View after reaching the top!

Getting closer to the top.

Nearing the top.

Eddie and I at the Great Wall.

Tourists, and a lot of them for off-season.

Closer view from one of the small shelters.

The Great Wall.

View of the mountains from the biggest tomb.

The Ming Emperor's soul tablet.

Stone offering tools for the gods.

What you're supposed to do is basically go "I'm home!" if you step from the other side. That means you're alive.

This is the Star Gate in the Ming Tombs. They used to think it was a portal between heaven and earth.

Here's Eddie.

Some chick.

Inside the big area with all the Ming treasures.

Incense burner. Some people actually put money in them, too.

Entrance to the Ming tombs.

Catholic church in the Wanfujing area.

Inside.

Closeup of Chairman Mao.

At Tiananmen Square.

Bingtang hulu, one of the many treats you can find in the snack alley.

to the left...

Wanfujing, Beijing's shopping district.

More of the Summer Palace grounds.

Here's a closer view.

This is a giant marble boat the Dowager Empress built so she and her entourage/friends could have tea parties and pretend they were on the lake.

The awesome looking-gateway. Though to be honest, after a few days of looking at it, it all looks the same.

The main temple.

This is one screwed-up awesome tree.

here's a more polished one

Ancient flower carving.

This is the label of the well.

This is a well that held the water that would keep you immortal and/or young.

dragon.

A phoenix.

This is what the Japanese call a kirin. I think.

At the Summer Palace.

This is the word for "buddha" upside down.

Here's the guy responsible

More water calligraphy!

Closer up.

The rotunda.

One of the incense burners.

OK. That's the actual Temple of Heaven.

Eddie made me do it. I SWEAR.

This is what you do: you stand on the stone, and supposedly if you clap your hands, you can hear it echo very well.