Beijing to Shanghai

Tiananmen, or the Gate of Heavenly Peace, was first built in the 15th century and is the principal entrance to the Forbidden City. Ming and Qing dynasty emperors would have been carried through the central portal to attend to their activities outside of the governmental palace (August 2000).

Streetscape in city of Tianjin, featuring 19th century European buildings still standing from the city's days as a foreign treaty port (June 2002).

Stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gobi Desert, construction of the Great Wall of China commenced in the 2nd century B.C. The Great Wall gradually grew as various kingdoms connected their walls to protect themselves from northern nomad attackers. The section in this picture, Badaling, stands at an elevation of over 3,000 feet and has been greatly renovated.

The imposing Tai Shan in Shandong province, China's most famous Daoist mountain, looms ahead at 5,029 feet. Taking a less traveled route, three friends (judges on courts in Shandong's capital city of Jinan) led the hike from Yuquan Temple on the Northeastern side of the mountain, where we spent the day hiking our way up to Tai Shan's peak (November 2007).

Zhouzhuang is a picturesque canal town in Jiangsu province with many preserved ancient buildings. The local residents call their home "the Venice of China," as demonstrated by the boat above. Many such boats are still commonly used as a convenient source of transportation (January 2001).

Many Chinese perceive the magnificent Huang Shan, or Yellow Mountain, in Anhui province to be the quintessence of natural beauty. Craggy peaks, gnarled pines, and gracefully moving seas of clouds create dramatic and dynamic views at elevations exceeding 5,000 feet (November 2000).

Located in Ningjin County, Hebei Province, Liming Family is an orphanage dedicated to physically and mentally challenged children. The nuns who run this facility teach the children how to make arts and crafts, which they sell to offset the costs of the orphanage and also to teach the children skills they can use later in the workforce. Many residents in the town volunteer their time with the children. In August 2005, a group of friends and I visited Liming Family to spend a day in service with the children. In this photo, two of the residents are showing me how they make cats out of plastic beads, with the director Sister Zhang Xiuqin (Clara) watching over us.

The city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, is a famed silk production center also known for its classic gardens. This door is located within the Humble Administrator's Garden, a complex dating back to the early 1500s (January 2001).

Zhouzhuang's waterways and arched stone bridges have long beckoned those interested in the arts, including this painter enjoying the afternoon sun.

The Shanghai Bund, bordering the Huangpu River, was the commercial heart of the city at the turn of the last century. The center of action has since crossed the river to the Pudong district, from which this picture is taken from atop the majestic Oriental Pearl Tower (February 2001).

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