Day 85-86 – March 30-31 – Beijing, China
Photos from March 30
Sunrise in Beijing on March 30th from our window
Lots of 2-wheel transport in Beijing
Most of the taxis are made by the Beijing Company
Rent-a-bikes lined up ready for use – 3 vendors – yellow, blue and green
Car name reads “Build Your Dreams”. Built by the BYD Corporation.
Location of the Great Wall to which we are going today – Mutianyu
Flowering trees at the entrance to the Great Wall tourist center
Exhibition Center at the Great Wall tourist area
Map showing points in this area – we will be going to the No 14 Watchtower above the blue and brown cable cars
View from the base of the Wall and some of the watchtowers
Chinese characters honoring Chairman Mao added by soldiers repairing the Wall
Walking past shopping on the way to a shuttle bus
Lots of shops
Umbrellas covering the sidewalk for a portion of the walk to the shuttle bus
Selfie to include those umbrellas
More watchtowers visible from the base
Entrance to the cable car – use passport as ticket
Taking the cable car up to a platform near the Wall
Watchtower visible from cable car – probably No 12
Climbing the stairs to get on the Great Wall
Last stairs to get to the Wall are behind Kelsey and Jan
Selfie on the Wall looking West
Looking Southeast along the Wall
Looking Southeast from a bit further up the Wall
Getting closer to No 14 Watchtower
Video showing Northwest section of the Wall
Looking Northwest from near No 14 Watchtower
Closer view looking Northwest from near No 14 Watchtower
Zoomed in on a section of the wall to the Northwest
Looking at the Wall to the Northwest
Video showing Southeast section of the Wall
Next to No 14 Watchtower looking to the Southeast
Hillside is steep in places
Mutianyu Village at the right
Kelsey against the South side of the Wall near No 14 Watchtower
Looking Southeast from No 14 Watchtower
Wall is 45 feet high and no handrails on the top inside
Selfie on the South side of No 14 Watchtower
Steps are uneven height – some rather large
Inside No 14 Watchtower
View to the West – rugged country
Selfie against the North inside wall
This is the area where dignitaries are brought to see the Great Wall of China
You can see the Wall follows the contour of the hill – some of it very steep
Chinese flag flying at the Great Wall
Taking the cable car down to the shuttle bus area
Another Great Wonder of the World in our belt – last year the Colosseum and Christ the Redeemer
We are now true heroes of the world (according to the sign)
School kids waving to us as they board the shuttle bus
Roy with me at the base area
Group photo taken by Ting Ting at Great Wall visitor center
Characters erected by soldiers repairing the wall – they honor Chairman Mao
Longer view of the characers
Location as we drive back to Beijing
Fruit trees in bloom on the hillside – many cherry and pear
Street vendor in Beijing
More bicycles and scooters – some with warmers
And more bicycles (there is a song about 9 million bicycles in Beijing)
Octopus as a starter for tonight’s Peking Duck dinner – I passed
Carving Peking Duck
Lots of food to pick from – duck in the center on top of the yellow dish
Tasty tempura shrimp
Selfie outside the restaurant
Name of the Peking Duck restaurant – see the duck at the left
Largest Apple store in Asia just down the street from out hotel
Kelsey with a jade carving – we didn’t get it because it was too large for our suitcases
Another jade carving at the same store
Front of our hotel
Easter display in the hotel
Photos from March 31
Regent Hotel location relative to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City
Selfie looking out our hotel window at the Regent
Arriving at Tiananmen Square
Weather wasn’t the greatest – spitting rain
Walking to the police security point for entry to Tiananmen Square
In queue for police inspection – building at right is Mao’s mausoleum
Ready to be patted down and checked before entering Tiananmen Square – done because of trouble with ISIS on Mongolian border
We passed inspection and are waiting for the rest of the tour group
Rain hasn’t let up yet – 3 hours to go and I hope it doesn’t stay like this
Gate Tower of Tiananmen Square area
Arrow Tower where archers could position themselves by the windows
Government assembly building – 2,000 assemblymen meet here each March
Video panorama of Tiananmen Square
Tian’anmen gate to the Forbidden City with Chairman Mao portrait. This is where he proclaimed the beginning of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949.
