Now we are in Beijing(北京). The building in the center is 正阳门, a gate to the old city. Our hotel is very close to it. Now Mark is still sleeping in the hotel. :D
Behind the gate it is the Tiananmen Square. 天安门广场
Traffic in the early morning.
Advertisement of McDonald at a bus stop near that gate.
Railway museum.
An old trolley.
The gate again.
A walking street. This is the entrance.
Some old buildings are torn down.
Bird cages? No! They are lamps.
The walking street. On the two sides there are many old stores. Of course there are modern ones too.
A famous restaurant in China featureing roast duck. 全聚德
There used to be a theatre here.
I forget what is that used for but I guess it was once used by the local government.
I walk to the end of that street, and it gives some modern scene.
So I walk back to my hotel.
This is a famous pharmacy in China. 同仁堂
It sits in another famous street: 大栅栏
And that is our hotel.
We go to that restaurant for lunch.
Lots of hungry people, or people just come for the hotel's fame.
Roast duck!
It even has a certificate
The chef is cutting the duck into pieces.
Different parts are consumed differently.
Hahahahaha
A close look at our meal.
That is the way to eat the duck: wrap it with some sauce.
Soup made from the bones of our duck.
Photo taken by Mark
Mark wants to see what is going on in this restaurant. Photo taken by Mark
He needs to learn how to use the camera properly. Photo taken by Mark
Now he makes it. Photo taken by Mark
The entrance to the dinning hall. Photo taken by Mark
We are going through the gate. Photo taken by Mark
At Tiananmen Square. Photo taken by Mark
It is a hall in memory of Chairman Mao. Photo taken by Mark
Construction is going on everywhere. Photo taken by Mark
Another gate. Photo taken by Mark
人民英雄纪念碑 Monument to the People's Heroes, at Tiananmen Square. Photo taken by Mark
Tiananmen 天安门 Photo taken by Mark
The signs read: Long live the People's Republic of China! Long live that people in the world are united. Photo taken by Mark
This fense is to keep people away from the flag. We will see it later. Photo taken by Mark
We need to go accross the street 长安街 first. Photo taken by Mark
Mark is there!
The sign behind him reads: Please don't go inside. 天安门, Tiananmen, the first gate of the forbidden city.
So we take another entrance. Photo taken by Mark
It attracts lots of tourists. We are also among them. Photo taken by Mark
We need to go through several gates. Photo taken by Mark
After all, it is called the Forbidden City 紫禁城. Photo taken by Mark
Now it is the third gate. Photo taken by Mark
It has a huge square. Photo taken by Mark
The name of this gate is 午门 Meridian Gate. Photo taken by Mark
Now we are inside the Forbidden City! Photo taken by Mark
Armed policemen.
太和门 Gate of Supreme Harmony. That is the fourth and final gate.
This gate is the tallest gate.
There are two bronze lions as guards.
Meridian Gate. Photo taken by Mark
A group of tourists.
We are about to enter from this gate: Gate of Supreme Harmony.
You can see several incense burners.
People come and peple go.
Behind this gate, there are halls of the palace. Photo taken by Mark
The Palace Museum. After the final dynasty, Qing Dynasty(清朝), this palace is used as a museum. Photo taken by Mark
A hall in one wing. Photo taken by Mark
That is the main hall. Photo taken by Mark
The other wing. Photo taken by Mark
Tourists are from all over the world.
太和殿, Hall of Supreme Harmony, the main hall where emperors hosted enthronement and wedding ceremonies.
It is on a marble stone base of three levels.
The throne. Photo taken by Mark
These big jars were used to hold water in case of fires.
Roofs of halls.
Far away, in the center of this picture, you can see the White Tower 白塔，which is outside the Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is roughly divided into two parts. The Outer Court consists of three halls as in this picture.
The Hall of Central Harmony is not that big, used by emperors to pause and rest before or during ceremonies. Photo taken by Mark
The third hall of the Outer Court: Hall of Preserving Harmony.
The marble stone base.
