Dennis Wright's Blog

Next up Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen means the “Gate of Heavenly Peace” which is ironic given most Westerners’ immediate reaction to the mention of the name.

Somewhere there is a video of me taking this photo.

And indeed, here it is:

The black lady in red and black, seen at the start of the video, was on our cruise. We don’t know her name but she was only ever seen dressed up to the nines, in heels and hat, even at breakfast. If she were called to a celebrity cocktail party at a moment’s notice, she’d be ready.

The Olympic Countdown Clock in front of the Museum of Chinese History. If you can be bothered you can work out the exact moment this photo was taken.

Monument in front of Mao Tse Tung’s Mausoleum. The Mausoleum was shut so we could not pay our respects to the great man.

But his photo is prominently displayed. He is still a highly revered figure, despite the end of the Cultural Revolution and China’s move away from the fundamentals of Communism.

We stayed overnight at the Grand Hotel Beijing. Room very much in the old colonial style but with incongruous modern touches such as an electronic illuminated bedside control panel for all the lights, air conditioning etc. There was a nice view from the window.

Hotel lounge:

Arch outside the hotel. I think this was inspired by the one in Manchester.