Saturday, September 15, 2007
BEIJING TOURING DAY II
The sun came out for our second day in Beijing. We started
our day by heading to Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest
public square. It’s HUGE! It has a total area of 440,000
square meters and can hold a million people. Commissioned
shortly after the founding of the Peoples Republic of China,
the square contains tributes to those fallen during the
revolution, Chairman Mao and to the workers of China. The
square is also the site of the Great Hall of the People,
which is the meeting site of China National People’s
Congress.
We moved north from the square across the street to the
Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was first built in 1406
to house the Emperor YongLe when he moved the capital to
Beijing, and was the home to 24 emperors after him. The
Forbidden City occupies 720,000 square meters (over 120
soccer fields) and the Palace has over 8700 rooms. At the
North end of the Forbidden City and through the Gates of
Terrestrial Tranquility is the Imperial Gardens, featuring
beautiful pavilions, flowerbeds, rockeries, incense burners
and sculptures.
For lunch, we went to a well-known Beijing restaurant for
Peking Duck. Delicious!
Such famous Americans as Don King and Evander Holyfield have
visited the restaurant.
After lunch, we traveled north of Beijing to the Great Wall,
one of the world’s seven wonders. The Wall was started over
2000 years ago as a defense against the nomadic tribes of
the north, the Huns. During the Ming Dynasty, the Wall was
renovated and expanded to nearly 4000 miles. We visited the
Wall at picturesque Juyong Pass and climbed many ancient
steps to reach the watchtower. What a view.
Tomorrow we leave for Hefei, so tonight was a low-key
evening of pizza and packing.
We will get Louisa on Monday morning at 9:30am, which is
about 8:30pm on Sunday night back home. Can’t believe it.
The coming days will undoubtedly be joyful, but also
difficult for Louisa.
Please keep her in your thoughts she as transitions from her
life as she knows it to our family. |
East meets
West in Tiananmen Square
First of many gates in the Forbidden Palace
The Great Wall at the Ju Yong Pass
“Love locks” along the Great Wall.
Couples profess their
love for one another and then throw away the key. |
