Beijing is serviced by a huge fleet of taxis with three basic price ranges: 1.20 RMB, 1.60 RMB and 2.00 RMB. Each price range of Beijing taxi uses a particular type of car. Identify the type of Beijing taxi and know the price. Small red Xiali's are 1.20RMB; Citroen and Volkswagen are 1.60RMB; larger black sedans are 2.00RMB. Price is posted in the rear window also.
o 1Find a taxi stand. These are easy to spot. The taxi drivers will try to hustle a visiting Westerner outside the airport so know the price before getting in. Check the fare price on the rear side windows. The taxi meter should be running at all times, and the driver should print a receipt. If there are problems (which are rare), they can be reported to the local authorities. The trip from the airport should cost between 70 and 100 RMB.
o 2Stand on the curb, hold out a hand and wave down an available taxi. Do not stand along busy streets where it is impossible for the driver to stop. It is illegal to block traffic flow and drivers will pass by. It also helps if a visitor knows the direction to their destination and stands on the correct side of the road. This makes the trip quicker and less expensive.
o 3Ask a hotel clerk to call a taxi. Most Western hotels have taxis parked in front or just around the corner. At many Beijing hotels, the shortage of available parking leads to drivers carefully picking their way down the sidewalk area to come right to the door.
o 4Walk over to a tourist area. The tourist areas and Western hotels are the very best places to find readily available taxis. There may be more of the higher price taxis waiting, but if it is a particularly hot summer day, the better air conditioning is worth the extra RMB.
o 5Approach a taxi outside a local restaurant. The driver will soon appear if he is available for a fare. Taxi drivers in Beijing often work 12-hours shifts, and each taxi is on the road day and night. If a taxi driver is eating, he may be willing to forgo the second helping to grab a fare. Do not be concerned if a driver refuses after he sees where you are going. In the busier traffic areas it is very difficult to get a parking spot and only a long fare will dislodge a driver from his spot in line.
o 6Hire a taxi for an entire day (about $120). The driver will wait and take visitors anywhere in the city and also out to the Great Wall. The overall price will depend on the size of the taxi and the length of the hire. The cost would be between $175 and $350 (limo) for a day trip to the Great Wall at Badaling.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Facts About Chinese Monuments
China has a long and varied history and ancient monuments abound. The Great Wall of China is probably one of the greatest ancient wonders of the world, cutting across grasslands, deserts and mountains. Chinese monuments amount to far more than the Great Wall, though. The country is also home to the Terracotta Army and the Forbidden City, to name just a few of the more famous ancient structures and artifacts of China. Significant modern monuments of China are the structures, built to celebrate the Chinese hosting of the Olympic Games in 2008, such as the futuristic China Central Television building.
The Great Wall of China
Building works started on the Great Wall during the Qin dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. This fantastic monument is about 5,000 miles long. Its height varies from 15 to 30 feet, with a breadth of up to 30 feet as well. The wall has a number of watchtowers and ancient fortifications for stationing the ancient armies tasked with preventing incursions by neighboring tribes. The "Spaced Out" program on the Science Channel confirms the belief that parts of the wall can be viewed from outer space, indicative of the massive nature of this manmade monument.
Terracotta Army
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was discovered by archaeologists in 1974 and dates back to 210 B.C. The mausoleum is located at the foot of Mount Li, about one hour's journey from Xian city. The burial place consists of row upon row of full-sized figures constructed of terracotta, representing the imperial army of Emperor Qin Shui Huang. Statues include warriors, horses, chariots and weapons. The figures were an attempt by the Emperor to take an army with him into the afterlife. It is believed that major discoveries are still to be made at this site.
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City of China is located close by Tian'an Men Square in Beijing and housed the Imperial Emperors of China. This monument to China's imperial legacy is the most-visited attraction in China. The orginal building of the palace began in 1406 and housed 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Chinese Monuments
China's long history of civilization indicates the plethora of historic monuments in the country; these include temples, pagodas, palaces and ancient cities. More modern Chinese monuments include the futuristic buildings designed for the 2008 Olympics, such as the doughnut-shaped headquarters of China Central Television and the zinc-coated Television Cultural Center, together with Terminal 3 at the Beijing Capital International Airport, the world's largest airport terminal.
The Great Wall of China
Building works started on the Great Wall during the Qin dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. This fantastic monument is about 5,000 miles long. Its height varies from 15 to 30 feet, with a breadth of up to 30 feet as well. The wall has a number of watchtowers and ancient fortifications for stationing the ancient armies tasked with preventing incursions by neighboring tribes. The "Spaced Out" program on the Science Channel confirms the belief that parts of the wall can be viewed from outer space, indicative of the massive nature of this manmade monument.
