Yes - There Are Nine Million Bicycles in Beijing

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Our flight from Osaka's impressive Kansai Airport landed us at the architecturally stunning, brand new Beijing Airport designed by Norman Foster (reckoned to be the largest construction project on Earth).

We ran the gauntlet of taxi drivers vyeing for our custom, having given up trying to fathom the transfer by bus and could not take the subway link into the city, because construction work is not yet complete. Driving in China reminded us of similar experiences in India - possession of road space is everything, irrespective of where it is and whether or not it should be your space. After about 45minutes we were delivered to our hotel only a 10 minute walk east of Tian'anmen Square.

Feeling brave on our first fternoon, we took the subway (2Yuan / 15p per ride, however far you travel) to The Silk Market which was an amazing 'retail experience'. Afterwards, we took an evening walk to the square which was thronging with people, a large number of whom wanted to have their photograph taken with our "cool boys". People were also queing to have their photograph taken infront of the 500 year old south gate to the Forbidden City where Mao Zedung's massive portrait hangs to commemorate his announcement of the formation of The People's Republic of China on 1st October 1949.

The next day, we visited Tian'anmen Square again and wondered at its' vast but uninspiring space at the same time moved by its' political and historical significance. The largest public square in the world is surrounded by buildings of the State and houses commemorative monuments and Mao's mausoleum which is opened twice daily so that the public may view his raised, embalmed body. We gave it a miss and went to The Forbidden City instead. This is reached from Tian'anmen Square by underpassing a 10 - lane highway separating two of the World's most significant public spaces. The original City plan which had survived for around 500 years was obliterated during the Cultural Revolution in favour of the east-west connecting highway. Interesting decision.

The Forbidden City was awe-inspiring. The Masterplan occupies a space of about 1500 x 1200m, which doesn't sound a lot until you start walking through it. It is massive and being there seemed almost unreal. The scale of the buildings represent a sheer demonstration of power - real and symbolic and it is hard to believe it remained in functional use until the 1920's. Court after court is passed through with ever-more intricacy of design and detail.

From here we crossed northwards into Jing Shang Park where we scaled the hill to see the pavillion with its' stunning rooftop view of The Forbidden City and sampled some dubious "sausages" on sticks wrapped in sweetbread for a re-fuel. A culinary experience not to be forgotten, but at 3Yuan each (about 20p), we should have known better.

We next continued northwest to the elegant Be Hai Park with its' extensive gardens and lakes where we walked and watched old men paint proverbs on the footpaths with giant paintbrushes and water, the teaching dissolving in the heat almost as quickly as it had been painted in calligraphy. We stopped in a pretty 1920's lakeside terrace restuarant for another late lunch befor heading off again on foot.
Exhausted, we reached the West gate around 6pm where Hilary, Tristan & Seb set of to try and fing the Hutongs and Dominic & I headed back to our hotel. One Starbucks later, Hilary and the boys raised the white flag and returned to the hotel armed with cakes for us to enjoy before going out once more for dinner. A massively successful day one in Beijing.

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