Our last stop in China was Xingang which is the gateway into Bejing as Bejing is not on the sea. It was about a 2-1/2 hour ride into the city. The ship was docked there for two days so I was able escort the overnight tour into Bejing so we had more touring time. Our first stop was to the Temple of Heaven. It's surrounded by a beautiful park which was filled with people, young and old, all enjoying a beautiful day.
After a Chinese buffet lunch, we visited The Forbidden City where for centuries, only royalty were allowed to enter the grounds. It is a massive structure with lovely gardens.
Tian’anmen Square is the largest gathering spot in the world. Families flock here in the late afternoon to fly kites and exercise in the enormous open space. There's a gatherin each evening of several thousand people to witness the flag being lowered as the sun sets.
Our dinner was a special treat - we had Peking Duck. Peking/Bejing is the same city. Different accents make the word sound different in different areas. We checked into our 5-star hotel which was one block from the "Bird's Nest" stadium where many of the 2008 Olympic ceremonies were held.
A highlight of my Grand World Voyage, probably #1 on my personal Bucket List, was to climb on the Great Wall of China which we did early the second morning in Bejing. It's quite steep but the spectacular views were worth the climb.
Here's an example of how some things are translated for us.
We toured the Ming Tombs of which the most famous is the mound of Chang Ling.
Next we were off to the Sacred Way which is lined with mythical creatures made of stone.
