The first day we went to the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Bill was not able to make the trip. Literally at the last minute, he couldn't make it. We had his suitcase throughout the trip, but no Bill. So there are lots of pictures of Patrick and Caroline and just a few of me.
I tok some city shots on the way to the square. It was cold.
I was excited to get these shots of some Chinese soldiers. I wasn't sure how strict they were on getting their photo taken. Little did I know that the next day, I would see many more and be allowed as many photos as I wanted. See my forthcoming Day 2 posting.
They are building a big beautiful shopping area in the middle of the city. Lots of apartment high rise apartment buildings are going up all over the each of the cities we toured. I mean hundreds at a time. Huge movement toward the cities.
More of the shopping center.
This is the view approaching the square. Tiananmen Square is in the middle of Beijing. It literally means something like "Gate of Heavenly Peace." It sits right next to the Forbidden City. It is the third largest city square on the world.
Cold morning. We were freezing. We are used to warm Okinawa.
I was annoyed because Caroline would not zip her coat or wear her scarf because "they look stupid." I gave up.
Below is the National Museum of China.
Below is the monument to the People's Heros. There are lots of references to the "people." "People's Park," "People's square" etc.
Nice photo of Patrick.
This giant screen shows different views of the country. Really pretty photos.
This is the mausoleum where Chairman Mao is buried.
We had many vendors approaching us to buy panda hats. We were able to get them for two dollars. They were warm too!
They would come up to us and say "Panda, Panda, Panda." So that was a mantra throughout the trip.
I took this photo to try to show the thick haze that lays over the city. The smog was horrible in Beijing and Xi An. Our eyes were burning. I will post more of these type of photos when I get to the Xi An posting.
Patrick bought a Mao watch. He waves at you. It has been six days now, I wonder if it still works?? I need to ask him. Patrick loves to shop. We were at the square less than 1/2 hour before he made this purchase.
Passing through the gate toward the Forbidden City.
I thought this toy soldier was interesting.
Patrick went straight for the vendors...
Heading toward the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City is just beyond the wall.
The red door symbolizes the Emperor. There are 9 rows of knobs on the door. Odd numbers represent males and even numbers represent females. Since 9 is the highest odd number it represents the Emperor.
It is good luck to touch the knobs as you pass through.
The Forbidden City was built around 1406. It was the home of the Emperors etc for 500 years until the end of the Ching Dynasty. We were told that it is the oldest surviving Palace complex in the world.
Patrick and Caroline immediately started hanging around a couple other teenagers (Riley and Christian). They really hit it off.
They always ran toward any water. Here is a bridge in the Forbidden City.
I tried to wait until most of the tourists wen away to get the shots so you can see all of the detail. The Forbidden City is huge.
I am adding this photo of me running my mouth because it is a well known fact in my family that I nag during photos because I want them to be just right (aka, my way). So I thought it would be humorous for you to see it. There are more, of course. I may throw in some more to show you.
The ceiling.
This is the throne in the "Hall of Preserving Harmony."
More pictures of Patrick and Caroline. They start to get annoyed with the picture taking as the trip wore on.
From one of the giant urns. There were urns everywhere. We thought they were for fire (because we were freezing) but we found out they held water. Because the structures were all wood (no nails) they kept water close by. Apparently, the complex burned down several times.
This was some detail on the walls.
Patrick with Riley and Christian.
These are some shots just showing the details on the walls etc.
All this before lunch!!
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