Katie Melua wasn’t wrong !
Couldn’t get all the “nine-million bicycles” in my photo, so this is just a snapshot of a few in Beijing.
Forbidden City and Tian’anmen Square.
The Tian’anmen or the Gate of Heavenly Peace.
Portrait of Mao Zedong by Ge Xiaoguang at the Tian’anmen Gate.
Visitors in the courtyard in front of the Meridian Gate in the Forbidden City.
One of two pavilion style buildings that flank the Imperial Palace.
Forbidden City wall tower by the Meridian Gate.
The Meridan Gate as seen from outside the courtyard.
River of Gold in the Forbidden City.
The Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City.
Tiled roof and painted facade of the Imperial Palace.
A closer look at art detail on the painted facade of the Imperial Palace.
Imperial Palace decorative roof ridge with figures or charms.
A flower carved in stone block set in the external wall of the Imperial Palace.
Detail of the ceiling at the Imperial Palace.
Painted wooden beams in the ceiling.
View of the Imperial Palace.
Large stone carving leading up to Tai He Dian Hall (Hall of Supreme Harmony).
Closer look at the detail in the large stone carving.
Bronze incense burner outside the Tai Hi Dian Hall (Hall of Supreme Harmony).
Sundial on a four column plinth in the Forbidden City.
Bronze statue of a crane outside the Tai Hi Dian Hall. The crane is a symbol of good luck.
Bronze statue of a mythical turtle with a dragon’s head outside the Tai He Dian Hall. The turtle is a symbol of strength and long life.
Closer look at the detail of the dragon’s head on the mythical turtle.
Jiao Tai Dian Hall (Hall of Union and Peace) on the right and Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunning Gong) on the right.
Foreword signage to promote and encourage traditional Chinese cultural values.
Minature bronze pagoda outside the Tai He Dian Hall.
Visitors outside Jiao Tai Dian Hall which is one of three palaces in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City.
Very popular area with visitors. In the background is the Palace of Earthly Tranquility where the empress lived, and also one of the three palaces in the Inner Court of the Forbidden City. The third palace is where the emperior lived, the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing Gong).
Imperial throne in Jiao Tai Dian Hall.
Inscription on the walls and decorative ceiling in the imperial throne room.
Imperial throne room.
Embossed design on a door in the Forbidden City.
Decorative roof ridge with figures or charms on a building in the Forbidden City.
What looks like a dead tree at the top showing signs of new life at a lower level.
Visitors wandering amongst the trees and the stone statues in the Imperial Garden.
An aged cypress tree.
A bronze dragon gate guardian.
Glazed wall design featuring cranes, the symbol of good luck.
Rear view of the bronze dragon gate guardian.
Traditional large natural stones used as sculptures in the Imperial Garden.
A traditional mythological carved stone dragon face on a wall in the Imperial Garden.
View through the visitors of the Pavilion of One Thousand Autumns in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City.
Pavilion of One Thousand Autumns.
Glazed wall design near the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Decorative tiled roof, eaves and wall of a building in the Forbidden City.
Behind the ornate gate is Dui Xiu Shan (Hill of Accumulated Elegance) in the Imperial Garden.
Jingshan (Prospect Hill) near the Forbidden City. Jingshan consists of five individual peaks, and on the top of each peak there lies an elaborate pavilion. I will post some more photos tomorrow of Jingshan.
It’s been a busy week.
Keeping active.
