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As we all know, Beijing has outstanding sightseeing attractions, from the globally famous Great Wall and Forbidden City to less familiar but equally fascinating sites such as the Eastern Qing Tombs.
However, when we visit such places, few of us stop and gaze in wonder at the splendor of our surroundings, or contemplate the momentous events that occurred there.
Instead, we grab our camera or smartphone and start shooting away.
We're obsessed with getting some photos to share with our friends on social media, rather than noting unusual details, absorbing the atmosphere and trying to imagine what life was like for those who passed this way before.
Instead of studying the buildings, landscape or whatever else is around us, we allow the wish to get a few good shots to distract us from what we are experiencing.
Of course, it's great to have photos to remind us of a fun day out and to show to family and friends.
But it seems to me that the photography often takes over - we are more concerned with recording the experience than enjoying it.
People have taken pictures of tourist sites since the dawn of photography, but now, with most of us carrying a phone with a built-in camera at all times, it's getting out of hand.
A walk across one of the vast open spaces at the Forbidden City involves constantly pausing to avoid appearing in someone else's photo. You see people at the opera taking videos of the performance on their smartphones instead of concentrating on the plot and enjoying the spectacle.
I'm as guilty as anyone else. A while ago I went whale watching in New Zealand, hoping to see sperm whales as they surfaced and dived in what should have been a magical experience.
We encountered five or six of the massive animals, and I was determined to photograph them. However, when the boat started to head back to port I realized I had only seen them through the viewfinder of my camera. What's more, the photos I took weren't any good.
The other day I visited the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in Tian'anmen Square and, along with thousands of others, peered through the glass walls of the inner chamber at the crystal casket containing Mao's embalmed remains.
This is one place where you are not allowed to use your camera. Free from the distraction of taking photos, I found myself looking around more than usual, trying to read the expressions of the other people there, gazing at the flowers piled up in front of Mao's statue in the entrance hall, and generally paying more attention to my surroundings than usual.
It was an instructive experience, and the next time I visit one of Beijing's great attractions I will resist the temptation to reach for my camera straightaway. Instead, I'll look around, think about where I am and enjoy the moment.
Contact the writer at colin@chinadaily.com.cn
