Beijing

September 2026
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Joe Benning

Beijing

Our three days in Beijing included trips to the Forbidden City, the Emperor’s Summer Palace, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and dinner and entertainment at the Great Hall of the People. Here are some photos–including one of the ambulance that followed the tour group–just in case someone fell off the Great Wall.

Joe

The Great Wall of China in the mountains around Beijing

Watchtowers along the Great Wall of China

Reflections Inside the Forbidden City

Temples inside the Forbidden City

At the Top of the Forbidden City

Mao’s Portrait in Tiannamen Square

Yulan Tang (House of Jade Ripples)

Father and Son visit the Summer Palace

Rickshaws with Drivers

Atop the Forbidden City

Great Wall with Mountains in the Background

Sign posted on the Great Wall

The Great Wall of China in the Mountains by Beijing

Our tag along tour ambulence

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Joe Benning

Shanghai is hopping...

We visited the Jade Buddha Temple, the Yu Yuan Gardens, the Bund on the Huangpu River, the Arts and Crafts Research Institute, and of course we went shopping. Here are some photos.

Joe

Shopping in Shanghai–Note the Starbucks coffee shop in the middle of the square

Yu Yuan Garden in the Middle of Shanghai

The Museum of Arts and Crafts in the French Concession

The Long Bar, Shanghai China

Shops by Yu Yuan Garden

Shanghai Topiary

Monks in the Jade Buddah Temple

Fog Over Shanghai

Along the Bund, Shanghai, China

A View from the Bridge

A Busy Shanghai City Street

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Joe Benning

Xiamen China

We spent a little time in the Port city Xiamen, which is a kind of a Gateway to China. It’s in a special economic zone and with 4 million people is a pretty big deal. By comparison, I think Chicago has about 2 million people. Anyway, here are some photos taken in Xiamen.

Joe

Woman Carrying Goods to Market in Xiamen

Statuary in Egret Park, Xiamen China

Retail Shop in Xiamen, China

Busy Shopping Center in Xiamen, China

A Mix of Eastern and Western Architecture in Xiamen, China

A bakery in Xiamen, China

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Joe Benning

Photos from Hong Kong

Hong Kong, like New York, never sleeps. Here are some photos from the day and a half we spent there.

Joe

Victoria Bay by Day from our Stateroom

Repulse Bay Beach, Hong Kong

Plane flying over span bridge in Hong Kong

View of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak

Mary Anne in Hong Kong

Hong Kong China Town

Hong Kong Skyline at Night

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Joe Benning

Ha Long Bay

We piled onto a junk with some friends to sail on Ha Long Bay, a UNSECO world heritage site. The bay is dotted with fishing villages at the base of some of the rock / island formations and it has an almost indescribable natural beauty. It’s kind of like the Grand Canyon in that you have to see it in person grasp the grandeur of it. The day we went was fairly cloudy, but that really didn’t matter much. It was still breathtaking. Here are some photos.

Joe

Rock Formations of Ha Long Bay

Placid waters of Ha Long Bay with a fishing village at the base of an island

Mary Anne sailing on a Vietnamese Junk on Ha Long Bay

Mary Anne and Brigitta sailing on Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay Rock Formations

Ha Long Bay Harbor from our stateroom veranda

Ha Long Bay “Thumb”

Fishing Village on Ha Long Bay

A Fishing Village on Ha Long Bay

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Joe Benning

Chan Mae Viet Nam

A visit to Chan Mae included stops at Hoi An, Dan Nang and China Beach. It is officially dubbed Marble Beach, but the official name is ignored in favor of China Beach. Here are some photos that include the bustling market in Hoi An’s Chinatown, the jungle in My Son (pronounced Mee Sun), and China Beach in Da Nang.

Joe

China Beach on the South China Sea, Da Nang, Vietnam

Woman on Bicycle in Market

Street Corner Vendors in Hoi An

Street Market in Hoi An

Woman Carries Produce to Market in Hoi An

Woman Carries Goods to Market in Hoi An

Chinese Lanterns for Sale in Hoi Ans China Town

Path through Jungle in My Son leading to Pagoda of the Cham People begun in the year 1 AD

Bridge in My Son (Mee Sun) where the Cham people lived

In the Market

Pushing Goods to Market in Hoi An

Trader makes a sale

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Joe Benning

The Mekong Delta

We took a long (7 hour) trip out to the Mekong Delta, which is about a 90-minute drive from Saigon. As usual, motorbikes were everywhere on the roads. In Viet Nam, traffic lights (a rarity) and Stop signs are mere suggestions so the drive was took us through the usual chaotic traffic.

