After a flight long enough to be considered its own adventure, we had our first full day in China. Without hesitation we visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Nanluoguxiang.
![limcollege.edu staff Staff Profiles Desktops & Documents lola.rephann My Documents website BLOGS Hubspot Blogs Study Abroad China Forbidden City](https://info.limcollege.edu/hs-fs/hub/74633/file-1510755079-jpg/images/--limcollege.edu-staff-staff_profiles-desktops__documents-lola.rephann-my_documents-website-blogs-hubspot_blogs-study_abroad-china-forbidden-city.jpg)
Tiananmen Square is a 109-acre square at the heart of Beijing. It is named after the Tiananmen Gate of the Forbidden to its north. I was not fully prepared to what I was going to see behind the multiple gates of the Forbidden City.
![limcollege.edu staff Staff Profiles Desktops & Documents lola.rephann My Documents website BLOGS Hubspot Blogs Study Abroad China Forbidden City close up](https://info.limcollege.edu/hs-fs/hub/74633/file-1510755094-jpg/images/--limcollege.edu-staff-staff_profiles-desktops__documents-lola.rephann-my_documents-website-blogs-hubspot_blogs-study_abroad-china-forbidden-city-close-up.jpg)
Too large to capture on camera, the Forbidden City was mind-blowing. Wall after wall, room after room, and stair after stair assembled to create a private city and imperial palace for the Chinese dynasties.
Nanluoguxiang is a refurbished hutong – a series of alleys and streets that form traditional Chinese courtyard residences. Nanluoguxiang has been transformed into a popular shopping spot for local fashion.
![describe the image](https://info.limcollege.edu/hs-fs/hub/74633/file-1510755109-jpg/images/--limcollege.edu-staff-staff_profiles-desktops__documents-lola.rephann-my_documents-website-blogs-hubspot_blogs-study_abroad-china-hutong_crop.jpg)
![limcollege.edu staff Staff Profiles Desktops & Documents lola.rephann My Documents website BLOGS Hubspot Blogs Study Abroad China Hutong Dress](https://info.limcollege.edu/hs-fs/hub/74633/file-1510755124-jpg/images/--limcollege.edu-staff-staff_profiles-desktops__documents-lola.rephann-my_documents-website-blogs-hubspot_blogs-study_abroad-china-hutong-dress.jpg)
-- Andrew Charette