Mao looms large over the Forbidden City in Beijing. He also makes a strong appearance on every denomination of Yuan bills. The people's feelings about Mao seemed more sentimental and gentle to me than fearful or worshipful, though I didn't have a chance to ask many people about this.
The Forbidden City is closed at night but this scene was a very popular place to "hang out" and after dark this part of the street, opposite Tiananmen Square, was alive with strolling visitors to the heart of Biejing.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Forbidden City Guard, China
An armored Lioness plays with her cub and guards one of the buildings in the Forbidden City, Beijing's amazing historic palace grounds opposite Tiananmen Square. Many Dynasties lived, loved and died inside the massive walls of the city in the heart of Beijing. The last emperor lived here until he was deposed by the nationalists under Sun Yat Sen, the father of modern China. Fanciful bronze creatures like this lion with her mate on the opposite side of the stairway were common inside the palace grounds.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Temple of Heaven, Beijing
Beijing's Temple of Heaven is where many dynasties would go to pray, making their way a few miles from the Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing.
Several spectacular buildings and a burial mound are surrounded by park filled with trees and cement pavers, out of which sprouts plants and grass.
The park is still a lively gathering place for locals to come to play cards, talk, and pray.
Several spectacular buildings and a burial mound are surrounded by park filled with trees and cement pavers, out of which sprouts plants and grass.
The park is still a lively gathering place for locals to come to play cards, talk, and pray.
Water Urn, Forbidden City, Beijing
These massive urns would hold water which could be used to put out fires in the wooden structures that comprise most of the buildings in Beijing's Forbidden City, home to many of China's dynasties including the last emperor until his overthrow by Sun Yat Sen and the nationalists around 1911.
Some of these urns were covered with about 2.2 kilos of gold leaf and showed signs of scratches as ancient looters scraped off the gold.
Some of these urns were covered with about 2.2 kilos of gold leaf and showed signs of scratches as ancient looters scraped off the gold.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Olympic Village, Beijing
The entrance to the Olympic Village complex in Beijing. After the games these apartments will be sold as residential housing in an area of Beijing that will be home to upscale shopping and neighborhoods. I'm not sure on the pricing of these apartments though it will be considerably less than the approximately $5 million US needed for a luxury apartment at Pangu Plaza which is very near the Olympic Village complex.
I'm here with my friend Kevin Wu, a Medford Dentist who grew up in Beijing.
I'm here with my friend Kevin Wu, a Medford Dentist who grew up in Beijing.
Great Wall at Simatai
Another shot of Simatai, the section of the Great Wall that has had somewhat limited visitation, especially by foreigners, because it is about 100km from Beijing.
The hike up the ridgeline on top of the wall was unbelievable as the wall stretched up and around the cliffs to the East and as far as you could see to the West. This section has had very limited restoration yet much of the huge structural components are largely intact, including the watchtowers where overlapping rocks hold up massive stone cielings.
The hike up the ridgeline on top of the wall was unbelievable as the wall stretched up and around the cliffs to the East and as far as you could see to the West. This section has had very limited restoration yet much of the huge structural components are largely intact, including the watchtowers where overlapping rocks hold up massive stone cielings.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Great Wall, Simatai
The Great Wall of China is arguably the greatest of all structures reated by humans. At one time the wall stretched some 3600 miles in a generally east to west direction, guarding the southern dynasties from a potential invasion by northerners.
The wall took centuries and millions of men to build, and was guarded by over one million soldiers.
Here, at Simatai, is one of the Great Wall´s most dramatic cliffside exposures. Reconstruction is underway here but slow, leaving much of the original structure to explore. The hike is breathtaking in all directions and magnificent views of the wall are all around. The downside is a hair raising highway experience to get to Simatai, which is about 100 miles from Beijing and thus much farther than the most common viewing area at Badaling.
The wall took centuries and millions of men to build, and was guarded by over one million soldiers.
Here, at Simatai, is one of the Great Wall´s most dramatic cliffside exposures. Reconstruction is underway here but slow, leaving much of the original structure to explore. The hike is breathtaking in all directions and magnificent views of the wall are all around. The downside is a hair raising highway experience to get to Simatai, which is about 100 miles from Beijing and thus much farther than the most common viewing area at Badaling.
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