Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City
I never got around to posting my first couple of week's photos, so I'm going to work on catching up.
It was the first week, the second full day in China, and they got us up early to go to see the sights of downtown Beijing.
Everyone piled into the bus.
Lots of police vans run around in Beijing. Sometimes you see them with all kinds of deadly looking weapons inside, but it turns out that their job is to put money in ATMs.
Our first stop was Jingshan park. There were a lot of people doing all sorts of morning activities. This piaoliang senior citizen was doing ribbon dancing.
Then she lent us her ribbons, so we all played with them for a while.
This little girl asked her dad to take a picture with the girls with pretty hair, so Jenny and Emily obliged.
Jingshan Park has a hill that gives you a great panorama of the city, including the Forbidden City on the south side.
Andrea, Li, KP, and Me. I didn't know their names yet.
Another view of the Forbidden City from the top of the hill.
Here I am in front of the National Museum, with the Olympics countdown in the background. I traded cameras with KP here, and that's how we met.
A monument to the heroes of the revolution.
This is why you're not allowed to take pictures in Tiananmen Square.
Tiananmen (天安门), "Gate of Heavenly Peace", bearing Mao's portrait.
Inside the gate.
Inside the Forbidden City, in front of the largest of the throne rooms (they seem to have a built a new, bigger, better one for each successive ruler).
The Forbidden City does a good job of swallowing up tourists. It seemed almost abandoned.
The city is also impressively massive. Everything is BIG. I put KP there for scale.
It really did deserve five stars, in my opinion. Especially after all I heard about how bad Beijing toilets are (and as further experience has shown, they get pretty bad).
A nice area with some trees and a nearby Starbucks.
The way out at closing time.
The color guard drilling for the evening flag ceremony. They must march exactly 90 cm apart and each step must be exactly 75 cm.
It was the first week, the second full day in China, and they got us up early to go to see the sights of downtown Beijing.
Everyone piled into the bus. Lots of police vans run around in Beijing. Sometimes you see them with all kinds of deadly looking weapons inside, but it turns out that their job is to put money in ATMs.
Our first stop was Jingshan park. There were a lot of people doing all sorts of morning activities. This piaoliang senior citizen was doing ribbon dancing.
Then she lent us her ribbons, so we all played with them for a while.
This little girl asked her dad to take a picture with the girls with pretty hair, so Jenny and Emily obliged.
Jingshan Park has a hill that gives you a great panorama of the city, including the Forbidden City on the south side.
Andrea, Li, KP, and Me. I didn't know their names yet.
Another view of the Forbidden City from the top of the hill.
Here I am in front of the National Museum, with the Olympics countdown in the background. I traded cameras with KP here, and that's how we met.
A monument to the heroes of the revolution.
This is why you're not allowed to take pictures in Tiananmen Square.
Tiananmen (天安门), "Gate of Heavenly Peace", bearing Mao's portrait.
Inside the gate.
Inside the Forbidden City, in front of the largest of the throne rooms (they seem to have a built a new, bigger, better one for each successive ruler).
The Forbidden City does a good job of swallowing up tourists. It seemed almost abandoned.
The city is also impressively massive. Everything is BIG. I put KP there for scale.
It really did deserve five stars, in my opinion. Especially after all I heard about how bad Beijing toilets are (and as further experience has shown, they get pretty bad).
A nice area with some trees and a nearby Starbucks.
The way out at closing time.
The color guard drilling for the evening flag ceremony. They must march exactly 90 cm apart and each step must be exactly 75 cm.
4 Comments:
I was wondering where the new pictures were. Very cool, John. Thanks for sharing! I except that you'll be able to say more than 'so so' in Chinese when you get back.
By Jeanne, at 12:51 PM CST
I meant 'I expect...'. it's late.
By Jeanne, at 12:54 PM CST
It's funny how you read what you expect to be there. I read "expect" in Jeanne's first comment, so, that is what I read! I wouldn't have picked up the error if she had not called attention to it! LOL There must be a moral in there somewhere! LOL
We missed your pictures. Glad to see you are back "on line". Thanks for sharing. We look forward to getting an in-person visit with you in the forward.
Things here are fine. Our Grandson Jason is planning to graduate in May. How time does fly!
Bye for now. Keep in touch.
By Uncle Frank and Aunt Joan, at 1:29 AM CST
Hahahaha,
About the star-rated toilet, my boyfriend (European) took exactly the same to show to his family. Sooooooo funny... :-)
By Anonymous, at 5:05 AM CST
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