Beijing Highlights: Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, and finish off the day with the Legend of Kung Fu. 5 June 2016 Today we are visiting Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. It is a Sunday so they will be crowded but The Forbidden City is closed on Mondays so we don’t have any choice. We set off fairly early as it is going to be a hot day with lots of walking. It is about 30 minutes walk to Tiananmen Square but following feedback … [Read more...]

I visit the Great Wall of China again - this time the Mutianyu section - and we explore the beautiful Summer Palace, the largest royal park in China. 6 June 2016 We are on board our bus at 6.30am with breakfast boxes in hand. We have a 2 hour bus trip north east of Beijing to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Although there is some grumbling about the early start, it will mean that we are there before the heat of the day and before the crowds. There is another section of the wall … [Read more...]

This is the final day of my visit to China and I muse about what I have seen and learned about this fascinating country. 7 June 2016 My departure day from China starts early: Mary-Ellen has to leave at 6.30am. I have a bit more time for a leisurely shower and breakfast before getting a taxi to the airport. I am very pleased with my packing skills and am able to get my bulky purchases and the substantial briefcase that I got from the conference to fit inside my backpack. I did have a backup … [Read more...]