Our next visitor, Mark’s dad, Dan Tobin, came in May. He got to spend quality time with his grandsons. We showed him all the great sights in Shanghai, and we introduced him to “real” Chinese food.
We also went to Beijing together. We saw all the major tourist attractions like the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square, the Olympic Village, and the infamous food stall street on Wangfuling.
The Great Wall is about a 2 hour drive from Beijing’s city center. However, it was worth the drive. It was a beautiful rare day as we hiked up the Great Wall. The sky was blue, there was no dust storm, and the temperature was perfect! The hike was steep and strenuous, but the five of us all made it up. Mark carried Quinlan on his shoulders, Anh Thy held Brennan in her arms, and Gramps was not too far behind. When we reached the top, we relaxed by eating some tasty snacks, drinking cold beverages, and enjoying the view.
Our next stop was the Forbidden City which is located within the city center. It was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. This place is massive! You could easily spend an entire day here and still not cover everything. Right across the street is Tian’anmen Square. It is basically a huge plaza with government buildings, Mao’s mausoleum, museums, and monuments.
Down the street from the Forbidden City is the infamous food stall street on Wangfuling. This is not a place for someone who has a weak stomach. The food vendors sale some bizarre “food” like starfish, millipedes, and scorpions. We actually saw a lady eat a whole fried starfish! Everything is fried and served kabob style. Yum!!!
Our final sight seeing tour was a quick drive by the Olympic Village. We saw the outside of the National Aquatic Center, nicknamed “Water Cube”, and the National Stadium, nicknamed “Bird’s Nest”.
Quinlan and Mark at Tian'anmen Square
Infamous food stall street on Wangfuling
The Tobin boys infront of Forbidden City
Forbidden City in Beijing
Quinlan trying on his hotel robe while Brennan laughs at him
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