May 14 Father's Day in Beijing

Hot, very hot, 37 degrees. And crowded, many Chinese people everywhere!

We drove through the traffic jam to the Forbidden City, standing in line, security checks, thousands of mostly Chinese visitors want to go there too. It's loud, full of people everywhere, some wearing the same caps or T-shirts, young and old.

Honestly, the various halls (of perfect, supreme, all-holy harmony) all look the same.

The interiors are usually closed off, and when you can see inside, it’s dark and hardly recognizable. The atmosphere that regularly captivated me at Buddhist or Hindu temples was unfortunately absent here. The crowd and hustle completely destroy any contemplative atmosphere. After 2 hours we are done. A shuttle takes us to our bus at the entrance.

In the afternoon we drive about 50 km to the Juyongguan Pass, where the wall rises on both sides of a narrow valley - thousands of steps that we climb depending on our fitness, including the descent. The view of the opposite wall with the ant-like people on it is quite nice to see.

Conclusion: Beijing is a city of administration and officials, which is clearly reflected in its somewhat stereotypical architecture. Largely faceless administrative buildings, with rare highlights.

I was surprised that very few people have even rudimentary knowledge of English. Even in a high-end 4-star hotel, the term 'lift?' is still unknown.