The Hall of Preserving Harmony was used for rehearsing ceremonies and was also the site for the final stage of Imperial examination.
Tourists in the Forbidden City
The red wall.
After this gate, it is the Inner Court.
The Palace of Heavenly Purity.
One wing.
Many things are decorated with the symbols of dragons.
Drains.
Mark is studying this palace. This is the residence for the emperor.
Look back to the Outer Court.
The throne in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The tablet reads: To be honest, decent and magnimous. The calligraphy was done by Emperor Shunzhi(顺治). One copy of the will of the emperor concerning the heir was hidden behind the tablet.
The throne in the Hall of Union. Seals of the dynasty were stored here. Photo taken by Mark
Decoration on the door to the Hall of Earthly Tranquility, residence of the empress. In the Inner Court, more symbols of phoenix can be found.
Where are we?
One of the emperor's bedrooms. Photo taken by Mark
I think it is near the Palace of Tranquil Longevity.
The garden in the Forbidden City. Photo taken by Mark
A stage in the garden. Photo taken by Mark
The corner tower.
We are almost at the boundary of the Forbidden City.
Nine Dragons Screen 九龙壁
It is late, so there are not so many tourists.
It was build for Emperor Qianlong(乾隆) for his retirement. It is a minor copy of the design of the Forbidden City.
This pair of lions are plated with gold.
Gate of Mental Cultivation 养性门
Animal decoration on the roof.
The paint has crumbled off.
Stone decoration at the base.
This palace is now used as a gallery.
Gold bells as musical instruments.
Sundial
The roofs.
It is a stage for the Beijing Opera.
Drain pipe
:O
We are going to leave. It is near the close time. So I take picture of this wall again.
We don't want to spend the night in this palace.
I told him that some people saw ghosts in this palace at night. :D
The door bell, but it is just a decoration.
华表 a column on the side of the road in the square of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
This is an animal in the legend which plays the role like a messenger, for the Heaven of the people.
Security guard of the national flag at Tiananmen square.
Another guard.
Guards on the Tiananmen Square
Monument to the People's Heroes
The national flag at Tiananmen Square.
人民大会党 The people's congress is held in this hall.
National Center for the Performing Arts
It is near the congress hall.
It is surrounded by warter.
王府井步行街 A walking street in Beijing. Photo taken by Mark
Photo taken by Baili
Beijing Hotel. Photo taken by Mark
A food court. Food of different styles can be found here.
炸酱面 Beijing's famous meal.
Tsingtao Beer
KFC at that walking street. Photo taken by Mark
Many people are enjoying themselves there.
The corner tower of the Forbidden City, at night.
We take a tricycle to our hotel.
It is not cheaper than the cab, but it is a new experience.
The Great Wall! Photo taken by Mark
It sits in the mountain.
A reservoir near the Great Wall. Photo taken by Mark
Mark stands there.
居庸关
“A man is not a hero until he reaches the Great Wall.”
Precipitousness. Photo taken by Mark's request
So we begin to climb.
We rest from time to time. It is a long path.
居庸关 长城 Great Wall of China at Juyong Pass
Finally we are at the top.
The tombs of Ming Dynasty 明十三陵
Coffins in the Dingling Tomb, it is an underground palace. 定陵
The stone throne in the tomb.
Monument of the Dingling Tomb for the Emperor Wanli(明神宗，万历皇帝)
Sacrificial vessels.
On the top of the gate of the tomb.
Mountains. In the Chinese culture, a good place for a tomb is somewhere where there is a mountain and a river.
There is a tomb for another emperor nearby. Acutually in this area there are 13 such tombs.
More details.
The crown to the empress, discovered in the tomb.
Sycess discovered in the tomb.
At the Park of Heaven Temple. But the temple is already closed so we can't get in.
Viewed from the outside.
Eight lanes in the main street.
Chefs are making buns.
Chopsticks. It is in a famous restaurant featuring buns.
My food.
Mark is again showing off his chopsticks skill.
“Net Cafe”
Tiananmen Square at night. The last photo on June 17.