Terracotta Army
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was discovered by archaeologists in 1974 and dates back to 210 B.C. The mausoleum is located at the foot of Mount Li, about one hour's journey from Xian city. The burial place consists of row upon row of full-sized figures constructed of terracotta, representing the imperial army of Emperor Qin Shui Huang. Statues include warriors, horses, chariots and weapons. The figures were an attempt by the Emperor to take an army with him into the afterlife. It is believed that major discoveries are still to be made at this site.
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City of China is located close by Tian'an Men Square in Beijing and housed the Imperial Emperors of China. This monument to China's imperial legacy is the most-visited attraction in China. The orginal building of the palace began in 1406 and housed 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Chinese Monuments
China's long history of civilization indicates the plethora of historic monuments in the country; these include temples, pagodas, palaces and ancient cities. More modern Chinese monuments include the futuristic buildings designed for the 2008 Olympics, such as the doughnut-shaped headquarters of China Central Television and the zinc-coated Television Cultural Center, together with Terminal 3 at the Beijing Capital International Airport, the world's largest airport terminal.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
What is the Importance of the Great Wall of China
The
Great Wall of China is the world's longest man-made structure, with estimates
as of April 2009 placing it about 5,500 miles long. Besides an architectural
marvel, the wall also secured China's northern border in ancient times and,
today, tells a history of more than a thousand years of Chinese dynasties.
History
The Great Wall's construction began under the
first emperor of the Qin Dynasty following the unification of China in 221 B.C.
The individual states of northern China already had been building their own
walls for several centuries, and the emperor ordered them linked.
Time Frame
Construction of the Great Wall spanned nearly
two millennia, continuing until the Ming Dynasty in the 1500s. Over that time,
more than 20 dynasties built the wall according to the technology of their
time, and the Ming Dynasty built most of the wall that remains today.
Function
The Chinese used the Great Wall primarily for
defense. The Himalayas protect China to its south, the Tibetan Plateau to the
west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, but the northern border is mostly open,
except for some natural defenses such as mountains and rivers that the Chinese
built in as part of the wall.
Significance
The Great Wall earned its place as one of the
seven medieval wonders of the world, alongside the Colosseum in Rome and the
Leaning Tower of Pisa, and The United Nations named it a World Heritage Site in
1987. The Chinese themselves have a well-known saying that translates to:
"If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you're not a real man."
Misconceptions
A popular myth states the Great Wall is the
only man-made structure visible from space or the moon. The Great Wall is
barely discernible from low orbit, where numerous other man-made structures are
visible, and no man-made structures are visible from the moon.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Beijing bumper edition!
The imminent prospect of getting off our final overnight hard sleeper train after 12 hrs was exciting. However coupled with the fact that we were arriving into the capital city of this monumentally enormous country was an acute awakening of all the senses. Nothing really highlights how incredibly large this population is until you have experienced the train station and while this is not the biggest city we had visited nor has it been the longest trek from the station to the actual train, the sheer numbers of people that got off this train made me feel like the entire population of the UK had landed and needed to go through exactly the same exit. It was quite an experience. When we boarded the train in Xian I had chatted with a couple of Swedish students who had only managed to buy standing tickets - this means if there is a place to stand then there is a ticket. They told me that they had a hard seater ticket on the way from Beijing and they thought that was tough so they didn't even want to think about the standing. Now all of my hard sleeper experiences seem trivial and I spent the evening and following morning thinking of them, very grateful for my bed!
Upon finally getting out of the station we headed to the hotel to check in and find somewhere to eat
As it was still early morning, two rooms (one for boys, one for girls) were allocated so we could shower and prepare for another day that was jam packed with historical sites and places that you never quite imagine actually seeing.
Breakfast and shower done, first stop was Tienanmen Square. In the middle of this bustling city this square is packed with people and despite being surrounded by large buildings, the first thing that hits you is the size (approximately 100 acres). A celebration for the Communist Party's 90years meant that there were giant television screens and flower arrangements that were so big that it took your breath away but it didn't take away the awe at the sheer size of it. Chairmen Mao's mausoleum is at the end of the square and the line of people waiting to pay their respects never seemed to end. In subsequent days after we finished the tour we would learn first hand just how long this line really was - waiting for 1hr and 40minutes.
After a quick whistle stop look around, we were guided into the Forbidden City. Now when we thought that Tienanmen Square was big we wern't really prepared for this. Set on 74 hectares and surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat and a 10-meter-high wall, we were told by our guide that it has 9,999.5 rooms. The reason for this figure is that only God can have 10,000 rooms and therefore the Forbidden City that had been home to 24 emperors and their families which could include up to 3000 concubines was .5 short of 10,000.
Visiting this place was quite spectacular and each courtyard and inner wall was gigantic but heading through another door only revealed yet another courtyard and beautiful building and so on
After a few hours of walking through this place we returned to the hotel to prepare for our evening performance of 'The legend of Kung Fu'. This was the story about a young boy who was taken to the Tibetan monastery to learn the art of Kung Fu. A continual demonstration of skill and physical ability for the whole hour and a half this was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen before and when I asked our guide he told me that they had been running for 5 years, performing two shows per day. Quite impressive!
