I have only been here four days and I feel as though I have been assaulted by colour and culture.
All the ancient buildings I have visited here (The Ming Tombs, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, The Lama Temple, Confucius’s Temple, the temples in Beihei Park) have been extremely ornate and painted in startling hues of red, yellow, green and blue, all picked out in gold. Many of these buildings date back between 700 and 200 years and the sense of history is unbelievable.
In addition, Nikki and I have managed to catch the Peking Opera at Luiyuan Theatre and have a a tour of some of Beijing’s lesser known hutongs (alleyway villages) on a electric-powered motorised rickshaw, complete with driver who spoke a bit of English and his extremely cute three-year-old son.
My electric-powered motorised rickshaw, complete with driver and his three-year-old son.
I have also learned much more about traditional Chinese medicine, ancient musical instruments and paintings, the ancient art of tea-making and drinking and the producion of silk and jade carvings.
This is an unforgettable city still gilded with the triumph and excitement of the Olympics and with the recent launch of the Chinese astronaut into space – the whole hotel staff seemed to be in the lobby watching it!
I have seen the Bird’s Nest Stadium and the Olympic velodrome and village in passing and been amazed by how friendly everyone is and how many people speak English really well.
Tomorrow morning Nikki and I will be leaving the Olympic city aboard the Trans-Siberian and go through Northern China to the border.
