HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Photography Forums > My City Photos


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2012, 3:06 AM
Okayyou's Avatar
Okayyou Okayyou is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 1,255
Ich Bin Ein Beijinger

From fresh air on the farm to the most suffocating city in the world - Beijing is stop number four in the Asian saga. I visited the sprawling metro on three separate occasions which afforded me enough time to see a substantial amount of the city. The first time I was there coincided with the dragon boat holiday which meant the bustling city was even more crowded than usual. The summer heat and humidity were intensely overbearing. A white haze blanketed the city during my first two visits and I don't think I saw blue sky once. I walked most places and since everything is so spread out I found myself dehydrated and exhausted at the end of the day. I'd try to cool off at night with my window open only to be feasted on by dozens of aggressive mosquitoes. How is it in a concrete jungle like Beijing, mosquitoes still find a way to thrive? Already bruised and worn down, my wallet was stolen on the subway. No good.

Beijing and I got off to a rough start but things improved on my subsequent visits. The weather was cooler, the holiday crowds were gone and I was a bit more savvy than to be leaving my wallet within reach of pickpockets. By the end of my three trips I found the city less oppressive and more likable. Yes, much of the city consists of bland mid rise blocks, but the enclaves of cultural and historic areas are truly unique and offer relief from the gray and drab vernacular.

Pics are from the Bird's Nest and National Aquatic Center at the Olympic Park, the 798 arts district, the Forbidden city, Lama & Confucius Temple, the Drum and Bell Towers, the Temple of Heaven, Tianamen Square, Jin Shan Park, Wanfujin Night Market, Panjiayuan Antique and Book Market, Little Moscow - New (copy) watch alert: Hublot, Maliandao Tea Street, Huohai lake, Sanlutin and several Hutongs.

Three times in Beijing and I never saw the great wall Still not sure how I botched that.

This is one of the heavier threads I've made and I probably should have split it into two, but I'm pressed for time. Enjoy!

Video Link




























































































































































































































































































































































































Next, I'll get sophisticated in Shanghai.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2012, 2:00 PM
hauntedheadnc's Avatar
hauntedheadnc hauntedheadnc is online now
A gruff individual.
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Greenville, SC - "Birthplace of the light switch rave"
Posts: 13,337
Haunting.
__________________
"To sustain the life of a large, modern city in this cloying, clinging heat is an amazing achievement. It is no wonder that the white men and women in Greenville walk with a slow, dragging pride, as if they had taken up a challenge and intended to defy it without end." -- Rebecca West for The New Yorker, 1947
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2012, 2:51 PM
Danny's Avatar
Danny Danny is offline
Universal Traveler
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Madrid
Posts: 2,165
Smile

Spectacular tour and pictures!!! Thanks for sharing so beautiful shots.

Beijing is amazing, I know about it. And the forbidden city is awesome. I wanna go back there soon...

Congrats and greetings from Madrid, Spain!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2012, 3:06 PM
fern's Avatar
fern fern is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: liverpool
Posts: 592
fantastic!! as usual
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2012, 4:46 PM
muppet's Avatar
muppet muppet is offline
if I sang out of tune
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: London
Posts: 6,185
wow, stunning set
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Nov 27, 2012, 12:57 AM
montréaliste montréaliste is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chambly, Quebec
Posts: 1,996
bewdiffle.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Nov 27, 2012, 2:06 AM
Urbanguy's Avatar
Urbanguy Urbanguy is offline
Go Beavs! Go Niners!
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Portland | Honolulu
Posts: 6,209
Amazing & very profressional shots.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Nov 27, 2012, 5:01 AM
ColDayMan's Avatar
ColDayMan ColDayMan is online now
B!tchslapping Since 1998
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Columbus
Posts: 19,889
The next Berlin .
__________________
Click the x: _ _ X _ _!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 4:11 AM
xzmattzx's Avatar
xzmattzx xzmattzx is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wilmington, DE
Posts: 6,341
Great pictures!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 5:28 AM
giovanni sasso's Avatar
giovanni sasso giovanni sasso is offline
furified freestyle
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: philadelphia, pa
Posts: 12,294
shanghai, you say? i trust there was a proper giallokayyou powwow.

as yours go, this was a monumental set. astroturf soldier basketball, scorpion sticks, dog taxidermist, poncho smoker cyclist, gilbert gottfried pole vaulter cyclist, US Army wedding photographer in the ruins, US zhangzizhonglu photographer in the subway, all that fuckin' smog, and all those stunning tiananmen square shots.

oh, plus the scale of this:


DOPE, SON.
__________________
phillyskyline.commauleofamerica.com
a matter of life and death, just like a etch-a-sketch
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 8:24 AM
Nineties Flava's Avatar
Nineties Flava Nineties Flava is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Francisco USA
Posts: 1,201
This is my favorite set of yours.
__________________
New Flickr Page
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88823378@N05/
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 9:21 AM
arkitekte's Avatar
arkitekte arkitekte is offline
Preds/Titans/Grizz
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,569
Too good,
__________________
I built it ground up. You bought it renovated.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 9:35 AM
Architype's Avatar
Architype Architype is offline
♒︎ Empirically Canadian
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: 🍁 Canada
Posts: 11,930
Your photos are visually stunning and candid, a detailed and beautifully revealing look at this part of the world.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 5:45 PM
Xander202's Avatar
Xander202 Xander202 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London
Posts: 240
Really enjoyed that, you captured the city spectacularly.
__________________
My Photography Threads
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #15  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 7:51 PM
Coldrsx's Avatar
Coldrsx Coldrsx is offline
Community Guy
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Canmore, AB
Posts: 66,662
Hen Hao
__________________
"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish

Wake me up when I can see skyscrapers
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #16  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 8:45 PM
ChiTownCity ChiTownCity is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Chicago, USA
Posts: 1,163
My favorite photo..... LOL!


Metamorphisis by Porter Yates, on Flickr
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #17  
Old Posted Nov 28, 2012, 8:59 PM
gothamite gothamite is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 360
exceptional! thanks
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #18  
Old Posted Dec 1, 2012, 2:11 AM
volguus zildrohar's Avatar
volguus zildrohar volguus zildrohar is offline
I Couldn't Tell Anyone
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: The City Of Philadelphia
Posts: 15,988
Epic and intense.

A good friend of mine from high school now lives in Beijing. On one of his visits back to The States he recounted how humorous he found local weather forecasts which can contain the word 'smoky' and whenever he visits I ask him how smokalicious the weather has been.

Beyond that, this set has the feel of a native eye. Wonderfully done.
__________________
je suis phillytrax sur FLICKR, y'all
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #19  
Old Posted Dec 1, 2012, 9:28 PM
Okayyou's Avatar
Okayyou Okayyou is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 1,255
Quote:
US zhangzizhonglu photographer in the subway


C'est Moi

Yeah, Beijing is definitely polluted but I also observed similar conditions in Seoul, Dalian and even in the countryside. It's like all of northeast Asia becomes covered by white haze during the early summer. I could never determine how much was natural and how much could be attributed to human caused pollution.

Thanks all for the comments.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #20  
Old Posted Dec 15, 2012, 6:20 PM
toyota74 toyota74 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Ireland
Posts: 1,739
Amazing stuff ...hope you do more travelling in 2013.
__________________
Photography Facebook page
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Photography Forums > My City Photos
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 2:18 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.