China: Part 1a

Here are some pictures from our first day in China. The rest of the pictures for Part 1 are on the next entry. Facebook is blocked in China, and all Google programs are limited, so most posting had to wait until we returned. It was a fabulous trip. Once again we were traveling with Kris and Heidi. Heidi had found a trip sponsored by the Chinese government that flew both members of each couple from Detroit to Toronto to Beijing for a stay that included three nights on a cruise boat on the Yangtze River, three flights within the country, and all our meals, hotels and activities for less than $5000! China is a vast and amazing country. The following are a few pictures of our first day in Beijing, on April 14 (I think. The time change and long flights made the calendar a bit confusing!). We did a rickshaw/pedicab ride in an old neighborhood, walked the extensive grounds of the Temple of Heaven, visited Tiananmen Square, and finished at the Forbidden City.  That evening after the first of many, many typical Chinese dinners (which were just like the lunches) we attended a Chinese Opera, which was a real culture shock for the ears!

This map shows where we will be going for our tour, starting from Beijing

Our first hotel, the Loong Palace

Jeff, our wonderful tour guide, had very good English
and taught us some useful Chinese words and phrases.

Typical Beijing neighborhood street

Jeff explains the government controlled pedicab system
in the Hutong (traditional old neighborhood)

Ready to roll

Our driver did a lot of huffing and puffing on his creaky old bike. Despite
tipping the amount Jeff had told us to give him, he didn't seem very happy with it.

The narrow old streets in the Hutongs were not laid out with cars in mind.

A typical inner courtyard with the living quarters on all four sides.
Rooms here can be rented for overnight stays.

Canal along the edge of the Huton that led to a man-made lake.

The dragon tiles on the roof indicate this was once owned by a royal family.

A map of the grounds for the Temple of Heaven. We explored the park-like lower level and then
mounted the stairs up to the complex of buildings surrounding the upper level with the Temple of Heaven.

Ready to climb up to the Temple of Heaven

Climbing up to the Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven from the plaza level

(See next Blog page for the rest of Part 1 pictures.)