I managed to make it through day 1 of my trip unscathed, belongings in tact and camera fully within my grasp.

After arriving at the hostel I took a much needed shower before heading out to see some Beijing delights.

I visited Tianamen square, which is only a short walk from the hostel. One of the first things that struck me about China is the beautiful architecture in their traditional buildings.

The second is that they don't seem to get many westerners here as I seem to have my photograph taken by locals at every given opportunity.

Before I knew it I was whisked away by 3 Chinese girls (Wudan, Linda & Linxin). They explained to me how my popularity is due to my skin colour, fair hair and height.

Another thing that intrigued me was how many locals walk around with umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun. They actually want to have our skin colour, when many of us go on holiday to enhance our tan.

I also visited the temple of heaven in the Chongwen district, but it was too late in the day to go inside.

After returning to the hostel, I relaxed a little, ordered some chicken noodles for 15 yuan (approximately £1.50) and a Tsingtao for 8 yuan (approx 80p).

I also booked myself on the Great Wall of China tour for tomorrow. Bring it on!!

Another strange fact is that Facebook is banned in China. This is the reason for my lack of communication. Fortunately this blog automatically posts to my wall.