We embarked on a whirl-wind tour of the “Forbidden City’ and the “Summer Palace’ Strangely enough so did the rest of Beijing.
Here’s everyone else with us, trying to get in the gates.
A yellow roof indicates the home of the Emperor. I will obviously be changing the colour of my roofing tiles on returning to Ealing.
I love the Chinese attitude to ancient relics. ‘It’s old it needs painting, lets paint it.’ None of this conservation nonsense. With the Beijing Olympics coming up soon they’re repainting everything, hence the scaffolding.
Some sanding required.
A pointy thing.
The Emperor’s path, with Pat on it. I don’t think the Emperor would approve. Good job he died some centuries ago.
Newly painted decor. At least they didn’t get some cowboys from Ealing to do it. They would have ended up with it painted egg-shell white in some of Wickes‘ finest bargain emulsion.
A marble boat. Yes, that is utterly ridiculous in my books.