Chaoyang Park

On my list of things to see in Beijing before leaving was Chaoyang Park, the biggest green space in Beijing.  I decided to go on Saturday, but first, Adam, Alison and I went to a yummy Indian restaurant I found last month.  Right next door, a taste of home:

I have to give it to the Chinese, they know how to build a public park.  And they use them, much more than we do in the US.  Even on cold winter days there are people doing exercises and walking in parks, and now with the nice weather finally here, Beijingers were out in force!  You might have seen some different activities that people do in parks in pictures I posted from when Judy and Lisa were here as well: exercising, playing on exercise equipment, juggling, tai chi, rolling big metal hoops, hacky sack, singing, playing musical instruments, dancing...you name it, there's people doing it in a park.  This was the first time I'd seen people camping out: not exactly my idea of camping as its still in the middle of a city and there is absolutely no privacy between tents, but everyone seemed to be having fun.  And lack of privacy is just the norm here anyway.

Chaoyang Park hosted the volleyball in the Olympics so there was a bunch of Olympic stuff...

as well as nice fountains with elaborate explanations...

and huge statues with NO explanations. Haha

There was also plenty of evidence that spring has come to Beijing, including many plum and cherry trees in full blossom

 And to top it all off, a public bathroom...shaped like a bug.  Why not?!