Houhai Lake. BeijingBeijing
appeared to become a bloated metropolis all gussied up for that August Olympics.
scrubbed clean with colorful potted plants lining the streets. with not a speck
of litter marring the immaculate avenues. Volunteer booths were conspicuous at
subway stops. manned by enthusiastic youthful individuals eager to demonstrate their
newly minted English phrases. Police and military stood everywhere. with
safety checkpoints at all bus and subway entrances. x-raying all packages and
giving everybody a good once over.
During the two weeks from the Olympics. the government
restricted
Great Wall of China at Samataicars from numerous of the roads. closed many factories. and seeded the
clouds with chemical substances to induce rain and wishfully wash away the expectant hazy
cloud of pollution. Yet. once we were there. the sky could not have already been bluer.
the air much more fresh. Inside a dramatic display of double standards. Beijing Olympic official
memorabilia (t-shirts. medals. envelopes. stamps. and so on) had been only accessible in
designated shops. but it continued to turn its back on blatant copyright
infringement. and allowed everyone to flagrantly market knockoffs. Many articles
in the papers trumpeted the huge stress to present China within the best light. and proud
banners had been displayed all over the place Olympic fever was boiling more than.
Guarding Chairman MaoWe stopped in the China Post workplace less than a mile from
the Olympic venue to buy postcard stamps to America. This created a little stir.
because. due to restricted supply. the clerks only permit 5 stamps per consumer for
every visit. Following thirty minutes. we finally did leave having a stash of ten hard
fought stamps. even though even these were difficult to acquire. Not surprisingly.
the clerks kept attempting to promote us Olympic envelopes. Olympic medals. and
Olympic mascots from the officially designated item situation just no postcard
stamps.
Colorful Forbidden CityBeijing reminded me of Los Angeles. big and
sprawling. with many new districts crowding out the historic sections of the
city. Shiny new skyscrapers. so typical all through China. rise above the ancient
narrow alleyways (hutongs). which type the historic core of this great
metropolis. Transportation is adequate. even though definitely not at the same
degree as Shanghai or Hong
Kong. Expansion of the subway lines is ongoing. as the suburbs
bleed outwards in the city center. The Metro circumnavigates the core of Beijing. so anticipate to
choose the closet place on the grid square and walk from there. Fresh and
clean. it certainly features a weeks really worth of attractions to satisfy even the most
jaded traveler.
Beer Merchant around the Great WallThe number one highlight is the Great
Wall of China. built centuries ago to help keep the marauding Genghis
Khan and his Mongolian invaders at bay. Rising from the sea. it follows the
natural contours of the hills for another 4200 miles inland. with most of the
sections in anticipated disarray. The closest section. the restored Badaling. is
probably the most visited. However. this really is ground zero for vendors and their cheap
wares.
We chose instead to hike a five-mile section from
Jinshandling to Samatai. a section light on tourists and mostly vendor free.
Here. the Great Wall exists in its authentic state. with extremely little investment
in upgrades. As far as the eye can see. the ancient wall ascends and descends
the hills. and you scramble along the surprisingly broad and well-constructed
walkway as best you are able to. Passing through thirty-one guard towers. and along
crumbling ancient bricks set in centuries old mortar. I kept reflecting on how
cold and lonely it must have been for that poor guards assigned as sentries. The
engineering and surveying of this wall is amazing. The work to quarry and
haul rocks up the steep hillsides is Herculean. The mixed efforts of
a large number of employees more than a lot of many years and the incredible ongoing longevity
will impress anybody so fortunate to visit.
Dancing in the ParkTours leave in the Peking Downtown Backpackers Association
every day at 6:30 AM inside a comfortable air-conditioned minibus. It will take three
hrs to obtain there; the hike itself is four-five hrs (one-way). having a three-hour
return.
I wouldn’t classify is as an easy hike. as you do follow the contour
from the wall up and down over the hills. A few hardcore vendors will surprise
you within the darkened towers. because they push inexpensive t-shirts. bottles of water. and
in one situation. warm beer.
Our group for that day consisted of fifteen individuals of
all ages and nationalities. Highly suggested. and a good value at $30/person.
