Underground City

Ugh, blogger can be really slow so I don't update much. You know, since my life here is way exciting.

Yesterday we explored the Underground City. Apparently back during the Cold War when China's relationship with the Soviet Union wasn't so pleasant, China built these underground cities under most of their major cities. They are actually quite complex. They have hospitals, movie theaters, etc... You used to be able to walk to most parts of Beijing, including Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, and even the airport! Now most of the tunnels have been blocked off, I assume for security reasons. Oddly, in the middle of our tour underground, we stopped at a silk store. They demonstrated how they make silk blankets and let us try it too. We promptly ruined a blanket. I guess even in a short tour, they have the obligatory stop to sell the tourists overpriced "specialty items."