China: Beijing
Our good friends Kathy & Paul let us park our home at their house during our trip to China.
Wanting to be first in line, we got to the airport early for good seats on the plane. It worked!
The flight over was decent (good seats you know). This is the snow-covered Siberian wilderness.
Our room in Beijing.  Most of the rooms we stayed in were nice. Beds were hard as rocks though.
Susan in front of the Summer Palace entrance with the lion watching her carefully.
One of the typical buildings in the Summer Palace. This is the gov't affairs bldg.
Longevity Hill & Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha.  Poetic, no?
We kind of imagined that boating looked like this in the day.
Just a nice shot through a doorway.
The Long Corridor was built in 1750 and depicts Chinese history & myths.
Another "through the doorway" picture of the palace.
The country was in chaos, but the Empress decided she needed a marble boat.
A nice gateway.
A bridge with a nice reflection on the water.
Got a complaint? This is where you do it. Way in the back, unstaffed & locked.
Originally Tiananmen Square was ringed with a wall. This is Qianmen the front gate.
Monument to the People's Heroes and the Great Hall of the People.
Bill with Tiananmen Tower and Mao Zedong's portrait in the background.
After walking through Tiananmen Square we reached the Forbidden City.  This is the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
Walking along the inner courtyards of the Imperial Palace/Forbidden City.
Hill of Accumulated Elegance?  Doesn't look elegant.  On top is the Pavilion of Imperial Scenery.
This is part of the Imperial Gardens.  I imagine it looks more beautiful when everything is in bloom.
We attended a tea ceremony while in Beijing.
We took a "not on the schedule" trip to the Hutongs, the traditional courtyard homes & narrow alleyways.
The pedi-cabs were fun although our driver probably wished Bill was smaller.
Some buildings along the way.
On another day we visited the Jade factory. Incredible work taking months, even years to complete.
Ming Tombs, the general name given to the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)
This Chinese throw fake money in here to honor the dead.  Go figure.
Inside the Prominent Favor Hall was a large statue of Emperor Yongle.
Also, inside the hall were numerous cases containing artifacts recovered from the tomb.
This is a ritual crown worn by Ming Emperors at grand ceremonies.
Built in 1540, the Great Red Gate memorial archway is the oldest and largest stone archway in China today.
Cloisonné, an ancient metalworking technique and enamel process to produce jewelry, vases, and other items.
Cloisonné, when completed is magnificent. The detail is mind-boggling.
The Great Wall!  This was our first opportunity to really stretch our legs and we did!
These portions of the wall are restored, but much of it is in ruins.
Bill taking a rest before tackling the remainder of this section of the wall.
The Great Wall is extremely steep in parts. This was like climbing down a ladder face first.
Our bus drove by the "Birdsnest" stadium where the 2008  Olympics opening ceremonies will be held.
Jump to pictures:
Jump to pictures: