Hong Kong: Chapter 3 - "Beijing Excursion Part 2"

The Forbidden City
Beijing, China

(Click photos to enlarge)


Now that I have climbed the Great Wall and became the late Chairman M's version of a "worthy man", visited the summer resort occupied by the Emperors and Empresses, my 4-day Beijing excursion shall take us to other significant landmarks - the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and its neighboring buildings, the 2008 Olympics site, also known as the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, where Michael Phelps broke eight thousand world records.  


Along the way we also visited a well-known traditional Chinese herbal clinic that has been selling medicine over 350 years, factories that manufacture and sell comforters made of silk, along other tourist traps. 


Epic Excursion! 

The Forbidden City Palace Museum 

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.  I suppose this is the equivalence of the White House of the United States, although I prefer not to make such references.  


Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 7,800,000 sq ft. It exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.


Today, the site is most commonly known in Chinese as Gùgōng (故宫), which means the "Former Palace". The museum which is based in these buildings is known as the "Palace Museum" (故宫博物院).

The Hall of Supreme Harmony 

Beyond the entrance gate of the Forbidden City leads to the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square, which is the focus of the palace complex.  A three-tiered white marble terrace, called The Hall of Supreme Harmony (太和殿)  is the largest pavilion.  It  rises about 100 ft above the level of the square.  It is the ceremonial center of imperial power, and the largest surviving wooden structure in China. 


During the Ming Dynasty (1300's-1640's), the Emperor held court here to discuss affairs of state. During the Qing Dynasty (1640's to 1912), as Emperors held court far more frequently, a less ceremonious location was used instead.  The Hall of Supreme Harmony was only used for ceremonial purposes such as coronations, investitures, and imperial weddings.

Entering the Forbidden City from the Meridian Gate.
Photo was taken behind the Meridian Gate,
in the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square

Standing in the pavilion of the Hall of Supreme
Harmony, facing the Meridian Gate  

White marbled terrace leading to the
Hall of Supreme Harmony 

Yellow is the color of the Emperor.  Almost all roofs in the Forbidden City
bear yellow glazed tiles.
The sloping ridges of building roofs are decorated with a line of statuettes
led by a man riding a phoenix and followed by an imperial dragon.
The number of statuettes represents the status of the building –
The Hall of Supreme Harmony has 10, the only building
in the country permitted this in Imperial times.  

A minor building might have 3 or 5 statuettes.
The library at the Pavilion of Literary Profundity (文渊阁) had black tiles
 because black was associated with water, and thus fire-prevention.
Similarly, the Crown Prince's residences have green tiles
because green was associated with wood, and thus growth.  

The statue represents prosperity,
wealth, and  great fortune 

Northwest corner of the Forbidden City tower.
The City is surrounded by a protective moat.

Welcome to Tiananmen Square
Beijing, China

The two towers marked the city gate and entrance
 to Beijing in the old days 

Tianamen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing City.  It is named after the Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace), located to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City.  Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world, and has great historical and cultural significance.  

Tiananmen Gate,
to the north of Tiananmen Square.   

Standing at the East edge of the Square,
waiting to cross the street to enter
Tiananmen Square

Huge red lanterns were erected to celebrate
the National Day of PRC on October 1.
(Structure was being removed during
our visit on Oct 23) 

The Great Hall of the People -
along the west side of Tiananmen Square 

Musoleum of Mao Zedong -
along the south side of the Square

National Museum of China
(dedicated to Chinese history predating 1919) -
along the east side of the Square

At the center of the Tiananmen Square
sits a huge flat screen that shows diverse culture
and traditions of China

Monument to the People's Heroes -
in the middle of the Square, facing north,
with the Great Hall of the People in the background.   

On the front of the monument is an inscription in the late Mao's handwriting,
which reads "Eternal glory to the people's heroes!"
On the back of the monument is a message drafted by Mao Zedong and written
by the first premier Zhou Enlai, commemorating the heroes who sacrificed for the Chinese Liberation War (1946-1949), the May Fourth Movement that started in 1919,
and the general struggle of the Chinese people against the various external and
internal strife engulfing China from the beginning of the First Opium war in 1840 to the establishment of the People's Republic of China. 

