16 - Back in Beijing and heading for home

In every large city, apartment buildings of large towers with many somewhat shorter linked towers behind them. Small cities in themselves, they can house thousands and thousands of people. We're back in Beijing now.

Heading northwest in Beijing, we neared the Olympic village.

The Olympic Torch office building, some floors still awaiting occupants.


The Birds' Nest stadium!

Our driver spoke no English and I of course, have only one or two words in Chinese. As we drove near the water cube, he explained something to me. He and I walked 2 blocks and he gestured for my camera so I would have a record of being there. So gracious!

The Water Cube Aquatic Center.

A German restaurant in Beijing, the Paulaner Brathus at the Lufthansa Center, was popular with many Chinese and the 3 cousins from Milwaukee. As our driver dropped us off, 3 lithe bicyclists aimed our way. This is it, we're gonna die. Laughed until I nearly fell down.

A perfect finish to our last night together!

15 - Tangshan and the Earthquake Museum

Leaving Nandaihe and the seashore, we saw a lot of new housing construction.

There's a lot of new construction everywhere else we went in China on our triangle trip from Beijing southwest to Xian, east to Shanghai, and northwest back to Beijing, with drives to the seacoast near here.

With the two Mr. Hans, we drove 126 km. from Nandaihe to Tangshan, a city of 6 million with its suburbs.

A really large department store. As we waited for the earthquake museum to open, we went through part of the ground floor -- great variety of appliances, luggage, clothes, jewelry, cosmetics -- and large jade dragons for home decoration.

It was a challenge to cross this broad street. My friend Claudia knows an older American couple who can't move quickly; when they visit China frequently they'll take a taxi to get from one side of a street to the other.

Mr. Han Bing and Mr. Han Zhan Peng in front of a hotel in Tangshan that MCC Engineering designed.

At the Earthquake Museum, a lamentation for the nearly 250,000 victims of the 1976 tragedy. More than 7,500 families were lost.

A monument in Chinese and English lauds the ability of the communist government to bring about unity and recover from and rebuild after the earthquake. Here is Mr. Han Bing.

In the earthquake museum, a floor display shows the extent of damage to Tangshan -- much of it leveled -- and elsewhere in Hebei Province including Beijing.

Musem displays describe the earthquake and its impact.

Terrace farming.

Agriculture in China is often on these strips of land. Some is collective with many farm families living in one central compound, and some strips are personally cultivated by individual farmers.

Porcelains from the Tangshan area.

We visited three porcelain showrooms, and then drove the nearly 150 km. from Tangshan back to Beijing.

13 - The Great Wall at Laolongtou and its military garrison

On Saturday, July 18, we went to Lao Long Tou, where the Great Wall meets the sea. Sun Ning and her daughter Han Xiao approach the military compound on the seashore.

A junk is drydocked in the courtyard.

Military formation.

A military strategist.

Mr. Han, Mr. Xia, Sun Ning, our driver, Han Xiao, Jola and Bob.

Bob, Jola and me.

A cooking pot in the mess.


A bigger cooking pot.

A welcoming doorway.



The grainery -- storage.