龙舌 Dragon Tongues

Wow. It’s huge, it’s big and you’re going to love it. Steeped with centuries of feuding history, sweetened love stories, stoic architecture and a dash of extra-worldly charm, the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) is a must on anyone’s travel agenda.

Seriously, it’s amazing. I knew little more about Chinese history than the couple of overviews I had read in different guides. It seemed like everything was muddled in the ever-changing emperors and dynasties, but taking a tour of the Forbidden City laid a basis for beginning to grasp the complex and varied events of Chinese history.

(I apologize in advance that that photos at the end of this clip are of a bluish tint.)

:(.

Sorry.  Although I was never destined for bloggerary fame (feness?), I should be posting more.  I’ll try harder in the future.

So, below is a clip of pictures I quickly threw together of the 隆兴寺 (Long Xing Buddhist Temple) my host family took me to visit a couple of weeks ago.  It’s amazing to think that the creation, or continual renovation began around 586.  You’ll notice in the middle of a clip a couple of ‘dusty’ pictures of a bronze statue.  This is the 22-meter high Kwan-Yin statue that has over 40 arms and is one of the largest bronze statues in China.

First meal in China.

Shijiazhuang at night, from inside the train station.

The Egg: The National Center for Performing Arts, Beijing

Another view of The Egg.

The Islamic Shahadah on a door in an old section of Beijing.

Mao. (Tian’anmen)