China Through the Eyes of Ken MacAdams – Part Two
We continue Ken’s story from last Friday. Check out Part One here.
Forbidden City
This lake is in a barrio outside the Forbidden City. The smog aids in coloration at sunset by diffusing the light. Many walk the pathways by the lake. All Photos in this post © Ken MacAdams 2018 All Rights Reserved
The Chinese take their tea seriously – and to be invited to a tea ceremony is a wonderful experience! When we returned to Beijing, we walked down to the Forbidden City. Once the residence of the Emperor, and strictly off limits to the public, this treasure has been opened up to the public in recent years. It’s a walled city within itself, complete with a moat surrounding it. Within the walls, the Emperor, his wives, concubines, and children all had their appointed places. Only dignitaries or men on official business would be allowed into the great hall just inside the gate, where they could transact business with the Emperor. To facilitate trade from without the city, the Emperor had a canal dug, of which part is still accessible today.
The Grand Canal and ancient bridge dating back to 1154 A.D. A little Beijing Info
About 1100 A.D. Beijing became the new capital of China, and has remained so until today. The original city wall and gate, along with many other old historic landmarks were destroyed during Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Today, the city’s population approaches the 30 million mark, and high-rise business and apartment buildings stretch as far as the eye can see. Smog presents an issue here as the government struggles to clean up the old smokestack industries. The mass of automobiles often overpowers the capacities of the highway system and long traffic jams are the norm at morning and evening rush hour. Public buses, taxi’s, and subways do their part to move the masses, and many resort to electric bicycles and scooters as a means of short haul commuting.
Even though we’d been busy hitting the streets, the effects of jet-lag was beginning to set in. We welcomed the quiet of our hotel room as the door clicked closed behind us. A good rest would help us move on to our next destination, the the adventures ahead.
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding, a good part of his physical 
weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
weariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind! A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.
Ken shares his travel photography and stories here on Successful-Photographer. Ken’s camera of choice is Panasonic’s flagship stills camera the Lumix G9 with the Leica DG Vario-ELMARIT Professional Lens, 12-60MM, F2.8-4.0
