Today was an opportunity to do a little more historic exploring in the classic (and political) sites of Beijing.

Yep, we went to Tiananmen Square first, and there are MASSIVE crowds.  It is not small or a small number of visitors…it is 10s of thousands of people.

What are all the people lining up for?  They all want to see Mao’s tomb.  The lines are at least 2 hours long for a less than 5 minute visit to the historic mausoleum.

However, what is the #1 reason everyone visits the square and the center of Beijing?  To go visit and explore the Forbidden City!

Oh yes, the crowds (even in late October) are huge and the lines are long.  But they move fast and you can get into the palace and begin exploring quickly.

The challenge is: how much time do you spend?  The Imperial Palace is massive and it could take you a week to see it all!

However, there is a ton of history, stories and amazing architecture for its time inside.  It is worth a couple of hours to explore.

I only wish I had more space and better Internet connection to post more pics!

We actually ran into a couple of celebrities who were getting their pictures taken outside for a media promotion I think…

We also went to visit the Temple of Heaven and park.  It is a massive park and larger than Central Park in NYC I hear…but no lake or water.

It is very popular for both tourists and locals that want to just visit and play cards or checkers.

The temple is quite large and inspirational, but the museums and the limitations to see inside the temple were quite disappointing.

You have to fight for a spot for in one of the windows to actually sneak a peak and get an idea of what the famous woodwork and decor actually look like.  I guess this is the challenge when 10,000 a people a day may come and visit this site…

Well, it was a great day, and we popped down the street (1/2 kilometer) to go check out the “Pearl Market”.  What is the Pearl Market?  A great counterfeit mall with multiple levels!  You can get automatic watches for only $15!  Overall, they were not too aggressive and if you have the experience, it is a great place to get some great deals without too much pressure.  🙂