We're anxious for spring to arrive. Beijing weather has been very cool with uncommon showers recently. Many of our students shared with us that since Beijing is quite dry getting much rain is rare. One of the main reasons we want warmer weather is because it will allow us to sight see more. However, the cooler weather did no keep us crammed inside earlier this week. Visit to NAMOC
We decided it would be worth our while to visit the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC). We took the subway to get there and got off at the Dengshikou station. It required us to walk about a kilometer to reach the museum from this location. It was pretty easy for us to find it once we broke out our trusty map. This was not an area we were familiar with so it was nice that we avoided any difficulties.
It cost us 20RMB (less than $3.00) each for admission. Both inside and outside the property of the museum had artwork on display. As we entered the museum it was a bummer to find out that we could not use cameras in the exhibit areas. This did not stop many Chinese visitors that blatantly violated the photo rule constantly. What was even more frustrating was that the museum had staff positioned at every exhibit to guard the artwork and make sure all visitors followed guidelines. Well, any time we attempted to take photos they would get very upset, but when a Chinese individual took pictures, sometimes point blank, they would not say a word. It was wild! We decided to do our best to roll with the punches. We were not ready to allow this absurdness to affect our afternoon. Besides, we did get a few nice shots of some of the more popular displays. We were happy to find out that we got the opportunity to see the Lights of DunHuang exhibition on its second to last day of viewing. The exhibition is a replica of the world-renowned DunHuang Mogao Grottoes of the Gansu province of China. It is also popularly known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas.
The highlights of the show were 10 duplicate ancient caves, 120 mural replicas, created by generations of Chinese researchers/artists, many authentic clay figurines and wooden sculptures, and ancient Chinese manuscripts. It has been incredible for us to see time and time again the influence that Buddhism has with the Chinese. We thought we understood this concept from studying and reading, but not to the magnitude that our travels has exposed us to. It's very interesting to see how other cultures practice their beliefs.
Our Way to Wangfujing Dajie
After visiting NAMOC, we decided to head down to Wangfujing Dajie (Street). On our way there we ran into Saint Joseph's Cathedral. This famous three-domed church is referred to as the "East Cathedral." This impressive site is one of Beijing's most important churches. We learned that it was recently renovated at a cost of $2 million dollars! Soon after our visit to St. Joseph's, we made it to Wangfujing. All we can say about it is, "Wow!" This bustling hang out for night owl shoppers is definitely one of a kind. The highlight of the area is the famous Night Market. Here, there is almost an entire city block of endless vendors selling traditional Chinese snacks. We a saw everything from pancakes and fruit skewers to exotic food like scorpions and starfish.
Pazi really wanted a coconut, so we purchased one for her (see pic). As for Adán he decided to try some beef skewers. A funny thing happened when he went to buy them. The vendor kept avoiding his request for beef and tried repeatedly to persuade him to buy eel, snake, and even dog! Adán stuck to his guns and get the beef. We also tried fried bananas which did not taste too bad. It was definitely a memorable experience and a must see attraction for any visitor to Beijing. 
Check out the tasty critters for sell at the Night Market on Wangfujing Dajie.
