Well, it's been a busy week sightseeing and our feet are aching big time! But it's been worth it. Beijing is a fascinating, interesting and absorbing city. It is also massive and it takes a while to get around the main sites even with a great metro system, very reasonably priced taxis and a lot of stamina. Just to give you a rundown of the main ones I visited plus pics.....Forbidden City:
This is a huge site and takes a minimum of 2-3 hours to do just the main parts. But it does conjure up the impressive images seen in the film, The Last Emperor, and the restoration work has really helped bring it to life.
This is a huge site and takes a minimum of 2-3 hours to do just the main parts. But it does conjure up the impressive images seen in the film, The Last Emperor, and the restoration work has really helped bring it to life.
The Great Wall:
Awesome, even in the rain!
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/ChinaForbiddenCityAndGreatWall#
Awesome, even in the rain!
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/ChinaForbiddenCityAndGreatWall#
Tian'Anmen Square:A tiny bit disappointing as they had scaffolding over most of it. But a must because of its history. They now have a large amount of guards and cameras in place and you are searched before being allowed to enter to save a repeat of the public and student activity of the past.
Houhai district:
Locals gather here at night to spend time doing activities such as salsa dancing, badminton, skipping and a Chinese version of line dancing. Very surreal. Of course, I had to join in with the line dancing - the locals thought it was very funny that I did and I blended in seamlessly being the only Westerner in a line up of about 100 people!
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/ChinaBeijing#
Locals gather here at night to spend time doing activities such as salsa dancing, badminton, skipping and a Chinese version of line dancing. Very surreal. Of course, I had to join in with the line dancing - the locals thought it was very funny that I did and I blended in seamlessly being the only Westerner in a line up of about 100 people!
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/ChinaBeijing#
Summer Palace/Temple of Heaven/Lama Temple:
These are beautiful and so worth the visit.
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PocketGem/ChinaBeijingPalacesAndTemples#
Beijing Opera: This can be an acquired taste for Western ears but is famous in China. The female lead had the most piercing voice I have ever heard, very high pitched and it could lift the lid off a jam jar. But it was also very colourful and the second act was visually very exciting - see video links below for a taster.
Beijing Opera: This can be an acquired taste for Western ears but is famous in China. The female lead had the most piercing voice I have ever heard, very high pitched and it could lift the lid off a jam jar. But it was also very colourful and the second act was visually very exciting - see video links below for a taster.
Olympic Park:
I had to visit if only to see the Bird Nest stadium. The park is spread over a large area and they had some really interesting art scattered throughout it. It was also the quietest place I had been to in Beijing! As an aside, the stadium is now used for concerts aswell as sports events. To kick start this new stage of it's usefulness, it was said that they needed a big international male singing star as the first artist to perform there. Who do you think it was? Elton John? George Michael perhaps? Maybe even Billy Joel? No, it was that well known singer......Jackie Chan!
I had to visit if only to see the Bird Nest stadium. The park is spread over a large area and they had some really interesting art scattered throughout it. It was also the quietest place I had been to in Beijing! As an aside, the stadium is now used for concerts aswell as sports events. To kick start this new stage of it's usefulness, it was said that they needed a big international male singing star as the first artist to perform there. Who do you think it was? Elton John? George Michael perhaps? Maybe even Billy Joel? No, it was that well known singer......Jackie Chan!
Oh, and somewhere along the line we managed to see England win the Ashes in an Irish bar in Beijing - a very multi cultural experience! 
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