Beijing: Our Introduction to China

Beijing is one of the largest cities in the world with a population of over 21 million people. It is quite modern, with swaths of apartment buildings soaring into the sky. Fortunately, it has preserved a few elements of its past. During our 3 days in Beijing, we experienced several traditional elements of the city. We traveled through the old neighborhoods in a bicycle rickshaw, and walked through beautiful parks with groups of seniors engaged in a variety of morning activities.

One of many seniors twirling these beautiful banners. 

Tai Chi Master working out in the morning.

 We visited the beautiful grounds of the Temple of Heaven, the Llama Temple, and the Temple of Confucius. The latter was constructed in 1302 and later expanded to occupy 20,000 square meters. Today, it holds the distinction of being the second largest temple in China.

Colorful Temple of Heaven

Confucius says…..

Outside of the old parts of Beijing was the newer Olympic Park, home of 2008 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics. The park was filled with sculptures, walking paths, as well as the amazing architecture of various venues. If you watched the Olympics that year you may recall the Bird’s Nest Stadium, a woven architectural marvel of steel made to appear as a large birds nest, or the Aquatic Center that appears as a water cube the size of a city block.

The Birds Nest Stadium

The Aquatic Center (being cleaned by four rappelling window cleaners)

We visited the infamous Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing. Originally known as “Forbidden” as only the emperor was permitted. Also forbidden as the emperor’s subjects were not allowed be anywhere in the palace. It has been the heart of Chinese Power for over 5 centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Beyond the beautiful traditional architecture and the huge size of the palace complex, the key identifier for the photographer is the amazing colored rooflines. 

Inside the Forbidden City

Locals enjoy getting dressed up to visit the Forbidden City and are quite willing to have their photos taken.

The fabulous roofs created amazing patterns

This roof view was achieved via a long climb up a nearby hill. The crowd was 10 deep at the viewpoint. It took some patience to capture the shot.

Of these places, my favorite was the Summer Palace. Make no mistake, the Summer Palace is much more than a building, it was originally a lakeside retreat for royalty. Beyond the palace, the grounds are stunningly architected around a large lake to include bridges, pavilions, gardens and pathways. It is a beautiful and peaceful UNESCO world Heritage site. Walking along side the lake as the sun set was absolutely magical.

Young ladies dressed in traditional attire to enjoy their evening walk around the lake

Beautiful bridges were found around the lakeside

Another type of bridge with a pagoda

Sunset on the lake

The magical golden light of sunset

 Beijing provided some wonderful photo opportunities and was a great starting point for the rest of our adventures in China.