Visiting Beijing - Day 2

Rise and shine!! Polluted air was causing some irritation to many of us and the golden red sun dawned upon the mystic city of Beijing. Our first stop of the day was the Grand Theatre, a dome shaped egg-like structure surrounded by man-made lake. Willow trees danced and swayed in the cool morning wind. We took a couple of shots before walking towards the first highlight of the day – Tiananmen Square.

Grand theatre

Willow tree swaying in the wind

Tiananmen Square was a short walk away and as the closer we were, the touristier it became. As China just celebrated National Day, the entire Square was well decorated with flowers! Great!! We were just in time to capture the sight.

Walking towards Tiananmen Square

China’s national flag stood proudly in the middle of the Square, welcoming tourist from around the world. In front of the Square was unmistakably the most recognizable portrait of the world – Mao Zedong. That was also the southern gate, or front gate of the Forbidden City.

Giant vase of flowers

Flag and us at Tiananmen Square

Southern Gate and Mao Zedong

Forbidden City is also known as 故宫. All I can say about that place was one word – magnificant!! I love the architecture and it was really a sight to behold. From the courts where high ranking officials met the emperor to the concubine’s chamber, every inch of the palace seemed to have an untold story.

Forbidden City

Hall of Supreme Harmony

The Han Chinese language and Manchu language 

Next up, we took a stroll at the imperial garden where members of the imperial family play chess and sip tea. Our tour guide mentioned that the imperial garden was the venue where the emperor selects his concubines between 13 to 18 years old from the best Manchu families.  

Very tall tree at the Imperial Garden

After an eventful morning, we had lunch before heading to a silk factory. I am not sure about other tour members, but I was not exactly awed by silk production since I had already seen it many times. As other women were busy picking up silk made quilt cover and shirts for their beloved husbands, LZ and I had a really nice and insightful chat with Uncle Mok. He is a man, who isn’t selfish about sharing his experiences to younger generations like us, and I like his sense of humor!!

Products of the silk factory

Some of our tour members were so engrossed with shopping that we exceed the time frame so much that the sun was setting.  See that, the power of shopping!! Haha!! Again, we had to postpone one attraction for another day. The bus took us to Chaoyang Theater for the acrobatics show and we barely made it on time. It was not really a must-watch, but I have to admit that some stuns really sent shivers ticking down my spine!! Like 8 motorbikes in a confined sphere?? Madness!! Personally, I like the segment – ballet on shoulders. I thought it was really a whole new level of art.   

Acrobatic Show

Dinner that night includes the highly anticipated Peking duck!!! Forget about diet, thinking about it already make me drool. To be honest, I can’t really recall much about the other dishes except the duck. That actually concluded the end of Day 2, but the night was still young. How can we waste the precious night lazing in bed? So off we went, with another 3 tour members, to explore the city. One thing good about the train system is that it can get us pretty much anywhere around the city, for just RMB 2.

 Perking Duck!! *Slurp*

The extensive network

This is the place, called The Place. Haha!! It is one of the best known shopping mall with a massive LED sky screen. So huge it fits a blue whale. There was also a mermaid and several dolphins. I was so bewildered that I stood with my head up for a while. We also tried the Bing Tang Hu Lu and it was sweetness overdosed. After catching the last train, we finally concluded the night. 

 Lovely Night at The Place

 See? Blue whale swimming in the LED screen

Bing Tang Hu Lu

Stay tuned for my favorite part of the trip - Great Wall and Summer Palace!!

Tips: For the ladies, equip yourself with tissue paper!! Toilets can be a scene out from a horror movie. Hand sanitizers are very useful too!!