Several years ago I was fortunate to visit China three times. I made the trips in 2005, 2006, and 2008. On the first trip I was amazed at the incongruity between my expectations and the reality I found. Like others of my generation, I grew up during the cold war. I remember that my first passport stated explicitly that I could not travel to Cuba, Albania, or China. Not knowing what to expect, on arrival in China I would not have been surprised to see large numbers of people wearing Mao era clothing living in drab cities with little or no color. The photos of Beijing in the gallery below completely contradict that cold war mental image.

Most of the images in this gallery have appeared elsewhere on the Internet. But photographs on the Internet are like raindrops in the ocean, so it is unlikely that many have seen them. For the presentation here they have been completely reworked, making them size appropriate for current computer monitors. These photos were all taken in Beijing over the three trips I made. The gallery is organized with street scenes first, followed by tourist highlights and parks.

In time, I will post galleries of other Chinese cities.

Beijing, China 2005-2008

Beijing Highways – On the Way from the Airport to Downtown

Approaching Downtown Beijing at 5:00 p.m.

Street Scene – Beijing

Beijing Apartments

Beijing Urban Renewal

Street Scene – Downtown Beijing

KFC – Downtown Beijing

Inside the KFC

Birthday Party at McDonald’s – Downtown Beijing

Wangfujin Street – Globalization on Steroids

Street Scene – Main Gate of Beijing Normal University

The Commuter – Beijing

Beijing Train Station – Rear View

Catholic Church East – Beijing

The Bell Tower

View from the Bell Tower

View from the Bell Tower

Bicycle Rickshaws

Main Entrance to the Forbidden City

View of Tiananmen Square from the Main Gate to the Forbidden City

Inside the Forbidden City

Starbucks in the Forbidden City

Nationalities Park

Nationalities Park

Friends – Nationalities Park

The Temple of Heaven – Temple of Heaven Park

Grandfather and Granddaughter – Temple of Heaven Park

Calligrapher – Temple of Heaven Park

Portico Detail at a Restaurant – Temple of Heaven Park

Divine Music Administration

The Summer Palace – Summer Palace Park

Costume Photo Preparation – Summer Palace Park

Costume Photo – Summer Palace Park

View at Summer Palace Park

Tourists on the Great Wall – Badaling

Family on the Great Wall – Badaling

Umbrellas for Sale – Great Wall at Badaling

The Great Wall – Juyongguan Pass

The Great Wall – Juyongguan Pass