Tian'anmen and Di'anmen

Tian'anmen is such a strange space. Open, yet heavily monitored, I felt almost unsure about what I should do there. The protests of 1989 are not mentioned. When visiting a world famous location one would expect to see monuments or plaques discussing the past, but nothing like that exists at the square. I visited during a national holiday where the square was a barren space full of mostly Chinese tourists taking their photos in front of large floral sculptures or pictures of Mao. Being there felt off. I didn't feel like I was in a place where martial law had been imposed and massive hunger strikes were held. I felt insignificant and displaced. I felt disturbed by the flowers.

In search of a Di'anmen, a famous snack street where strange street food is sold, you have to go around the forbidden city, just north of Tian'anmen Square. There is a moat and it is calm and peaceful and really reminded me of living in Hikone, Japan. Hikone is a small town outside of Kyoto that has a castle called Hikone Castle, aptly. There is a moat surrounding the entire circumference of the Castle that is lined in beautiful Cherry (Sakura) trees. The moat surrounding the Forbidden City is similarly designed, but with Weeping Willows.

 There were also people posing for engagement photos alongside of the moat.

On the west side of the Forbidden City is a great bar called Old What Bar. Punk rock shows and ska bands play here nightly. I will talk more about this gem in another post. We passed by it during the day, so it was closed up.

Di'anmen Street is the snack street full of strange foods, mostly strange foods on sticks.

The photo above is scorpions on a stick. The photo below is anticipation of eating said scorpions.

Di'anmen snack street is full of stalls mostly selling the same things. It's not as crazy or claustrophobic as Wanfujing because it's open and the smells have space to dissipate into the air.

The street is certainly crowded, though, and all sorts of tourists are trying strange things to eat. 

I didn't have anything on the street. I am not into high priced insects on sticks. Not too far from the snack street are normal Chinese restaurants that serve yummy food for very cheap. The following is Ma Po Doufu (Numbing Spice Tofu), Eggplant/Potatoes/Green Peppers in a sauce, Spinach/Garlic in a sauce, 2 bowls of rice, 2 bottles of Yangjing. Yummmmm