shankar s.:
Hordes of tourists at Tiananmen Square
shankar s.:
A security check at Tiananmen Square
shankar s.:
I sort of expected Tiananmen to be a large town square
shankar s.:
Tiananmen Tower- a monument on the side of a wide road
shankar s.:
Mao's mausoleum opposite
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People were really lining up to see the dictator's body
shankar s.:
Throngs of tourists at Tiananmen Tower
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We wait for our guide to get the tickets
shankar s.:
That's our guide with the yellow flag
shankar s.:
There is a massive open courtyard beyond that arch
shankar s.:
Beyond the Tiananmen entrance arch is the Forbidden City
shankar s.:
These local tourists are completely pooped already!
shankar s.:
A relatively empty patch- the gazillions are behind me now
shankar s.:
Walking towards the Forbidden City now
shankar s.:
Another wait while our guide has gone for the tickets
shankar s.:
All these are members of other tour groups
shankar s.:
A bevy of local beauties- all tour guides
shankar s.:
One of them eyes me suspiciously
shankar s.:
This seemed to be a general waiting area for tour groups
shankar s.:
Time for a quick selfie- never mind the crowd
shankar s.:
That line is exclusively for tour groups
shankar s.:
It was a pretty long wait
shankar s.:
Tour groups- that side- fortunately we didn't have to line up there
shankar s.:
The police presence- surprisingly, this is the only time I saw it in China
shankar s.:
A police car takes an overview and then disappears
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Time for the mandatory check
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A shot of the Meridian Gate as we wait
shankar s.:
Such a crowd even for security!
shankar s.:
Our turn at last- the speed at which they cleared us was impressive!
shankar s.:
Our first glimpse of the Forbidden City
