Day 16 - Beijing

John went to meet with government officials today who are involved with arts and music projects in Beijing. We are hoping to be part of their festivities next year during the Olympics. After lunch, we ventured into Tianenmen Square. Having been to Moscow, I can see the similarities with Red Square. The 2 countries have certainly influenced each other. Chairman Mao overlooks the square from the entrance gate of the Forbidden City. The square is pristeen and full of tourists - mostly Chinese from other parts of the country. In Shanghai, we weren't given a 2nd look as odd looking westerners, but in Beijing, with many visitors possibly from parts of the country that don't get a lot of passing trade, we grew accustomed to direct and long stares...mainly to John - he's so exotic looking (lol, ie Hairy!) Mao's mausoleum is closed til September, as are all the interesting museums, all being renovated for the Olympics. The Natural History museum, however, will be closed til 2010. This apparently happens quite often.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace, behind the Mausoleum, and formerly the entranceway to the city, is very ornate, houses some interesting historical pictures and museum pieces, and has great views of the city.
In the evening we had a gig at a venue that we don't actually know the name of! It certainly wasn't in a glamorous part of town, and wasn't much of a venue. The whole evening was a bit of a puzzlement. A businessman connected with the club in some way had paid our trainfare from Shanghai, 2 nights accommodation, and a flight for Ren from Shanghai also. The gig wasn't advertised, and we weren't even introduced.