BEIJING (Day 2 - part 3)

There was still some time for a quick walk around the enormous protective gate.


Behind me is my recently-climbed section of the wall


The wall continues back up the mountain on the other side.


An old cannon


The gate's imposing outer wall

Lunch was at Huang Chao Hotel.


A fancy dining room


All the plants and animals are fake...


... except for the fish.


Sturgeons glide through the pond.

We drove back to the city past the Olympic buildings and Nationality Park. The Olympics are scheduled to be held here in August. The whole city was in full swing preparing for the big event.


The Olympic symbols


Known as the Fuwa (Friendlies), these five characters each have the color of an Olympic ring.

Beibei (the fish of prosperity and surplus) - water sports
Jingjing (the adored friendly panda) - strength
Huanhuan (the fire filled with warmth and passion) - the Olympic Flame
Yingying (the antelope swiftly covering great stretches of land) - track & field
Nini (the kite flying as infinite as the sky) - gymnastics


Beijing National Stadium or Bird’s Nest


With over 80,000 seats, the stadium will feature the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the track & field and soccer events.


Beijing National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube. The bubbles on the building are made of a transparent plastic which is filled with air and attached to a steel frame surrounding the edge of the bubble. It is expected to be 30% more energy efficient than a standard building of similar size.

Nationalities Park (or Chinese Ethnic Culture Park) celebrates the ethnic cultures of China, with a focus on traditional architecture, music and dance. About 95% of the popluation is Han Chinese, but there are 56 ethnic groups in the Chinese family altogether.

We continued our drive though town...


More skyscrapers...


... and the men who clean them.


A modified moped

Dinner consisted of some famous Peking Duck (being a vegetarian, however, I can't comment on what it tasted like... although people seemed to enjoy it). This duck dish has been prepared since the imperial era, and is now considered one of China's national foods. The special ducks are raised in a free-range environment for the first 45 days of their lives, and then force fed four times a day for the next 15 - 20 days. They are then slaughtered at around 65 days old, and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven.


The cook slices the meat into thin pieces.


The meat is eaten with thin pancakes, spring onions and hoisin (plum) sauce.

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