originality and quality of the work displayed throughout the various galleries I visited that day. However, despite this departure from the typical Chinese experience, it was not void of camera happy people who insisted on photographing their friends in front of every painting or sculpture available, completely ignoring the “no photography” signs posted on every wall. It’s like every Chinese wants their chance at becoming China’s Next Top Model.

Stay tuned for the Forbidden City and the Great Wall…