Out and about in Beijing

Big day today. Tiananmen Square. It's huge. The locals say it holds a million people -- or 500,000 Americans. The scale of the Forbidden City was amazing. Apparently there are 9,999 buildings.
We then journeyed somewhere and had the local noodle specialty for lunch.
On to the Temple of Heaven, where the emperor used to drop in from time to time.
Then to a tea tasting/ceremony which was pretty interesting and enjoyable.
Finally a walk around a hutong, which is an enclave of small houses with communal toilets. We had dinner at Mr & Mrs Wang house. All 12 of us crowded around a small table in their upstairs bedroom and had dishes prepared by Mrs Wang. A special experience really.Read more