Chinese Street Food Tour in Beijing, China

Beijing Scams

The Desolation of Smog

60 years ago, London was even more polluted than Beijing is today.

This Video Of Rush Hour At A Beijing Subway Station Will Give You Nightmares

High Speed Chase With A Hay Wagon In Beijing

Meanwhile, in China

When Deb and I visited China we walked the People's Square.

SHANGHAI (AP) - Large numbers of police - and new tactics like shrill whistles and street cleaning trucks - squelched overt protests in China for a second Sunday in a row after more calls for peaceful gatherings modeled on recent democratic movements in the Middle East.

Near Shanghai's People's Square, uniformed police blew whistles nonstop and shouted at people to keep moving, though about 200 people - a combination of onlookers and quiet sympathizers who formed a larger crowd than a week ago - braved the shrill noise. In Beijing, trucks normally used to water the streets drove repeatedly up the busy commercial shopping district spraying water and keeping crowds pressed to the edges.

China to Open High-Speed Beijing-Shanghai Railway in June

This is the train that will be making the journey.

Sandstorm in China: Orange Haze Covers Beijing

There were few people out on streets where pedestrians could taste the dust. Many of those who had ventured from their homes were wearing facemasks, and some left footprints in the yellow film that had settled on the city's streets.

Beijing's weather forecasting bureau gave the air quality a rare "5," or hazardous, rating and added that it was "not suitable for morning exercises." Parks and open spaces are usually packed from early in the day with enthusiasts doing martial arts, ballroom dancing and other activities.

The sandstorms underline the environmental degradation investors identify as one of the long-term constraints on growth in China, and concern about its impact has made a less resource-intensive model of growth a priority for Beijing.

The government has spent millions of dollars on projects to rein in the spread of deserts, planting trees and trying to protect what plant cover remains in marginal areas.

But the battle is being fought against a backdrop of rising average temperatures and increasing pressure on water resources after three decades of booming growth.

The sandstorm hit Beijing around midnight, carrying huge amounts of dust and heading south east, the official Xinhua news agency said. In northern Changping district, the wind reached speeds of up to 100 km per hour (60 mph).

The swirling clouds of dust and sand had blanketed the interior provinces of Qinghai and Gansu, and western Xinjiang region, before sweeping over the capital, Xinhua said.

Beijing Could Face The Coldest Weather In 40 Years

A FREEZING cold front swept over much of northern China on Sunday with snowstorms snarling traffic and air travel, while some of the coldest temperatures in decades were forecast for coming days.

Gale-force winds sweeping down from Siberia could result in temperatures as low as minus 16 degrees in the capital today, the Beijing meteorological station said.

Guarding The Flag At Tiananmen Square

He has no water bottle, he has an umbrella but is not using it, and it is 90+ degrees with very high humidity... in full uniform!

The Great Wall Extras

You run the gauntlet of trinket and food vendors on the way up to the wall.

How do you get up to the great wall? By gondola of course!

How do you get down from the Great Wall? By toboggan of course!

The Forbidden City

Tienanmen Square And The Forbidden City

Today we took the local bus to Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. I
have many photos to share with you all, and will post them when we get back
to Kuna. But now, it is time to pack! Flying home tomorrow.

Dinner At Dragon Light

Our last meal on our last night here in China was at a great, out in a local neighborhood restaurant, named "Dragon Light." The place has been going for 2 generations, and we felt like we couldn't get much more authentic if we tried! The woman behind us is the mother who was quite excited to see us and had us sign her guest book. She also really wanted some photos taken with us with her camera, but sadly it would not work. The signature dish is a mushroom hot pot. We also had a chicken and peppers dish with just a bit of spices.



Eight kinds of mushrooms go into this hot pot dish.



That is a monster pot of mushrooms!



This is what was left over! Total cost for the meal? Twenty dollars.

Peking Duck Dinner

"Peking Duck", or "Peking Roast Duck" is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era, and is now considered one of China's national foods.

The dish is prized for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred specially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is often eaten with pancakes, spring onions, and hoisin sauce or sweet noodle sauce.

The two most notable restaurants in Beijing which serve this delicacy are Quanjude and Bianyifang , two centuries-old establishments which have become household names.

Peking Duck Dinner, originally uploaded by Richard Whitten.

Sacred Way of Ming Tombs

The Great Wall of China

Click on title for more information!

The Great Wall

Warrior

Just Finished Climbing The Great Wall

Heading back to Beijing after a day of exploration. We visited Ming's Tomb and The Great Wall today and have a dinner reservation for authentic Peking Duck tonight. The weather was perfect! Warm yes, but not the kind of heat this area is known for in July.

We made it to the top of the Mutianyu section and took many great shots! We lucked out and had much of the trek to ourselves!

We are currently enjoying the air conditioned ride back to our hotel where we will both take a much needed shower!