It was a smoggy 60 degree Saturday in Beijing. We woke up, ate breakfast and jotted down subway directions to world's largest surviving palace complex, The Forbidden City, in China. Ready to venture out on our own, we anxiously packed our cameras, scarves and snacks for a day trip to this ancient Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming Dynasty.
Subway Line 1 seemed busy for a Saturday in the business district, but we boarded the train anyway. We'd been to both New York City and Washington D.C. in the past, but found that China's subway is by far the easiest to navigate as a foreigner. Maps are displayed everywhere inside the station, listing landmarks and the direction you're headed, and the station itself is wide open, clean and bright. Honestly, Guomao Station feels like you're travelling into the future instead of just North-South / East-West.
Advertisements are complete with moving images, pop-out 2-D displays, and colored lights lining the floors and walls. You're underground, but it feels like daytime.
We rode the subway to the Tien'anmen East exit, where we rode the escalator to the surface and into a Chinese time warp. To the left was a busy street lined with local restaurants, rickshaws and Chinese faces. And to the right was a sworm of people from all continents and cultures, all bottlenecking their way into the entrance of The Forbidden City. Prepared to pay our 60 rmb each, we held on to each other's hands and prayed that we'd make it through the crowd in one piece.
Stop. Go. Stop. Go. People don't look up or around or care where they're stepping. If they want a photo, they are stopping. No questions asked. No" excuse mes" or "I'm sorrys". They just let you run into them and continue to go about their business, talking amongst themselves in their respective tongues. "Are you sure we want to go in?" I asked one last time. "Well, we're here, so let's just keep goin'," said my husband.
Over the moat and inside the main entrance we went.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I'm sure the reality blew it out of the water. Through the tunnel, we followed the crowds, tour groups and guards to the outside where the scene opened up into an immense courtyard of sorts. We were surrounded by 980 gigantic structures all topped with Chinese roofs, carvings, gargoils and traditional palatial architecture so unique to the culture that we were instantly transported to another time completely. One can imagine great emperors roaming the grounds with their flocks of concubines following closely behind them. Relics of water urns line the walls inside, which at one time served as firefighting tools in case the ancient collection of wooden structures accidentally caught on fire. It's simply overwhelming to imagine the ceremonies, birthdays, weddings and Chinese history that took place on the very grounds on which we were walking.
The smog hung heavy over the tops of the buildings as we ventured into the inner courtyard. The trees, winding paths and charming Chinese structures were breathtaking. I couldn't stop snapping photos! Signs indicated that these inner gardens were where the Emperors and Emperesses "amused" themselves with poetry, games and laughter. A charming setting for certain.
Finally, we'd reached the throne rooms, boarded up and englassed with windows, of course. You could peer inside for a quick look if you pushed your way up to the front. As we made our way back to the front of the city (another hour long walk) we couldn't help but notice that people were outstretching their arms on their tip-toes just to touch the ancient relics throughout the city. They fought their way up to the front of lines to catch a short glimpse of the throne rooms where ancient ceremonies and history had taken place 100s of years before. We were amazed at their reverance.
Our trip home on the subway was a much different experience than our way to Tien'anmen Square. As soon as we entered the station, we were right back in present times, pushing and shoving and cramming into tiny spaces to stand on the train. After 5 stops we heard "Guomao Station" and prepped for our escape. The doors opened and we were free again; back to our bubble in the business district. We were safely back in 2010, with photos from the past to document our Chinese adventure.
The language entrigued me, almost felt like a part of me I had yet to discover. The more I learned, then more I yearned to see The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and stroll down the Champs-Elysees. But even more than visiting the many tourist attractions you simply must see, my ultimate dream would be to get caught up in everyday life in Paris. 
Until then, I'll watch and rewatch Amelie, Sabrina and Midnight in Paris to get my fix. I'll listen to my Edith Piaf radio station on Pandora, read travel posts, and Google images for Paris. 
