• The lavishness of the Emperors' lifestyles as evidenced by the city which was, as the name implied, forbidden for the commoners to enter.
• The Emperor's assertion of his authority as exemplified by the statue of the mythical lion-like figure with one foot on a globe. Also, the steps are in nines as nine is the biggest single-digit number and signified the Emperor as being the greatest in authority.
• The Emperors' insecurity. The vast courtyards were devoid of trees so as to prevent enemies from hiding behind them. The hundreds of rooms allowed the then Emperor to sleep in a different room each night so as to prevent detection from enemies.
• Even the doctors who attended to the Emperor could not gain direct contact and was known to be able to measure the Emperor's heart rate through a string attached to the Emperor's wrist.

(Photo 1 : Inside the Forbidden City, Notice the lack of trees)

(Photo 2 : A sign in the Forbidden City in Chinese and Manchurian characters as there were some Emperors from the Manchurian descent. Also, don't the Manchurian characters look like Arabic characters turned 90 deg. anti-clockwise? )

Our next stop was at the Tiananmen Square. Probably the biggest and most politically-sensitive public square in the world. Security is tight as entrances to the square are manned by the military with scanners.

There are CCTVs everywhere in the square and one would think that no part of the square is left unscrutinised. You'll notice many ‘professional' photographers willing to take your group photo and insert it in a booklet on China. All this for a fee though (about 130 CNY).

(Photo 3: A panoramic view of the Tiananmen Square)

We noticed a large Halal restaurant near the Tiananmen Square. Most Muslim restaurants carry the following sign on Photo 4.

I do not know of any national Halal certification programs in China. The fact that alcohol is sold in these ‘Halal' restaurants plus the fact that some of the staff don't even know the Salaam raised some suspicion with respect to the Halal-ness of these restaurants.

One of the small restaurants I visited was owned by Uighur Muslims and did not sell alcohol but tolerated alcohol being brought in by customers. Hmmm, I guess the level of tolerance to alcohol is quite different compared to where I come from.

(Photo 5: Interesting translation!)

Summer Palace (Photo 6) is where the Emperor would spend his time to get away from the scorching Beijing summer. These luscious grounds in the Summer Place are a stark contrast to the tree-less courtyards in the Forbidden City.

The Great Wall of China has to be part of any trip to Beijing. The 9,000 km Great Wall of China is reportedly the only man-made structure that can be seen from space. Being there will make you realize the tremendous efforts and sacrifices required to build this monument.

Climbing it will take a fair bit of effort as the steps are steep and irregular - some can be so high that it requires a big step. Please take your time and do not rush. You'll probably need a breather, like I did, and there are some rest areas (previously used as look-out points) for you to do without being in other people's way.

(Photo 7: Notice the steep steps. Use the railings for safety!)

On the way back from the Great Wall, Ming Emperors' Tombs is a good stop over. Thirteen of the 16 Ming Emperors were buried in Beijing while two were in Nanjing (the old capital) and one whose burial site was unknown. One of the tombs was situated 27m underground. It's amazing the great lengths these Emperors went in building resting sites for their afterlife with the hope of continued luxury and greatness beyond the graves.

(Photo 8: Persimmon trees near the Ming Tombs bulging with fruits. A kilogram of persimmons cost only 10CNY)

Hutong, narrow streets, are a real feature of Beijing. There used to be lot of Hutongs in Beijing; but with the development of Beijing as a Mega City, there is less and less room for these areas. We managed to visit one of the preserved housing ones that dated back a few hundred years.

A ride on one of the rickshaws through the Hutong area was an eye-opener as to how the past has opened up to the modern era. Still, a great look into Beijing's past.

Beijing is a must in understanding China's history. The juxtaposition of old and new provides an interesting look into China's past and future. Finding Halal Food needs some home work though.