Heading back to the 5-star Crowne Plaza
for some much needed relaxation
after lots of walking and eating

A well-respected traditional Chinese apothecary
with rich history and remedies for all ailments.
The name of the shop is Tung-Yan-Tong,
It has been around for more than 360 years. 

I need a mortar and pestle in my kitchen;
regrettably this wouldn't fit in my purse...

Beautiful apothecary at the Tung Yan Tong clinic.
Each drawer stores one to three kinds of herbs and medicine,
each clearly labelled at the front.
They are beautifully and sensibly arranged
according to their functions and usages.

Apothecary mesmerizes me.
My maternal grandfather used to own an apothecary
in Hong Kong some 70-80 years ago.  He was
a well-respected physician of his time.  

A manual scale that carefully weighs out
accurate proportions of herbs and medicine
for clients and patients

I couldn't find the English name or scientific name
of this herbal medicine.  It is prohibitively
expensive - for the privileged 1%!  

The thicker the strand, the more expensive.
The ones in the far right corner are the most
expensive - about 700 RMB (or US$110) for 10 grams.
Yes, 10 grams. That's about ONE strand.
See why it's reserved for the richest 1%??    

Affordable luxury is more my style.
Welcome to Starbucks Beijing.  

Explaining to Mom what goes in a green tea latte

Holding the torch at the Olympics Site

Facing north at the Olympics site with the Bird's Nest to my left
and the Water Cube on to my right

Tourist shot at the Bird's Nest

Inside the Bird's Nest.  It was magnificent.   

Woot Woot!!!

So that's what it's like to sit in the Bird's Nest!

At the front entrance of the Water Cube,
now renamed the National Aquatics Center

Outside the Water Cube

This was where Michael Phelps broke eight thousand
world records and won fifteen thousand
gold medals 

I got assaulted by the Kung Fun panda

Meow!

Hong Kong: Chapter 2 - "Beijing Excursion Part 1"

Orientation:
First, locate Hong Kong in the southeast corner of China,
at 5 o'clock position.  We are heading 1200+ aeronautical miles
directly north to Beijing, about 3 hours flight time.
The red, dotted line to the north of Beijing
shows the location of the Great Wall of China,
a series of 5000+ miles stones and fortifications built
thousands of years ago to guard against the
northern nomadic tribes.

(Click photos to enlarge)


How do you cram thousands of years of history, archeology, stories, culture and traditions in a four-day trip?  You don't; you simple can't. So you learn what your brain allows you.  You search for a good tour guide, cross your fingers for good weather, and pray to whomever would listen for clean toilets.  You let everything else - and I mean everything else - roll off your back and go with the flow, and have the time of your life.  That's what I did.  

We were fortunate to find a tour guide who studied archeology and history at the prestigious Peking University; Jacky is a history buff.  It didn't hurt that he loved to talk and was a ham, so he made history came alive.  We enjoyed balmy 55 degrees, crisp autumn air, and bluebird sky three out of four days.  As for clean toilets - I went, I squat(ted), I left.  "For Mao's sake, do not drop your camera or it's gone forever, 'cuz you're not picking it up," I reminded myself constantly.  I let the toilet prayer roll off my back, too.    

I love China the Country.  It is a magnificently beautiful place, rich with history, culture, and stories.  Despite my lack of firsthand knowledge (nor do I pretend to know) what it is like to live in Beijing or Shanghai, I surmise I can speak with relative certainty that I could never live there - I can no longer handle living in a mega-city.  Shanghai and Beijing are New York City constantly on steroid.  I am too soft, and am too used to the charmed life I have lived.  Besides, my raspberries need me.  A short excursion is perfect.   


Please enjoy the photos of the first two days of my 4-day excursion to Beijing, China.  


The photos below show a glimpse of us getting around Beijing, the Summer Palace, and the Great Wall of China

Arriving at the huge Beijing International Airport.
We took a short train ride from the Departure
Terminal to the Main Terminal.

