On our first day in Beijing, we got to the heart of the city via train (the subway system is excellent), then decided to walk home so that we could see the city on foot. It was a great way to see the city, but as Beijing is a very very very large city, it was 7 hours later when we arrived at our guesthouse!
There was so much to see, as one can imagine. The above is one of the most pleasant areas we passed. The steps to the shops remind me of Manhattan!
We stopped when we got tired. This photo was taken at a very nice shop with free wifi. There were many youngsters with their macs and PCs surfing the net. We sat around people watching…
Then we came across a street market.
We crossed a park, and there were lots of lights and activities.
We stopped to watch this sport (sorry about the quality of the photo… can’t do much with a point and shoot). It’s a little like beach volleyball… There were 4 players; 2 players on each side of the court.
The “ball” is an object made of feathers and rubber (maybe other materials too). I couldn’t get a photo, but see the drawing on the left. It will always land on its base, because the base is heavy.
The players kick the object over the net. If someone lets it fall, the other team gets a point. There were some amazing kicks and smashes.
I am glad to have seen this. When I was a kid growing up in Malaysia, my brothers used to play with this, and tried to kick it as many times as possible, without letting it fall. This is the first time I have seen it played in a competitive setting.
