The trip begins! First stop... Beijing

Five days in Beijing!  How much can we pack into this portion of the trip?  Find out after the jump.

China was a new and exciting experience.  The first place we experienced upon our arrival was the Birds Nest and Water Bubbles stadium from the 2008 Olympics.  We then visited the SummerPalace. It was a great way to start the trip!   After our first traditional lunch, we visited a hutong neighborhood.  It was very interesting to see an older neighborhood. I could imagine generations of families enjoying their time together in the outdoor living area.   

On Tuesday morning we visited the China Beijing Equity Exchange (CBEX).  It was tasked with the disposition of state owned equity.  This is a unique situation, which had to be solved creatively and effectively.  It is always fascinating to see how these types of issues are dealt with.  It is not often that an entity has the ability to affect commerce on such a broad scale.   CBEX needed to determine who to sell to and at what price.  Since China does not have an open market, this was quite a challenge.  However, CBEX has been highly successful and are increasing its returns yearly. 

In the afternoon we visited the Temple ofHeaven.  It was wonderful to walk through the park and see how people come together and enjoy each other’s company… despite the cold!  The Temple of Heaven itself was beautiful and rich in history.  It was a very real reminder of how young our country is and how much we can learn from societies that have been around for much longer.  Afterwards we visited the Pearl Market.  The market was very educational regarding negotiations and bargaining.  We also gained first hand knowledge of the “knock-off” market.  

 On Wednesday we visited the Beijing Technology and Business University.  We met with students and had a brief presentation on supply chain in China.  My favorite part was interacting and having lunch with the other students.  It is a great experience to meet other students and discuss the differences and similarities in school and business.  That afternoon we visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.  These were my favorite culture spots.  To me, the events at Tiananmen Square represent the people’s quest for change and liberty and remind me to appreciate the freedom I have and sometimes take for granted (here is a link to an incredible photo-article by Time, but be a couple of the pictures are graphic!).  Conversely, the Forbidden City evokes the sense of tradition so prevalent in Chinese society.  It was beautiful and vast.  Thursday’s trip to the Great Wall of China brought out the same feelings.  I felt privileged to be in such an iconic location.  The amount of history in China was overwhelming.  It’s always fascinating to see how a country grows and evolves.  Nothing illustrates this more than the visit to the Zhongguancun Science Park.  We were able to see the latest technological innovations that companies in the science park are working on.  One of the great things about China is the dichotomy between progress and tradition.  It is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, but still holds on to tradition.