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Bicycle Tour Adventure #32: China Page 14


Day 14: Touring China by Bicycle;
Today, We visit Tiananmen Square,
The Forbidden City, a Special Magic/Acrobat Show,
Eat Peking Duck in Peking (Beijing), and then
Conduct our 5 Yuan ($1 US) Gift Exchange Challenge.


Tiananmen Square.
This is actually the South Entrance Gate to the Forbidden City
But one has to stand in Tiananmen Square to see the Gateway.
Interestingly, there is a East-West City Highway that runs between
Tiananmen Square and the South Entrance Gate to the Forbidden City.

Our Bicyle Group.
Our Bicyle Group (Standing L-R): Inga, Jon, Glenda, Iris, Regina, Sharon, Linda, Reg, Terry,
Lynn, Dennis (hands outward), Sam, Mary, Gordon, Mark; (Kneeling L-R): Chrissy, Siobhán;
Picture by Vincent.

A Wonderful Observation and Personal Experience: When we stood around as a group, Chinese young people (ages 18-28) would pose for pictures along side of us and have their picture taken by a peer (like once every three minutes in Tiananmen Square). Jon and I caught on at about the same time and we started posing camera shots with our new Chinese acquaintances - All in the spirit of an International Brotherhood that seemed to permeate this very Tiananmen Square area. [Tiananmen actually means Gate of Heavenly Peace - The Square is named after the Gate]
A peek into the Forbidden City.
A peek into the inner workings of the Forbidden City.

Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Special Evening Show in Beijing: Magic, Acrobats, Juggling, ++, and Motorcycles!

Peking Duck in Old Peking.
Excellent Dinner: Peking Duck in Old Peking (Beijing), and our Gift Exchange Challenge.



Day 14 Begins

Arriving in Beijing from the Xian Night Train. Everything is clean, neat, and orderly.
Above Left: Everyone is looking 'Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed' arriving in Beijing from the Xian Night Train. What an experience! [Mary and Glenda.]

Above Right: Everything is clean, neat, and orderly. The rain storm that we traveled through last night is giving us beautiful clear blue skies and almost zero air pollution - The weather is colder. [Regina and Gordon's backs]

From the Train Station we are to bus to our hotel, check-in, eat breakfast, and then walk about seven blocks to Tiananmen Square.
Our Beijing Hotel. Hotel Lobby.
Above Left: Our Beijing Hotel.

Above Right: Hotel Lobby (Reg, Vincent, and Linda). Notice the fish tank coffee table. The names of the two fish were 'Sue' and 'Chi' (arh arh).

Special Treats in our Beijing Hotel Room. Salt and Pepper Shakers at our breakfast table.
Above Left: Special Treats in our Beijing Hotel Room.

Above Right: Salt and Pepper Shakers at our breakfast table.

Chinese Training Pants. Crossing the street to Tiananmen Square.
Above Left: Chinese Training Pants. We're walking to Tiananmen Square.

Above Right: Crossing the street to Tiananmen Square. Security is pretty tight. I think that six or seven of China's main government administration/department headquarters are within four blocks of this spot.

One of China's 43 native ethnic groups. Wild and Crazy Western Cyclists.
Above Left: Tiananmen Square: One of China's 43 native ethnic groups.

Above Right: Wild and Crazy Western Cyclists.

Peoples Monument at Tiananmen Square. Parliament Building at Tiananmen Square.
Above Left: Peoples Monument at Tiananmen Square in the foreground and Chairman Mao's Tomb on the back left side (always with long lines, long waits, hours, can't stop inside, can't take pictures inside).

Above Right: Parliament Building at Tiananmen Square.

Terry Struck at Tiananmen Square. Dennis and Terry Struck at Tiananmen Square along with proud six foot tall acquaintance.
Above Left: Terry Struck at Tiananmen Square.

Above Right: Dennis and Terry Struck at Tiananmen Square along with proud six foot tall Chinese acquaintance.



Queuing Up to enter the Forbidden City. Queuing Up to enter the Forbidden City.
Above: Queuing Up to enter the Forbidden City.

This is the First of Four Gates, called The Gate of Heavenly Peace (aka: Tiananmen), the actual palace area is after the forth gate in approximately 1500 Meters heading northward. This is the North End of Tiananmen Square and/or the South end of the Forbidden City; one must walk through an underground pedestrian passageway in order to get to the entrance gate and in order to avoid the busy highway.

The Upright Gate. Meridian Gate (Wumen); actual Palace Gate Entrance..
Above Left: This is the Second Gate, called The Upright Gate (Duanmen).

Above Right: This is the Third Gate, the Meridian Gate (Wumen); there is a Moat around the Palace and the Moat is underground at the broad plaza between the camera and the gate (of this picture). This is the actual Palace Gate Entrance. We were actually held up for a dignitary and motorcade (we knew that the President of Hungary was in town on this day due to BBC World News).

The Gate of Supreme Harmony. The Golden Stream; we are looking westward.
Above Left: We are looking north at the Fourth of four Gates, the The Gate of Supreme Harmony and we are looking at a bridge across the Golden Stream (between the camera and the gate).

Above Right: The Golden Stream; we are looking westward.

Bridge over the Golden Stream. Vincent gives us a map briefing describing the layout.
Above Left: Bridge over the Golden Stream.

