A few pics from my recent sojourn through Beijing

I stupidly booked my stopover in Beijing during the middle of the anniversary of Tiananmen - arriving on the 6th of June. I just didn't think about it when i booked my tickets. I was also lucky to get into the country because I travelled at the height of the swine flu hysteria, when all passengers arriving in China were being tested for signs of a fever - and quarantined automatically for 7 days if they had so much as a sniffle or hot forehead.
Anyway, I made it in and had Saturday and Sunday to wander round a drizzly Beijing, including a trip out to my favourite temple, Jietai Si. I satyed at the Downtown Hostel on Nanluogu Xiang - excellent value, friendly service and right in the middle of the bar district. Highly recommended. (And you can book online).
Here's a few of the snaps I took with my Nikon 35Ti and the Leica R7, both mostly using Kodak Ektachrome slide film.


The new Beijing airport: nice building and everything runs smoothly, but you can't buy anything to read in English! Rubbish!


Masks are the big thing in China. But they still hoick and spit everywhere.


Nice arty shot of some ignorant peasants who took over the whole seating area to crash out, air their socks and generally deny the seating to anyone else. Twats.


The Pass By Bar - where I spent most of my time drinking zhapi (draught beer).


Street life.


Kids playing cards on the street.


Group waiting by the exit of the Forbidden City.


Forbidden City.




Hutong stuff.


Another tower.


Beihai Lake.