Beijing

To begin our jurney, we gathered in the late morning in Ljubljana, and drove by van to Muenchen, Germany to catch a night Air China flight to Beijing.

Munich International Airport	Our Air China B-767	Flying over Mongolia and northern China...

...before landing in Beijing the next morning local time.

Initial impressions of Beijing while driving from the airport		The first home away from home, an ex-brothel, Leo Hostel

Map of Beijing City Center	Beijing Subway Map

Having settled down after a long flight, in the afternoon we took a walk and visited the nearby Tian'anmen Square.

Leo Hostel has a near-perfect location, within walking distance of Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, and in the one of the few remaining old parts of the city, with busy market streets.

Locals gather for board games, and street vendors offer a quick snack			The Qianmen Gate (Front Gate) and Arrow Tower, south of the Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City

The Tian'anmen Square, the largest public square in the world		Kite flyers	Tian'anmen Gate, entrance to the Forbidden City	Monument to the People's Heroes, with Chinese History Museum

Great Hall of the People	Mao Zedong Mausoleum	Guards at the Tian'anmen Square

We headed from the Tian'anmen Gate to the east, by the high-class hotels...		...to the Wangfujing Street, one of the most famous shopping streets in Beijing		The first Chinese-style dinner, right when the evening shift was starting

The following day was reserved for paying a visit to the most famous of Chinese landmarks, The Great Wall. We have opted to go to the Simatai section of the wall - a bit remote, less crowded than some more visited locations, highly authentic, and earning the reputation of being the most beautiful section of the Great Wall.
Simatai is some 130 kilometers to the north-east of Beijing, about three hours of driving.

Leaving early, we got stuck in a morning rush hour	Arriving to the entry, The Great Wall was looming on the ridge above		A path goes to the remains of the second tower, after that it's a steep climb on the wall itself

Making our way to the wall	There are two sections of the wall in Simatai, eastern and western, divided by a river valley			The first two towers on the steep eastern side

All the way up we were accompanied by a group of friendly local women, selling souvenirs			A view to the west...	...and further up the never-ending stone stairs

Inside one of the towers			Relentlessly attacking the stairs and quickly gaining height

Half way up, the final few towers ahead	Simatai entry with path to The Wall	In some parts, The Wall is narrow...	...while other sections are a challenge on their own

Massive guard towers	A quick photo session before the next group of stairs		Some of the bricks carry old inscriptions	View to the north, that's Mongolia over there

The top of one of the guard towers	The Wall goes on, 6.700 km in total	Ever-present souvenir vendors high up on the wall	Almost at the top, it's not that steep anymore

Reaching the last accessible tower on the east side, the rest is closed to the public		Starting our way back down the stairs, the souvenirs ladies went into action

Instead of walking for 30 min, you can take the flying fox and slide down over the lake in half a minute		A short boat ride takes you back to the entry	Driving back to Beijing through local villages

Chinese drivers are capable of creating long stand-stills should two cars happen to touch		Beehive-like buildings in Beijing	To end the long day, we were awarded with a foot massage at the Traditional Chinese Medical Health Center

Before moving out of the Beijing and proceeding to central China, we had one more great landmark left to visit, The Forbidden City (or The Palace Museum, as Chinese would like to have it called now days). On our way there, we stopped at The Great Hall of the People, the Chinese parliament, for a quick tour.

Walking by the Tian'anmen Square, there are lots of Chinese own tourist groups		First, we pay a visit to the parliament	The vast main lobby

Hunan Hall		Those are expensive looking...	There is a lot of art in all halls

Beijing Hall	The main auditorium		The main lobby from upstairs

The Ballroom	Shanghai Hall	Several other halls for meetings		Chinese parliament drive park

The Great Hall of the People from the outside, with a neat small park in the front of it		Back on the Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City entry ahead	Tian'anmen Gate and seven arched bridges in the front

Forbidden City Map

Entering the Forbidden City area	It's hot, it's Sunday, and it's crowded		The Meridian Gate

The inner courtyard with five bridges over the Golden River		Bridges over the Golden River	The Gate of Supreme Harmony	Details of the gate's roof

Looking back at the five bridges	The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the central building in the Forbidden City, is being renovated. Grand ceremonies were held on this large marble plateau in the front		Passing it on the right, Hall of Preserving Harmony is to the left	Throne in The Hall of Central Harmony

Golden roofs of the gates	The Hall of Preserving Harmony. The number of animals on roof's corners mark the importance of the building		The throne inside	The square north of The Hall of Preserving Harmony

Gate of Celestial Purity	Marble relief from the stairs behind The Hall of Preserving Harmony	A lion in front of The Gate of Celestial Purity	Hall of Celestial Purity	The queen used to be carried around in this

Details of the Imperial Garden, the northmost part of the Forbidden City

A wide water trench surrounds the Forbidden City	Behind the North Gate is a Jingshan Park with the prospect hill, and The Pavilion of Everlasting Spring on top, offering great views of Beijing.

Panoramic views of Beijing from the top of the hill

To sum up the day, we took the subway to the nearby Silk Street (Xiushui Market), famous shopping center notorious for counterfeit designer brands and heavy bargaining. What used to be an outdoor market is now a five storey shopping mall. We will be returning here on our last day in China for some serious shopping.

Beijing subway	Most of Beijing is under construction	Silk Market, packed with counterfeited goods	Chinese have a sense of humor