Beijing from Above

Here's a view of the Drum Tower and hutong from the temple high atop a neighboring hill. It was really neat to get to see Beijing from a bird's eye view. It helped me figure out how everything was laid out. As a tourist in a big city getting poked and prodded via tour van everywhere, I was getting a bit 'confused' as to where everything was located. That's why I much prefer walking and exploring by foot and subway--you get a much better appreciation for how the city is laid out and where everything is in relation to everything else. I think the '2 day in town tourbus' tourists just never really get to know the city.