The following day we were off early 7.30am to visit 'The Great Wall'. After a two hour drive and a short chairlift up to the wall, we stood there looking out over the hills and the view was breathtaking. I probably haven't mentioned the weather, which is very unlike me but this is because it has been well into the 30's since our arrival into China and today was no different. Clear blue sky and sunny hot weather, we walked for 2 hours making our way up the incline of the wall, up some very steep steps before arriving at a section that was in its original state. Many pictures were taken to mark this monumental experience and I will never forget how it felt. A short 40 minute walk back to the bus and a mere 2hours later, we arrived back in Beijing around 2pm - plenty of time to fit in another visit to an iconic landmark and so we headed out on the subway to Olympic Park.
Now the subway system in Beijing is probably the best I have ever been on. The stations are spotless, the trains were so long and continuous (mind they would have to be as everyone of them was absolutely packed) and it was 2yuan or 20 pence to go anywhere and as far as you needed. Upon arrival to Olympic Park (I know I am using every word that describes big) the size is again, the first thing that immediately hits you. The Birds Nest and the Cube are two striking features on the landscape and the pathed section that during the Olympics was used to park the numerous buses is now used as a pedestrian walkway filled with people selling 'Gold medals'. As it took more time than anticipated to reach Olympic Park (Beijing is the city that never ends) and having another 8 days in Beijing on our own, we decided to buy a ticket into the Birds Nest and return later in the week to visit the Cube. Inside the stadium really highlights how impressive this building is - but the running track is now home to Segway riders who are mostly young children. Wanting to get onto the track Gareth decided to investigate a ride on the Segway but with a half hour wait we decided against it.
A hour later and melting with the intensity of the sun we headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for our final evening with the group. However this was slightly more difficult than we first anticipated. The first taxi we hailed told us to get out after I handed him the directions to the hotel; the second did the same, the third had just dropped off some other tourists and while the guy held open the door for me to get in, the taxi driver drove off. Frustrated, hot and having only a card of the hotel that was written in Chinese, I made a last ditched attempt to hail a cab. Perhaps he noticed the desperation of my face and that of Gareth and Daniel- aka Miller Bank and so he smiled and motioned us to get in. Driving us back to the hotel we thanked him and raced in to have the quickest shower ever before meeting our group for our final evening together - and what better way to celebrate that to go out for the famous 'Peking Duck'! Our guide led us all to the acclaimed restaurant and ordered two ducks as well as an assortment of different dishes for us to try..and try we did. The duck was served and when I say served..I mean ever part of it was served. Bones and all. For the 12 of us who are used to the Western style of meat first, bones last, we tried the delicious duck that literally melted in your mouth - the skin we were told to dip in sugar and it just dissolved on your tongue. I have never tasted anything like this before.A final farewell drink was on the cards and so we all boarded taxi's (oh the taxi's are a whole story in themselves) and headed to Bar Street to toast our trip and make our final goodbyes. Checking out of the hotel is always sad and as Gareth and I packed our bags headed for the hostel, we were informed by our guide that it was where other Intrepid tour groups stayed and that it was lovely. Yippee!! So as we said goodbye to two of our fellow travellers who were off to spend their final nights in 'The Hilton' we boarded our taxi headed for 'The Hostel' and left our Intrepid guided tour!
Filling in your time in Beijing is probably the easiest thing we have had to do. At no point have we run out of things to see, places to go and not found interesting people to meet. After a day's rest we headed back to the square to meet Daniel - aka Miller Bank (our Intrepid buddy who was staying for a few days also) and join the queue to see Chairmen Mao. After checking our bags in at the checkpoint, we waited in line for over one hour and a half before we finally reached the mausoleum. Lying in a glass case Mao looks porcelain like - a light shines onto his face and the flag is draped over his body. There is a huge pile of flowers left by the people paying their respects at the entrance and upon entering the mausoleum it takes approximately 1 minute to shuffle past. After this we headed back to Olympic Park to visit 'The Cube' and investigate the possibility of having a swim. However despite having our bathers with us, we were not aware that in order to swim, a swimming cap is required! Who would have thought! So instead of an afternoon swim (that we discovered was only in the warm-up pool) we bought our 'visiting ticket' and made our way in to check out the Olympic Pool and diving boards - from the spectator seats! Upon leaving we left to get some food and say goodbye to Daniel for the final time.
