6 - 7
In 2006 I went to Beijing, China, to attend the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) International Conference. I was there with the likes of Steve Squyres of Mars Rover fame, and Bill Nye the Science Guy. It was fun and I very much enjoyed being back with scientists again. The mental boost was amazing.
This was one of the displays at the opening ceremonies for the conference, China's launch vehicles. They are justifiably proud of their space program.
I have a travelogue and more pictures in a pdf format here.
I did manage to get some sightseeing in while there, much to the consternation of the college students who were helping those of us without any language skills. They had a hard time imagining why I would want to wander around Beijing on my own.
This is the side of the imperial palace. It is completely surrounded by this moat, the dirt from which was used to create the tallest hill in Beijing. The Ming and Qing dynasties did not do anything in a small way.
These are ubiquitous on the older imperial buildings: the guy in front is a prince riding a chicken; he is followed by some combination of the eleven sacred animals (six are shown here - the more important the building, the more animals). I have never been able to find the legend that explains why the prince (who is disgraced, by the way) is riding a chicken, nor why this entourage is at the corner of all the big buildings. Either no one knows, or they don't understand why I want to know.
This, being roofed in blue, is the Temple of Heaven. It is part of a huge complex of imperial temples that stretches through a large park in Beijing. The colors are amazing, and the structures themselves are beautifully done. The emperor and his family would come here at different times of the year to perform ceremonies for the good of the country.
A close up of the tile and painted wood on the Temple of Heaven.
This piece actually goes up between two stair cases on the temple mount. It shows the phoenix, the symbol of the empress. There were also panels with the dragon symbol of the emperor.
This was my favorite place in Beijing, because it was quiet. This is the TEmple of Ancient Emperors, a complex of buildings where old emperors and retainers who had done great things were honored. The retainers included a bean curd merchant turned military commander and a guy who invented a type of writing that looked like birds and ended up killing himself trying to figure out what medical applications there were for all the plants he could find.
There was one young family, a cadre of military cadets, and me on the day I went. First time in a week I could (a) see the sky, and (b) not be surrounded by people. China is not a place for someone with anxiety about crowds.
<
>
