Exploring Beijing

The Forbidden City is impressive.  I found the English audio guide (with GPS and a LED map that showed where I had and had not yet visited) really helpful. 

The Forbidden City was certainly well fortified. 

The detail of each structure was incredibly intricate. 

The layout was mostly linear, until we reached the garden in the rear. 

After leaving the Forbidden City, we crossed the street to Jingshan Park. The park used to be part of the Forbidden City, and it has the best arial views of the Forbidden City complex. 

The park is serene and beautiful. Even better, since it was Sunday evening, there were more than ten musical groups performing different songs simultaneously.  One group consisted of at least 25 men and women, standing in choral formation, accompanied by accordions. 

Our hotel was just a block from the park and was aptly named Jingshan Garden Hotel. It is located on a hutong, or old narrow street.  We had a great room and we enjoyed the pretty courtyard with a trellis covered in grape vines.  On our last night in Beijing, we dined in the courtyard. 

Throughout our time in Beijing we were always treated with generous portions and tasty food. My favorites were the stir fried eggplant (a feature at nearly every meal) and Peking duck. The sweet and sour pork tenderloin is light years better here than in the States.  The crispy green beans with pork and crispy duck (I think we had duck four different rays) were delectable. Surprisingly delicious, yet simple, was the northern (wheat flour) noodles with egg and tomato sauce--it was a wonderful flavor memory of my German grandmother's comforting casserole. 

As we wandered back to our hotel through another park, I enjoyed witnessing ballroom dancing in one square and karaoke groups, complete with microphones, speakers, and screens displaying the lyrics along a lake.

 The next day we ventured farther out to the Summer Palace.  We took a taxi to the zoo and then wandered for a bit looking for the boat to our destination. We found the boat and for 100 yuan (round trip and admission to the Summer Palace grounds) we were off. It was a slow, calm ride on broad, quiet canals (in contrast to khlong taxis in Bangkok).

We entered the huge grounds through the South Gate. The palace is dominated by a large lake, so we began making our way around it.  As we wandered down the willow-lined path, the view kept changing. 

As a Summer Palace, it was intended to provide rest and inspiration with poetic names of buildings such as Abode in Clouds and Pines and Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It still inspires today with its stunning greenery and feng sui architecture. 

Even walking over the sharply inclined bridges felt smooth and reminiscent of bobbing in a steep, but rolling, ocean wave. 

We made it halfway around the lake and took two ferries back to where we entered. 

Then we took the boat and the subway to Wangfujing Snack Street. 

Here we found unusual sights and delicious food (plus a little shopping). 

There were numerous foods that did not tempt our taste buds (but did pique my curiosity)...no thank you to: starfish, sea horses, scorpions, pigeons, etc.

And there were many delicious items that we happily tasted. My favorite was the Peking duck. 

Then we walked past Tiananmen Square and the outer walls of the Forbidden Palace, enjoying Beijing at night.