The following day Gareth and I, realising that we had not looked at any markets headed in to take a look. Wanting to buy a Mahjong set (a Chinese game that we had been taught to play) we headed to the famous 'Pearl Market' and then to the evening 'Night Market'. The night market was incredible; mostly food based it sold the most interesting things like seahorse, starfish and live scorpions on a stick! Mmmm! Unfortunately and quite genuinely we had eaten another 'hot pot' for lunch and ordered way too much food with some help from a random Chinese lad who knew we were hopeless with the language.. so we were not that hungry. Our look in the markets for a mahjong set was cut a little short when the lady who Gareth was bargaining with insisted he look again and when Gareth said he wanted to think about it, she slapped him hard on the back. Laughing we promptly left the market avoiding further 'negotiations', as we walked onto the pedestrian street to stumble across a 'foreign book store' where I bought the book about Henrietta Lacks - a book I had read a raving review about but didn't think I would find on this trip - or in China! Brilliant! Off back to the hostel to begin!
The next morning we made our way to the cooking school in the Hutong District that I had booked as part of Gareth's birthday present. An early morning trip to the market we headed back to begin our lesson. Creating numerous dishes that included Black Bean Beef, Cumin Beef, Pork Spare Ribs and Eggplant & Pork we spent the whole morning and early afternoon cooking and eating, and met a lovely father and son from Texas. Enjoying the company we all headed to the subway and made our way to visit 'The Temple of Heaven' which was a place that the emperors went to pray for good havests. Again this was enormous - set on about 74 hectares we spent the afternoon wondering the vast grounds.
We then shifted across to join our Vodkatrain tour to the Jade Hostel. Here we met our fellow train travellers, 5 of us in all, all English (couple from north yorkshire, and chap from norwich). On our final days we went shopping crazy in the so called 'Dirt' antiques and crafts weekend market, where you could get pretty much anything. Here we finally found a nice authentic Mahjong set and the seller was nice, no striking out at all! Also picked up some great paintings directly from the local artists. Then we shot across to the frantic and manic 'Silk' market, where each floor has a different specialiity - silk, jewelery, leather, shoes, clothes, etc, etc. We bargained heavily and got some more souviniers of China, generally at 10 times less than the first price asked for!
Our last night in China we decided to head out to the Beijing opera to see all the brightly coloured masked performers. A real spectical. First we watched the performers doning their make up and costumes. Then was treated to a mix of opera (as we know it), acrobatics and general theatre. A unique show.
So all aboard from Beijing Railway station early in the morning for a momentus journey that will take us all the way to St. Petersberg!
Upon finally getting out of the station we headed to the hotel to check in and find somewhere to eat
As it was still early morning, two rooms (one for boys, one for girls) were allocated so we could shower and prepare for another day that was jam packed with historical sites and places that you never quite imagine actually seeing.
Breakfast and shower done, first stop was Tienanmen Square. In the middle of this bustling city this square is packed with people and despite being surrounded by large buildings, the first thing that hits you is the size (approximately 100 acres). A celebration for the Communist Party's 90years meant that there were giant television screens and flower arrangements that were so big that it took your breath away but it didn't take away the awe at the sheer size of it. Chairmen Mao's mausoleum is at the end of the square and the line of people waiting to pay their respects never seemed to end. In subsequent days after we finished the tour we would learn first hand just how long this line really was - waiting for 1hr and 40minutes.
After a quick whistle stop look around, we were guided into the Forbidden City. Now when we thought that Tienanmen Square was big we wern't really prepared for this. Set on 74 hectares and surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat and a 10-meter-high wall, we were told by our guide that it has 9,999.5 rooms. The reason for this figure is that only God can have 10,000 rooms and therefore the Forbidden City that had been home to 24 emperors and their families which could include up to 3000 concubines was .5 short of 10,000.
Visiting this place was quite spectacular and each courtyard and inner wall was gigantic but heading through another door only revealed yet another courtyard and beautiful building and so on
After a few hours of walking through this place we returned to the hotel to prepare for our evening performance of 'The legend of Kung Fu'. This was the story about a young boy who was taken to the Tibetan monastery to learn the art of Kung Fu. A continual demonstration of skill and physical ability for the whole hour and a half this was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen before and when I asked our guide he told me that they had been running for 5 years, performing two shows per day. Quite impressive!
The following day we were off early 7.30am to visit 'The Great Wall'. After a two hour drive and a short chairlift up to the wall, we stood there looking out over the hills and the view was breathtaking. I probably haven't mentioned the weather, which is very unlike me but this is because it has been well into the 30's since our arrival into China and today was no different. Clear blue sky and sunny hot weather, we walked for 2 hours making our way up the incline of the wall, up some very steep steps before arriving at a section that was in its original state. Many pictures were taken to mark this monumental experience and I will never forget how it felt. A short 40 minute walk back to the bus and a mere 2hours later, we arrived back in Beijing around 2pm - plenty of time to fit in another visit to an iconic landmark and so we headed out on the subway to Olympic Park.
