Ready Set...China Take 1

While living in Hong Kong I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to visit China, specifically Beijing and the Great Wall. Unfortunately we didn’t live long enough in Hong Kong to make the trip, but that didn’t stop me. I felt that it would be a shame to live in Asia, currently Thailand, and never see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall. I had the perfect motive, Laura had to leave the country for visa purposes and John had a week off of school. Did you know how easy it is to book airlines reservations on the internet and find hotels and places to visit? Armed with my computer and a need to be organized it took me no time at all to plan a week’s visit to China. Ron had to work so he unfortunately couldn’t come, but all that means is that I might have the opportunity to go again! LOL



Our trip was during the last week of October and we left 90 degree Thailand for 40 degree Beijing! What a climate change, we had to wear layers as we don’t have a lot of colder climate clothes in Thailand. Ron had been to Beijing earlier this year and met a struggling art student, named Richard, who served as his tour guide, and so we had contacted him to take us on a tour of Beijing. Richard spoke English fairly well and the first place that we went was to the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.  Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 7,800,000 sq ft. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese architecture. After being the home of 24 emperors — fourteen of the Ming Dynasty and ten of the Qing Dynasty — the Forbidden City ceased being the political centre of China in 1912 with the abdication of the last Emperor of China..

Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City

Beautiful Beijing