Saturday, August 26, 2006.
Today was our day for the Forbidden City and Tiannamen Square. They weren't a far walk from our hotel, but it seemed like quite the walk with baby dancing on my bladder.

A lot of the Forbidden Palace was under renovation. Got to get everything pretty in time for the Olympics. That was fine with me. It is a huge place and we didn't even see half of it! You know you have had enough when you are scouting out places to sit and rest. It was really crowded too. I can only imagine what it is like over holidays or what it will be like once the crowds from the Olympics arrive!
I guess it is a "must see" for Beijing, but I just didn't have the same enthusiasm at the end of the trip that I did at the beginning. Besides, Shenyang also has a Forbidden City, though not as big. It wasn't used for as long either. I don't think I ever wrote about our visit there. I will have to blog it.

Even Tiannamen Gate was under renovation. I took a shot anyway as you can still see the top part of it and the picture of Chairman Mao. I have some better pictures that my friend June took a few weeks ago before the green scaffolding stuff went up. I think those will be the ones I get prints of. The ugly construction picture is mine though and shows that I have indeed "been there, done that."