Postcards from China - Beijing

During our stay in Beijing, we visited the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs which is really just a nice stroll along a shaded path with monuments/sculptures. The tombs themselves are not readily accessible. Our guide, Jane, stood at the same spot that Chairman Mao had been photographed at in the 1950's - this was one of his favorite destinations in China.

It has almost been a month since my husband and I returned from a Viking River Cruise trip to China - a journey of a lifetime. I have shared glimpses of this experience using a photographic "postcard" convention. This is the last of the series and features our last stop in China, the capital city of Beijing.

Beijing is the second largest city in China (after Shanghai) and has a 2000 plus year history.

From Wikitravel:

Beijing literally means Northern Capital, a role it has played many times in China's long history. Beijing's history dates back several thousand years but it first became notable in Chinese history after it was made the capital of the State of Yan under the name Yanjing. Yan was one of the major kingdoms of the Warring States Period, some 2,000 years ago.

We enjoyed our visit and felt we could have stayed much longer and seen much more. We were told the subway system was very well laid out and extensive and easy to use. We did note that traffic was horrible and doubt if we would have rented a car and tried to join in the fray.

Here are some highlights - we really enjoyed this trip and, unfortunately, it is still on our bucket list for more extensive exploration. We are finding that our bucket list gets longer and longer the more we travel!

We traveled with our tour group and guide "Jane" to the Great Wall of China in the Badeling area - a popular Beijing destination north of the city. We were there early in the morning and had an opportunity to see it before crowds arrived. It is amazing!

After visiting the wall, we had a tour of a nearby jade factory and had lunch on the premises. We bought this "Happiness Ball" and have it as a great memory of this trip!

On the next day, we traveled to Tiananmen Square, again fairly early in the morning. The square was being prepared for a distinguished guest visit and we heard that it was closed to other visitors starting closer to noon. We were happy that our guide had arranged this early morning visit. 

The entrance to the Forbidden City is off of the square through the Gate of Heavenly Peace.

The Chinese are very fond of rock gardens and see many images in them.  

The visit to the Summer Palace was our last in China - it is a popular local tourist site.