from Shayla

Today I was reminded of the fact that different people have different perspectives. The portrait of Mao Zedong hanging up in the square was interesting to me. I already knew a bit of background on China's history related to Mao and the Cultural Revolution so it was kind of surprising to me to see first hand how proud most Chinese people are of him. After hearing the teachers and the tour guide talking and taking time to reflect I realized that the reason they're so proud of him has to do a lot with perspective. To Chinese people Mao was the leader who revived and united the country. But to me and other Americans he is highlighted more as a flawed yet very powerful leader, who often used his power to the extreme. Recognizing this contrast was very eye opening and definitely added to my experience . Tiananmen square in general was interesting. I liked how although we were walking through there was much more deeper significance to it than just walking or than just being in a town square. In the same place we were standing there were people who stood there many years ago in order to protest and stand up for their opinions and rights. That's incredible and thought provoking. I could almost picture the students and people all organized together in that same place. It reminded me to be conscious of where I am and the history that constantly lies around us. It was also another instance that highlighted perspective. Most Americans view the subduing of the protests as unjust whereas some Chinese see it as necessary. 

The forbidden city definitely portrayed an emphasis on the power of the Chinese, their position in society, and their lengthy history. The expanse of the "city" itself shows how grand and dramatic the lifestyles of those who were in power were. It was another place where I could almost imagine what life was like many years ago. Overall I had a very valuable experience in China. I could take away something from each place that we went to whether it be the markets, the temples, the forbidden city, tiananmen square, or any of the other incredible places that we visited.