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Thrones
You aren't allowed to enter the palaces with the thrones in them, so everyone crowds around the few open doors to try and get a look. While my relative height advantage helped me see the thrones even from the back of the crowd, it didn't help in getting a picture. Even on a brilliantly sunny day, the dark interiors made hand-holding a picture impossible. Once I got to the front of the crowd, I set the camera on the railing and used it as an impromptu tripod.
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Break in the Action
On the northern side of the Forbidden City in the garden areas, there are a couple of small structures that resemble ornate gazebos. The ceilings were beautiful, so to get a picture I waited until there was enough of a break in the crowd, set the camera down in the middle of the floor, set the self timer, and hoped for the best.
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Inheritance
I had expected the Forbidden City to be overrun with Western tourists, but most of the visitors were locals enjoying the history of their homeland. Of the Westerners I saw (and heard), most were speaking German.
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Bricks
Another of my favorite pictures. The plazas here are massive, this was taken from the center of one of the plazas, with palace buildings lining the plaza on every side.
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Wishing Very Well
Since this was my first day in China, I was still getting used to the local currency. When I first saw this pond full of floating bills, I thought the Chinese were much more generous with their wishing wells than their US counterparts, where tossing low-valued coins is the norm. It slowly dawned on me that these low denominations were worth the same as the coins I'm used to.
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Uplifting
One of my favorite moments from my trip to China. I thoroughly enjoyed my first day in a new culture, but I was also exhausted at the end of the day when I came across this young boy playing horsey on the ancient stone railing. We don't speak a word of each other's language, but I understood his joy.
On a day spent experiencing how different a culture could be, it was a welcome reminder of how much we all have in common. |
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Forthright
This sign literally made me laugh out loud. The best way to not fall down the steps is, well, don't fall down. It's a lot more direct than what we would see in the US, where it would more likely say "Watch your step". Effective, though. I didn't fall down. Didn't even come close.
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