Above Right: Next to the Bridge and Golden Stream; Vincent gives us a map briefing describing the layout and Vincent tells us a lot of the history. If I understand the history correctly, the original capital/palace was moved in the early 1400s and burned down and then a subsequent royal moved the capital back here and rebuilt the palace as we know it today.

The Gate of Supreme Harmony. The Gate of Supreme Harmony.
Above Left: Just over the Golden Stream Bridge is (still, the Fourth of four Gates) The Gate of Supreme Harmony. See the Royal Lion Guards.

Above Right: A close up of the two central entry ramps at The Gate of Supreme Harmony.

Architectecture Details at The Gate of Supreme Harmony. Architectecture Details at The Gate of Supreme Harmony.
Architectecture Details at The Gate of Supreme Harmony. Architectecture Details at The Gate of Supreme Harmony.
Some Architecture Details at The Gate of Supreme Harmony
This is the Last Gate!


Hall of Supreme Harmony. Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Above Left: The Hall of Supreme Harmony as viewed across the Sea of Flagstones (aka Court of the Imperial Palace).

Above Right: The Hall of Supreme Harmony. As I understand it, different rulers would move the throne around the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Complete Harmony, or the Hall of Preserving Harmony (three halls in a row, listed from south to north and all three of the halls are on top of the step plateau - no steps to go from one hall to another hall, the inner court so to speak). Most rulers used the Hall of Supreme Harmony for entertaining larger groups of people (banquets, dinners, or big group meetings).

Hall of Complete Harmony. Hall of Preserving Harmony.
Above Left: Hall of Complete Harmony (has the Ball on the Roof) - used for daily administrative issues with an informal throne most of the time.

Above Right: Hall of Preserving Harmony where the formal throne sat most of the time and where the throne is presently located.

Hall of Complete Harmony (closest)
and the Hall of Preserving Harmony (furthest). Throne in the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
Above Left: Standing next to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and taking a picture of the Hall of Complete Harmony (closest) or the Hall of Preserving Harmony (furthest) - for a perspective.

Above Right: Throne in the Hall of Preserving Harmony (sorry the lighting was not favorable for a good picture).


Other Objects and Images on the Step Plateau of the Three Halls
Accurate Sundial. Sundial Story.
Heron. Combat Tortoise.
Guard Change. Corner Architecture.
Backside of the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Viewing north into Hall of Union and the Imperial Garden.
Above Right: Viewing north into Hall of Union and the Imperial Garden. Yep, it is just what you think.


The following pictures are from a walk through the Forbidden City Court Residences. Yes, it is just what you think. Pleasure Kiosk.

Mommy, I have to go now!

Starbucks, for real.
Above Left: Starbucks, for real!




Images from the Forbidden City to our Hotel
Street Sweeper's Brooms. Famous Alleyway.
Above Left: Street Sweeper's Brooms.

Above Right: Sign explaining the alley that our hotel is located is an internationally famous roadway that hosted many Embassies. Tomorrow night, we will dine in the former French Embassy Post Office Building.

Hotel Entrance. Hotel Artwork.
Above Left: Hotel Entrance, checkout the flowers in the door.

Above Right: Hotel Artwork (USA, UK, Australia, or China ? - could be anywhere).

Ray Funk (of Northern Italy) emailed me to let me know that this is a Vincent van Gogh painting. The painting, oil on canvas, is titled 'Harvest at La Cra, with Montmajour in the Background'; it was created in Arles, France (Southern Provence), in June, 1888 and the original is in the Van Gogh Museum located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. There is another van Gogh painting called [just/only] 'Harvest', and it was also painted in Arles, France).

Manchu styled hair tail. Baby On Road.
Above Left: Manchu styled hair tail.

Above Right: Something was lost in translation - 'Baby On Road'.
BTW, That Chinese Character on the far left of the license plate represents 'Beijing' (it actualy means Capital).



Time for the Special Evening Show: Magic, Acrobats, Juggling, ++ and Motorcycles!
Theatre Sign.
Beijing Evening Entertainment Show. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Beijing Evening Entertainment Show. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Beijing Evening Entertainment Show. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Beijing Evening Entertainment Show. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Beijing Evening Entertainment Show. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
The Juggler. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Above Left: Here is a YouTube Link that a fellow cyclist, Reg (of Team Quelch: Reg and Linda), took of this same Juggler.

Beijing Evening Entertainment Show. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Above: Here is a 5-Star YouTube Link that a fellow cyclist, Reg Quelch, took of these same Bikers in the Death Cage.

Beijing Evening Entertainment Show. Beijing Evening Entertainment Show.
Above Right: Conclusion and Closing Ceromony - It was a fine show!



Dinner and 5 Yuan Gift Exchange
Peking Duck. Fruit and Vegetable Plate.
Above Left: Peking Duck, to be eaten in Old Peking, now called Beijing.

Above Right: The main course is way gone, this is a Fruit and Vegetable Plate.

before image. after image.
Above Left: Everyone had a 5 Yuan mystery gift purchase limit (about $1 USD). This is the before image.

Above Right: This is the after image.

Siobhán Speaks, everyone listens.Siobhán Speaks, everyone listens.
Above: Siobhán Speaks, everyone listens (L-R: Mary, Vincent, Reg (twice), Glenda, Linda, Siobhán, Lynn - everyone is here, just not necessarily in the pictures).


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