I had the privilege of visiting Beijing multiple times. The local people are so very kind and curious to see a Westerner. Especially the children. Most of the local people there do not know the English language. But they are full of smiles and love to have their picture taken! The people in Beijing are very hard working, if they are lucky enough to have a job. There is a lot of poverty in certain areas. In the Winter months the impoverished people burn anything they have to keep warm; tires, mattresses or anything. Between the burns going on and the huge amount of factories, the pollution is pretty intense. The airline gave us each an N-95 mask upon getting off the airplane. We did use the mask a few times when we could see the pollution in the air. We did have multiple clear days and evenings on our stays in Beijing. The views are beautiful, especially the Great Wall. Just exquisite! I hope you enjoy the glimpses of Beijing that I was able to capture.
The Great Wall, Beijing China
The Great Wall was one of our favorite places to tour. We went there on two different trips! The Great Wall of China was built over centuries by China’s emperors to protect their territory. Today, it stretches for thousands of miles along China’s historic northern border. The defensive system of the Great Wall is recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history. If you are planning in visiting the Great Wall, try to go on a day that is clear. The views are beautiful and go on forever.
Two beautiful women on public transportation. The one in red dug into her purse for her phone after I asked to take her photo. She had a huge smile on her face and was motioning to her phone to take MY photo. I said “yes” and she began taking one after another. It cracked me up. I’m wondering if I was a topic of conversation at her home later that night?
In the Winter months, everyone is bundled up because it is so very cold. The bikes and motor scooters are complete with insulated mittens and blankets. They have one to three extra seats to fit extra people.
The Water Cube is where the 2008 Summer Olympic Aquatics took place as well as the 2022 Winter Olympic Curling Competitions. The pools were emptied and flooring was placed and iced down for the winter competitions.
The Bird’s Nest is where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2008 and 2022 Olympics were held. It also hosted the main track and field competitions of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The Ling Long Pagoda, is a multifunctional studio tower that is located near the Olympic Cauldron. It sits on the northwest sie of the Bird’s Nest Stadium. “Ling Long” means delicate, and is referred to as the Delicate Tower in Chinese. The permanent structure is a three-sided tower. The tower contains 6 occupiable pods with open space in between. Above the top pod, the Olympic rings are displayed. The tower is operated by Beijing Olympic Broadcasting.
The Beijing Olympic Tower
I took this photo while we were taking off from the Beijing Airport. I am wondering if this is where the Chinese practice for the Winter Olympics?
Just look at the smog! The air felt thick on this particular day.
More Smog!
The billboards are quite entertaining!
Just look at the food on a stick! These images were taken at a nighttime market in Beijing.
The Brown Door restaurant is a great little spot to eat some delicious local food. It is a busy restaurant that a lot of airline crews pop in for lunch and dinner. The food is reasonably priced and made fresh to order. There menu is full of photos, which makes it very easy to order the food that you prefer. The Brown Door is within walking distance from The Pearl Market.
In case you have a hankering for Kentucky Fried Chicken!
I always say a fond farewell to the toilets at the Beijing airport upon arrival! The image on the right is of the public toilets available in Beijing. No toilet paper! So plan on bringing a roll with you in your backpack to carry during your day outings. An added note, used toilet paper needs to go in the nearby trash can, not in the commode. We typically keep a roll of toilet paper in a zip lock bag. If there is a stall marked “Handicapped”, you have a good chance that it will have a sit down commode. The rest of the stalls will have the squat down style. It’s definitely a challenge!
Shichahai Ice Rink is located in Houhai, Xicheng District. It is an open-air skating rink on the lake in Shichahai.
Tiananmen or the Gate of Heaven-Sent Pacification, is a monumental gate in the city center of Beijing.
Tiny cars are everywhere!
This is the arrival card that is given to each person entering into Beijing while still on the airplane. It is then given to the Immigration Officers before leaving the airport. I thought the “Settle down” block was especially funny.
Zài Lián Xi,
