North side of the Front Gate (Qianmen) into the ancient city of Beijing. This was one of nine great gates through the wall that surrounded the city. The wall was removed in 1958 and the gate now stands alone as a monument at the south end of Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square, which occupies an area equal to 90 football fields.
In the center of Tiananmen Square is the Monument to the People's Heroes, erected in 1958. The building in the background is the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, which opened in 1977. Five million visitors a year come to view Mao's preserved remains. By midmorning, the line of visitors stretches out for a few hundred yards, but it continuously moves along at a very slow, strolling pace.
On the west side of Tiananmen Square, shown here behind the Monument to the People's Heroes, is the Great Hall of the People (also called the 10,000 People Hall because the main auditorium seats 10,000 people). The Great Hall of the People is China's legislative center, the home of the National People's Congress. In addition to the main auditorium, it also contains a large reception room for each of China's 32 provinces.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) is at the north end of Tiananmen Square and is the south entrance into the Imperial Palace (formerly referred to as the Forbidden City).
Two of the halls in the Imperial Palace. These buildings served various governmental functions during the days when China was ruled by an Emperor.
Two of the nine dragons on the Nine-Dragon Screen in the Imperial Palace. This work of art, constructed of ceramic tiles in 1773, is 96 feet long and 12 feet high.
At the north end of the Imperial Palace are the Imperial Gardens, where the Emperor and his family could relax.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
In the center of Tiananmen Square is the Monument to the People's Heroes, erected in 1958. The building in the background is the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, which opened in 1977. Five million visitors a year come to view Mao's preserved remains. By midmorning, the line of visitors stretches out for a few hundred yards, but it continuously moves along at a very slow, strolling pace.
On the west side of Tiananmen Square, shown here behind the Monument to the People's Heroes, is the Great Hall of the People (also called the 10,000 People Hall because the main auditorium seats 10,000 people). The Great Hall of the People is China's legislative center, the home of the National People's Congress. In addition to the main auditorium, it also contains a large reception room for each of China's 32 provinces.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) is at the north end of Tiananmen Square and is the south entrance into the Imperial Palace (formerly referred to as the Forbidden City).
Two of the halls in the Imperial Palace. These buildings served various governmental functions during the days when China was ruled by an Emperor.
Two of the nine dragons on the Nine-Dragon Screen in the Imperial Palace. This work of art, constructed of ceramic tiles in 1773, is 96 feet long and 12 feet high.
At the north end of the Imperial Palace are the Imperial Gardens, where the Emperor and his family could relax.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
On the west side of Tiananmen Square, shown here behind the Monument to the People's Heroes, is the Great Hall of the People (also called the 10,000 People Hall because the main auditorium seats 10,000 people). The Great Hall of the People is China's legislative center, the home of the National People's Congress. In addition to the main auditorium, it also contains a large reception room for each of China's 32 provinces.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) is at the north end of Tiananmen Square and is the south entrance into the Imperial Palace (formerly referred to as the Forbidden City).
Two of the halls in the Imperial Palace. These buildings served various governmental functions during the days when China was ruled by an Emperor.
Two of the nine dragons on the Nine-Dragon Screen in the Imperial Palace. This work of art, constructed of ceramic tiles in 1773, is 96 feet long and 12 feet high.
At the north end of the Imperial Palace are the Imperial Gardens, where the Emperor and his family could relax.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) is at the north end of Tiananmen Square and is the south entrance into the Imperial Palace (formerly referred to as the Forbidden City).
Two of the halls in the Imperial Palace. These buildings served various governmental functions during the days when China was ruled by an Emperor.
Two of the nine dragons on the Nine-Dragon Screen in the Imperial Palace. This work of art, constructed of ceramic tiles in 1773, is 96 feet long and 12 feet high.
At the north end of the Imperial Palace are the Imperial Gardens, where the Emperor and his family could relax.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
Two of the halls in the Imperial Palace. These buildings served various governmental functions during the days when China was ruled by an Emperor.
Two of the nine dragons on the Nine-Dragon Screen in the Imperial Palace. This work of art, constructed of ceramic tiles in 1773, is 96 feet long and 12 feet high.
At the north end of the Imperial Palace are the Imperial Gardens, where the Emperor and his family could relax.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
Two of the nine dragons on the Nine-Dragon Screen in the Imperial Palace. This work of art, constructed of ceramic tiles in 1773, is 96 feet long and 12 feet high.
At the north end of the Imperial Palace are the Imperial Gardens, where the Emperor and his family could relax.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
At the north end of the Imperial Palace are the Imperial Gardens, where the Emperor and his family could relax.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
In the foreground is a small part of the Cloud Dispelling Hall, which served in the early 1900s as the place where the Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday parties. In the background, on the slope of Longevity Hill, is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue. These buildings are within the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
Left of center is the Tower of Buddhist Virtue, within the Summer Palace. In the background, at the top of Longevity Hill, is the Sea of Wisdom Temple. It is also known as the Beamless Hall, because it is built entirely of bricks and stone without a single beam or rafter.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
This is the theater in the Summer Palace. It is three stories tall, contains several trap doors through which the actors could make surprise entrances, and is considered to be the cradle of Peking Opera.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge leads to South Lake Island in Kunming Lake, which surrounds the Summer Palace. On the island is the Dragon King's Temple. Boating on the lake is very popular.
Close-up of the elegant details in the Marble Boat on the edge of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace. A view of Sue and Gene in front of the boat is on the index page.