Today we went out to tour the most famous Beijing sights with a group of Austrians who I think were from the military to visit Mama and Papa.
We took the train to Qianmen station to start out at the gateway then walk North thru Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City.
But first, we stopped at the city Planning Museum. Very interesting. They had a scale model of Beijing city. Obviously it had the Forbidden City and the other famous landmarks, but it also showed that the important buildings were arranged along a North-South axis, from Qianmen, to the Forbidden City, and then 8 kilometres North to the Olympic stadium. It also helped understand where the ring roads were, where the CBD was, and where I was staying.
Then we went under the street to Tiananmen Square, past the Museum, Mausoleum, and People's Monument (all mentioned in previous blogs), to the Gate of Heavenly Peace to enter the Forbidden City.
As you get closer to the gate, you start to appreciate just how big Mao's portrait is.
Inside, there were ticket booths and the obligatory street sellers trying to push trips to the Great Wall and sell various forms of crap.
And then a lot of bloody big temples!
One thing that surprised me a little was how similar these temples were to what I thought Vietnamese or Thai temples would look like.
There were lots of interesting stories about the history of the place, the emperors, their wives and concubines, Marco Polo, and so on, but it was all too much to take in.
One minor thing of interest was the bridal suite. Of which there were two!
We then went past a few things like a temple atop a mount of oddly-shaped rocks, over a moat, and then out the exit. (Well, the exit was before the moat, but whatever.)
At the top of the next hill must have been the Drum Tower, but we didn't go up and see it. Instead we stopped for lunch.
At lunch, we had some difficulties ordering. Or more to the point, the waitress, of which there were several, appeared to have problems understanding.
When Mama asked for a cup of tea, she got a whole pot.
Strangely, a 600 ml beer cost 5 RMB (1 AUD), whereas a cup of tea cost 15 RMB!
Then we took a 10-15 minute taxi ride to the Temple of Heaven.
Out the front, I finally succumbed to the street vendors and bought a Chairman Mao watch. Very kitch, but also an apt souvenir. I paid 50 RMB (10 AUD), but I later found out I probably could have had it for as little as 15.
Inside, we went thru several sections, each requiring another perforated slip off the ticket.
The main things or interest were the sacrificial altar near the start, the temple at the end of the parade, and then a huge park at the end off to the side.
In the park, there were lots of different performers. Most were singing or playing the accordion. There was also a man with a lute and some people playing hacky sack but with a shuttlecock like they use in Badminton.
At the exit, I had a look in the store there. I had been looking for some jade jewelry and a nice black-and-white painting of the Great Wall since I got here and hadn't found quite what I was looking for.
The situation remains. :-)
Tomorrow the plan involves the Great Wall.
The Austrians
We took the train to Qianmen station to start out at the gateway then walk North thru Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City.
But first, we stopped at the city Planning Museum. Very interesting. They had a scale model of Beijing city. Obviously it had the Forbidden City and the other famous landmarks, but it also showed that the important buildings were arranged along a North-South axis, from Qianmen, to the Forbidden City, and then 8 kilometres North to the Olympic stadium. It also helped understand where the ring roads were, where the CBD was, and where I was staying.
A huge bronze model of Beijing hanging on the wall
Then we went under the street to Tiananmen Square, past the Museum, Mausoleum, and People's Monument (all mentioned in previous blogs), to the Gate of Heavenly Peace to enter the Forbidden City.
As you get closer to the gate, you start to appreciate just how big Mao's portrait is.
Qianmen, the gateway to Tiananmen Square
Me at the Gate of the Heavenly Peace
Inside, there were ticket booths and the obligatory street sellers trying to push trips to the Great Wall and sell various forms of crap.
And then a lot of bloody big temples!
One thing that surprised me a little was how similar these temples were to what I thought Vietnamese or Thai temples would look like.
There were lots of interesting stories about the history of the place, the emperors, their wives and concubines, Marco Polo, and so on, but it was all too much to take in.
One minor thing of interest was the bridal suite. Of which there were two!
Bed in the bridal suite, "Double Happiness" embroidered on the quilt
We then went past a few things like a temple atop a mount of oddly-shaped rocks, over a moat, and then out the exit. (Well, the exit was before the moat, but whatever.)
At the top of the next hill must have been the Drum Tower, but we didn't go up and see it. Instead we stopped for lunch.
Lunch
At lunch, we had some difficulties ordering. Or more to the point, the waitress, of which there were several, appeared to have problems understanding.
When Mama asked for a cup of tea, she got a whole pot.
Strangely, a 600 ml beer cost 5 RMB (1 AUD), whereas a cup of tea cost 15 RMB!
Then we took a 10-15 minute taxi ride to the Temple of Heaven.
Out the front, I finally succumbed to the street vendors and bought a Chairman Mao watch. Very kitch, but also an apt souvenir. I paid 50 RMB (10 AUD), but I later found out I probably could have had it for as little as 15.
Inside, we went thru several sections, each requiring another perforated slip off the ticket.
The main things or interest were the sacrificial altar near the start, the temple at the end of the parade, and then a huge park at the end off to the side.
Altar of Heaven
Temple of Heaven
In the park, there were lots of different performers. Most were singing or playing the accordion. There was also a man with a lute and some people playing hacky sack but with a shuttlecock like they use in Badminton.
At the exit, I had a look in the store there. I had been looking for some jade jewelry and a nice black-and-white painting of the Great Wall since I got here and hadn't found quite what I was looking for.
The situation remains. :-)
Tomorrow the plan involves the Great Wall.
Labels: 2009, Beijing, China, Forbidden City, Travel
Post a Comment