On my first day in Beijing, the entire city was drenched in a dense fog that obliterated everything, including Tiananmen Square.
However, the next day a wind from the east cleared the fog out, making the heart of the Middle Kingdom visible again.
On one side of the square lies the Museum of the People’s Republic of China. It is a gigantic building holding all the national treasures of China. However, a sign said the museum will be closed from 2007 to 2010 (i.e., during the Olympics), which I thought odd inasmuch as the official Olympics count-down clock stands right in front of it. It appears they have posted a guard to hold back the expected hordes of angry and disgruntled tourists.
Something I noted in Beijing was a distinct absence of portraits or statues of Mao. I did, however, find this one mounted at the back of a CD store. I am not sure that Mao would have been as amused as he looks here.
A true delight of Beijing is the Temple of Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC).
On the day I went, I was the only visitor to the Temple and found it to be one of the most serene places on earth.
There are several places where you can gain access to the Great Wall of China. I went about 50 miles outside of Beijing to get this particular view.
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