On Thursday 21 December, we took the plane (train costs nearly the same) from Shanghai's smaller Hongqiao Airport to Beijing. Beijing was my last big trip in China. On this trip I was accompanied by Kevin, my friend. She came for a little over 2 weeks after China, to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve with me. After arriving in Beijing we have seen a particular hairdresser. The barber shop was made chair, cape, comb and scissors. All this was on the footpath at a street crossing with 8-lane roads! After moving into our room in the hostel, close to Central Railway Station Beijing, we're almost down to Tiananmen Square. This is the largest public square in the world! 396 000 square meters! There is also the Mao Mausoleum. Mao was the first president of the People's Republic of China and thus has made some "wrong". (I hope the Chinese police will now tell me why not lock up!) In addition, there is also the Chinese congress building. On the square are patrolling everywhere and security guards of the army. Since it was shortly before sunset, we watched the flag-gathering ceremony. For this to be stopped for about 20 minutes, all traffic around the square. The same is also available at the morning, but stop what for early risers. The next morning we both got up early and gaaaaanz set off with several other people, all backpackers, in the direction of Great Wall. The wall is a bit far away from Beijing by bus 4 hours! The coach had us all then in a part of the wall and stopped after 4 hours walking (or rather climb) to another part picked up again. The view was terrific, the vanquishing of the wall sometimes dangerous! Apart from 17 Wachtuermen, which we passed, we had once over a suspension bridge. We also let it pull on a rope suspended over a ravine - the real hammer! The next day was the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City on the map. The latter was so large that we should rather plan would have a day. In the Forbidden City at that time the emperor had lived with his concubines and his entourage. (The empress then male concubines had!) On the third day we are in Beijing's Catacombs submerged. Than under Mao's reign of trouble with the Russians was too big, Beijing had allowed for fear of a nuclear war, many tunnels and bunkers set up under the city. Krankhaeusern together, schools, cinemas, etc. The tunnels are a few kilometers long (15 km!). We also went to a park that includes some of the the thousands of temples I've seen :-)
There was, as the Beijing population above 55 years would have, had gathered to play cards in groups, singing dance, fly kites play badminton, etc. After the show was the "White Pakod" still there to be discovered. In the evening we took one of the few remaining rickshaws. Beijing also has almost 20 million inhabitants for this, 2 million private cars (every day 2000 new registrations). 20 years ago there was almost no cars in Beijing. There was rickshaw and bicycle transportation No.1! On Christmas Eve, I and Kelly let the long-awaited taste of Peking duck. Freshly cooked in wood oven in the eyes-yummy!
