1 The Chinese use their public parks for all kinds of activities.
2 Lanterns on a path between 2 temples.
3 We could only just see the top of the famous Temple as it is being restored for the 2008 Olympics. The square building in the front is not part of the actual temple.
4 Gate on a path between 2 temples.
5 It's a big square alright!
6 The Guard and Chairman Mao.
7 Entering the City.
8 Impression of the City.
9 Those Emperors sure saw things big.
10 in the City.
11 Me.
12 In the grounds of the Palace. The Palace itself was not accessible because... yep...it's being restored for the 2008 Olympics. Remind me not to visit places anymore that are gearing up for the Olympics!
13 The Long Corridor.
14 In the grounds surrounding the Palace.
15 The grounds.
16 Real barges and marble barge - something about an emperor wanting a permanent unsinkable barge...
17 The Great Wall of China (at Badalung - spot accessible for visitors and tour groups).
18 Another tick off my list of 'must-see man-made things'.
19 I did get to walk on it for about 1.5 hours.
20 Despite all the tourists (mostly Chinese) it is a very impressive sight.
21 I got to walk to 8 of the towers.
22 Beijing is a rather featureless city. In the foreground some of the few city areas where the 'Hutongs' (old parts of the city) survived the frenzied building of faceless apartment blocks.
23 The rikshaw is the way to visit the narrow Hutongs. Most of them are too narrow for cars. Hutong sort of means 'narrow street'.
24 Rikshaws for hire. The remaining Hutongs are being saved partly because the growing interest of tourists.
25 The patio of one of the traditional houses in the Hutongs.
26 Royal garden in park adjacent the Forbidden City.