CULTURE BEIJING

Hi everyone!

I was very excited to go to Beijing! I’d been there before and I loved it! I was excited to share this beautiful city with my friends.

I couldn’t wait to stand on top of the great wall again; its view will literally bring tears to your eyes.  It is such a long climb and when you finally reach the top… it’s so overwhelming. It really hits you then, the history and beauty; it’s truly a wonder of the world.

Beijing is a city that is in the process of reinventing its culture.  Since receiving the honor of hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the city has worked hard to modernize itself but still show the world the rich culture of China.  

You can really tell that Beijing is the cultural centre of China. It has a lot of history which translates in its culture. You can find a variety of arts there, whether you’re a lover of literature, opera or theatre you will find whatever it is that you’re passionate about.

Beijing can be called a supermarket of antiques to some degree. Beijing is among China’s top six ancient capitals so it comes as no surprise that it is a gold mine of antiques.

And the people are so elegant and proud, but not in a way that they look down upon people from other regions. Beijing has never repelled outside cultures and fashions. You can find traces of cultures nationwide or even worldwide. Nevertheless, Beijing has never given up its noble taste for elite culture.

There are many religions being practiced in Beijing. Some of them are Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. Freedom of religion is in the Chinese constitution but recent events have made it hard to practice certain faiths.

Chinese society has been through immense changes in recent years. Within living memory Beijing has seen civil war, virtual famine during the Great Leap Forward, the madness of the Cultural Revolution, the imposition of the one child policy, and the transition from centralised economy to rampant capitalism.

It will make your trip to Beijing a lot more worthwhile if you have a little understanding of the Chinese culture.

This city is so incredibly rich in so many ways. I have really grown to love China. My uncle lives in Shanghai and I love visiting him or listening to his stories. Some differences in culture would really shock you. But sometimes that’s just what you need in order to get perspective.

I love this city!

Until next time!

Xoxo

Kimberley 


PS: I found an article about how Beijing wants to promote their culture more:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012npc/2012-03/05/content_14760185.htm


http://www.beijingimpression.com/beijing-guide/beijing-culture.shtml

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294212-s202/Beijing:China:Culture.html