All students came safely, but exhausted from the long flight. Our hostel, called Drum Tower, is in a fantastic location, it is near Hou Hai lake that is beautiful and the streets near by have many shops and restaurants. On the first day we visited the Tienaman square and Forbidden City. It could have not been a more splendid Spring day. The Forbidden City was majestic in grandeour and splendor. Since it is not tourist season it was not very crowded, so we could really enjoy the incredible surroundings. After many hours of walking we were able to relax at lunch where everybody was owerwhelmed by the amount of different dishes and wonderful tastes. I hope students will be keeping logs about menues and different cousines we will be experiencing. After lunch many opted to return to the hostel, some ventured to visit the Buddhist Lama temple and Confuciuos temple. It was a great first day in China!