Tienanmen Square is 100 acres and the largest city square on
earth and able to hold 1 million people. There are war memorials...
and a HUGE TV screen featuring sights to see in Beijing.
also a lot of surveillance - cameras, loud speakers and lights.
Our fearless leader, Mei waits while we wander the area.
Then we walked to the Forbidden City...
It's a huge and complex area and we didn't have a chance
to do it justice, but it was interesting to be here!
Workers replacing tiles...a little
netting to catch them if they fall.
Historically these large bronze vats once contained water for dousing fires. There were 308 around the compound. In winter there were fires lit under them to keep they from freezing over.
Intricate bronze carvings decorate every door and window...
and beautiful stone carvings adorn staircases.
and there was a wonderful Imperial Garden with
rockeries and paths between ancient cypress trees.
Off to the Hutong - charming lanes through a warren of one and two story homes and small businesses. They are disappearing rapidly as Beijing races to build new everywhere. Today we are being hosted by one of the Chairs of a local Neighborhood Committee to lunch in her home.
These beautiful doors welcome us...
Our hostess and Mei.
We are treated to beer and a seemingly endless
variety of Chinese dishes. What a treat!
She works miracles in her recently renovated kitchen!
Following lunch we have a question and answer time where she tells us about the function of the committee and some history about her home. There are three and soon to be four generations living in this 2 story house. A baby of her son is due soon and she will care for the child while his parents work. This is very common throughout China.
After a good conversation we head outside where rickshaws are waiting to take us for a ride through the Hutong.
Traffic Jam!
Lots of small businesses in the community.
and a local rice wine merchant.
One of the more prosperous families live here. You
can tell by the number of blue circles over the door.
The matching building in the distance is the drum tower.
Then a brief stop for a tea tasting...excellent but very pricey!
They used these small cups for one of the teas. One of the group is a potter and she was fascinated with these cups...they are clay on the outside and porcelain on the inside? How did they do it?
Then back to the hotel and a quick shower and change and then off to our welcome dinner of Peking Duck. No pictures of this one but it was quite a feast and a very fun evening! It's going to be a great time!
