500 Miles

Because of the significance of the 1989 Democracy Movement in China, I wanted to walk the grounds of Tiananmen Square. It is a great reminder of the importance of protest in America. It is something we should not take for granted. So we made another trip to Tiananmen Square after our misadventure the previous day. It began with taking the subway to the Tiananmen Square area. Once we were there, we had to figure out how to get into the Square. The whole Square is blocked off and you have to go through security. I assume part of security procedures is because of the protests of 1989 and the other part is because of the times in which we currently live. Once again, we were face with ridiculous crowds. It was too many people, and I wasn’t convinced that the “line” we were in would get us to the Square either. So we backed out and reassessed what we were going to do.

Zhangyangmen Archery Tower (It was not open)

Crowded on the Tiananmen Square side of the street.  In line for a museum?

We decided to go to the China Railway Museum. I found it interesting. There were lots of old pictures, air conditioning, real toilets, and not very many people inside. It was interesting to compare China’s railway system history to the U.S. railroad history. China was significantly behind in history, but they have certainly surpassed the U.S. in their railway system now.

Fake Train in the the museum

China Railway Museum

After an early lunch, we saw a security entrance that was not that crowded. I spotted a tunnel on the other side of security that would take us to Tiananmen Square. The square itself is a lot of concrete with some monuments. There is also a museum on one end. I suspect we were in danger of getting in the line for the museum earlier this morning. Anyway we wandered around the Square and took pictures.

In Tiananmen Square with The Great Hall of the People in the background

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

Not a statue of Democracy

Near the spot where the statue for the Goddess of Democracy was erected in 1989.

The National Museum of China

After leaving the Square, we went to the National Museum of China. We just went to free parts where we could enjoy the air conditioning and real toilets.

A Laughing Horse in the Museum

Cloak of Conscience.

Exiting the Museum

Outside the Museum with Tiananmen Square in the background

After the Museum, we were tired and ready to leave, but we stayed a little bit longer because I recognized that this was the area where the Tank Man incident took place. I wanted to take a picture of the site, but I was off by one block. I was close which was pretty good considering that this is an area where there is absolutely no reference to it.

Tiananmen Gate

What I thought was the Tank Man site.  The Tanks would have been backed up here because of the Tank Man though

The Tank Man incident happened one block way in the direction of this picture.