Drum Towers were significant buildings in old Beijing for informing the population of imminent events.
After the obligatory tours of state factories and workshops came the obligatory tour of the associated shops. Needless to say we noticed that the items were very expensive in such places, but elsewhere you could buy just about anything for $1 (about the only English that all Chinese know). When we went, having American $$s was very useful - forget about British ££s. We bought our Terracotta figures from a street merchant for about $1
Because of the poor visibility, we could have been on the ramparts of any English medieval castle.
Chinese food is great and plentiful. All the food is served at the same time and you can take as long as you want eating it. I remember at this restaurant, this table had several sunken sections with braziers to keep the food warm (as well as your knees). The only dessert we ever had was Melon. Trying to get Fritters or Lychees was impossible - you only get them in restaurants back home.
We could realise that this was designed to be a very peaceful place in tune with Nature. However the air pollution & crowds did detract a little bit.
The Chinese take a lot of care & pride in their public gardens. There has been a lot of planning into their design to ensure a tremendous impact on the visitor.
