Forbidden City

The Forbidden City, once the residence of the Emperor, his family, and concubines, was built in the early 15th century, and provides an interesting insight into the opulence of those who once ruled the world. There are a mix of narrow walled maze-like corridors and wide open spaces large enough to house an army (which it has … Continue reading →

Bench, Statue, or Both?

  It’s popular to build statues onto benches. There is a beloved example on the Georgia Tech campus, in the city of Decatur (in Georgia), and the above example resides in Beijing’s Back Lake district. As benches these aren’t great (i.e. they suck) because the statue always has the best seat (ostensibly the one who cares least.) As … Continue reading →

Metal Dragon in the Forbidden City

Beijing West Station, and Visiting the Tea Market

It was a rainy day in Beijing when I took this. It was not a pouring rain, but rather that fine perpetual mist that one occasionally sees. The kind of rain that, if one is driving, is not heavy enough for effective use of wipers, but is enough that one cannot ignore it. The station looms large, … Continue reading →

Prayer Wheel at Lama Temple in Beijing

Temple of Confucius in Beijing

  The statue of Confucius above is stationed in front of the Da Cheng Gate at the Beijing Confucian Temple. The Da Cheng Gate is the “Halberd Gate”. It is discerned by the racks of pole-arms on the way into the inner courtyard. A halberd, for those not familiar with the weaponry of bygone eras, is like a massive (thick and wide) sword blade mounted … Continue reading →

The Forbidden City and the Coveted 4-Star Crapper

The Forbidden City in Beijing is one of those grand-scale displays of history that everyone should experience first-hand. It provides a striking reminder of the exalted opulence in which Imperial family members once lived. However, at the same time it lends insight into the lack of technological creature comforts accessible to even those of the highest station in life. Consider, for example, the … Continue reading →

Lama Temple

  Row of Stores Outside the Lama Temple Outside the Lama Temple in Beijing there is a long row of small shops that all service Buddhist customers. Most are similar. They are often narrow shops backed to the gills such that one turns sideways and shuffles around to look at the wares. The number one selling item has … Continue reading →

Tiananmen Square Anniversary

I visited Beijing last year, 19 years after the massacre that left untold numbers dead and wounded. It was quite a different place emotionally to be sure. It was a bright summer day with only the occasional puffy white cloud in the sky the day I visited. The throngs gathered at the time were randomly milling … Continue reading →

Temple of Heaven

The Temple is located in a serene Beijing park, and was, amazingly, made without any nails, spikes, or bolts.