Beijing -- Olympic Park and Peking Duck

As we left for the day on our way to the Great Wall, we drove by the 2008 Olympic Park!

Beijing National Stadium "The Birds Nest" 

Beijing National Aquatics Center "Water Cube"
where Michael Phelps broke all those records and earned all those medals which, by the way, are all laden with jade!!

Olympic participants housing....
There were 24 tons of water bottles delivered to the rooms each day, but not via the elevators----
they were carried up the stairs!!! 

 

Chinese lantern intersection decor 

When we drove by the Olympic Park that morning, we were all a bit frustrated not being able to stop to take pictures, but Sunny assured us we would be back that evening!
 

After dark is definitely the time for pictures
with the buildings lit up!! 

 

Then we were off to our last dinner in Beijing...

...a Peking Duck dinner at Quanjude Restaurant!!

 

Slices of duck on a duck plate

The whole duck spread ....
pretty much all of the meats on the table are duck.
 Interestingly enough, Peking Duck is like a Chinese burrito-- you take the thin wrapper ("mandarin pancake"), place on it a slice of duck, scallion strips (at Flat Stanley's right hand), then top with hoisin sauce (next to the scallions),
wrap and eat!

This brand new, still unoccupied, "SOHO" building is one of the apartment buildings designed specifically in mind for the entrepreneur-- home and work-from-home office in one!!

One advantage to working from home would be to avoid the insane traffic on one of the 5 ring roads...

After safely making it back to the hotel, we prepared for our next day's final Beijing adventures at the zoo and our relocation to Xi'an!!

Beijing -- Sacred Way

The other piece to Ming Tombs is this mile-long path known as Sacred Way, called such being that originally commoners were not allowed to enter. The emperor would walk this path only once a year during a religious ceremony.
 

The statues of animals and officials stand guard for the surrounding tombs.

 

 

Rodney getting more practice of "life imitating art".

 

 

The Chinese mythical creature, Qilin, has a dragon head, fish body, and ox legs/hooves.

 

Life imitates art, again, as Rodney imitates the picture of Chairman Mao standing beside the elephant.

 

Behind us is the gate the Emperor would have entered first as he started his walk to the tombs. 

A half-moon looking down on the gate... 

"Shengong Shengde Stele"
"The Stele of Godly Merit and Saintly Virtue" tells the 'greatness' of one of the emperors.

 

And the fun signage winner of Sacred Way...
 

Beijing -- Ming Tomb

Ming Tombs and the Sacred Way are the burial place for thirteen Ming Dynasty Emperors.

As you can see from the familiar architecture, this was originally built in the same time period as the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. Unfortunately, for us, the buildings all began to look alike after awhile..... 

Silk Burning Stove 

The marble path was originally only walked on by the Emperor. 

 

 

 

 

Not sure what the money's for... wishes? prayers? upkeep? 

Rodney headed up to the gate tower. 

Looking back down at the grounds and the Emperor's Path from the gate tower. 

Looking like its going to be another beautiful sunset over Beijing!

I thought the clouds look like a bird in full wing span.

Now, for a different look at the Ming Tombs....

 A four-star toilet!!!!
Uummm..... if this one was a four-star, we sure wouldn't want to see a one- or two-star toilet!!
It was too crowded to really get pictures inside, but we were able to capture a collection of toilet signage...

 

 

 

While we're on the subject of toilets, this is a good time to point out that if you ever find yourself travelling to China, you need to be prepared for two things---
1~ be proficient in the use of squattie potties, as you very likely may find yourself with no other option!
2~ carry your own toilet paper!! Not because theirs is like sandpaper or anything, but because there simply may not be any!! If they did provide tp, you'll be likely to find it as one roll by the entrance, instead of in each stall, so be sure and grab some when its your turn! Evidently, when they put it in each stall, its all gone (taken home) by mid-day...

And, a couple more fun signage pieces...

 

And here's comes that gorgeous sunset...
as we make our way to Sacred Way...