Beijing, which we lost

Began the journey to Beijing's new airport terminal architecture Norman Foster. But nothing about Norman Foster, nor about the fact that this airport will take the first place in my personal ranking of airports, I had not guessed.





First impressions of the hotel began. The view from the window and hit pressed his thoroughness.





The next strongest impression was the bicycle - but not funny strolling cyclists Amsterdam style and very kolortinye traders and laborers, for which the bike is not just a means of transportation, but also a basis of all their activities, and some local meaning of life.





Broad marked velopolosy along major highways.





Everywhere huge veloparkovki. Something rust and gradually grows into the asphalt, but on what is already going to work. I have never understood how the owners find their bikes in such chaos.





Bored bicycle rickshaws. Events took place two and a half before the Olympics, so the city was not spoiled by tourists and lived his life closed not a tourist.





The first impression is the number three: the police, but rather the people's armed police - they are everywhere. For example, can be built on an area of ​​strolling among schoolchildren





Can stand at the entrance to a secret alley





A guard can shop in the yard





And, of course, help to catch a taxi and the taxi driver to explain where to go





Taxi - a separate big topic. It was obscenely cheap, and there were a lot of cars - all new and clean. But after the Olympics, all taxi drivers seemed to have changed: in the 2009m and catch the car and get on the counter - has become a problem.





Private Beijing winter charm - no tourists





Even in places of worship such as the Forbidden City, was deserted, and the rare group of tourists - and they were not Europeans and the Chinese province of. Full immersion into the atmosphere.





The famous Tiananmen Square - absolutely boring, windswept space. And after a victory lap around the perimeter of the area that lasted for a good hour, the only entertainment were questions to our guide-Chinese about the events of the 89th year, in response to which he cleared his throat and spoke poltikorrektno "Indeed, there were minor problems»





Was the standard kultprogramma like performances of masters of kung fu





On the second day of the trip I was masterfully mastered chopsticks



Very beautiful tree branches

In the summer of foliage branches are not visible, and lost some share of drama oldest districts of Beijing

What a beauty. Almost Karvan

All someone's life in a single frame

But back to the new areas. In terms of modern architecture, and if Beijing can than a surprise, it is clearly not the grace of form, but rather the scale and massive buildings

Even skyscrapers look heavily and hard

Although, 8 years ago, I was dizzy from such species

Meanwhile, in Beijing fell fell for the first winter snow

And it coincided with the celebration of Chinese New Year

Certainly impressions from that trip would not be complete without a visit to the shops. But against the backdrop of the city life, culture and modern, but a completely different world, shops do not even moved to the second and the third-fourth plan. And the only thing memorable about them - the number of sellers, greatly exceeds the number of buyers.

Mao Zedong in every shop

And for the more discerning buyers - Mao surrounded by Lin Biao and Liu Shaoqi