As I stepped out of the Beijing Capital Airport, the cool, dry breeze of the early morning air energized me but carried some negative foreshadowing. Beijing, China, was alive and more chaotic than ever. However, there were some beautiful aspects that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Cars rushing to work, ignoring the traffic lights, weaving their way through the traffic, set the tone for the multitudes I would encounter here.

“Ni hao ma”, yelled the tour guide to our family. He led us to the grimy and dusty bus that took us to the legendary Great Wall and the classical Forbidden City. As the bus honked and weaved its way through the traffic, I realized I missed the calmness of the roads in my home town, Chiang Mai. When we arrived at the Great Wall, I was in awe of the massive structure. I was amazed that their ability that they could build something so massive and strong. As I struggled up the steep stairs, I was pushed from behind and terrified of falling off the edge. The belligerent Chinese tourists aggressively shouted at me when I accidentally showed up in their photo. Because of the terror from this treatment, I could not complete the journey to the top of the wall. Even though I was frightened at Great Wall, I was satisfied that I had visited one of the great wonders of the world.

After the wild experience at the Great Wall, we headed to the Forbidden City. The spaciousness city was a welcome respite after the crowds at the wall. The humongous Forbidden City was well designed to accommodate a stadium of people. The yellow roofed buildings had amazing detailed carvings as well as Chinese characters. The many emperors and dynasties that lived in this palace, added to the richness of the history. This city contained everything needed for life, temple, shops, houses and parks. I would be content to live in it, if there were fewer people. The tour guide gave us freedom to explore the city at our own leisure. The delicious Chinese dishes on rice satisfied our family; we just wished the service was more Thai. The multicolored vegetables in their sauces and the tantalizing meat dishes were not served in a polite, pleasant manner. Our tour guide informed us that it would take about seven hours to tour the whole palace but we wanted to go to the Silk Market.

After the tour guide left us at the Silk Market, our family was introduced to the fake goods at the market. It had a copies of everything ranging from iPhones and electronics to garments and silk. My mom had fun bartering and negotiating with the haughty venders who shouted at her because she asked for too much discount. The bustling atmosphere was enhanced by the loud noise of shouting venders and bargaining buyers, a much more agressive environment than what I was familiar with in Thailand. The shopping mall was colorful because of the lights, paintings, and the garments. Many people didn't mind buying fake goods with good prices.

After experiencing the Great Wall, The Forbidden City and the Silk Market, I was more than ready to fly back to my home in Thailand. I was impressed with the Chinese architecture and their dedication to work on a project that took more than a century to complete. I was amazed at the depth of their history covering so many years and dynasties. I was overwhelmed by the multitude of people and their noise. China – a place of historical beauty, crowds of people and great deals. However, it is not a place I would chose to live, especially when I compare it to my hometown in Thailand.