David M. Byrne
Well-Known Member
Hello again,
It was a quiet week 34 of the trip. I wasn't intending spending all of it in the Chinese capital of Beijing but that’s how things panned out. As a result it was a rather dead week photography wise. That’s not to say Beijing isn't a good place to bring a camera. It is; it’s immensely photogenic, especially on clear days, something Beijing doesn't see too many of. It’s just that I was either preoccupied or lazy during my time here. Most of the week was spent organising onward travel, standing in a queue at either the Mongolian embassy or the Beijing train station, neither of which are particularly photogenic. Also, I’d been to Beijing before. Many times before (this was my fifth visit to the city). The elongated logistics of organising onward travel coupled with an overfamiliarity with the location meant my motivation to photograph Beijing was at something of a low. I did take the camera out & about a few times, especially on the streets (it was always with me, if not put to much use), but I’ll be the first to admit that the 5 images I present here, covering days 233-238 of the trip, wouldn't comprise one of my better entries. But it is what it is - pictures 177-181 from week 34 of Mave on the Move.
Picture 177, Day 236 – Qianamen, Beijing China. October 26th 2012
Beijing, the capital of the world’s most populous country, is the political, educational, and cultural centre of China. I first visited the city back in 2004 & I've seen it change a lot over the course of those 8 years, firstly as it strove to modernise ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics & secondly as it continues its drive to modernise into a city worthy of the capital of (potentially) the world’s latest superpower. As already mentioned, I didn't take my camera out very often in Beijing, but it was always with me on the streets. The above image is one I captured in the Qianmen district of the city, an area of pedestrian streets, narrow alleyways & dodgy plumbing. In the push for modernisation it is this touristy area, more than any other, that has received the biggest makeover in recent years – it’s virtually unrecognisable from how I remember it being back in 2004.
Picture 178, Day 237 – Temple of Heaven, Beijing China. October 27th 2012
The Temple of Heaven, a complex of religious buildings, has for the longest time been my favourite & thus most photographic Beijing attraction. So, & while I didn't have much of a photography to-do list for this trip, I was especially keen to photograph it again. I had days at my disposal so I waited... and waited... and waited for a good, bright day before visiting. I was finally rewarded & with crystal blue skies overhead I sent a few hours on my last full day in the city photographing the various buildings in the Temple of Heaven complex. As it turned out I wasn't entirely happy with the images I captured but do like this impromptu image of an elderly man in the vicinity of the Imperial Vault of Heaven, a single-gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base.
Picture 179, Day 237 – Tian’anmen Gate, Beijing China. October 27th 2012
Tian’anmen Gate overlooks the square of the same name, the largest public square in the world & infamous as the site of many mass movements, most famously in 1989 when students and workers, peacefully protesting for democracy and against corruption & oppression, were savagely suppressed. It was from Tian’anmen Gate on October 1st 1949 that Chairman Mao, the leader and co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party & whose massive portrait famously hangs from the gate, delivered his liberation speech, declaring that “the Chinese people have now stood up”. Capturing Tian’anmen Square at night (it’s so much more photogenic after dark) was also on my (short) photography to-do list for this trip to Beijing. The public square was not very public for the week I was in the city and for some reason was off-limits after dark, something that frustrated me night after night. As a result I was forced to capture the above image on my last night in the city & from some distance away. As it turned out I quite like the final image of stationary & moving traffic passing by the gate.
Picture 180, Day 237 – Standing Guard at Tian’anmen Gate, Beijing China. October 27th 2012
Another picture I got at Tian’anmen Gate was the above image of a guard fronting the structure.
Picture 181, Day 238 – Qianamen, Beijing China. October 28th 2012
One final image of people on the march in the Qianamen district of Beijing.
Link: The dMb Photography Blog - Beijing
What/Where Is Next?
Mongolia, country number 11 on this crusade of mine. After Beijing - and for the next couple of entries at least - long, relaxing train trips, open spaces & snow will dominate. That’s what Mongolia & Siberian Russia are all about this time of year. It’ll be a dramatic change of scenery, especially only two weeks after leaving the chaos & warmth of India. So wrap up. You have been warned.
dMb Travel
Don’t forget, & as I always say, you can keep right up to date with all aspects of my trip, including my present whereabouts, from-the-road updates, tweets & archived links to all 25 previous RealPhotographersForum Mave on the Move entries (yes, there has been that many), by visiting the dedicated travel page of my photography blog, a page I set up to specifically chronicle this trip.
