The very first place I visited in Beijing was the Lama Temple. I had never even heard of it, but I was traveling with the two foreign English teachers that I work with and it was on the top of one of their lists. Since everything was new to me at that point, I thought, why not? I'm so glad I went along. I was pretty impressed with the size of the temple. The complex is huge and I learned a little bit about Chinese culture and architecture while I was there.
We arrived in Beijing around noon, too early to check into our hotel for the evening, so we brought our overnight bags with us. After we bought our tickets we entered the bag check lane which had two security guards with their batons checking everyone's bag as you enter the complex. I was the first of the three of us to enter so I step up and open my bag to check. Much to my surprise, both security guards stepped back from the table and turned their heads in the other direction as if they didn't even see me. My colleague said, "Tracy, just go through". I had never experienced that before and was shocked. As soon as the three of us passed, the guards resumed checking the bags of the Chinese tourists behind us.
Since that time, I've experienced similar situations. As a foreigner there have been more times when I am waved through. However at the metro station I'm always expected to place my bag through the scanners just like everyone else.
The rest of my visit was uneventful. I leisurely walked through the enormous complex, snapping hundreds of photos trying to capture as many details as possible. I believe this is one of the largest temples in Beijing and I'm so happy to experience it on such a beautiful summer day.
We arrived in Beijing around noon, too early to check into our hotel for the evening, so we brought our overnight bags with us. After we bought our tickets we entered the bag check lane which had two security guards with their batons checking everyone's bag as you enter the complex. I was the first of the three of us to enter so I step up and open my bag to check. Much to my surprise, both security guards stepped back from the table and turned their heads in the other direction as if they didn't even see me. My colleague said, "Tracy, just go through". I had never experienced that before and was shocked. As soon as the three of us passed, the guards resumed checking the bags of the Chinese tourists behind us.
Since that time, I've experienced similar situations. As a foreigner there have been more times when I am waved through. However at the metro station I'm always expected to place my bag through the scanners just like everyone else.
The rest of my visit was uneventful. I leisurely walked through the enormous complex, snapping hundreds of photos trying to capture as many details as possible. I believe this is one of the largest temples in Beijing and I'm so happy to experience it on such a beautiful summer day.
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| Prayer Wheel |
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| Burning Incense |
Where would you visit first in Beijing?
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