Today we are leaving Beijing and travelling to Shanghai via a high speed train. The distance between Beijing and Shanghai is 664.85 miles. This train began operation June 30, 2211. The train's average speed is 186 miles per hour. Arriving at the sleek high speed railway station proved to be an awesome experience. The waiting/ticketing area was really like a shopping mall with shops carrying glitzy high end brands.

Playing with the innovative toys was certainly the highlight of our visit to the China company Lenovo. Lenovo was founded by several Chinese engineers. At its inception the company's name was Legend. In 1995 the company acquired the personal computer (Think Pad) division of IBM. In 2005 the company adopted the name Lenovo. Their R & D is producing some avant-garde tech products. Gaming on the large table-top flat screen demanded quick response skills!

A misty rain greeted us this morning as we headed out to explore the Forbidden City, the site of the palace home of the Emperor from the 15th to 20th century. The palace and surrounding grounds were off limits to ordinary people when it was a functioning residence. Now renovated to much of its original grandeur, The City, once forbidden, now welcomes all people to enjoy its beauty.

With a population of 23 million, enormous is the best descriptor for Beijing. Its territory encompasses 16,800 sq kilometers. The city stretches from north to south 176 K which is equivalent to the distance between Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. City limits, east to west spread a full 160 K also. We have spent hours on the bus traveling to our destinations each day. The highways and city streets are in superior condition considering Beijing's climate mirrors that ...

We all rode rickshaws through a hutong neighborhood. What a fun and unexpected way to tour one of the old, old neighborhoods of Beijing. Pictured are John and Matt.