Monday, May 5, 2008Beijing
There’s a massive boulevard separating Tiananmen Square from the Forbidden City called Dong Chang’an Jie (at least that’s what it’s called in this section; street names tend to change every 100 yards, it seems). By massive, I mean 12+ lanes wide—with very little allowed traffic. There’s logic of some sort there; just don’t know what it is.
Anyway, taxis aren’t the only ones barred from this stretch—so are pedestrians. That, I understand. Halfway through your hike across the zip-code-wide roadway, you’d be stranded between green lights with no median for safe harbor. 43rd Avenue at Times Square looks like a quick hop compared to this.
To move crowds from point A to point B, a system of angular tunnels criss-crosses below the pavement, connecting Tiananmen to the South Gate. The trek is made in nearly complete darkness with florescent lighting is so dim that seeing more than fifteen feet ahead verges on the impossible, even after your eyes adjust. Pretty hard not to feel a little vulnerable during the inevitable 2-block haul back to the surface.
At one turn, I nearly bump headlong into three uniformed guards stationed at the corner. Even close up, my first impression is that these waxy figures are statues symbolizing the nearby police academy.
Imagine my reaction when one blinked.
Decided not to take a photo. Something tells me it’s not on the “approved list” down here. Time to find the sunlight and move along.
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