As it's summer in China now, dawn breaks before 5 in the morning. By 5.30a.m, I could see vehicles hitting the roads and commuters were already heading to work. In fact, to beat the crowd, many of the tours actually start their day as early as 4.30a.m to catch the flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square. Fortunately, being teachers, that didn't pose much of a problem for us as we are pretty used to waking up early.

The Temple of Heaven
Our first stop was the Temple of Heaven. The Temple was built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven. Much thought had been put into the architecture and the design of the temple. Every single part of the architecture has its own profound significance behind it.

Lunch @ Quan Ju De (Peking Duck)
Peking Duck, one of the most Epicurean dishes in China. The chef will come in with a roast duck and slice the duck meat in your presence onto a plate. Along with a few green onions / leeks, shaves of duck meat are then wrapped up in a small pancake with some plum sauce.

Though pricy, the restaurant was packed with patrons on the two occasions we were there (Yeah, it was so good that we just had to have it again before we leave on our last day in Beijing). I usually don't take the skin because of its fats, but the duck was so well-roasted that I couldn't resist it. I had to make an exception for its succulent duck skin. The fats and the fragrance of the duck simply oozed out as I bit into it. Ironically, it was terribly sinful yet heavenly!


Even our MM Lee Kwan Yew was there!

Beijing 2008 Olympics Games
After visiting the Yonghe Gong (a Lama Temple), we adjourned to the Beijing National Stadium (aka the Bird's Nest) where the 2008 Olympics will be held. It's a pity that construction is still underway and hence, not opened to the public. As such, we could only take pictures of the exterior.

China has really taken great pains to clean up the city and improve its infrastructure in preparation for the Olympics. Rigorous campaigns are held to promote the event and educate its people in order to showcase the "New Beijing" as a modern economic and social power.


2008 Olympics Slogan: One World, One Dream

It's Makan Time Again!
For dinner, we had some junk food at the roadside stalls. My favourite was the fried soft shell crab (No picture though. I gobbled it up before my husband could take a picture of me with the crabs! Hahaha… what's new right?). After which, we visited Hou Hai which is a Clarke Quay equivalent where there are lots of up market restaurants, serving mainly the tourists and expatriates. Expensive place, but nice ambience.



To be continued...