BEIJING - 北京 - ON THE WAY TO 2008

SHORT ESCAPADE - MAY 2002

Beijing, «Northern Capital», in the northeast part of the country, is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China (note Nanjing, Luoyang, Xi'an, Kaifeng, Hangzhou, Anyang, and Zhengzhou as the other seven). Beijing was probably the largest city in the world from 1425 to 1650 and from 1710 to 1825. Presently, it is, after Shanghai, the second largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of population. It's also its main political, cultural and educational centre, leaving the primazy in economic terms to Shanghai and to the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.
In 2002, Beijing was fast preparing itself for the 2008 Olympic Games. Hutongs (alleyways formed by lines of siheyuan - courtyards surrounded by four buildings) were disappearing and susbtituted by skyscrapers, works were everywhere. It seems Beijing is running the risk of having everything ready well ahead of time. Rumours are that the International Olympic Committee is concerned with the possibility that the facilities do not look «brand new» when the Games come into action...



"TIENANMEN - The Gate of Heavenly Peace - at the northern edge of Tiananmen Square, is the main entrance to the Forbidden City (the former Imperial Palace Grounds). The main gate entrance is below the giant portrait of Mao"


"TIENANMEN - Lions - There are two lions in front of the gate and two more protecting the bridges. There are also two stone columns, each with an animal on top, which apparently supervised the emperor's activities: the one facing outside would reprove the emperor if he stayed out for too long; the other, facing inside, would censure him if he stayed inside for too long..."


"MUSEUM PIECE - Late Chairman"


MUSEUM PIECE - Late rocket"



"WANGFUNJING - By night, a major commercial pedestrian area"

TRAVELLING IN THE MIDDLE EMPIRE

GREAT WALL AND SUMMER PALACE - MAY 2002

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萬里長城 - THE GREAT WALL

The Great Wall is a defensive fortification built in the Chinese northern border by 200 BC and greatly improved from the year 1368 through 1640, during the Ming Dynasty. The Great Wall at present starts east at Shanhai Pass, crosses nine provinces and 100 counties, and ends west at Jiayu Pass, at the limit of the Gobi Desert. Though a defensive structure, the fact is that the Great Wall didn't avoid the fall of the Ming dynasty. The Great Wall is one of the "Seven Medieval Wonders of the World", and was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.



"START - Fresh starting the journey"


"MIDDLE - Still in good shape"


"UP - Getting tired"


"TOP - «He, who has not climbed it, is not a true man»"

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SUMMER PALACE

The Summer Palace was created in 1750, and includes the Kunming Lake and the Longevity Hill. It covers 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The Summer Palace was also included in 1998 on UNESCO's World Heritage List.


"ENTRANCE - Need an umbrella?"


"昆明湖 - LAKE KUNMING - A man-made lake with an area of 2.2 square km, and an average depth of 1.5 meter. Non fit for swimming, but instead for ice skating in winter, when it shows a thick ice coverage"


"万寿山 - LONGEVITY HILL - Always climbing. Longevity Hill is a 60-meter-high hill with several buildings on its southern slope: The Cloud-Dispelling Hall, the Temple of Buddhist Virtue, and the Sea of Wisdom Temple"


"FROM THE TOP - Great lake with the Seventeen-Arch Bridge connecting the eastern shore with Nanhu Island, which represents the mythical Penglai Island"


"石舫 - MARBLE BOAT, a 36 meter long pavillion on the Lake, is also known as the Boat of Purity and Ease. It was first built in 1755, and actually is made out of wood but it is painted to imitate marble"

GODS AND EMPERORS

TEMPLE OF HEAVEN AND FORBIDDEN CITY - MAY 2002

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TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

The Taoist Temple began to be built in 1420, and was visited thereafter by all Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It uses 2.73 square km of parkland, and includes three main groups of constructions: The Earthly Mount, where the Emperor - The Son of Heaven - prayed for favourable weather; The House of Heavenly Lord, and The Hall of Annual Prayer, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.



"TEMPLE OF HEAVEN - Northern Heavenly Gate - early morning rush hour"




"TEMPLE OF HEAVEN - Hall of Annual Prayer - The heaven is round, the earth is square"


"TEMPLE OF HEAVEN - Perfect!"

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FORBIDDEN CITY

The Forbidden City - The «Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties», is located at the exact center of the ancient city of Beijing. It covers 720,000 square meters, and includes 800 buildings, which have more than 8,000 rooms. It was also listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987, being the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.



"FORBIDDEN CITY - Entering the Hall of Supreme Harmony, in the afternoon"


"FORBIDDEN CITY - The Male Lion - Holding the pomegranate symbol of power"



"FORBIDDEN CITY - The Female Lion - Holding a lion cub"


"FORBIDDEN CITY - Hall of Central Harmony: everything should be accomplished impartially and properly. It makes sense"


"FORBIDDEN CITY - Imperial Garden"


"FORBIDDEN CITY - Roofs"