This Gallery shows a small selection of the photos I took in China & Tibet, October-November 2007.
Our landing in zero visibility at Beijing was hair-raising, but after that everything worked efficiently
and well. We had three nights in Beijing, including excursions to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall,
then we flew to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors, the Banpo Neolithic site and much else.
From there we flew to Xining in Qinghai Province, visiting the Kumbum Monastery complex and
Qinghai Lake, the largest inland lake in China. We joined the Skytrain for our 28-hour journey to
Lhasa, sleeping in a very comfortable carriage until Golmud. From here the train took us through
the Burhan Budai Shan and the Tanggula Shan mountain ranges. The journey was spectacular,
reaching an altitude of 5,076m (16,650ft) above sea level. Lhasa was an amazing experience -
our two days there were not enough. From there we flew to Shanghai, with a change of planes
at Chengdu. Shanghai was terrific, as was the neighbouring city of Souzhou, the 'Venice of the East',
where we cruised on the Grand Canal and visited the Silk Museum. An unforgettable trip.
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| Heroic sculpture in Tian'an Men Square, Beijing |
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| Jane holds the flag, Forbidden City, Beijing |
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| Inside the Forbidden City, Beijing |
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| Imperial bedchamber, Forbidden City |
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| School outing, Forbidden City |
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| Great Wall at Badaling, the 'soft' route |
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| Jane on the Great Wall, the steep route |
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| Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'an |
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| Terracotta Warriors, Pit 1 |
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| Terracotta horses, Pit 1 |
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| Theatre night, Xi'an |
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| Kumbum Monastery, Ta'er Si, Qinghai Province |
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| Nuns and their mums, Kumbum Monastery |
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| Qinghai Lake. |
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| Railway going through the Burhan Budai Shan |
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| Our cosy carriage on the Skytrain to Lhasa |
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| Tibetan gazelle from the train |
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| Wild asses (kiang) from the train |
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| Wild yak bull near Namtso (Nam Co) Lake, from the train |
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| Tanggula Shan, from the train |
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| Song of welcome in the hotel foyer, Lhasa |
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| Jokhang Temple, Lhasa |
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| Debating courtyard, Sera Monastery, Lhasa |
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| Potala Palace, Lhasa |
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| Entrance to the White Temple, Potala Palace |
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| Moat at the Norbulingka Palace, Lhasa |
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| The floorshow at the Mad Yak Cafe, Lhasa |
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| Pudong, from the Bund, Shanghai |
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| Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai |
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| River trip, Huangpu, Shanghai |
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| On the city wall, Suzhou |
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| Master of Nets Garden, Suzhou |