Tiananmen   People's Hall ??   Forbidden City   Tiantang   Ming Tombs  Miscellaneous  War Museum   Summer Palace   Great Wall

CHINA 中国

This was my first visit to Beijing, China after completing my summer internship in Hong Kong. I took a tour with a HK tour group, but was able to meet my cousins (paternal aunt's daughters) and their husbands for dinner. They were really kind to me, and treated me as relatives should.

TIANANMEN 天安门

One of our stops was of course the plaza at Gate of Heavenly Peace. I took a snapshot of these soldiers, but more interesting was the countdown clock until the HK takeover which was about a year away.

Note the remaining time.

Changing of the guards.

PEOPLE'S HALL ??　人民大会堂 (I forget the official name)

Mao leading all the peoples of China.

The Great Red Star overhangs like Polaris.

Let's vote!

FORBIDDEN CITY 故宫

TIANTAN 天坛

MING TOMBS 明朝峰亩(I forget the actual name)

These pictures were taken outside the tombs (nothing inside) on a very rainy day. Still, these hills were pleasant. I really liked the stone sewer grate overflowing with water.

MISC 其他地方
Photos 1,2 are from a Cloisonne factory/store. The kind tour companies take you so you can fork out some cash. 3 is a bust on the column of a stone bridge. 4 is from an alley. 5 is from a museum in the former city wall?? (part of a chair I think)

WAR MUSEUM 军事博物馆

SUMMER PALACE 颐和园: It was summertime and wet. The water lilies(?) were in full bloom, very verdant, very large.

GREAT WALL 长城: Pretty amazing. Too bad it was so rainy. Scaling the wall - all in a day's work. Imagine adding crossbowfire, boiling liquid, burning pitch. ouch. The steep grade of some sections is really intimidating. Look at the last picture.

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