What a whirlwind. Losing a day in travel is tough on the body, but we always prevail when excitement is around the corner don't we? Found Shelley and Anne!! We claimed the back of the bus for the duration of our touring days.
This was the first time I'd be able to see the city during the day! We had a lovely buffet breakfast at the hotel, and rushed onto the bus for our day on the town.
We started off with a stop at Qianmen Street, a commercial and entertainment hub that connects the Imperial Palace with other communities in Beijing.
It was simply a long "corridor" with shops lining either side - few open for business since it was early in the morning. This is also home to a Starbucks location which has made me officially give up ever buying coffee from this franchise ever again. Nothing to do with service, all to do with quality. I've always felt not quite right after drinking something from here, and today was no different. The hot chocolate I had, actually half of, started churning and tightening my stomach. This is not a particular feeling I appreciate when travelling, let alone whenever I seem to order something. There we have it, Officially Off Any Starbucks Wagon I may have ever been on before.
We got back on the bus and made our way to Tiananmen Square, first passing multiple buildings.
We were given ear buds to listen to our guide more effectively, however after giving this some thought, the "whisper" radios were more of a nuisance than anything else - due to lack of sound quality/range, etc. We passed such buildings as the Great Hall of the People before entering Tiananmen.
The scale of the square itself is really lost on TV. It is an expansive area. Also called the "Gate of Heavenly Peace', it was once the main gate to the Imperial Palace during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is also home to the Monument to the People's Heroes (our first geocache of China - whooooo hooooo) Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, National Museum of China etc. Guards walked in unison in packs throughout the square and it was a sight to behold.
After soaking in the senses of the square, we proceeded into the Forbidden City, which was not as impressive to me as I had anticipated. This building looked like that one, and this one looked like that one, it seemed uninviting and primitive. We dove farther into the City and came across the Imperial Garden (lots of rockery) but more astounding were the locations of some pagoda's on top of the rocks.
We stopped for lunch, and then hit the road again for the optional last minute tour of the Summer Palace.
This was by far more inviting and breathtaking than the previous two sites we visited. For starters, we proceeded through a long long long walkway, and when eyed from above supposedly formed into the shape of a bat, with intricate paintings adorning the inside spaces. This was built for and enjoyed by, primarily 2 people. Again, the size and space the area takes up is incredible. This was built for the Emperor and his wife and concubines to spend their Summer days living here. The man made lake was astonishingly beautiful and while shallow, provided a perfect opportunity to freeze over and be skated on, and people were out doing that too. A bridge was also off in the distance, consisting of 17 pillars and referred to as the Marco Polo bridge. We walked up to a marble boat, and a few other dragon boats. The significance is that although a marble boat cannot float, the Emperor can make it so and escape if he so chooses. My pictures did not give this place any justice in the bleak December weather. Below is a far better representation:
We returned back to the hotel shortly after. Another bonus tour was offered to go through a local market and savour the fare, etc. but I opted out. Had a quick dinner with 2 other group members, and then called it a night.
Hope I sleep well! I have been for the most part, hotel accommodations and great and the food is pretty decent too!
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