Zhongshan Park, Quiet Spot Next to the Forbidden City

Our friend told us as long as we were talking about some of her favorite places in Beijing, we should also include Zhongshan Park. It is located literally next to the Forbidden City; and, in fact, used to be part of the Imperial Palace. Zhongshan Park was named for Sun Yat-sen; better known in China as Sun Zhongshan; considered to be the father of modern China.

Although busy in the early morning with senior citizens doing their morning exercises, later in the day it is beautiful and quiet. Considering its location in the midst of the most famous spots in Beijing, it really is a hidden gem. We have to agree with our friend. We have often taken travelers there for a few quiet moments. We recommend it for our travelers who have taken our Customized Tours. We haven't as yet included it on our If You Have More Time page, but we now think that it is an ideal addition.

Beautiful Jingshan Park, Beijing China

Our American friend has been exploring Beijing during her stay here. Beijing is quite busy at the moment. People from all over the world have come here to see the Olympics. She has decided to join in the fun and be a tourist also.

She is visiting some of the must-see sights, as well as some of the lesser known places. However some of her favorite spots to visit are famous, but not frequented by large crowds of tourists.

One of her favorite places is Jingshan Park. After visiting the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park is the ideal place to go to get away from the crowds, and yet to experience the history of Beijing. It is located across the street from the north gate of the Forbidden City. The best view of Beijing is from the Pavilion of Everlasting Spring, which used to be the highest point in the city. From the pavilion, looking south, you can see the golden roofs of the Imperial Palace. Looking northwards, the Drum and Bell Towers can be seen.

We have included Jingshan Park on our website on the If You Have More Time page. More and more people are traveling to Beijing for other reasons than the the traditional tour. If you are interested in experiencing the historical side of Beijing, yet want to experience Beijing in the places that Beijing residents visit, Jingshan Park is one of those places. After her glowing reviews, we will start suggesting it to more of our travelers.

Beijing Journey Welcomes Our American Friend

Our American friend returned last week to Beijing for the Olympics and also for a friend's wedding. While here, she has been doing some exploring. We asked her to take some pictures, and also let us know of any places that she felt that other travelers might be interested in. Some of the places she has visited in the past week were places she has been to before, but some were new sights. She was particularly interested in how some historical sights have been refurbished.

We are always interested in adding to and refining our customized tour offers and we are particularly interested in adding more to If You Have More Time, so we definitely are interested in her unbiased views. More and more people are coming to Beijing for a variety of reason, and more and more are repeat visitors. We feel that it is important that we keep-up with all that is going on in Beijing.

If you have read our blog before, you will know that this is our first blog. We are still in the early stages of learning what this can do for our business. Right at the moment we are learning how it is possible to add a picture gallery to the blog. It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. Over time, we hope that we can share with you the many faces of Beijing. We are enthusiastic about our city, and we, at Beijing Journey, really want to share Beijing with you! So, for the time-being, we will add individual pictures, such as the one on today's blog of the edge of a Forbidden City's roof. The picture is a classic one, and one we particularly like.

Pictures From Our Arrival at Beijing Capitol International Airport

Beijing Welcomes You!

The New Beijing Capitol International Airport

The Olympics have come to Beijing! We have taken the time in the past few days to enjoy some of it ourselves! In the past few days we have taken more than a few pictures, and we would like to share them with everyone in our next posts.

The new terminal for international travel is now open. We were impressed with the beauty and efficiency of it all. The terminal is huge, but the train arrived immediately and took us to the customs area. Customs was an easy process, and our baggage was on the carousel when we entered the baggage area.

There is an air of excitement as soon as you enter the main terminal. The travelers are greeted by volunteers, and everywhere you see evidence of the Olympics. As we left baggage claim, there were cameramen just waiting for the athletes. As one would be spotted, people came running from all around to greet them. The rest of the passengers were greeted by the characters, and people waited in line to have their pictures taken with them.

Beijing Capitol International Airport is a great introduction to Beijing! We hope that all the travelers here will enjoy themselves, and hope that we can personally meet some of them when they use our services ar Beijing Journey Travel!