Beijing, China
In June 2014 I was sent by my employer to Beijing for 10 days. First time in my life I could enjoy a business class flight and for the first time flying Boeing 747. Enjoying the business class in the upper deck with lie-flat Business Class seats with massage option, Individual LCD video screen and excellent service was an interesting experience but it is not my style at all … I felt like the funny fat people from Wall-E movie…
Lufthansa Business Class vs WALL-E
It was also my first time in Asia so it was a totally new world for me. I stayed in a 5-star hotel Jin Jiang Fu Yuan Hotel located in Beijing Economic and Technology Development Area. It is one of many jinjiang hotels in China.
I didn’t have much time to enjoy the city and surroundings because I was working from early in the morning till late, but fortunately there was one weekend on the way which gave me the opportunity to do some sightseeing.
First thing to see in Beijing is obviously the Forbidden City – the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It is the heart of the city, located exactly in the center of Beijing. The Forbidden City is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Entering the site is like traveling in time. One of my Chinese friends declared that he will do the sightseeing with me. It was really great to do the sightseeing with him, especially visiting the old city (Beijing Hutong Area) where he could tell me a lot of different stories about the city and also knock some prices down when buying souvenirs …
Before entering the Forbidden City at Meridian Gate. The Meridian Gate is located at the Tiananmen Square. From this building the Emperor reviewed his troops during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Left: Lions guarding the entrance to the Forbidden City Right: Inside the Imperial Palace Museum
Left: Imperial Palace Museum. Videos from Military Parade at Tiananmen Square.
Right: Forbidden City. One of four corner guard towers.
Strange animal guarding the Forbidden City
Panoramical view from the Jingshan Park toward Beijing Hutong Area (the old part of Beijing city)
View from the Jingshan Park toward north with mountains in the background
Left: A quite alley at Hutong Area with a typical restaurant.
Right: Houhai Lake in the evening. With it’s many restaurants, bars, and cafe it is one of the most popular nightlife spots in Beijing.
The Great Wall at Badaling
Badaling Great Wall is one of the most visited section of the Great Wall. It is close to Beijing city and there is a good connection to Beijing city by train or bus. It is located about 70km from Beijing city centre. More information about this section of The Great Wall here: http://www.badalinggreatwall.com
The Great Wall at Badaling
Becoming a tourist attraction at Badaling Great Wall. It looks like some of the Chinese tourists rarely see an European at home … It happened 4 times during my visit at Badaling Great Wall that somebody asked me if he can take a picture with me… A strange feeling indeed …
Some photos taken in the city...
LINKS:
www.badalinggreatwall.com - The Great Wall at Badaling
www.jinjianghotels.com - Jin Jiang Fu Yuan Hotel