Not Sure How You Consume These StarfishMany individuals spend a day or much more within the Forbidden City (Imperial Palace). but two or 3 hours is
plenty. It’s exactly the same developing over and more than. surrounded by concrete
courtyards. The best components are the tree-laden gardens just prior to you exit.
which unfortunately. is exactly where the majority of the vacationers clog together. It might be
a lot much better to gather some of the ancient furnishings and artifacts and stock
them in a few of these buildings. Now. the interiors are dingy. not well lit.
and poorly furnished. Pressing my encounter against the dirty window. I thought I
was searching into grandpas darkened garage. Why not open these great halls and
produce much better displays? This could be so much better it nonetheless feels forbidden.
A should see. but prepared to become underwhelmed.
Scraping Gum in Tiananmen SquareTiananmen Square. the
symbol of freedom for many young Chinese. indeed for the whole globe. is
enormous. Allegedly the largest within the world. it’s flanked by oversized
government monuments The History Museum and Museum from the Revolution. The
Fantastic Hall of the People. The Gate of Heavenly Peace. and the Mausoleum of
Chairman Mao. Teeming with people lost in the utter spaciousness of this
historic plaza. I was amused from the roped off groups of employees who sat on
squatty small stools and scraped gum in the square. Who can ever forget that
stirring scene from the youthful man standing as much as the tank in this celebrated
square?
Bright and Shiny Monetary DistrictTalk about bloated. why Chairman Mao deserves this humongous
monument is lost on me. From an early age. kids are brainwashed into believing
Mao is the cause for todays prosperity. that is ludicrous since he killed many
from the intellectuals and capitalists. Nonetheless. it is a must see. while you move
rapidly within the line no cameras. no bags. no hats. move quickly previous his
embalmed corpse. all rosy cheeked and lit from above. Then. to add insult to
his great legacy. following viewing the Chairman. you exit to a cheesy souvenir
section. exactly where you’ve a chance to honor his communist memory by
buying capitalist trinkets. Regrettably. a should see. but probably not worth
it. Uncle Ho in Hanoi
is better and more inspiring. Later on. we will report on how Lenin stacks up in Moscow.
On a 100-degree day. we could not believe our ears as we
Hutongs of Beijingdescended
down from delightful Jingshang
Park. Strolling downhill.
the refrain grew to become clearer and louder. as we curiously followed the melody to its
source. Winding past temples. well-manicured flower patches. and emerald lawns.
we finally arrived at the scene. where flirtatious groups of individuals were
joyously training their dance steps towards the riotous and implausible tune of
Santa Claus is Coming to Town. This is a typical scene in public parks
all through Asia. where people of all ages meet
and dance to western tunes. Pretty funny.
I thought the narrow alleyways hutongs had been the best
component of Beijing.
places to obtain lost as you wandered around. poking your head in interesting retailers.
and walking wherever your curiosity requires you. The area around the Drum Tower
and Houhai Lake
felt like the genuine Beijing.
not the bright shiny urban sprawl it is now.
We shipped another box of souvenirs. sampled Peking duck.
had two-dollar haircuts in the famous Wenfeng salon. shopped for tacky items.
saw all there was to see. and prepared for that subsequent leg from the journey. the
Trans-Mongolian train across Russia. Beijing
certainly is an outstanding city. worthy of 3 to 5 days. even though it would
rank behind Hong Kong and Shanghai
as destinations. Whereas. we would return to Shanghai
and Hong Kong. we probably would not to Beijing
as soon as you’ve seen everything. there’s absolutely nothing to bring you back.
I hope that once we return. homogenized concrete buildings
and
Steep Ascent Along The Fantastic Wallshiny skyscrapers won’t dominate China. and also the government will maintain
and inspire the historic and cultural aspects of this fantastic civilization.
Perhaps China
will quit attempting to be so much like Westerners and embrace their unique
heritage.
While challenging for that independent traveler. it is
definitely rewarding whenever you be successful. With the correct period of time and
patience. you will see things you will not see anyplace else within the globe the
snaking Great Wall. the majestic and sacred Yellow
Mountain. the countless individuals on
their one-speed bikes. the smoky incense coils in the temples of Hong Kong. and the rice paddies of Yangshuo. Profound.
spiritual. everlasting – China.
even much better than the real thing.
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