I remembered to take my camera down to breakfast today so I could take some pictures. The photos, however, don’t do justice to the beautiful experience.
Our Beijing schedule had been suddenly be rearranged before we left California because today was the 70th anniversary of China’s “winning” the war over Japan. It was declared a national holiday, so businesses were closed. Even the airport was closed. We had hoped to find a way to get to the parade route to see it, but our guide said that everyone in Beijing wanted to see it. A lottery was held for the tickets.
We decided to watch the parade on TV. There were dignitaries from many different countries. I thought it tacky that the U.S. didn’t send a high official when Russia sent their president, as did many other nations.. The parade was impressive with drill teams marching from many countries. A lot of missiles, drones, tanks, and other military weapons came down the parade route. There was a fly over then the parade ended with balloons and doves flying up into the sky. I was very impressed with the whole event. It was interesting that the parade only went along the street that goes by Tian’amen Square.
Afterward, we went down to the lobby with Kay and Paul in hopes of going to lunch and shopping. The people at the desk called nearby stores, but they were all closed. We decided to stay in the hotel. One of the men at the desk took us upstairs to the executive lounge on the 23rd floor to see the magnificent view on this clear sunny day.
Then he suggested that we eat dim sum at one of their restaurants. We really enjoyed this experience. We could pick as many dishes as we wanted forn a fixed price. The waitresses helped us pick some of the dishes and the chef cooked them. Everything was delicious!
We then went back to our rooms and packed to fly out of Beijing tomorrow.