Yansong Hotel (Beijing Fengtai Yansong)

... we went to the Temple of Heaven. We took the subway, not a bad experience, but a long walk with a lot of steps. By the way, it is really hot, humid, and polluted here. The Temple of Heaven is a place where the emperors would go to pray for good crops. Also, there is a small mound of marble which the Chinese believed to be the center of the Universe. It reminded me of the circle outside or Notre Dame in Paris, the official center of Paris.<br ...

... the reason the title is all about color differences is because the EAP program sent out an email that said specifically to get light blue background passport pictures taken for our application for residence permit. THEn. when i got there, the desk ladies said, no no light blue doesn't work. this is not blue, it's purple ...

... yuan in June and 720 yuan in July. In the second quarter, China cut domestic jet fuel price by 80 yuan per ton. On July 8, when China Aviation Oil, the country's quasi-monopolistic jet fuel supplier, raised the fuel price by 720 yuan per ton, Chinese airlines had to buy fuel at a price 39 percent more than the price at the end of 2007, which stood at 5,970 yuan per ton. Chinese airlines, which have been suffering from a sluggish aviation ...

... stadium and outside every bar and restaurant was seemingly filled to capacity with eager fans. Many streets were littered with people awaiting the spectacular fireworks show. Big screen televisions hang on many of the larger pedestrian friendly areas where people gathered to watch the festivities. I'm off to a boxing match, but hope this finds you well and enjoying some of the Olympic spectacle. Have a fantastic day! Peace, Winter

... new slide which runs from the middle of MuTianYu's bit of Wall to the foot. We celebrated afterwards by eating Peking Duck. This happened on the fourth day into our trip. I and my colleague, Debbie, also visited The Other Tourist Spots; The Forbidden City, TianAnMen Square, the Summer Palace, the Lama Temple, the Temple of Heaven and the Hutongs (real ones and fake ones). Each area needs a day to get a proper feel of it and we ...

... banner for a new restaurant or it could have said "Danger Do Not Enter...Certain Death Ahead!" and we would have never known the difference. Somehow we find our way to the correct street, and as we drive up to the festival, we are met by crazy peasant types who are stopping the traffic by waving red clothes and by throwing their bodies in front of the moving cars. We stop, and are informed that we need to pay 50 yuan...for something. What the money is ...

... a bit depressing. Welll Angela and I walked The Great Wall of China ... it is amazing ... have to say it is my highlight of Beijing. We went to watch a show too .. The Legend of Kung Fu which was really good ... very educational! Things going well today as in the evening we showed the reception photos of our room and she upgraded us! Other sights: Tiananmen Square and the ...

... various teas and liked them. He says that he likes them because they are not sweet tea (which I would love right now). My favorite thing is watermelon which is served at the end of every meal. It is so good. You can buy them for 30 cents - way less than the $5-7 we pay at Ingles at home. They do not have as much flavor as some of the ones I've had from SC, but they are cold and very good. We miss you all. -- Becky (Mike has added his entry below ...

... the top of the hillside and show a picture of great momentum and imposing beauty. Layers on layers, some of them look like great chains, others look like ribbons. We hiked for about 1 hour up to Ping' an village and visited the rice terraces of Dragon's Back Mountain where the Zhuang and Yao Ethnic Tribes have inhabited for hundreds of years. For me, not the beauty but the local women with their long and black hair that is the most charming feature ...