Beijing
We visited Beijing in 2001. Beijing has been the capitol of China since the 1400’s. Of all the cities we visited in China, Beijing was the most cosmopolitan with most signs in English and Chinese. This made getting around very easy. There were several modern shopping malls which were very similar to high end US shopping malls, but you could still find the older Chinese shops along many streets and alleys.
One of the must see sites is the Forbidden City, right next to Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty and is located in the heart of Beijing. For almost 500 years (starting in the 1400’s), it served as the home of emperors, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. When you visit you will pass through a number of gates and over bridges to get to the three halls that different emperors used for affairs of state; the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Middle Harmony, and Hall of Preserving Harmony, each with their unique thrones. We also visited the Palace of Tranquil Longevity (or Sad Palace) with Nine Dragon Wall and jeweled artifacts of the emperors. Our guide called it the Sad Palace because that was where the emperor stayed when he retired.
We hiked the Great Wall (where I stopped and had a cold beer). The Beijing section of wall is in really good shape although some of the sections that we hiked were almost vertical. The Ming Tombs were very peaceful with the large stone statues of animals and generals that guarded some of the walkways between the tombs. The Temple of Heaven is a Taoist temple that was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for yearly ceremonies to Heaven for good harvest. The complex is now a hangout for older citizens who play cards, sing, dance, perform skits, show birds, play dominos during the day.
On Lake Kunming there is the Summer Palace where the Empress Dowager imprisoned the emperor right up to the start of the opium war in 1839 CE. You can walk along the lake shore from the palace to the Sea of Wisdom Temple under the Painted Ceiling of the Long Bridge. The art on the ceiling is amazing. Along the shore you will see a very ornate Marble Boat. The Empress Dowager diverted funds designated to upgrade the Chinese navy to build the Marble Boat. Ironically this was just before the start of the opium war and was instrumental in ensuring the Chinese navy was completely outmatched by the British ships.
Finally we visited the Industrial Arts Factory where we were given demonstrations of how they cut and shape Jade statues and souvenirs as well as the making of Cloisonné Brass Enamel Vases. I was surprised at the lack of any visible safety equipment as the workers cut the Jade on high speed cutters and finished vases on high speed sanders and polishers.
Read MoreOne of the must see sites is the Forbidden City, right next to Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty and is located in the heart of Beijing. For almost 500 years (starting in the 1400’s), it served as the home of emperors, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. When you visit you will pass through a number of gates and over bridges to get to the three halls that different emperors used for affairs of state; the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Middle Harmony, and Hall of Preserving Harmony, each with their unique thrones. We also visited the Palace of Tranquil Longevity (or Sad Palace) with Nine Dragon Wall and jeweled artifacts of the emperors. Our guide called it the Sad Palace because that was where the emperor stayed when he retired.
We hiked the Great Wall (where I stopped and had a cold beer). The Beijing section of wall is in really good shape although some of the sections that we hiked were almost vertical. The Ming Tombs were very peaceful with the large stone statues of animals and generals that guarded some of the walkways between the tombs. The Temple of Heaven is a Taoist temple that was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for yearly ceremonies to Heaven for good harvest. The complex is now a hangout for older citizens who play cards, sing, dance, perform skits, show birds, play dominos during the day.
On Lake Kunming there is the Summer Palace where the Empress Dowager imprisoned the emperor right up to the start of the opium war in 1839 CE. You can walk along the lake shore from the palace to the Sea of Wisdom Temple under the Painted Ceiling of the Long Bridge. The art on the ceiling is amazing. Along the shore you will see a very ornate Marble Boat. The Empress Dowager diverted funds designated to upgrade the Chinese navy to build the Marble Boat. Ironically this was just before the start of the opium war and was instrumental in ensuring the Chinese navy was completely outmatched by the British ships.
Finally we visited the Industrial Arts Factory where we were given demonstrations of how they cut and shape Jade statues and souvenirs as well as the making of Cloisonné Brass Enamel Vases. I was surprised at the lack of any visible safety equipment as the workers cut the Jade on high speed cutters and finished vases on high speed sanders and polishers.
