Day 50 of 111. Beijing, China
Tian’anmen Square was exciting to see because of its grandeur and infamous history. It is a large square with the classic image of Chairman Mao on the one side. The monument of heroes stands up in the center of the square. There were Italian as well as China flags flying because the Italian prime minister was visiting. There were two large statues/monuments that we could not get close to because of a barrier that led to Chairman Mao’s tomb. An interesting point was that our bus passed many visitors to the square who had to line up and go through a security check. Somehow, our bus and tour was pre-checked and we were able to pull up and park just across the street from the square.
The Temple of Heaven was our last big stop in Beijing. This was originally a temple, but now it is a public park. In the mornings, people can be seen doing Tai Chi. In the spring, people play instruments in the park. Most days you can find people along the long corridor playing cards and Chinese chess. The buildings and hallways are decorated with bright colors and interesting patterns. The temple building used to be the tallest structure in Beijing and therefore attracted lightning and burned. It was rebuilt quite awhile ago and is an impressive structure.
February 24, 2017
Paul Groves