On our first day, we walked through Jingshan Park up to the Bell and Drum Towers.
Christine on one of the many balconies of the Drum Tower looking out over the Forbidden City…
Looking out over the city. As always, the architecture is fascinating…
Locals enjoyed dressing in historic costumes for posed photos…
Looking up at one beautiful corner of the pagoda.
Restored craft on the lake in Jingshan Park.
We have dumplings for breakfast at a street stall near our hotel.
This little girl was already playing a plastic violin with style!
The immense Tiananmen Square.
Tiananmen Square…
… with beautiful gardens.
Keith opposite the Forbidden City – including a huge portrait of Chairman Mao.
Once inside the Forbidden City, despite the number of visitors, the area is so immense that it doesn’t seem crowded…
… but it is difficult to photo without huge numbers of people in the picture!
The moat surrounding the Forbidden City.
Through the first building, looking back at it from the other side…
… and yet another vast square.
Most of the buildings included an inner courtyard – or several!
The architecture is amazing.
The architecture is amazing…
… and so were the gardens.
Exhausted crowds taking a break in a shady lane inside the Forbidden City.
One of the buildings comprising the Summer Palace…
Bicylcles are everywhere…
Expected visitors for the day – 65,000!
At the Summer Palace.
At the Summer Palace.
At the Summer Palace.
At the Summer Palace.
At the Summer Palace.
This ship was built from marble!
…and so is this bridge!
One of the streets on our journey to the Summer Palace.
One of the streets near our hotel (the Hotel Shatan) – we had no idea what was behind the impressive wall, though.
Wandering around the streets of the Dongcheng district and its ‘hutongs’ (tradtional courtyards) provided great photo opportunities…
The street where our hotel was located had wonderful stalls…
The street where our hotel was located had wonderful stalls – fresh fruit…
The street where our hotel was located had wonderful stalls – fresh fruit…
The street where our hotel was located had wonderful stalls – fresh fruit…
The street where our hotel was located had wonderful stalls – fresh meat.
The street stall where we enjoyed freshly cooked dumplings for breakfast.
Modes of transport…
Modes of transport…
Modes of transport…
Modes of transport…
Modes of transport…
The place settings at most restaurants came shrink-wrapped like this!
The sculptures were fabulous – the locals were amused when Keith took his position with the barber!
This modern young lady using a laptop…
With the traditionally garbed older gentleman peering over her shoulder!
Chinese chequers!
Taking a breather…
The rickshaw man.
Taking the song bird for a walk…
Delivering the barrel…
Playing on stilts.
Trip to Mutianyu to visit the Great Wall.
Taking the cable car up to the Wall.
This section of the Great Wall with its multiple watch towers.
The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
Looking down onto one of the lookout towers.
The Great Wall.
The path can be very steep…
… going down as well as up!
The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
… going down as well as up!
The Great Wall.
Keith returns from walking all the way to the top of this section of the Great Wall – with a medal to prove it!
The end of this section of the Great Wall – the Chinese visitors have hung message banners to the bushes.
Lunch with the tour group before returning to Beijing city.
A walk to the Olympic Park area showed the contrast between old and new Beijing.
Slide Show Image A panoramic view of the immense Olympic Park area.
A hazy day in Beijing – but another great modern building.
Keith in front of the Birdsnest Olympic venue.
Even these path lights were beautiful!
The Water Cube aquatic complex at the Olympic park.
The Water Cube aquatic complex at the Olympic park.
How many men does it take to change a light bulb?
The amazing National Performing Arts Centre in Beijing (aka The Alien Egg).
Inside the Performing Arts Centre…
Inside the Performing Arts Centre…
Inside the Performing Arts Centre…
The chef prepares Peking Duck at our table at the Siji Minju Restaurant.
The Peking Duck with Broccoli at the Siji Minju Restaurant.
The spectacular Toffee Apple dessert…
The chef dismantles the Toffee Apple for eating… Delicious!
Outside the Beijing Train Station ready to catch the train to Mongolia.
… with our luggage!
At last – the English version of the departures board showing our train for Moscow.
We found the right platform…
… and the right carriage!
Inside our ‘Soft Sleeper’ cabin.
The samovar for hot water at the end of each carriage.
The Chinese diesel engine for the first leg of our journey.
Relaxing in the cabin.
One of the high-speed trains about to depart from Beijing for other cities in China.
Inside the dining car on board the Beijing to Ulaanbataar section of the journey. The food was good – and free!
We’re on our way! The countryside is well-tended and fertile…
… what appears to be new residential apartment blocks being built.
… and traditional towns.
And vast civil engineering projects like this dam…
… and the bastions for a huge new bridge.
Wind farms were everywhere.
Beds made up for the night.
The train arrives at the China-Mongolia border at around midnight.
The carriages are marshalled into a workshop and separated…
… where the carriages are raised by huge hydraulic jacks…
You can see the height difference once the carriage has been raised.
The Chinese bogie is wheeled out from under the carriage…
… and the Russian bogie is wheeled into place. A very slick operation!
Dawn over Mongolia…
We now have the Cyrillic alphabet to contend with.
How to translate this?
A shepherd and his flock.
Inside the intricately carved Mongolian dining car.
Inside the intricately carved Mongolian dining car.
Inside the intricately carved Mongolian dining car.
The vast steppes of Mongolia – on the verge of the Gobi Desert.
The vast steppes of Mongolia – on the verge of the Gobi Desert.
A herdsmen’s camp on the edge of the Gobi Desert – complete with ger (portable round tent covered with felt and skins).
Past the Gobi Desert into more fertile country.
A colourful small town…
What appears to be a multitude of military communication aerials…
We arrive at Ulaanbataar on a bright and sunny day!
