1. My Trip to Beijing Journal, schedule

2. 17 September 2005 11:00am – I went to the Hong Kong International Airport to take a flight to Beijing. The flight lasted more than three hours. While I was having my lunch on the plane, I read an article about how Beijing was preparing for the 2008 Olympics. I was very interested. I felt excited because I would soon be landing in the city itself.an article landing

3. 2:30pm – I landed at the Beijing International Airport. I got my luggage and then took the shuttle bus to my hotel. After a short rest, I took the subway to meet my cousin Fred. He is working in Beijing. We went to eat the most famous Beijing dish – Peking duck. It was delicious and we had a good time.luggageBeijing dish – Peking duck Fred talked about the victories of the Chinese athletes in the 2004 Olympics, and we all hoped that the Chinese people would do even better in the 2008 Olympics, which would take place in Beijing, their homeland.victoriesathletes

4. 18 September, 2005 9:00am – I had a quick breakfast, and then I followed a local tour to visit the Forbidden City in the morning. The Forbidden City was the imperial palace of the Chinese emperors. It took 14 years to build and stands in the centre of Beijing. With its shining golden roof, it looked like a great giant.the Forbidden City Chinese emperors shining golden roof

5. 2:00pm – We arrived at the Summer Palace after a light lunch. It is located at the northwest of the city. It is the best kept royal garden in Beijing. I liked this place very much because there were many ancient buildings as well as beautiful gardens.the Summer Palace

6. 19 September, 2005 8:30am – I woke up early to enjoy the fresh air. Fred had a holiday and he came to take me to China’s number one attraction, the Great Wall. There is a popular saying, “You haven’t been to China if you haven’t stood on the Great Wall.” The huge wall zigzagged its way along the mountains. When Fred and I stood on the Great Wall, we were proud to be Chinese. We were proud of each other.zigzagged

7. 2:30pm – We had a late lunch together in a restaurant serving hotpot meals. We had mutton soup, which was very tasty. Afterwards, we went to the Beijing Zoo and the Beijing Aquarium. We saw pandas, dolphin shows, and visited the young sharks there. In the evening, we went to the famous street, Wanfujing, for shopping. There I found a lot of paintings, Chinese writings, jade and handicrafts. I bought some writing brushes and a carved seal for my father and a pair of chopsticks for my mother.hotpotmutton soupjadewriting brushes carved seal a pair of chopsticks

8. 20 September, 2005 9:00am – I had breakfast in the hotel and did my packing. Then, I took the Beijing subway and toured the city by myself. I felt the people in Beijing are hardworking and busy, like Hong Kong people. When I chatted with a few passersby about the Beijing Olympics in 2008, most of them felt excited and proud. They told me that the work on the Olympic sports grounds, like the National Stadium and the National Swimming Centre, has already started. They all look forward to the 2008 Olympics.did my packing Beijing subway passersby

9. 3:00pm – I took the flight back to Hong Kong. I enjoyed the trip very much. I really hope that I can visit Beijing again in the near future!

10. The End

11. an article

12. taking off landing

13. luggage

14. Peking duck

15. the victories of the Chinese athletes in the 2004 Olympics Center Yao Ming scored 39 points to lead China to a 69-62 victory over New Zealand … China's Olympics volleyball team celebrate victory after the women's volleyball gold medal match against Russia

16. athletes

17. The Forbidden City shining golden roof

18. the Chinese emperor

19. the Summer Palace 頤和園

20. hotpot

21. mutton soup

22. a pair of chopsticks

23. writing brushes

25. jade

26. People of Beijing

28. a carved seal

29. did my packing

30. Beijing subway passerby