Tag: people

Vignette, Da Nang, Vietnam

Beachcomber, Danang, Vietnam

I was walking on the beach, camera in hand, when this man approached and pointed at the camera and then himself. He wanted his picture taken and, in such cases, mine is not to reason why, but to point and shoot. We moved to the nearest coconut palm, he struck a pose – a darn good one if I do say so – and the job was done. I showed him the result in the camera’s viewer, he smiled suggesting approval, we shook hands and went our separate ways.

All Wet, Danang, Vietnam

On the Beach, Danang, Vietnam

Danang’s ocean front runs north to south for several kilometers, ultimately making it to Hoi An about 10 km to the south. Beautiful surf, beautiful sun, and a sparkling, clean beach, all of which give Danang considerable appeal. The waves are rolling in are off the South China Sea, a body of water often in the news these days.

The Buddha Is Everywhere, Chiang Mai

798 Art District, Beijing

Senior Selfie, Beijing

Zhonglou (the Bell Tower), Beijing

The view of the Bell Tower (钟楼 or Zhonglou) also used to be great from my friend’s deck where I took the photo of the Drum Tower that was my last post. Unfortunately, the city of Beijing recently built a tower for power lines that sits directly between the deck and the Bell Tower. Sort of spoils the view. Alas. This image was taken from ground level.

The Bell Tower sits across a small, open plaza from the Drum Tower. In this late afternoon photo, the sun is low in the sky and tourists have headed back to their hotels. The plaza becomes a comfortable place for neighborhood people to hang out and relax. Talk about sitting in the shadow of history!

The first Bell Tower was built in the 13th century, but the building was destroyed a few years later, as was the second tower built to replace it. The building now standing was completed in 1745 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty. Of all the monuments that remain of Beijing’s imperial past, this one may be my favorite.