In Beijing we had the opportunity to see more of the new mixed with the old. but there it was the most striking than any we’ve seen so far.

The government has made a large effort to restore and preserve many of the historical sites in and around Beijing. I’m not sure how much was in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, and how much has been ongoing, but there are some spectacular sights to see there.

We arrived early in the morning and took the subway to the guest house we were staying at and promptly took a nap, then went out to look at the Olympic structures and wandered around out there until we were freezing cold.

The next day, we met up with our new friends Peter and Anna, and took a train out to the Great Wall. It’s an amazing piece of work, and a tribute to the ancient civilization of China. Still, like a lot of things we’ve seen here, I felt almost schizophrenic with the old, old voice of history speaking in one ear and the chattering of modern tourists mixed with the insistent offers of touts trying to sell me a picture of myself, or a trinket engraved with my name, etc, in the other ear.

Even so, it was fascinating to see stones worn down from hundreds of years and millions of feet as we climbed the stairs from one tower to the next. A wonder is still a wonder.

While we were in Beijing, we got a grand tour, visiting the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, The Great Wall, and the Temple of Heaven, not to mention being introduced to the best street food in Beijing, and all manner of food that our hosts insisted that we just had to try. Peter told us that his goal was to make Beijing our favorite city in China, and I think he succeeded.

We have pictures up from our excursions to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. Take a look.