Monument to unknown fallen soldiers (front) and museum at rear
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
Selfie with Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in background
Selfie with unknown soldier memorial in background
Panorama of Tiananmen Square near Tian’anmen gate to Forbidden City
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall with soldier at attention
Mao’s portrait on Tian’anmen gate of Forbidden City – center opening is where the emperor would enter
Wider view of Tian’anmen Gate
Chairman Mao writing in gold letters on memorial to unknown soldiers
Soldier at attention near Tian’anmen Gate to Forbidden City
Selfie with Tian’anmen Gate in background – the rain has let up some!
Hotel from which a British journalist was able to photograph tanks in Tiananmen Square during student protests in June 1989 – there is a story that goes with that
Our excursion group with Ting Ting kneeling at center.
Getting ready to cross underneath the street in front of the Tian’anmen Gate to the Forbidden City
Walkway under the street in front of the Tian’anmen Gate to the Forbidden City
Tian’anmen Gate to the Forbidden City
Diagram of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City – we are now at the middle by Chang’an Avenue
Getting closer to enter the Forbidden City
Fountain display with music and military honors
Some of the fountain display and music
Soldiers on the way to raise the Chinese flag
Kelsey with Tian’anmen Gate in background
Famous Chairman Mao photo on the Tian’anmen Gate wall
Selfie with Chairman Mao in the background
Entering the area of the Forbidden City
Inside the Tian’anmen Gate looking at the Duanmen Gate
Looking at the North side of the Tian’anmen Gate
Selfie with Duanmen Gate in background
Duanmen Gate
Duanmen Gate
Our group approaching the Duanmen Gate
Meridian Gate (South Gate) to Forbidden City
Panorama of Meridian Gate
Selfie at Meridian Gate
Security before entering Forbidden City at Meridian Gate
Chinese women in traditional dress
Chinese woman in traditional dress over Kelsey shoulder
Chinese women in traditional dress
Our guide’s stuffed animal at the end of her antenna (so we can find her in a crowd)
Jan and Kelsey rubbing the knobs of the door at the Meridian Gate for luck – it was said that the emperor’s favorite wife always did that on one of these knobs
Panorama just Inside the Meridian Gate
Video panorama just inside the Meridian gate
Selfie just inside the Meridian gate
The Gate of Supreme Harmony
North side of the Meridian Gate
Panorama of The Gate of Supreme Harmony
Video panorama of the Gate of Supreme Harmony
One of the two bronze statues at the Gate of Supreme Harmony
The second bronze statue at the Gate of Supreme Harmony
Both bronze statues at the Gate of Supreme Harmony
The Hall of Supreme Harmony
Video panorama of the Hall of Supreme Harmony area
The Hall of Supreme Harmony
The Hall of Supreme Harmony
Ting Ting telling Kelsey about the buildings in the Forbidden City
Looking at the North side of the Gate of Supreme Harmony
Crane statue at the Hall of Supreme Harmony
Turtle statue at the Hall of Supreme Harmony
The Hall of Complete Harmony
The Hall of Preserving Harmony
Fire pot (to hold water to extinguish fires)
Walking to the Palace of Heavenly Purity
Panorama of the Gate of Heavenly Purity area
Video panorama of the Gate of Heavenly Purity area
The Gate of Heavenly Purity
North side of the Hall of Preserving Harmony
The Palace of Heavenly Purity
Red dragon bowl
Walking to the residence of the Emperess
Area where head wife resides
Selfie where head wife resides
Bed used by head empress
Imperial Garden
Imperial Garden
Imperial Garden
Unidentified hall near Imperial Garden
Magnolia tree about to bloom
Selfie in Imperial Garden
Court between gates
Selfie in court between gates
ShenWuMen
Selfie with backdrop of Gate of Chastity & Obedience
The girls by ShenWuMen
Our group by ShenWuMen
ShenWuMen
Video of South side of ShenWuMen
Panorama of ShenWuMen area
North side of Gate of Chastity & Obedience
Chinese women in traditional clothing
North side of the Forbidden City
Our location walking to the bus pickup
Across the street from the Forbidden City
Beijing taxis on the move
Outside our restaurant for lunch
Today’s lunch
Chopsticks for eating (left) and taking food from bowls (right)
Fresh fish for the choosing
At the Beijing airport ready to fly to Hong Kong
Flight data as we travel to Hong Kong
In-flight meal – beef
Our arrival at the airport in Hong Kong
Roy on the bus as we drive to our hotel for Tuesday evening