The next morning we take a walk from our hotel to Tian'anmen Square. The square is apparently the largest square in the world. We have to put our bags through a security scanner before being allowed to enter the square. On the way we have passed lots of policemen who are gathering and lining up in the side streets, then they come jogging and marching into the square. They look quite smart in their green uniforms, but their marching needs a little tidying up.
Photo 1 of policemen marching
The police are also standing guard at various points around the square. I try and take a photo of one man standing on a plinth and he barks, 'No photo' at me. Others don't seem to mind. Perhaps he is just camera shy?
Photo 2 of guards
On each side of the square are huge buildings; the Memorial Hall on one side which houses the pickled body of Chairman Mao. There are two huge queues of Chinese waiting to file past his body.
Photo 3 queue waiting to view Chairman Mao
Photo 4 Memorial Hall
The People's Congress Hall is on another side of the square, with the Museum of china opposite. In the middle of the square is a Monument to the People's Heros.
Photo 5 Congress Hall and Monument to the People's heros
Photo 6 Museum of China
On the 4th side of th square is Tian'nmen Tower. This is the original gate to the Forbidden City, where the Emperors lived and is the place where Chairman Mao proclaimed the formation of the People's republic of China. A huge photo graph of him is attached to the front wall. On the right of this building are the platforms where the bigwigs stand when they have the huge military parade.
Photo 7 of Tian'anmen Tower
The square is very clean and tidy, with street cleaners constantly sweeping up. Large groups of Chinese tourists mill around following their tour guide, who invariably carries a flag on a stick; or they assemble for a group photo.
Photo 8 of flowers in the square
Photo 9 of me in the square
Forbidden City
We walk through Tian'anman Tower to enter the Forbidden City. This is a separate walled city where the Emperors lived and ruled from. It covers a vast area, containing separate palace buildings and courtyards and the whole is laid out in perfect symmetrical style in accordance with yin and yang. The palace stood in the centre of Beijing and Beijing was considered to be the centre of the universe, so this symmetrical harmony was vital. As we pass through each successive building it begins to become rather repetitive – haven't we just seen this one already? Here are lots of symbolic statues of lions and dragons etc.
Photo 10 of the Forbidden City
Photo 11 of the gate to the Forbidden City
Photo 12 of me in the Forbidden City
Photo 13 of lion statue
The Chinese tour groups are here too and listen patiently to their guide speak to them through a microphone or megaphone. Our group is rather more independent and must seem to Harvey rather like trying to herd cats.
Photo 14 of Chinese tour group
The number of animals carved onto the roof denotes the importance of the building. This is the most important one with 9.
Photo 14 of animals on a roof
After the ceremonial buildings, throne rooms and courtyards we come to the palace where the Emperors lived, with his Empress, concubines and eunuchs. In this area there is the palace gardens laid out with trees, bridges, pavilions and walkways. Here a group of small school children are resting. The boys wear blue tracksuits and the girls wear pink.
Photo 15 of garden
Photo 16 of school children
After we leave the Forbidden City 4 of us go to a restaurant as we are keen to sample the famous Beijing duck. Harvey suggests a famous old restaurant and I go there with Luke, Ann and Phil. The restaurant has an old portico, but when we go inside we are ushered by an elegant young woman with a walkie-talkie into a lift and taken up to the top of a tower block and are shown into an elegant modern restaurant with linen tablecloths and beautifully dressed waiters and waitresses. We are a little unsure if we are in the right place, or whether we have just been Beijing duck-scammed. The menu comes and it is an i-pad. One waiter speaks English and we ask him what we need to order. We get one duck between us, some pancakes and thinly sliced spring onions and cucumber, some sticky sauce and a bottle of white wine. The duck arrives on a trolley and a waiter carves it into thin slices. We are shown how to assemble the pancakes and they are delicious. This tour is turning into a gastronomic delight!
Photo 17 of Phil, Luke and Ann in the duck restaurant
Photo 18 Phil is shown how to make a duck pancake
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