Beijing - duck, a big wall and more temples

Trip Start Nov 15, 2004
1
41
70
Trip End Nov 10, 2005


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of China  ,
Monday, June 13, 2005

We arrived in Beijing to be greeted by more rain and clouds (or is it pollution? we have a hard time distinguishing) but thankfully it soon cleared up for the rest of our stay. After sorting out visas to Mongolia we set about exploring China's capital city. A lot of the sites are undergoing renovation as they get ready for the 2008 Olympics but we were surprised to find that English is still quite uncommon and most sites are really geared towards the domestic tourist. The Forbidden City was a bit of a disappointment, partly because much of it was closed but also because the Chinese temple style, whilst very beautiful, gets a tad repetitive by the 4th, 5th, 6th... courtyard. We strolled through Tiannaman Square unable to see the end due to the smog and decided to skip seeing Mao and instead walk a few kms more to the Temple of Heaven where we enjoyed the peaceful gardens, some more varied temples and a museum devoted to Chinese musical history. We also enjoyed spending an afternoon at the Summer Palace, the former residence of the last Emperor, set besides a lake and scattered with residential complexes and temples Crumbling watchtower
Crumbling watchtower
 . We splurged on Edam cheese, salad and bread and had a european style picnic on the hill overlooking the lake - a nice change from noodles and rice. That night we also went to see the Beijing Opera, which once you got used to the screeching singing and music, was fairly entertaining and a worthwhile part of the Beijing experience.

We spent quite a while sitting on a bus on Sunday but finally arrived at Jingshanling where we set off on a 10km walk along the Great Wall. It was pretty hard work at times but was worth it for the spectacular views across the valleys with the wall winding its way across - the imposing structure was probably enough to scare off the 'enemy'!
Slideshow Print this entry Beijing hotels