In the most populated country, in one of the most populated cities in the world, lies Beijing. A city much like those we are more familiar with such as New York or Glasgow (maybe partly because it was below 50 degrees)...nonetheless the atmosphere felt somewhat familiar. The main difference, the visibility in the air due to the expansive manufacturing economy causing mass air pollution. Despite its poor visibility and cold weather, the city was full of such rich history that was waiting to be explored. Our first night we enjoyed the traditional Peking (or Beijing) Duck and walked around the underground maze of a mall to window shop through the never-ending luxury shops. Our next morning, after the most amazing buffet breakfast I have ever seen (Kerry Hotel) we were picked up at 8:30am by our lovely tour guide Amanda. Our first stop was Tiananmen Square – a 400 sq. meter area where many historical events occurred…both good and bad. Just behind the square was the Forbidden City with the famous photograph of Mao overlooking the people of China. Each architectural decision was intentional and every doorway, window, even brick was put there for a reason. We began the long walk through the special city, located in the dead center of Beijing (again, completely intentional). We stopped to take a photo in front of the entrance, where my Mum stood for the same photo 20-30 years ago (notice the belt). (Side note: as a pale light-eyed Caucasian female, you are the subject of attention and frequently asked for photographs with surrounding locals). The vast amounts of land in each “palace” so to speak was immense…there was plenty of space for hundreds of thousands of civilians to visit when the emperor would hold an event or speech. Even with the thousands of tourists visiting the city, the space surrounding was still plentiful. We spent a few hours walking around and through the Forbidden City learning all about the rich history of China and how time was measured in Dynasty’s rather than decades/centuries for example, as well as the interesting habits of the emperor’s years ago. The next stop – Huohai was an old neighborhood of Beijing, now becoming a trendy waterside location full of bars and restaurants. We walked deeper into the old streets and past the plenty of houses where up to 10 families would share one kitchen and an outdoor bathroom with many other houses. The feeling was quite surreal; It was as if we had stepped into a different world where everything was quiet, gray and the buildings were almost too small for the average person (felt like a black and white Legoland lol). Just outside of the neighborhood we stopped for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant and allowed our guide Amanda to order for us. We ended up with dumplings, wantons, chili beans, and a tofu dish all just as delicious as the last. We completely filled our boots and learned all about our guide and her life in China. Next, we visited the Temple of Heaven – another special location for the Emperor where he would spend a few days out of the year to fast from the luxuries of life (meat, sex, alcohol). Much like the Forbidden City, each building was decadent and colorful which was quite visually effective against the gray sky in the background. Finally, one our way back to our hotel we stopped at the famous Silk Street shopping mall to get silk pillows and pillowcases…we may have ended up leaving with far more but shhh ;) Up again at 7:30, off to breakfast and ready to meet Amanda at 8:30, we dressed for a cold day up the wall. We began the journey to the famous Great Wall of China which took about 1h40 by car. We reached the bottom of the summit and took a bus to the cable car entrance before we journeyed up. The 7,000km long wall that took over 200 years to build, expands across the border of China that once protected the Chinese from the Mongolians. This famous wall, now a massive landmark and wonder of the world was in a word – great! We walked a few kilometers toward the highest point of the Wall and stopped for photographs along the way. Although not necessary to mention, I find it important to bring to the attention of any readers I have from any part of the world…we passed a group of American (students, I presume) around 20 that were storming through the Wall wearing a tacky tourist Chinese hat and blasting the infamous “Bad & Boujee” whilst discussing the Mongolians in a disparaging manner – RUDE! No, but in all seriousness…it is really disappointing to see my generation to act in such a disrespectful way in such a sacred place. Anyway, we kept our distance from the group and enjoyed our walk in the brisk hazy weather. After a decent walk along the spectacular landmark, we descended on the cable car and enjoyed lunch at another Chinese restaurant – yum! The next stop – Summer Palace was an 1h30 away, just in time for a wee kip...zzz. The walk around the Summer Palace was serene and peaceful despite the traffic of people. I imagine even more so during the summer time with all the blossomed trees and lotus flower filled lake. The story of the famous Dragon Lady and the Emperor was an interesting one – how they both came to stay in the palace from April – September of every year in a palace of over 400 hectares… a humble abode…not! Our two-day tour was a fantastic experience of history, shopping, and cuisine. Our guide Amanda was fantastic, patient and very polite (if anyone is would like her contact details, please let me know!). Our hotel was perfectly located in the city-center and very accommodating – The Kerry Hotel (part of the Shangri-La group). All in all, a wonderful trip to Beijing…just enough time to see everything we wanted. An amazing once in a lifetime experience!
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March 2017
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