The Forbidden City or the Forever City?

Today, after passing briefly through Tiananmen Square (the world’s largest public square), we arrived at the Forbidden City. Constructed largely of material (logs and marble) that came from South China one to two thousand miles away, the logistics alone of building this massive place (about 2,000’ by 6,000’) is highly impressive.  When you’re tired from having climbed the Great Wall the day before, it seems rather daunting. As the only one other than the guide who had been there before, I was asked on several occasions, as we passed through another building into another courtyard before yet another building, if that building was the end yet.  I think I deflated them when I told them I thought we hadn’t yet gone a mile & it was more than that. Amazing places, but not something that can be well described by me or justified by any pictures, but here’s a small piece anyhow.

After that we went on a tour of a Hutong, a traditional but disappearing style of housing in Beijing.

 A honeymoon suite

In a more modern rickshaw, propelled by someone pedaling, not running

By the way most of these pictures were taken by Daniel & Gabriel.

Then a lunch with the group, some rest time and then dinner at KFC, oooh!, and an attempt at bed.

No good t-shirt sayings today, but I did like the name of one dish at KFC – Refreshing Funguses.

(Editor's note...Gotcha pictures are coming!! This is a slow process as James uploads the photos to me via e-mail and can attach only a few at a time.  I then upload it onto the blog once I go through the  4-5 e-mails to get a post.)