China, the Beijing Post

[przed]

I've been sorting through the darn near 2,000 pictures I took during the trip, trying to find the essential ones from each of the places we visited. First up is Beijing, the city we landed in.

I have to say, I think I'm done with Beijing for the foreseeable future. Apart from the big historical sites (the Forbidden City, the Great Wall), and a few architectural party pieces (the Bird's Nest stadium), it's big and ugly and polluted and impersonal. It's going to be a long time before I want to go back.

But Beijing does have some cool stuff.

Our first full day, we went to Tianamen Square. Which was locked down tight because the big People's Congress was in session (in the building just behind us in the pic, as a matter of fact) but the advantage of being a couple of Western tourists with a Chinese daughter was that we totally got a pass on the security gates from the considerable police presence.


Here's the Sweetie and Ros in front of the Forbidden City, benevolently looked over by Chairman Mao


One of the inner buildings in the Forbidden City. I'd forgotten how big the place is. This was four courtyards deep in the complex.


The roofs in the section of the Forbidden City devoted to the Empress and courtesan's palaces. (I love the look of that pagoda in the background.)


Us in front of the Olympic Bird's Nest stadium. It's an architecturally interesting building, but really, it's just a big empty stadium.


Us in the big empty stadium.


A hotel near the Olympic site. This is one of those party piece buildings that make Beijing a bit more interesting.


Me and Ros in a restaurant just before the section of the Great Wall (Mutianyu) we were visiting. The restaurant was a big conservatory that was pretty impressive, though also empty since we were there a month before the tourist season really gets going. Also, we're wearing our coats inside because it was bloody cold. Our hotels were heated, but most other public buildings really weren't, and everyone wore their coats inside and out.


Ros and the Sweetie toast the meal.


At the Mutianyu section of the wall, you take a rather impressive cable car ride up a mountain to get to the wall.


Us standing on the wall. Yep, that's snow. It was raining this day in Beijing, but snowing on the wall. Which made it incredibly picturesque, if a little slippery. But the cold actually made the climb more pleasant. It kept you cooled down.


The Wall through one of its crenellations.


I think this is my favourite picture of the Wall.


Yep, it really was as steep as it looked.


Ros on the pedicab we took through one of the Hu Tong neighbourhoods of Beijing. The Hu Tongs are the old lane neighbourhoods, and most of them were torn down to make way for modern development, but a few were preserved. Our guide told us the city has bought back some of the neighbourhoods and it planning on restoring them back to their Ming dynasty condition.


Us standing on the central altar of the Temple of Heaven.


Standing on the central axis of Beijing that runs through the Temple of Heaven. This axis runs through all the major sites in the city, including the Forbidden City and the Olympic site.


The main building in the Temple of Heaven. It's just a gorgeous site.


Me helping Ros get ready to fly a kit at the Temple of Heaven. (We made mini kites at our lunch stop on the Hu Tong.)


Ros flies her kite.


You see people, mostly senior citizens, interestingly, using these little feathered hacky sack things all through Beijing. Our guide bought one for Ros. We're still working on getting the hang of it, but it is a lot of fun. (It'll be good practice for the upcoming soccer season!)

Comments

[asilia.livejournal.com]

Love the pics - and you look like such a nice, happy family :)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was a good trip. (I have, of course, not included the fights to try and get Rosalind to eat new weird food, nor the moments she was bored with yet another historical site. *g*)

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed seeing your pictures! Thanks.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Glad you're enjoying them. It's fun to revisit the trip.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

I love the picture of the roofs in the forbidden city! A lovely set of pictures - and they will be great reminders in years to come!

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of the roof picture as well. I wasn't going to include it, but it's a fun one.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

Lovely pictures - thank you for sharing.

[przed.livejournal.com]

And thank you for commenting!

[beledibabe.livejournal.com]

Some really great photos -- what a memorable trip! I love the ones of the Wall, and the Forbidden City.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I think the Wall was the best part of our visit to Beijing. It was a much more impressive part of the Wall than what we saw last time, and the wild weather made the experience even more memorable.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Great pictures! The few people I know who have been to China report the same thing, that the place is heavily polluted. It's never been on my list of places I'd like to go to, but your pictures of the Great Wall are intriguing!

[przed.livejournal.com]

I've always been fascinated by China, and had wanted to go for ages. I was researching applying to study in Beijing in 1989 when Tianamen Square happened. That scuppered my desire to go for a long time. I still have huge misgivings about the Chinese authorities, but love the country and have had great experiences with the people. And we obviously want to maintain a connection with China for Ros.

[dracothelizard.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, Beijing looks gorgeous, even if you say it's kinda big and ugly in a big city way.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I've picked the best bits. ;-) And there are good bits. But to get to them you have to navigate the rest of the city. Not to mention the constant smell of pollution in the air. (As soon as they cracked the door of the airplane when we landed, I could smell the sulphur in the air. And we weren't even there when the pollution was particularly bad.)

My choice of big, busy, polluted cities to spend a lot of time is always going to be London. But then, I'd say that London is far from ugly. ;-)

[dine.livejournal.com]

I'm greatly enjoying the photos of your trip - such a fantastic experience! I think it's great that you are able to go, and to show Ros bits of her heritage

[przed.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting me know! Ros is really interested in China, and we were happy to take her back to the country of her birth.

[rangerke.livejournal.com]

Love the snowy Wall (and the rest of the pics ;)). Going inside without having to take off your coat every time seems practical in a way :p

[przed.livejournal.com]

Well, wearing your coat inside is certainly a way to conserve energy. *g*

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Fantastic pics and fascinating commentary - keep 'em coming!

[przed.livejournal.com]

Glad you're enjoying them. Been swamped the last few days, but I'm hoping to put up another post soon.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed all these posts ♥.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks so much. ::hugs::

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Lovely pictures - since it's been ages since I've travelled anywhere, I love looking at other people's snaps and getting an insight into new places *g*

Have you seen the movie The Last Emperor? Very good story and some fantastic shots of the Forbidden City.

[przed.livejournal.com]

We don't get to do the big trips so much any more, so it was awesome to do a really big trip like this.

I did see The Last Emperor. (Saw it when it came out. It was so popular here that it took three tries before I got in without it selling out. Ah, the days before online ticket buying and films only playing in one theatre. Don't miss 'em, really.) The cinematography was fantastic, but I remember thinking the story fell a bit flat, in spite of how fascinating the actual history was. Shall have to give it another try one of these days.