Day 1 evening - Chinese garden near the Forbidden City.

Chinese garden near the Forbidden City.

Outside the main entrance to the Forbidden City.

Deciphering the metro map!

Beijing's very clean metro.

Day 2 - The Great Wall of China at Badaling.

Climbing the Great Wall.

The Great Wall of China.

Taking a rest in the sunshine on the Great Wall.

The Great Wall.

The Great Wall.

An unrestored section of the Great Wall at Badaling.

The Great Wall.

The Great Wall.

The Great Wall and a very steep drop.

The Great Wall.

Day 2, afternoon, The Ming Tombs.

Our guide and a map of the Ming Tombs.

The Ming Tombs.

A shrine at the Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Ming Tombs.

Day 3, Summer Palace (used by the Qing emperors for more than 150 years).

Summer Palace security?

A statue at the Summer Palace.

The lakes of the Summer Palace

.

Summer Palace.

Summer Palace Lake.

Summer Palace.

Rest time at the Summer Palace.

The Long Corridor at the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace.

The two-story Marble Boat, Summer Palace.

The Marble Boat.

View from the Summer Palace of Beijing.

View from the Summer Palace of Beijing.

Locals gather in the Dazhalan area of Beijing.

Dazhalan - a pedestrianised shopping zone famous for its old shops and businesses.

Two American tourists in Dazhalan.

Dazhalan pedestrian shopping district.

In central Beijing near the shopping district of Dazhalan.

A chef pounds his sticky dough.

A heavy mallot for some very sticky dough.

A "hutong" in central Beijing.

A hutong in central Beijing.

A warren of all sorts of things.

Liulichang, a street famous for its Chinese arts and crafts. This man carved several chinese chops for us.

Beijing city streets.

A store on Liulichang.

Chinese calligrapher on Luilichang.

Out for a walk on Liulichang.

Dong'anmen Food Market.

Street food at Dong'anmen Market.

Street food at Dong'anmen Market.

Street food at Dong'anmen Market.

Street food at Dong'anmen Market.

Takeaway "Chicken in a Bag".

Beijing's commercial district.

Beijing's commercial district.

Day 4 - Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square.

Tiananmen Square facing the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Inside the Forbidden City, with my guide.

View from the Forbidden City of Tiananmen Square.

Old and New Beijing - view from the Drum Tower of Beijing's hutongs and commercial district.

Old and New Beijing - the hutongs and the commercial district.

Old and New Beijing - the hutongs and the commercial district.

Looking down at a building in a hutong.

Looking down at the hutongs.

Old and New Beijing - the hutongs and the commercial district.

Day 5 - Lama Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist Temple.

The Lama Temple.

Lama Temple.

Lama Temple.

Budhist Monks at the Lama Temple.

Lama Temple.

Lama Temple.

Street scene outside the Lama Temple.