Until next time.
David M
It was a quiet week 34 of the trip. I wasn't intending spending all of it in the Chinese capital of Beijing but that’s how things panned out. As a result it was a rather dead week photography wise. That’s not to say Beijing isn't a good place to bring a camera. It is; it’s immensely photogenic, especially on clear days, something Beijing doesn't see too many of. It’s just that I was either preoccupied or lazy during my time here. Most of the week was spent organising onward travel, standing in a queue at either the Mongolian embassy or the Beijing train station, neither of which are particularly photogenic. Also, I’d been to Beijing before. Many times before (this was my fifth visit to the city). The elongated logistics of organising onward travel coupled with an overfamiliarity with the location meant my motivation to photograph Beijing was at something of a low. I did take the camera out & about a few times, especially on the streets (it was always with me, if not put to much use), but I’ll be the first to admit that the 5 images I present here, covering days 233-238 of the trip, wouldn't comprise one of my better entries. But it is what it is - pictures 177-181 from week 34 of Mave on the Move.
Picture 177, Day 236 – Qianamen, Beijing China. October 26th 2012
Beijing, the capital of the world’s most populous country, is the political, educational, and cultural centre of China. I first visited the city back in 2004 & I've seen it change a lot over the course of those 8 years, firstly as it strove to modernise ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics & secondly as it continues its drive to modernise into a city worthy of the capital of (potentially) the world’s latest superpower. As already mentioned, I didn't take my camera out very often in Beijing, but it was always with me on the streets. The above image is one I captured in the Qianmen district of the city, an area of pedestrian streets, narrow alleyways & dodgy plumbing. In the push for modernisation it is this touristy area, more than any other, that has received the biggest makeover in recent years – it’s virtually unrecognisable from how I remember it being back in 2004.
Picture 178, Day 237 – Temple of Heaven, Beijing China. October 27th 2012
The Temple of Heaven, a complex of religious buildings, has for the longest time been my favourite & thus most photographic Beijing attraction. So, & while I didn't have much of a photography to-do list for this trip, I was especially keen to photograph it again. I had days at my disposal so I waited... and waited... and waited for a good, bright day before visiting. I was finally rewarded & with crystal blue skies overhead I sent a few hours on my last full day in the city photographing the various buildings in the Temple of Heaven complex. As it turned out I wasn't entirely happy with the images I captured but do like this impromptu image of an elderly man in the vicinity of the Imperial Vault of Heaven, a single-gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base.
Picture 179, Day 237 – Tian’anmen Gate, Beijing China. October 27th 2012
Tian’anmen Gate overlooks the square of the same name, the largest public square in the world & infamous as the site of many mass movements, most famously in 1989 when students and workers, peacefully protesting for democracy and against corruption & oppression, were savagely suppressed. It was from Tian’anmen Gate on October 1st 1949 that Chairman Mao, the leader and co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party & whose massive portrait famously hangs from the gate, delivered his liberation speech, declaring that “the Chinese people have now stood up”. Capturing Tian’anmen Square at night (it’s so much more photogenic after dark) was also on my (short) photography to-do list for this trip to Beijing. The public square was not very public for the week I was in the city and for some reason was off-limits after dark, something that frustrated me night after night. As a result I was forced to capture the above image on my last night in the city & from some distance away. As it turned out I quite like the final image of stationary & moving traffic passing by the gate.
Picture 180, Day 237 – Standing Guard at Tian’anmen Gate, Beijing China. October 27th 2012
Another picture I got at Tian’anmen Gate was the above image of a guard fronting the structure.
Picture 181, Day 238 – Qianamen, Beijing China. October 28th 2012
One final image of people on the march in the Qianamen district of Beijing.
Link: The dMb Photography Blog - Beijing
What/Where Is Next?
Mongolia, country number 11 on this crusade of mine. After Beijing - and for the next couple of entries at least - long, relaxing train trips, open spaces & snow will dominate. That’s what Mongolia & Siberian Russia are all about this time of year. It’ll be a dramatic change of scenery, especially only two weeks after leaving the chaos & warmth of India. So wrap up. You have been warned.
dMb Travel
Don’t forget, & as I always say, you can keep right up to date with all aspects of my trip, including my present whereabouts, from-the-road updates, tweets & archived links to all 25 previous RealPhotographersForum Mave on the Move entries (yes, there has been that many), by visiting the dedicated travel page of my photography blog, a page I set up to specifically chronicle this trip.
Until next time.
David M
