Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Thanks For Reading!!
I'm home now!! Back in the good ole' USA!! Not sure where I am headed to next, but for the short time I am in Ohio. Thanks for taking the time to see what I was up to in Beijing. I had a great trip!!
Summer Palace Again!
my first trip to the Summer Palace was on a very high pollution day. I only stayed on the east and north parts of the entire property. Today I took the western edge to walk through. There were less people and the willow trees gave me great shade from the sun. A great Fall day!
The Emperors stayed in their palace high up on the hill.
You can see the old and new together. The tall building in the background is the Senso Steel building about two blocks from my hotel.
The Emperors stayed in their palace high up on the hill.
You can see the old and new together. The tall building in the background is the Senso Steel building about two blocks from my hotel.
Chinese Flag Raising on Tianaman Square
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MreprzOMV2g
This was the best video I could find of the dawn flag raising.
We took a cab at 5:15 am to make sure we had a spot for the 6:04 am flag raising. We muscled our way to the front of the crowd. The Forbidden City sits across the street where the soldiers will walk out with the flag.
The crowd is amassing! Lots of coughing going on, but that is normal!
Here comes the flag!
This is shot facing Mao's tomb in the far distance. I went to see him later in the day!
This was the best video I could find of the dawn flag raising.
We took a cab at 5:15 am to make sure we had a spot for the 6:04 am flag raising. We muscled our way to the front of the crowd. The Forbidden City sits across the street where the soldiers will walk out with the flag.
The crowd is amassing! Lots of coughing going on, but that is normal!
Here comes the flag!
This is shot facing Mao's tomb in the far distance. I went to see him later in the day!Friday, September 26, 2008
Trip to Long Qing Gorge
http://www.kinabaloo.com/lq.htmlhttp://www.chinavista.com/travel/longqingxia/main.html
http://www.chinavista.com/travel/longqingxia/main.html
I arrived early morning at the long distance bus station at the base of the Drum Tower. The #919 will take me to another bus station in Yanqing where I am supposed to get a cab to the gorge. Great! I am the only Westerner on my bus!!
The weather was very misty and overcast. Visit the first link to get an idea of what the gorge looks like when it is sunny blue sky!
This is a world record size dragon (which hides 8 escalators that take you to the top of the dam).
One of my last Chinese poses!!
First the boat tour, then I will hop on the gondola to the top!
From the boat, I was very close to the top of the dam. They open up these doors and I will get swept over the edge!!
For whatever reason there was a guy riding a bicycle on a wire suspended across the gorge. Suspended from the bicycle was another guy comfortably hanging by a rope. The guy on the bike did balancing tricks.
There was a temple dating to 1035!
People dropped money into these vases that had Buddha sitting in them.
The guy on the bicycle is still at it!!
How do you like this model pose?
Why am I so attracted to seeing what these wood boats are about?
Why is the one they chose for me have water in it??? Thanks for the paddles!
Time to go to the top!!
Don't throw stones!
Time to go find a cab and head back on the bus.
http://www.chinavista.com/travel/longqingxia/main.html
I arrived early morning at the long distance bus station at the base of the Drum Tower. The #919 will take me to another bus station in Yanqing where I am supposed to get a cab to the gorge. Great! I am the only Westerner on my bus!!
The weather was very misty and overcast. Visit the first link to get an idea of what the gorge looks like when it is sunny blue sky!
This is a world record size dragon (which hides 8 escalators that take you to the top of the dam).
One of my last Chinese poses!!
First the boat tour, then I will hop on the gondola to the top!
From the boat, I was very close to the top of the dam. They open up these doors and I will get swept over the edge!!
For whatever reason there was a guy riding a bicycle on a wire suspended across the gorge. Suspended from the bicycle was another guy comfortably hanging by a rope. The guy on the bike did balancing tricks.
There was a temple dating to 1035!
People dropped money into these vases that had Buddha sitting in them.
The guy on the bicycle is still at it!!
How do you like this model pose?
Why am I so attracted to seeing what these wood boats are about?
Why is the one they chose for me have water in it??? Thanks for the paddles!
Time to go to the top!!
Don't throw stones!
Time to go find a cab and head back on the bus.
National Centre for the Performing Arts
I had the chance to check out the National Theater last Friday night. I didn't have too many choices to choose from over the past 2 weeks, so I hoped for the best when I chose to see The Peony Pavilion. It was a complete night of dancing to tell the story with no speaking
The Opera House is located in the center of the building as you can see when you look into the outer egg! To the left on the bottom you can see underwater hallway that I walked down to get into the building.
http://www.paul-andreu.com/projets_recents/pekin/galerie_pekin/galerie_pekin_gb_21.html
Posing in the hallway from the entrance. You have to walk under the water that surrounds the Theater to actually get to the Opera House.
Posing in the hallway from the entrance. You have to walk under the water that surrounds the Theater to actually get to the Opera House.
The Opera House is located in the center of the building as you can see when you look into the outer egg! To the left on the bottom you can see underwater hallway that I walked down to get into the building.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Zhengyangmen Gate, Qianmen Market, and City Wall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qianmen
http://www.chinaheritagequarterly.org/articles.php?searchterm=012_qianmen.inc&issue=012
This is the rebuilt Arrow Tower. Archers could stand at the ready in the windows. There were rounded walls that connected this tower to the Zhengyangmen Gate, which created a courtyard.
This is the restored "Front Gate" to the Inner City. Tienamen Square is directly behind the gate, which leads into the Forbidden City. The Emperors would walk through this gate on their way to the Temple of Heaven.
This is the rebuilt Arrow Tower. Archers could stand at the ready in the windows. There were rounded walls that connected this tower to the Zhengyangmen Gate, which created a courtyard.This is the restored "Front Gate" to the Inner City. Tienamen Square is directly behind the gate, which leads into the Forbidden City. The Emperors would walk through this gate on their way to the Temple of Heaven.http://www.bjreview.com.cn/nation/txt/2008-01/04/content_94424.htm
Old school shopping in the Hutong markets of Qianmen.
The main street was completely renovated, and just opened recently. Most of the storefronts are empty, but old vendors, as well as modern vendors will return shortly. Cable cars will run up and down the street, just like they did in the 1960's. Where possible, the store fronts were restored to their prior grandeur if pictures were found.
This is the old rail station that has been restored into a railway museum.
It is hard to imagine that over 570 years ago craftsmen made the city wall with exacting precision.
This is taken from on top of the wall facing the corner Southeast Corner Arrow Tower.
Old school shopping in the Hutong markets of Qianmen.
The main street was completely renovated, and just opened recently. Most of the storefronts are empty, but old vendors, as well as modern vendors will return shortly. Cable cars will run up and down the street, just like they did in the 1960's. Where possible, the store fronts were restored to their prior grandeur if pictures were found.
This is the old rail station that has been restored into a railway museum. 
It is hard to imagine that over 570 years ago craftsmen made the city wall with exacting precision.
This is taken from on top of the wall facing the corner Southeast Corner Arrow Tower.
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