After 24 hrs of travel and 2 hours of sleep, Alaska artist Gail Niebrugge and her husband Bob spent a full day touring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Hutong in Bejing, China. It was a labor holiday in China and the city was full of tourists from all parts of the region. The Niebrugges found it interesting that their group was being photographed and stared at by the folks from distant, Chinese communities. Their guide explained that many of the people had never seen a foreigner before, the blond and white haired group stood out among the sea of tanned Asians. It was very interesting learning about the culture of Communism and the fact that satellite TV was banned. All news is government controlled as is access to the Internet. In old town section bicycles pulled the tour group in rickshaws through the narrow streets where 40 or more houses shared common restroom facilities. Certainly a different way of life from the luxuries Americans enjoy in the United States.
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