Yesterday was a day at sea which we enjoyed. We prepared for our three day two night stay in Beijing.
We booked the excursion way in advance so we could make sure we had a tour. This tour was the driving force to go on this cruise. The secondary motivation was being able to go to Shanghai and Tokyo Disney.
We had to purchase a multi port Chinese visa because we landed in Shanghai and we want to go to Beijing.
We received a program of daily activities for the tour and advice to pack a suitcase with medicine and clothes for three days.
Before the cruise I read about the tour details and discovered the trip from Tianjin to Beijing is three hours by car or bus.
On the day of departure April 3 we left the ship and found our tour bus and checked our bags.
Our tour guide was a young man named Charlie.
He had the habit to constantly refer to himself in the third person. For example Charlie will take you to the rest stop in an hour.
Well Charlie proceeded to give us an overview of the three days of activities and then the daily program for the first day.
He told us we would reach a rest stop about half way to Beijing for everyone to get off, use the restroom and stretch the legs.
Drive into Beijing
At the rest stop we discovered that the public bathrooms had one western toilet and that was the disabled one. Needless to say there was a long line for that facility.
Our first scenic stop was the Temple of Heaven and our visit there was scheduled for one hour and fifteen minutes. There were lines to enter the park but they moved fast.
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/heaven/
Inside we were amazed at how big of an area the Temple of Heaven occupied. Tons of people could fit in the plaza.
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| Museum |
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| inside the Temple of Heaven |
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| Inside the Temple of Heaven |
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| Temple of Heaven |
Climbing the steps we reached the Temple and could see inside.
It was really amazing how big the Temple was and built using only wood.
Across from the Temple was a museum and a gift shop. Due to time restraints we only had time to see the Temple and take photos.
Next stop was lunch at a local restaurant. This time and the other times we had lunch or dinner it was at restaurants that catered to tour groups and consequently there were lots of buses in the parking lots and full tables inside.
After lunch we were headed to the Forbidden City and we were allotted almost two hours to walk inside and listen to Charlie tell about life then and the different Temples.
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/forbidden.htm
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| Entrance |
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| Entrance |
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| Large Square |
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| Outside a Temple |
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| Inside the Temple |
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| Next to the throne in the temple |
This complex was Huge, Enormous and tiring to walk and climb steps and walk. Fortunately after our last photos we walked to the bus that was waiting for us at the exit.
Last sight to see was Tienanmen Square. It was around 4 pm and the traffic was heavy. The street bordering the must have had eight lanes and in order to cross pedestrians had to use underpasses.
We were let off close to the Square and walked to the inside where we could barely see the other side where Mao's mausoleum was.
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| Mao's Tomb is way in the back |
It is reported that the square could fit one million people.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tiananmen-Square
The street where the bus left us off was lined with tourist shops and lots of police and military to walk around and watch.
After our visit Charlie led us back to the main boulevard where we found an underpass so we could cross the street and find our bus.
Since we finished our tours on time Charlie changed the schedule and took us to the Regent Hotel Beijing so we could get our bags and room keys and check in.
https://www.guestreservations.com/regent-beijing/booking?msclkid=ed04f49bfbfd17bf57daab87286ac421
We were to be in the lobby at 6:30 to have a Peking Duck dinner.
The restaurant was very inviting from the outside- neon ducks and lights were in the front.
Charlie told us that it took a chef lots of training on how to be able to carve a Peking duck and recommended we try it.
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| Duck carving demonstration |
Once we were served we took the different foods and duck and made like a taco. The duck was delicious. It was strange that not too many at our table had some.
On the way back to the hotel we passed a pedestrian shopping street and on the corner was a large Apple store.
Stuffed and tired we were taken to the hotel to rest and go to bed.
What a great day!
Tomorrow we go the the Great Wall.
Breakfast from 6:30 to 8:15 and be at the bus at 8:30.