Now the subway system in Beijing is probably the best I have ever been on. The stations are spotless, the trains were so long and continuous (mind they would have to be as everyone of them was absolutely packed) and it was 2yuan or 20 pence to go anywhere and as far as you needed. Upon arrival to Olympic Park (I know I am using every word that describes big) the size is again, the first thing that immediately hits you. The Birds Nest and the Cube are two striking features on the landscape and the pathed section that during the Olympics was used to park the numerous buses is now used as a pedestrian walkway filled with people selling 'Gold medals'. As it took more time than anticipated to reach Olympic Park (Beijing is the city that never ends) and having another 8 days in Beijing on our own, we decided to buy a ticket into the Birds Nest and return later in the week to visit the Cube. Inside the stadium really highlights how impressive this building is - but the running track is now home to Segway riders who are mostly young children. Wanting to get onto the track Gareth decided to investigate a ride on the Segway but with a half hour wait we decided against it.
A hour later and melting with the intensity of the sun we headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for our final evening with the group. However this was slightly more difficult than we first anticipated. The first taxi we hailed told us to get out after I handed him the directions to the hotel; the second did the same, the third had just dropped off some other tourists and while the guy held open the door for me to get in, the taxi driver drove off. Frustrated, hot and having only a card of the hotel that was written in Chinese, I made a last ditched attempt to hail a cab. Perhaps he noticed the desperation of my face and that of Gareth and Daniel- aka Miller Bank and so he smiled and motioned us to get in. Driving us back to the hotel we thanked him and raced in to have the quickest shower ever before meeting our group for our final evening together - and what better way to celebrate that to go out for the famous 'Peking Duck'! Our guide led us all to the acclaimed restaurant and ordered two ducks as well as an assortment of different dishes for us to try..and try we did. The duck was served and when I say served..I mean ever part of it was served. Bones and all. For the 12 of us who are used to the Western style of meat first, bones last, we tried the delicious duck that literally melted in your mouth - the skin we were told to dip in sugar and it just dissolved on your tongue. I have never tasted anything like this before.A final farewell drink was on the cards and so we all boarded taxi's (oh the taxi's are a whole story in themselves) and headed to Bar Street to toast our trip and make our final goodbyes. Checking out of the hotel is always sad and as Gareth and I packed our bags headed for the hostel, we were informed by our guide that it was where other Intrepid tour groups stayed and that it was lovely. Yippee!! So as we said goodbye to two of our fellow travellers who were off to spend their final nights in 'The Hilton' we boarded our taxi headed for 'The Hostel' and left our Intrepid guided tour!
Filling in your time in Beijing is probably the easiest thing we have had to do. At no point have we run out of things to see, places to go and not found interesting people to meet. After a day's rest we headed back to the square to meet Daniel - aka Miller Bank (our Intrepid buddy who was staying for a few days also) and join the queue to see Chairmen Mao. After checking our bags in at the checkpoint, we waited in line for over one hour and a half before we finally reached the mausoleum. Lying in a glass case Mao looks porcelain like - a light shines onto his face and the flag is draped over his body. There is a huge pile of flowers left by the people paying their respects at the entrance and upon entering the mausoleum it takes approximately 1 minute to shuffle past. After this we headed back to Olympic Park to visit 'The Cube' and investigate the possibility of having a swim. However despite having our bathers with us, we were not aware that in order to swim, a swimming cap is required! Who would have thought! So instead of an afternoon swim (that we discovered was only in the warm-up pool) we bought our 'visiting ticket' and made our way in to check out the Olympic Pool and diving boards - from the spectator seats! Upon leaving we left to get some food and say goodbye to Daniel for the final time.
The following day Gareth and I, realising that we had not looked at any markets headed in to take a look. Wanting to buy a Mahjong set (a Chinese game that we had been taught to play) we headed to the famous 'Pearl Market' and then to the evening 'Night Market'. The night market was incredible; mostly food based it sold the most interesting things like seahorse, starfish and live scorpions on a stick! Mmmm! Unfortunately and quite genuinely we had eaten another 'hot pot' for lunch and ordered way too much food with some help from a random Chinese lad who knew we were hopeless with the language.. so we were not that hungry. Our look in the markets for a mahjong set was cut a little short when the lady who Gareth was bargaining with insisted he look again and when Gareth said he wanted to think about it, she slapped him hard on the back. Laughing we promptly left the market avoiding further 'negotiations', as we walked onto the pedestrian street to stumble across a 'foreign book store' where I bought the book about Henrietta Lacks - a book I had read a raving review about but didn't think I would find on this trip - or in China! Brilliant! Off back to the hostel to begin!
The next morning we made our way to the cooking school in the Hutong District that I had booked as part of Gareth's birthday present. An early morning trip to the market we headed back to begin our lesson. Creating numerous dishes that included Black Bean Beef, Cumin Beef, Pork Spare Ribs and Eggplant & Pork we spent the whole morning and early afternoon cooking and eating, and met a lovely father and son from Texas. Enjoying the company we all headed to the subway and made our way to visit 'The Temple of Heaven' which was a place that the emperors went to pray for good havests. Again this was enormous - set on about 74 hectares we spent the afternoon wondering the vast grounds.
