Trips

Sun., 9/28/14 – Beijing
        We met our Beijing local guide, Joan, and headed out by bus to see as much as we could before the beginning of the Chinese National Holiday, which runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7 and all of China will be on holiday (and most of them were traveling). 
        Our first stop was at Tiananmen Square.  This is the largest city square in the world, about 60 soccer fields big, and is where the 1989 mayhem occurred.  The Square was being prettied up for the holiday and prepared for the arrival of dignitaries.  In front of Mao’s portrait was a stage and a huge plastic bowl of flowers and a monument to soldiers.  Mao’s portrait is at the north end overlooking the Square.  His mausoleum is in the Square and Chinese people were standing in a long line to walk in and past the entombed body (a wax replica) of the dictator. 

 

Interesting signs that we passed under on our way to Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square - or at least part of it	Emperor's Gate
Mausoleum of Mao Zedong	Monument to the People’s Heroes
	Floral display for Chinese National Day
Mao's portrait on the wall above the Meridian or South Gate to the Forbidden City	More flowers
From the north end of Tiananmen Square we were to walk the four miles to the North Gate of the Forbidden City.  We crossed the longest and widest street in the world, Tian’anmen East, using an underground tunnel.  It was on this street that in 1989 a man stood in front of the communist tanks daring them to stop – they did not. (The guides are not allowed to talk about it, either.)         We entered the Forbidden City through the South or Meridian Gate and would exit through the North or Pretty Gate.  The Forbidden City was built around 1420 and originally had 10,000 rooms, but now has 7,000.  It was used during the Ming and Qing dynasties by the emperors.  We walked through the Gate of Supreme Harmony and looked at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Complete Harmony (where the emperor dressed and rested), the Preserving Family Hall, a feast room, and the place where the palace exam was given. It is a huge place and seems to just go on forever.	Meridian or South Gate to the Forbidden City
Map of this huge complex
Facade on the Meridian Gate - beautiful work!	Palace of the last emperor
Hall of Supreme Harmony	Hall of Supreme Harmony
Hall of Supreme Harmony	Hall of Supreme Harmony
Stone work in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony
Palace of Heavenly Purity	Tibetan Buddhist Temple in the distance
Roof decoration on the Hall of Supreme Harmony	Roof decoration on the Hall of Supreme Harmony
Rock Garden	Moat around the Forbidden City

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