Outside the terminal on the Arrival level 

The airport is clean, new, high tech, and huge

 Various sceneries from the airport to the Beijing city

Entrance to the Summer Palace, located
in the NW corner of Beijing city.
The Summer Palace was commissioned by the
Qianlong Emperor of Qing Dynasty in the mid 1700's.
The manmade lake, Kunming Lake,was created to
imitate the magnificent and famous West Lake in Hangzhou.  


As the name implies, the Summer Palace was used
by the Emperor and the Empress during the 
scorching months in the summer to 
take refuge from the heat.
The Summer Palace was listed as a 
UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

A foggy morning at Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace.
The roughly 1 square mile lake was entirely man made
and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill,
which houses splendid halls and pavilions.

Taking the "Argosy Cruise" around
Kunming Lake

Tourist shot "I was at the Summer Palace"

The Marble Boat on the grounds of
the Summer Palace, first erected
in 1755 and restored in 1893.

A corridor in the Palace, primarily
used by the Empress for an evening
stroll after supper.  Awnings and
ceiling of the corridor cover are filled
with paintings that tell folklores and
historical stories.  The corridor has
four pavilions, with poetic names for the
distinct four seasons.

A beast made entirely of green jade

For the mathematically challenged ones, perhaps
a jade abacus will help?  

Entrance to grounds of the Ming Dynasty Tombs (明十三陵)
or the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty.
The tombs buried the 13 Emperors from the Ming Dynasty,
dated back beginning the 1600's, and are scattered around the mountain illustrated below.
Only one (Dingling Tomb) out of thirteen tombs was excavated.
This marked the entrance to the site.  

A 400+ years old Deer Horn Cypress, also
known as Imperial Cypress.  Hence,
planted at the site of the Emperor tomb.
The tree is far older than the tomb itself,
an evidence of transplant to the tomb site .
Imperial Cypress indicated the prominent
position of the ancient Emperor.

One of many tunnels that served
as a decoy to the actual tomb
of the Emperor.  

The excavation of this tomb (Dingling Tomb),
the third largest of the Ming tombs,
began in 1956 and completed in 1957.
A museum was established in 1959.

The excavation revealed an intact tomb that was buried ten stories underground, with thousands of items of silk, textiles, wood, and porcelain, and the skeletons of the Wanli Emperor and his two empresses.  The Ming Tombs were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

Street vendors busy texting instead
of suggestive selling...

Seasonal and local fruit - Beijing persimmons 

DaDong Peking Style Roast Duck - the most
popular spot for roast duck in Beijing.  Reservation
highly recommended unless you want to
wait for 2-3 hours for a table.

Chef slicing the crispy skin and cutting
into small bite size pieces 

Duck breast slices beautifully arranged
on a platter.  Peking style roast ducks are always
thinly sliced and eaten with a very thin wrap,
which is very different from the Cantonese style roast duck

Condiments for the wraps - from upper right corner:
Raw cane sugar, spiced Hoisin sauce, julienned leeks,
two kinds of radishes for palate cleansing,
julienned cucumbers, julienned radishes,
garlic paste
 

Traditional thin wraps on the left,
contemporary sesame buns on the right

Delicate silk embroidery 

"Where's Waldo?"
Amongst the terra cotta statues (replica) at a shop

The magnificent Great Wall of China is rich in history.
Several walls have been built since the 5th century BC, and are referred
to collectively as the Great Wall.  The Wall has been rebuilt and 
maintained from the 5th century BC through the 16th century. 
Majority of the Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Wall measured about 5,500 miles, which included 
almost 4,000 miles of actual wall, 220 miles of trenches, 
and 1,300 miles of natural barriers such as hills and rivers. 

Mom and I climbing an itsy-bitsy
section of the Wall

Very steep ascend, with stairs that are
as tall as a foot and a half 

Please fill in your own caption.

According to the late Chairman M,
you are not a worthy man
until you climb the Great Wall. 

Awesome shot of mom and dad

Part of the family:
Back row from left:  My sister, brother-in-law,
mom, dad, my brother
Front row:  me
Far right:  Stranger walked into our camera