We then shifted across to join our Vodkatrain tour to the Jade Hostel. Here we met our fellow train travellers, 5 of us in all, all English (couple from north yorkshire, and chap from norwich). On our final days we went shopping crazy in the so called 'Dirt' antiques and crafts weekend market, where you could get pretty much anything. Here we finally found a nice authentic Mahjong set and the seller was nice, no striking out at all! Also picked up some great paintings directly from the local artists. Then we shot across to the frantic and manic 'Silk' market, where each floor has a different specialiity - silk, jewelery, leather, shoes, clothes, etc, etc. We bargained heavily and got some more souviniers of China, generally at 10 times less than the first price asked for!
Our last night in China we decided to head out to the Beijing opera to see all the brightly coloured masked performers. A real spectical. First we watched the performers doning their make up and costumes. Then was treated to a mix of opera (as we know it), acrobatics and general theatre. A unique show.
So all aboard from Beijing Railway station early in the morning for a momentus journey that will take us all the way to St. Petersberg!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Yunmengshan National Forest Park
The Yunmengshan National Forest Park lies at the border of Miyun District and Huairou District. With its main peak rising more than 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above the sea-level, the forest park covers a vast area of about 2,200 hectares (5,456 acres). A superb summer resort, the scenic area has soaring mountains, sheer precipitous cliffs, grotesque rocks, cascading waterfalls and running springs. The dense forests, the chirping birds and the changeable clouds add allure to the park. During July and August, the mountain is always veiled in mist. On sunny mornings, the sun pierces through the mist and the clouds and rises up into the sky slowly; magnificent and glorious.
The forest park also features peculiar stone peaks and clear waters. Some stone peaks stand in a cluster and resemble the luxuriant blooming of a giant lotus. Other stone peaks are visible in various shapes and sizes and are representative of swords, figures of Buddha, sleeping tigers, and peacocks. There are over 60 pools and more than 30 changeable and ceaseless waterfalls. With a breadth of about 30 meters (98 feet), the largest waterfall runs down from a height of over 80 meters (262 feet).
With 90 percent of the area covered by a variety of trees, the park is characterized by luxuriant forests. A splendid variety of vegetation is distributed throughout the area, ranging from white birches and towering larches in high places to wild flowers on the hillsides. The birches, as spotlessly white as snow, are beautiful, tall and straight. Some pines pose as welcoming guests, some look like sleeping dragons, some look as if they are guarding a gate, and some appear as intimate lovers. These graceful trees make a fanciful natural art work. Wild animals such as antelopes and other types of deer can be frequently seen strolling through the forests.
From April to May, the azaleas bloom in profusion on the hillsides. Set off by the endless sea of forests, the flowers are stunningly attractive. During July and August, tourists can roam over the cloud-wreathed mountain. In autumn, the forest park is abundant in kiwi fruit, kiskatom, chestnut and other fruits. A photography festival is held from March to October every year. With different levels of lodging places and food, various entertainment facilities and sightseeing alternatives, the scenic area caters to everyone from all walks of life.
Fees:
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Entrance Charge:
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CNY 35
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Zip Wire
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CNY 80 (round-trip)
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CNY 50 (one-way trip)
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Opening Hours:
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08:00-18:00 (April-the middle of November)
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Bus Route:
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916 or 936 (Dongzhimenwai-Huairou Bus Station) (东直门外-怀柔汽车站), then take a small bus to the Yunmengshan National Forest Park (云蒙山国家森林公园).
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Take a tourist bus from Tiananmen (天安门) or Xuanwumen (宣武门) to the forest park (available on weekends and Chinese legal holidays from April 7 to October 15)
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
Xiangshui Lake Scenic Area
The Xiangshui Lake Scenic Area is located to the west of Mutianyu Great Wall, Dazhenyu Village, Bohai Town, Huairou District, about 78 kilometers (48.5 miles) from downtown Beijing. It occupies an area of 18 square kilometers (4,448 acres). The scenic area is a splendid natural valley with a section of the Great Wall, an ancient cave, beautiful mountains, clear springs and ponds, and a spectacular waterfall.
In fact, Xiangshui Lake isn't a lake but rather a gash of water from a head of a spring in the valley. It is possible to hear the sound of the running water from afar, so it is named 'Xiangshui Lake'. The spring is the biggest one in Huairou District and the water is sweet, tasty and refreshing.
The service facilities of the scenic area are excellent. The Xiangshui Villa in a style of ancient architecture stands in full view. The restaurants here mainly offer the countryside food, rainbow trout, and barbecues. During the evening, visitors can make a bonfire, let off fireworks, sing loudly and dance.
