After the boat trip, a group of us went ashore, and the guide arranged for us to have dinner on the street where the old stock exchange was located, giving us a little time to move freely.
The Old Amsterdam Stock Exchange, founded in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company, was the world's first stock exchange. Today, it is a rehearsal venue and concert hall for the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra and hosts various exhibitions. On 22 September 2000, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange merged with the Brussels Stock Exchange and the Paris Stock Exchange to form the Eurosseum. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX) is now part of Euronext, the oldest stock exchange in the world and one of the largest in Europe. It is located right next to Dam Square in the city center. It is also the central location of the city of Amsterdam.
On the "castle" of the old stock exchange, a three-pronged flag flutters high. The flag of the Netherlands is the tricolor flag, while the city flag of Amsterdam is the trident flag, which represents "water", "fire" and "plague", respectively. As a low-lying city, and with such a developed water vein, the water once brought ruin to the city, and also destroyed the city by fire and the Black Death. The fork representing these three destructive forces is now used as a symbol of the city, which is intended to reflect the city's determination not to forget the old pain, unite as one, and fight against various disasters together. Using this meaning as a city flag is only available to the Dutch. There will certainly not be any city in China that will use it anyway. That's why I saw a house with a three-pronged sign earlier, and I imagined it to be the mayor's residence, because the three-pronged flag is the city flag of Amsterdam.
This street leads to Dam Square in Amsterdam and belongs to the center of the city, so it is also a very bustling commercial street. There is a famous fries shop on this street, and there are many people queuing up every day to buy fries.
The fries store is just opposite the old stock exchange, one doing big business and doing small business on the other, but it doesn't affect each other.
Although the streets are full of people, the trams still jingle locally, and the pedestrians here will also pass through the lanes at will, on a road, people also walk, cars also go, there is no traffic police, there is no auxiliary police and traffic volunteers, and the road is safe.
Because there are no zebra crossings and no traffic lights on this road, pedestrians cross the road. The kingdom of freedom in Amsterdam is truly free.
Shopping malls in bustling commercial districts.
Our police here ride motorcycles, and the police in Amsterdam ride horses, which is handsome enough!
Look at this painting style, what does it feel like?
Where is this on duty, it is clear that the two are riding horses to press the road.
Look at this dam square, across a road in the middle, so people come and go to the horses, it is also chaotic enough.
This is amsterdam's most famous dam square, and the building behind the square is the royal palace. In fact, when it was built, it was the city hall of Amsterdam. Later, during the French occupation, Napoleon's brother changed the place to a royal palace. However, the Dutch royal family does not live here, and the palace is sometimes used as a reception place for heads of state and is open to the public in the summer.
Dam Square was originally built at the end of the 12th century, in the north of a dam square on the Amsto River, which is now the Old Town, and the houses in this area used to be full of shops and bustling. There was also a celebrity here – Zacharias Jansen, the inventor of the telescope.
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is one of the four royal palaces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is used by Queen Beatrix under the Act of Parliament. Built as Amsterdam's town hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, the palace was inaugurated on 20 July 1655 and is now more than 350 years old. It later became the Dutch Royal Palace of Louis Bonaparte. Napoleon lived in the Royal Palace. This beautiful palace representing traditional Dutch architecture was designed by Yako Wang Campan from 1648 to 1655. In 1808, Napoleon became King of the Netherlands and was used as a royal palace until his abdication two years ago. The frontal structure of the palace gives the impression of a strict and square. The triangular eyebrow carving on the top of the window on the fifth floor is the work of A Kleneng, a sculptor from Anwisha, which depicts the prosperity of Amsterdam surrounded by the sea god and the sea spirit, and matches the appearance of the domed octagonal tower building on the roof. It is located on the west side of Dam Square in the center of Amsterdam, facing the war memorial and adjacent to the New Church.
This beautiful palace representing traditional Dutch architecture was designed by Yako Wang Campan from 1648 to 1655. In 1808, Napoleon became King of the Netherlands and was used as a royal palace until his abdication two years ago. The frontal structure of the palace gives the impression of a strict and square. The triangular eyebrow carving on the top of the window on the fifth floor is the work of A Kleneng, a sculptor from Anwisha, which depicts the prosperity of Amsterdam surrounded by the sea god and the sea spirit, and matches the appearance of the domed octagonal tower building on the roof.
A war memorial, another important symbol of Dam Square. This national monument, in white in the middle of the square, was built in 1956 in honor of the victims of World War II.
This monument is also the most politically significant building in the whole of Amsterdam.
Now that it has become a recreation center for citizens and tourists, this political significance is no longer paid attention to.
Dam Square has been the political and commercial center of the city for centuries, with the former city hall, the metrology office and the market stationed here, and political upheavals for various reasons, such as provocations, the anti-Vietnam War, and so on. However, Dam Square is now just a thriving business district where individuals gather.
The people who play here are also eclectic. You can sit wherever you want, no one cares.
The police uncle on horseback also chatted with this beautiful girl.
The seemingly chaotic square is also safe.
It is a pedestrian street adjacent to Dam Square, lined with shops and restaurants. The guide just dropped us up here and let us arrange dinner ourselves. Feeling that I didn't have enough time, I bought a sandwich and continued to start street photography. A rare little free time, I have to hurry up and take pictures, and I can't spend time on eating.
At the end of this street is the canal, which runs through the city everywhere.
According to the guide, on both sides of the canal here is Amsterdam's red light district.
In Amsterdam, the Red Light District is legal. The red light district here is made up of a network of roads and alleyways in which hundreds of small studio apartments are rented by female sex workers who provide services behind windows or glass doors illuminated with red lights. The area also has many sex shops, sex theaters, Western views, a sex museum, a cannabis museum, and many cannabis cafes offering a variety of cannabis products. While 26% of tourists come to the area to "check out", the number of brothels is still declining, so much so that the Chamber of Commerce has issued a warning.
Because I had no curiosity about these things, and I didn't have the idea of visiting, I didn't go inside at all, and only took a few photos of the cross-strait style on the canal bridge.
There are many legal places in the red light district, some people will take advantage of the opportunity of outbound travel to patronize, there is a demand to have a supply, this is the law of the market, as for the consequences, adults, bear it themselves.
Now it is a more inclusive society, not to mention in a city like Amsterdam, anyone can choose their own way of life. Freedom, openness and inclusiveness are Amsterdam's city calling card.
Back at Dam Square again, it's still crowded.
The truck that sold hot dogs was still selling his hot dogs in the same place, unaffected by the surrounding crowd and the environment.
Right next to Dam Square, in the shop window, there is such a propaganda picture that makes people look very kind. This must be the designated shopping shop for tour groups. The "custom" that Chinese tourists love to shop is welcomed by the people of the world!