Leaving Beijing - Some Final Sights and the Airport

 As I walk around Beijing, I find playful statues everywhere, showing a great sense of humor and whimsy.

Whimsical

And, scattered around the city on the paths and in the parks, other great art works.

 Other statues

Disembarking from the Airport Express Train at the Beijing airport on my departure from this fantastic city, I take time to explore the art in the terminal area.

 Airport Express Train exit

 Floral display in the airport

One statue at the entrance to the airport, Ziwei Chenheng, is modeled on the sphere invented in 117 AD by Zhang Heng to show the movement of the stars and sun, controlled by water-driven gears and making one revolution every day.

Ziwei Chenheng 

Once inside the terminal, I find fountains and inviting seating areas for snacking and waiting for flights.

 Fountain and resting areas

 And, at the gates, orchid displays.

 Orchid displays

What a great city with so much to offer, both old and new.  I have to come back soon!

Peking Roast Duck Dinner in Beijing

Beijing is famous for its Peking Roast Duck restaurants, some of which have been around for over 600 years.  The ducks are raised specifically for this meal, slaughtered at an exact weight, coated with syrup, hung to dry, and then roasted.  The duck is sliced by the chef and beautifully presented with pancakes, cucumber, spring onion, and a sweet bean sauce.

I choose the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant near Tiananmen Square, founded in 1864 and ranked number 1 by several reports.  The restaurant is huge, with fourteen dining halls, one of which can seat 600 people, and  a total capacity of 2,000 people, serving around 5,000 ducks a day.

 Entrance to Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant

The greeter sends me up in an elevator along with a large group that enters when I do and we are efficiently moved to our rooms.  I am seated at the side of a large, beautiful room of smaller tables.

 View from my seat

I order the duck and a plate of vegetables, along with a beer and sit back in anticipation.

Starting with a beer and tea

The chefs bring in several ducks and carve them simultaneously, after which, the plates are distributed to those of us waiting.

 Carving and serving the duck

As the duck arrives on my table, the pancakes, onions, cucumber, and bean paste are served, along with a bowl of duck broth.  The waiter fills the first pancake with the duck meat, bean paste, and cucumber for me, all with chopsticks.  I confess, I need to use my fingers for the next few (and they don't look this neat)

 First Peking Duck pancake prepared by waiter

Next to the duck meat is a plate of duck skin, served with sugar as an additional treat.  Then, my plate of steamed vegetables arrives to finish off the meal.

 The complete meal

I sit back and enjoy the food.  What great tastes!  What was I thinking, not coming here every day!

Getting near the end, finishing the duck broth

As I finish the meal, settle bill, and head out, I take one last picture of the room in which I dined.

Dining room from the entrance

All I can say is "Wow"!  This is not just a meal, it's a ceremony!

798 Art District in Beijing

Factory 798 is an old electronics factory complex, originally designed by East Germans in the 1950s. This stern, forbidding factory area of about 2 million square feet is now an art complex, full of galleries, restaurants, and bars.  I head over in the afternoon and enter the calm, tree-lined streets at the edge of the complex.

 Quiet streets

 Factory buildings

I immediately run into sculpture scattered around the streets, sidewalks, and buildings.

 Sculpture everywhere

A few of the studios are open and I wander in.

 

Wandering through the studios

Heading back outside, I pop in a store for a Diet Coke and continue to stroll through the complex, admiring more great sculptures.

 Much more sculpture

I truly enjoy my afternoon walking through all the studios and outside art displays.  The 798 Art District is a massive artist community and well worth a trip over from wherever you are in Beijing.

Map of the 798 Art District