Beijing - day one

Well, I arrived in Beijing on the day of the worst smog since the beginning of July.  It was strange, and just seemed like a very hazy, misty day, but with the light beginning to fade I wasn't sure if it was just approaching dusk.

Anyway, picked up from the airport and driven into the edge of the city centre, and the Oriental Bay Hotel. The tour wouldn't begin until the following lunchtime, so settled into the room and off down to test the local beer in the restaurant.  Pretty quiet that evening - didn't see many people - but the hotel was very nice, and the room pretty comfortable.

Brief chance the following morning to have a brief wander around the area and see what was about.  I didn't venture too far - not so much the fear of getting lost, but of being late back for the start of the tour. Overlooking the canal, there was a busy, bustling area leading away from the waterside, and a very busy local market and local shops selling various delicacies (some looked more appetising than others!) both savoury and sweet.

A small peaceful park area was nice for a wander, and the first sign of locals indulging in tai-chi, dancing, singing and exercising.

Then we got to meet up with one another for the tour, and that got under way with a short trip to the local Hutons, which is the older streets where the city grew historically, and we were given an intro into the local way of life and architecture etc.  A rickshaw ride (one poor guy pedalling the bike, towing two of us in the rickshaw itself), and chance to see what one of the original houses.  A very pretty courtyard, with pomegranate trees, willow, and lotus, and a series of living areas, still used, and some of which were used for learning things like calligraphy for example.

Next stop the Summer Palace on the edge of the city.  In a sense this was like the summer retreat for the Emperor to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and its environs.  Listed by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites, it was essentially constructed in the time of the Qianlong dynasty around 1750, and consists of a large lake, palaces, walks and pavilions.

We didn't have the time to actually explore any of the buildings themselves, but did get to go for a wander around the island and along the lakeside.  The locals were very friendly, and offers to take photographs usually involved several shots, from most angles, and attracted the interest and observation of any number of Chinese visitors.  The guidebooks had all suggested there would be plenty of interest in tourists, and people were quite forward in saying hello and asking if "First time in China?"  There wasn't much staring as had been hinted at, but simply greeting people with "Nihau" was met with raised eyebrows and smiles and almost surprise that western visitors were able to say anything in Chinese.  The app I downloaded onto my tablet had earned its first piece of kudos!