I get to the gate and after passing everything through an airport scanning machine, I'm asked to leave my knapsack at a bag holding place at which time I'm given a ticket to get my back back later. However I'm also asked to remove and carry in a supplied red bag my camera, tablet and wallet.
Ok...so I do this ... I'm then instructed to join a group of other visitors who are doing the same, and we walk some 300 mtrs or so, and at the next check point our camera size is checked...WTF? The other 40 or so people I had joined were let through, and I was singled out based on the size of my camera only. I was told to leave it there and join the group. Big cameras are not allowed. I had come to take photos, and you are supposed to be allowed to. But due to the size of mine bizarrely I was not allowed. So I opted to skip the mausoleum and leave... but this is where it got really odd. Was not allowed to. They did not have a process for this, and I was asked to hand the red bag and ticket back right there. Given that my knapsack was back at the other checkpoint and I would need my tickets to get it back I refused. |
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This is when the armed guards were called. I eventually emptied the bag, kept the ticket and and carried all my stuff via a short cut (garden) back to the entrance. Got my knapsack bag and left. Very very odd.
Annoyed, I then went to the Temple of Literature, and took lots of photos.
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