Beijing - Part II

We returned to Beijing in February.  We are on Tiananmen Square in front of the Sheath like structure dedicated to fallen soldiers.  Our ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ would be a comparable memorial.

We are standing in front of China’s People’s Congress building with the Gordons and their son Jake and his wife Heidi. We enjoyed their youthful energy.

Jolly was our marvelous guide.  We met her during our first Beijing visit and asked her to guide us through these important locations. 

The tortoise with the dragon head is a sign of longevity.

The crane is also a sign of long life.

Rick stands at the entrance of the Forbidden City.

The lion sculpture on the right side of the building entrance represents the male with one hand on the world.  The lion on the left side represents the female with one hand on the offspring.

The Forbidden City was vast.  It is one kilometer in length.  The buildings and courtyards continued on and on.  Jolly kept us informed of the customs and Chinese traditions that made this city so significant.

This structure marks the end of the Forbidden City.  

We enjoyed a rickshaw ride in an old, residential part of the city.  Wow, the “driver” certainly had strong legs.

The rickshaw was our transportation to this woman’s home.  She prepared our marvelous lunch.  We returned by rickshaw.

Rick cooked our meat and vegetables at this Korean BBQ restaurant.  He is turning the eggplant and sweet potatoes.  Everything was delicious.

Dipping sauces and leafy vegetables added to the tasty entrée items.

We visited the pearl market.  The bargaining was particularly aggressive here and at the silk market, too aggressive for my comfort zone.  I mostly looked because one touch draws salespeople like flies and I was held physically against my will at a few shops.  This behavior is so un Chinese.  

We returned to Beijing in March to visit Kari Gali and her father Mr. Basa.  We enjoyed a delightful evening as they endured jet lag preparatory to starting their tour of China.  We were so refreshed by those beautiful faces from home.