Beijing Photo Diary

Seventeen years ago I boarded my first flight to the capital of China. Everything in Beijing fascinated me as a child: the large Tiananmen Square, the grand Forbidden City, the infinite Great Wall, the people who hadn't heard about Malaysian Chinese, and the public toilets with no doors.

Fast forward 17 years later, there I was again, standing at the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan) and feeling ecstatic because this was my favourite place.

Her magnificent scenery and incredible history never cease to amaze me. But what amaze me even more is how much Beijing has developed over the last two decades. China has risen indeed.

On the last day of our trip, I looked at my parents, my siblings, and suddenly thought, life's good.

My parents are both alive and well. My siblings are close together. We laughed a lot. We managed to save money and travel together. We loved Beijing. We had a good time. I'm aware that this does not happen to many families.

I shared this grateful sentiment with Frederick and he said I'm a lucky person. His last family trip was 20 years ago when he was a child. Although he really wish to travel with his whole family again, it's almost impossible.

Beijing was amazing, but spending time with my family was even better, especially when we snuggled together, trying to keep warm at -7°C.

May you spend more time with your family.