Beijing
I was lucky enough to travel to China in the mid 1990s before its economy really began to boom, so it has been a true pleasure to watch this one reclusive country fully emerge on the world stage in the years since then. The atmosphere and many attractions of Beijing are simply much too vast to try to attempt to capture in a single internet photo album, so at best the photographs below represent a mere random sampling of my many fond memories there...
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The city's pollution in legendary, and the snapshot below was my attempt to portray it in its purest form. This picture was taken in mid day with my telephoto lens pointed directly at the sun. No filters were used. It's the only place on earth I've traveled to that one could actually stare directly at the sun with the naked eye and suffer no ill aftereffects.
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Of course the first thing we did way back then was hit the road north of the city so we could take in the fabled Great Wall.
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Back in Beijing in the heart of the city, Tienanmen Square, the largest public square in the world. The picture on the left shows a guard in front of Chairman Mao's mausoleum ("the Maosoleum", in not-so-respectful speak), the one on the right is of his gigantic portrait that still hangs near the edge of the square at the entrance to the Forbidden City.
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One of the strangest effects China had on me was the desire to take pictures of people. Almost always when I travel I focus more on buildings, statues, scenery, and landscapes. But from my very first visit to the country, I found my camera lens pointed just as often at the people of China. Take this random shot, for example. I don't know why, but I found this man to be captivating in some weird way. He just sat there like some kind of fashion model, showing off the latest brand of sports coat. He never moved. At first I thought he was posing for someone, but a quick scan of my surroundings showed that there was no one else there with a camera. He just sat still. And watched. If he noticed me at all, he gave no indication...
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Beijing is a mix of old and new. This pedicab driver waits for customers at the entrance to some old hutong, alleyways in traditional neighborhoods that predate the invention of cars and are thus too narrow to accommodate them. In the middle of one of the busiest and most crowded cities in the world, one can disappear completely and savor peace and quiet.
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As if echoing my sentiment above, this sign near a hutong neighborhood almost demands that you feel at ease!
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China, one of the greatest places on earth to eat!
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By far the most interesting place to eat in the country that we came across is the Baijia Dayuan (Garden of the King) Restaurant, built on the grounds of a former royal residence. Women in traditional Qing dynasty dress slip in and out of dining rooms set in a courtyard filled with flowers, ponds, and fountains. Exquisite entrees are served while first-class entertainers perform. It was a truly mesmerizing -- but quite expensive -- experience.
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A snapshot of the restaurant's menu. As the old saying goes, the Chinese will eat anything! :)
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Beijing glitters at night. The photo below was taken while walking near Tienanmen just after sunset.
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In the summer of 2008 we succumbed to temptation and revisited China and Beijing to soak in some of the Olympics spirit. The city was decked out in colorful signs and murals. Below, the arrival at Beijing's brand-new impressive airport, and below that, a shot in the city of a gigantic billboard that dwarfs the lady sitting in front of it.
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Beijing was all smiles during the Olympics. The city was positively glowing with worldwide attention, and the Chinese people roamed the streets and mingled with athletes decked out in their national colors.
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At nights the streets were still packed with partygoers and others enchanted with the Olympic venues. Below, several shots of the unique Water Cube, the venue for Olympic swimming and diving competition.
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I couldn't leave Beijing without taking a couple gratuitous shots of myself posing in front of the National Stadium -- more commonly known as the Bird's Nest -- the site of the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies as well as track & field events.
