There were two other places which I visited but I didn't manage to obtain the English names. One was to a temple (here I saw the most famous artist on Chinese painting of horses exhibiting his skills) and yet another 'authentic' Chinese building which promotes lion statues as a good luck charm.

I don't mind not remembering well about the above mentioned places. There were other popular tourist places like the Beihai Lake (where the dressing table poetries can be found), Marco Polo bridge, Zhou Kou Dian (Peking Man Site), Lama temple, and the old observatory (although our bus did pass by it) which we did not visit. I don't mind that either. But I did mind two things which I did not do in Beijing.

One - to witness the famous flag-raising ceremony (as famous as the changing of guards in London) at Tiananmen Square. Like I mentioned earlier, very early in the morning, one can come here to catch the flag raising ceremony which is a special sight where the five-star red flag is hoisted at the very time the sun emerges on the horizon. Second - guess what? I would just love to give a try at cycling in the city!! If you have the chance, there are usually bicycles for rent available at hotels.

Finally before I forget, I think it would also be very romantic to stroll around Tiananmen Square at night because the area is beautifully lit.

I have come to the end of my account of my trip to Beijing/Chengde/Tianjin. It was a very, very wonderful trip. I'm grateful mostly because mom was healthy during the trip and she enjoyed it tremendously. As for me, someone who didn't think much about Beijing, the trip has been an eye opener as well as even make me into thinking that I wouldn't mind returning for a second time.

Here's some pictorial explanations:

At the 'authentic' Chinese building which promotes lion statues as a good luck charm.

The Marco Polo bridge.

The Lama temple.

The old observatory.