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 Beijing

　This trip's main journey was a round-trip flight from Beijing to Slovenia and Croatia, so we flew from Kansai to Beijing first. There was a Chinese-style decoration at Kansai Airport. Arrived in Beijing at 4 pm on the first day of the trip. We had a 10-hour transit time, so we went sightseeing in Beijing.

　The driver and guide in Beijing was Mr. Zhao. He had been in Japan for 4 years and he was fluent in Japanese.When I asked for the kanji for the name, it was the same as Zhao Yun of the Three Kingdoms.
　Along the highway near the airport, there were rows of poplar trees, and it felt like driving in Hokkaido. Chaoyang District in northeastern Beijing is a popular area, and condominiums cost more than 100 million yen. I was surprised to see a rider without a helmet on a motor-powered bicycle.

　The fine weather on this day was due to the Belt and Road International Conference. It seems that it doesn't rain in China on the day of a big event for some reason. We couldn't reach Tiananmen due to heavy traffic on the weekends and traffic restrictions at international conferences, so we headed to Hutong first.
　We parked in front of Nanluoguxiang Station near the Palace Museum in central Beijing and went sightseeing in Hutong. Hutong originally meant a well and was a place name. A long time ago, families gathered and lived under the Enju tree. The house facing the main street has now been converted into a shop for tourists, and the side streets are lined with renovated one-story houses. Houses in popular areas of Beijing like this are over 100 million yen.

　The road in front of Tiananmen Square was finally opened after 8 pm, so we drove down the main street. In front of Tiananmen on this night, it seemed to be the best light-up, probably because the leaders of each country such as Russian President Vladimir Putin were coming. The boulevard used for the military parade is vast and is a symbol of Beijing along with the Great Hall of the People, where 10,000 people can eat at once. It seems that the portrait of Mao Zedong hanging on Tiananmen is rewritten and replaced every year.
　The cars in Beijing were all luxury cars such as Audi. All cars are new and it is said that used cars are sold to rural areas after switching to new cars every four years. Beijing looks affluent, but China has restrictions on the movement of family registers, and although it is possible to work in Beijing, children cannot attend school in Beijing and are assigned to work alone. Still, half of the 20 million population comes from outside Beijing. In addition, individual land ownership is not recognized, and people buy condominiums with the right to use (70 years). I couldn't understand why people would pay 100 million yen for right-of-use housing.

　The Beijing Hotel was often used by Kakuei Tanaka and Makiko. We parked at the Beijing restaurant and took a walk in Wangfujing. Wangfujing is a tourist spot that is sure to be visited by tourists from rural areas. Deep-fried live scorpions were sold there.We ate 5 yuan skewered sheep meat and finished sightseeing in Beijing. Because we didn't have the yuan, Mr. Zhao paid for us with his electronic money.

　After sightseeing in Wangfujing, we returned to Beijing Airport and checked in after 10 pm. I was called a "nice camera" at the baggage inspection area. I thought it might be Chinese, so I asked it back.
　We had a light meal at the airport lounge and headed to Slovenia via Frankfurt. Since it was a departure at 3 am, I mostly slept on the plane. I saw only one Japanese version of YES MAN in the in-flight movie.

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