There are sheer cliffs and steep mountains with diverse rocks and unique peaks at both sides of the valley. The Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) winds up and down the green mountains, looking like a gigantic dragon flying into the sky. The Moshikou Pass was an important pass of the Great Wall and was built in 1404 of the Ming Dynasty. Walking along the Great Wall, visitors see the natural Lianyun Cave and Totem Pavilion halfway up the wall adding mystery to the ancient pass. The Moya Inscription carved in the Ming Dynasty make the pass even more majestic. The most stunning scenery in this scenic area is the grand waterfall. The impetuous springs rush down the mountain and form a compelling waterfall, 24 meters (78.7 feet) wide, 50 meters (164 feet) long. In winter, the waterfall becomes an 'Ice Curtain' hanging over the cave.
Admission Fee:
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CNY 25
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Bus Route:
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916, 936 at Dongzhimen (东直门) to Mingzhu Guangchang (Mingzhu Square, 明珠广场), and then take a small bus to the Xiangshui Lake Scenic Area (响水湖自然风景区).
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Friday, December 23, 2011
Simatai Great Wall
The Simatai which is well-known for its five characters of “steepness, compactness, queerness, wonderfulness and comprehensiveness”, is located in Gubeikou Town to the north-east of Miyun county, Beijing, 120 kilometers from the city center. Simatai Great wall is exquisite in its details and is grand as a whole, which is the only part of ancient Great Walls with the original features of Ming Dynasty well reserved. Simatai Great Wall connects with JinshanLing Great Wall to the west, main attractions include Watching Beijing Tower, Fairy Tower, Heavenly Ladder and Sky Bridge.
Simatai Great Wall came into being during the Wanli period. It incorporates various characteristics of Ten-Thousand-Mile Great Wall and at the same time bears its unique features. Professor LUO Zhewen, the prestigious Great Wall expert, praised “Chinese Great Walls are the best all around the world, while Simatai deserves the best among all Chinese Great Walls.” Up to now, Simatai Great Wall has been listed by UNESCO into the World Cultural Heritages...
Simatai Great Wall came into being during the Wanli period. It incorporates various characteristics of Ten-Thousand-Mile Great Wall and at the same time bears its unique features. Professor LUO Zhewen, the prestigious Great Wall expert, praised “Chinese Great Walls are the best all around the world, while Simatai deserves the best among all Chinese Great Walls.” Up to now, Simatai Great Wall has been listed by UNESCO into the World Cultural Heritages...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
A 'reading week' trip in Beijing
Reading week is akin to a mid-semester break where lectures and tutorials do not run for the week, allowing the students to 'read and catch up'. For a large majority of exchange students, this is an opportunity to go abroad (well even further).
As usual, details of my trip were only finalised afew days beforehand and in leaving it so late resulted in a change of plans because seats for the train were already booked out for the whole month.
So here goes the story.
My original plan was to go to Tibet for the week, however that plan fell through. In planning for Tibet I ended up with a China Visa, so I decided to take advantage of that by going to Beijing. Other exchangers were mainly going around SE Asia, but being Australian, that area is quite popular and accessible, so I decided to go north and see the capital.
The trip begins with a 26 hour overnight train ride from HK to BJ, and it was actually pretty enjoyable. Even though I was booked into the high hard sleeper, which meant having to be acrobat to get to the top of the triple bunk, I
was fortunate enough to be in the same carriage as other students and english speaking travellers. Additionally, an American who had just moved to BJ, was able to give tips on where to go and give better local descriptions than my printed out google translate page (I had a selection of random words of chicken, vegetable, where to?, how much etc). This was then followed by somehow playing a drinking game involving cards with chinese people in the deluxe carriage. It was not a big night as I was in bed by 2am. By the time I awoke the following morning, I did some reading and stared out the window, the train had arrived in BJ. I was fortunate enough that my accomodation was in the same general direction as the others and hence the American was able to guide us to the metro stops rather than taking an apparently complicated bus system.
Walking out on to the street/plaza of the train station, I see my first sight of BJ. People occupying space with bags full of stuff, national guards walking in time, undercover guards keeping a look-out, men constantly smoking, men walking up to us letting us know
that he can take us to our accom (we decline), people talking in their normal shouting voice and walking and shoving you as they walk past.
To cut a long story short, after reaching the destination where I had to split from the others, I kinda got lost. In the end it took me 2 hours to find my hostel, largely because I got lost numerous times. I only had generic directions from the hostel on how to get there and a googlemap prinout that was lacking in street names. I was literally 20 m away from the hostel and then I took a wrong turn. Even asking at a different hostel did not help as I again took a wrong turn. Eventually I found the place just as it got dark. The lesson don't try and take a shortcut, however I did not learn this lesson until later in the week.
The next day a visit to the Forbidden City was on the cards. I thought it was just going to be a couple of large entrances and halls, but my gosh they wern't joking when they said it was a city!!
