Escalators of the NCPA My favorite building in Beijing is the National Center for the Performing Arts. It is a stunning piece of architecture that mirrors what happens in the three venues inside. I took my brother to explore this … Continued
My brother recently visited me on a quick visit to Beijing, and by quick, I mean less than a week. It was great fun though. I got to share with him some of my favorite places in Beijing and experience … Continued
Beijing gets a bad rap for bad air. It is true that the air is bad many days and unbearable on some, but it is not solely the city’s fault. Part of the blame should go to those who first … Continued
When you enter the Forbidden City from the front gate under the magnitudinous portrait of Mao, you are still half a city away. On either side of this first section, which is a series of gates, before reaching the actual … Continued
As I mentioned in my Senso-ji post, I wrote a few of my own haiku while in Japan. It seemed fitting. I shared one before about the beautiful orb weavers I saw throughout my time in Japan. That one was … Continued
With their backs up to the mountains and a stream in their front, the Ming Tombs just outside of Beijing offer the quintessential Chinese protection based on geomancy or feng shui. Thirteen of the Ming Dynasty’s emperors were interred in … Continued
Beijing World Heritage Of the 48 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China, seven are in Beijing. They include the obvious like the Forbidden City and Great Wall, but they also include the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs, Peking Man … Continued
One of my all-time favorite buildings is the Chinese National Center for the Performing Arts. Floating on a reflection pool and looking like an egg or a globe or an ear of corn or a yin and yang swirl, this … Continued
The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games Opening Ceremony mesmerized me. The first time I saw the Bird’s Nest, the building where it took place, my heart skipped a beat. When I saw one of the drums from the spectacle at … Continued
The tallest structure in Beijing, the CCTV tower stands on the west side of town. From the top, you can look down on everything. It was a bit windy and wasn’t the clearest day, but I’d definitely go back up … Continued