When we arrived we sailed along the Mekong River on a Vietnamese junk. Quite an experience.

While Saigon is pretty vibrant and developing rapidly, sailing along the Mekong River presents a very different picture. Though there are occasional Wi-Fi signs and Cable Dishes, it reflects a more traditional way of life. Cable dishes notwithstanding, the Mekong River coastline is dominated by ramshackle houses and stores. They appear to be rather primitive and are geared toward life on the river. They are certainly not close to Western standards.

So the photos that are included with this post are ones that try to capture the essence of what we saw of life along the river for the Vietnamese people who make their homes and businesses there.

Vietnamese Woman Navigating the Mekong River

Woman with Baby in Vietnamese Junk on Mekong River

Trader Displays Her Wares in Floating Market of the Mekong River

Vietnamese Woman with Fruits and Vegetables on Board a Junk on the Mekong River

Workers making coconut candy in a village workshop along the Mekong River

Ferry Boat Lets Off Passengers

Vietnamese Junk on the River

Resort along the Mekong River

Houses and Stores on Stilts along the Mekong River

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Joe Benning

Good Morning Viet Nam…

Saigon is now officially Ho Chi Minh City but the locals call it Saigon anyway. It very much resembles Paris; not too surprising since much of the architecture is from the French colonial period. It is a study in contrasts: an old city, filled with young people, ancient traditions and unbelievably chaotic traffic mostly led by motorbikes. It has to be seen to be believed. Here are some photos.

Joe

Water Puppet Show Masters

The busy streets of Saigon

View from the Rooftop Bar of the Rex Hotel

The Saigon Post office built by France during the colonial era.

Outdoor Market in Saigon’s China Town

Noodles for sale in an open market in Saigon’s Chinatown.

Motorbikes whiz along the streets of Saigon

Saigon’s streets are crammed with people riding motorbikes.

Photo of burning incense in a Buddhist Temple in Saigon, Viet Nam

Bikers weave in and out of Traffic

Biker Takes a Break

Inside a Buddhist Temple in Saigon, Viet Nam

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Joe Benning

Thailand and Cambodia...

Quite a few photos here including street scenes, outdoor markets, and of course, Temples and Pagodas. Cambodia and Thailand are studies in contrast. The beach resorts we visited are first rate. Not so much the villages and small cities outside the upmarket tourist areas.

Joe

Woman Paddling Through Floating Markets in Thailand

Woman cooking meals in open market in Cambodia

Thatched Umbrella at Beach Resort, Cambodia

Statuary in the Gardens of the Ancient City of Bangkok

Sokha Beach Resort, Cambodia

A small boy clinging to the driver of a motorbike in Cambodia

Pagoda on the Water

Life Guard Station, Sokha Beach Resort, Cambodia

Guanyin, the Goddess of Justice and Mercy

Garden Statuary Thailand

Floating Markets of Thailand

Floating Markets in Thailand

Buddhist Pagoda in Thailand

Young boy on the back of a motorbike in Cambodia

Replication of Pagoda in Ancient City of Bangkok

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Joe Benning

More Singapore Photos

Mary Anne and I visited Singapore’s aviary–the largest in South East Asia. Here are some photos taken while we were at the aviary as well as a few taken in a man made rain forest.

Joe

View from the Cloud Forest with City in the Background

In a tropical forest

Ducks in Singapore

Red Myna Bird on a tree branch

Standing on a rock

On a tree branch

Mary Anne watching the show

Flamingos by a waterfall

An unusual pigeon

Duck on a rock by the water

Bird show at the aviary

An eared dove perched on a tree branch

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Joe Benning

Photos from Singapore

We docked in Singapore this morning and we will be here in this very modern city for 3 days. Here are a few photos.

Joe

Singapore Sunset

Path to underground walkway

Sculpture on Orchard Road, Singapore

Cable Cars in Singapore

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Joe Benning

Penang and Langkawi

Here are some photos taken at Penang and Langkawi, both part of Malaysia. They include a shot of Kek Lok Si Temple, cable cars that Mary Anne and I took for a ride up the side of a mountain, a farmer’s roadside market in Penang, a scarecrow in a rice paddy, a woman working in a Batik factory and others.

Joe