It was continous stream of gates(
that are multi-story ), 6m high red walls, numerous halls (i.e. one for the king to eat, one to get changed into formal wear, one to address the people, one to punish the people etc). Also the 'coutyards' are massive, at least 80x80 meters in area. After passing through a couple gates, I thought I was in the inner section, but I was surprised to find out that I was stil in the outer section. It had a stange mix of enclosed/ open only to those who are meant to be in the place. You could feel that living in the city would mean that you were of nobelness, but somehow also that there is a different world on the other side of the walls. Even with its importance it isn't an imagnitive place, it's got function, but no form. If I were a princess there wouldn't be much to explore or a place to "get lost in" (but I only went through the main section).
In short form:
After the Forbidden City, there is a park behind it. I felt more comfortable in the park as it finally was a place that had life. It
stil contained halls were the royals would do their royal thing, but there was always something different around the corner. Most notably was there was a hill. At the top you could see the vastness of the Forbidden City but also the North-South axis that BJ is built upon. However the smog was fairly thick so the view wasn't particualry attractive.
By the time evening came round, the pain of constant walking on concerte had taken its toll. Dinner was had at a random street stall where a lady boiled a pre-made soup. It was actually ok.
Next day:
After not being able to ride a bike in Hong Kong, this day was all about the bike. Guide books note the BJ is flat as a pancake, and once again they were right about that! Me also being cheap hired a rather old bike from an old lady. It was great to be able to travel faster than foot and made more exciting due to the constant battle to 'share' the footpath/ road with people, other bike, scooters, motorbikes, scooters carrying people or goods, and then once on the road the cars and buses. Getting
hit was going to happen at some point. But before that happened my chain slipped and literally wedged itself between the frame and the cassette. The back wheel barely moved even when forced and no ammount of pulling would let the chain loose (even when locals help). This resulted having to push the bike back to have it repaired. It was rather horrible as the wheel would make a loud noise and draw even more attention to me esp when I passed other hire stations. Once I got back to the place, the lady offered me another bike but the brakes were no good. Somehow I was able to communicate that I would fix the chain myself (Charades here) and she bought out her toolbox. 3 minutes later the chain was back on its teeth and even got an oil and brake adjustment.
Round 2: As I had lost time with the repair, I decided to head up north to the Olympic Stadium, home of the Bird's Nest and WaterCube. BJ has a North_south axis that the city is based on and then had concentric circles that radiate out and apptly named ring roads.
As usual, details of my trip were only finalised afew days beforehand and in leaving it so late resulted in a change of plans because seats for the train were already booked out for the whole month.
So here goes the story.
My original plan was to go to Tibet for the week, however that plan fell through. In planning for Tibet I ended up with a China Visa, so I decided to take advantage of that by going to Beijing. Other exchangers were mainly going around SE Asia, but being Australian, that area is quite popular and accessible, so I decided to go north and see the capital.
The trip begins with a 26 hour overnight train ride from HK to BJ, and it was actually pretty enjoyable. Even though I was booked into the high hard sleeper, which meant having to be acrobat to get to the top of the triple bunk, I
Walking out on to the street/plaza of the train station, I see my first sight of BJ. People occupying space with bags full of stuff, national guards walking in time, undercover guards keeping a look-out, men constantly smoking, men walking up to us letting us know
To cut a long story short, after reaching the destination where I had to split from the others, I kinda got lost. In the end it took me 2 hours to find my hostel, largely because I got lost numerous times. I only had generic directions from the hostel on how to get there and a googlemap prinout that was lacking in street names. I was literally 20 m away from the hostel and then I took a wrong turn. Even asking at a different hostel did not help as I again took a wrong turn. Eventually I found the place just as it got dark. The lesson don't try and take a shortcut, however I did not learn this lesson until later in the week.
The next day a visit to the Forbidden City was on the cards. I thought it was just going to be a couple of large entrances and halls, but my gosh they wern't joking when they said it was a city!!
It was continous stream of gates(
In short form:
After the Forbidden City, there is a park behind it. I felt more comfortable in the park as it finally was a place that had life. It
By the time evening came round, the pain of constant walking on concerte had taken its toll. Dinner was had at a random street stall where a lady boiled a pre-made soup. It was actually ok.
Next day:
After not being able to ride a bike in Hong Kong, this day was all about the bike. Guide books note the BJ is flat as a pancake, and once again they were right about that! Me also being cheap hired a rather old bike from an old lady. It was great to be able to travel faster than foot and made more exciting due to the constant battle to 'share' the footpath/ road with people, other bike, scooters, motorbikes, scooters carrying people or goods, and then once on the road the cars and buses. Getting
Round 2: As I had lost time with the repair, I decided to head up north to the Olympic Stadium, home of the Bird's Nest and WaterCube. BJ has a North_south axis that the city is based on and then had concentric circles that radiate out and apptly named ring roads.
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