My Monochrome Beijing

Wander around Beijing in the winter, everything seem freeze in time. With it richness historical background, sometimes can't help but has the illusion of criss-crossing the modern and history lives.

Hou Hai Bei Yan

This is the area of Hou Hai, infront of the Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling. It is a quiet area by the side of the lake with attractive hutongs. It was snowed the day before, the weather was colder than expected. But there was still a group of winter swimmers swam in the lake.

Soong Ching Ling, one of the legendary women in China history. It is love that brought her together with an extraordinary man - Sun Yat Sen. There goes the lifelong adventure of upholding her husband's ideals of liberty and equality within China's political and social arenas.

Garbage collector at Xian Shan Gong Yuan

Splendid view of Forbidden City from Jing Shan Park

Forbidden City serves as home to the Ming and Qing emperors. It had witness the glory and decline of the emperors for almost 500 hundred years.

Recently, Forbidden City has reminds me of the last emperor - Pu Yi. Ever since he ascended the throne at aged 2 years old and 10 months, he was fated to live life that out of ordinary, a life that can never be controlled by him.

Pu Yi started as the emperor for Qing dynasty around 2 years old, was expelled from the Forbidden City at 18 years old. At aged of 28, he became the puppet emperor of Manchukuo. At the end of World War II, he was captured by Soviet Red Army as war criminal for 5 years. He was repatriated and re-educated in war criminals management centre for 10 years. At aged of 53, he was declared reformed.

Later in his life, he visited Forbidden City once. This time, he is no longer an emperor but just a regular civil of The People's Republic of China.

Deer at Beijing Zoo

Some animals are very alert with me walking closer and camera pointed to them. They usually ran away before I managed to have a single shoot. But there was exception form this little cute deer.

View from Mutianyu Great Wall's watchtower

In the misty weather the visibility is poor but the view of Great Wall is still spectacular. I always wonder how the people built it back then many centuries ago.

Qin Shi Huang - the first emperor of Qin dynasty and also a pivotal figure in Chinese history. He is the emperor who unified China, standardized the Chinese scripts & units of measurements, undertook gigantic projects like Great Wall & Lingqu Canal, etc... All these were very impactful in the development of China history.

He is too 'well-known' with his great atrocities like eliminated hundred schools of thought, buried alive scholars & burned books that previously existed, in search of elixir of life, built of mausoleum that guarded by a life-sized Terracotta Army, etc... All was executed at the cost of countless lives for achieving his personal agenda.

Senior citizens infront of Tiananmen Square

Are they the survivors of Cultural Revolution?

Area around Forbidden City Guard Canal

Walking around the area outside the Forbidden City, it is peace and tranquility. What a contrast with the racket inside the Forbidden City.