First things first - we needed to buy our tickets back to Shanghai. We wandered off to Beijing train station, which is where trains for Shangai leave from. It can be confusing, because there are four big train stations in Beijing, the imaginatively-named Beijing West, Beijing North, Beijing South and Beijing, so do check where you need to be bef...

When the Chinese say something is ancient, they really mean it. Being from Australia, anything over about 50 years old is ancient in my books. So I spent most of the day with my mouth open in awe, staring in utter amazement at the wonders before me. Forbidden City - Hall of Supreme Harmony undergoing renovations, which was a bit disappointing (a...

Roll up, roll up and see the oldest continuously used observatory in the world. It was originally built on the Ming City Walls, which, if you've read my previous entry, are now in ruins. However, this section has been restored and if you know the history, you can clearly see the link to the former city walls. But if you weren't aware, the buildi...

If you are going to see the wall, Simatai is definitely worth considering. We managed to time it to coincide with the first snowfall of the season and it was just beautiful. I was so pleased to fulfil a dream I have had since I was a little girl.

Watch this space. Tramp all over Beijing and end up at the Temple of Heaven.