more beijing, china:

Some more photos from Beijing, this time of the more historical Temple of Heaven park and the Forbidden City. Enjoy!

Next: Xian

798 art district, china:

The 798 art district is a complex of disused factories that have been converted into art galleries, in the Chaoyang area of Beijing. There are also cafes, boutiques and a whole lot of street art and installations to explore. We spent nearly a whole day here, gallery hopping and just taking in the atmosphere.
It's a really interesting area, and we fell in love with many of the old factory buildings, wishing we could convert something similar to live in! There are dozens upon dozens of galleries and we were a little overwhelmed at first, having absolutely no idea where to start. In the end we followed our noses and asked the locals of where they recommended.
If you love galleries or being in creative areas/spaces, be sure to visit 798 art district.

panjiayuan antique markets, china:

One of my other passions when travelling (apart from photography) is shopping. In particular antique/flea markets. I consider it a match made in heaven when overseas and am always on the hunt for treasures to take home to remember our various trips by. So when I read about the Panjiayuan antique markets, my eyes lit up and off we went. What fun! The whole thing was rather big with masses of different stores selling everything from jewellery to ceramics, books, posters - you name it, it was there. We had so much fun exploring and trawlling through all the goods for that unique piece we wanted to take home. Turns out there quite a few things that caught our eyes, so we ended up with quite a bit of shopping that day! I will have to do a post when we get back to show you all the items we bought. Highly recommend the markets if you are into shopping and looking for a unique souvenir, especially for your home. It's best to go on the weekend with more stalls and items available. Also you need to bargain really hard here (even more fun)!

Next: 798 art district