After a lackluster buffet in the hotel, Jackie, Zoe and I set out for a bit of sightseeing in Beijing. (Max stayed in for the morning to get through some of his summer reading. ??).
Getting around Beijing is pretty easy via the subway system. (And made even more easy with the aid of an App I am using, “ExploreMetro”). A few stops on a few subway lines and we were at the infamous Tiananmen Square. No tanks or protesters around, though security is everywhere — I mean everywhere.
There are Airport-like bag scanners at EVERY entrance to each subway station, and there are security/police cameras in most places we have been (at least where we’ve thought to look up). Here’s a nice picture contrasting the old and new security of Beijing:
We had a nice time walking around with the tens of thousands of others…
Here are some shots of us at Tiananmen Square:
(This last photo is of a soldier holding to a stiff pose in full military garb, impressive given the 90-degree heat).
And here (below) are selected pics of The Imperial Palace (Forbidden City):
I like the contrast between old palace (foreground) and new city (background).
More later!
