Here is the first ever Video I’ve ever filmed and edited on our trip to Beijing. Hope you like it! Previous blog was more details about our trip and some other photos. All shot on a Samsung Galaxy S3.
Here is the first ever Video I’ve ever filmed and edited on our trip to Beijing. Hope you like it! Previous blog was more details about our trip and some other photos. All shot on a Samsung Galaxy S3.
We recently took a trip out to Beijing to see the sights and sounds the city had to offer. As it was not a long break, we had to decide what we wanted to do and see, and make a list of priorities. I was content with seeing Tianamen, the Forbidden Palace and the Great Wall (of course)! Coming to China would be incomplete without seeing the Great Wall. Now… onto seeing the other sight that is visible from the moon – the Great Barrier Reef! (one day!)
We arrived in the afternoon and boy what a change it was! It looked overcast and was far colder than the temperate climate we were used to in Yunnan.
The haze was something we were warned about and came prepared with 3M’s 9002V face masks (the ones with little vents). And almost immediately, we had to use them. It was like fog, but there was a distinct smell, like a mix between exhaust fumes and something burnt. Not a super strong odour, but definitely present.
It was actually really nice to experience cold weather. Autumn is my favourite season and it was very pretty.
On the 2nd day, we headed to Mao’s Mausoleum, Tianamen Square and the Forbidden Palace (all walkable distance from each other). It was a day for walking and we were both so sore afterwards. The haze had not lifted so all my photos turned out a little lifeless and grey. A bit depressing. Also, it did drizzle a little here and there.
We didn’t go in…. super crowded and we weren’t that interested at seeing his resting place. Outside was fine.
The following day, we decided to go to the Summer Palace. This was where the Royal families would come to retreat from the main palace. It was absolutely massive (290 ha). We caught the subway there to Bei Gong Men stop on Line 4. Even though this is the back entrance to the Palace area, it is a downhill journey from there to the lake.
One must pause here to dedicate a few words to the subway system in Beijing. One of the best underground railway systems I’ve experienced. Easy to navigate, English signs and easy ticketing system. 2 RMB from any one stop to the other (no matter how far you travel), aside from the Airport Express Line (which costs 25 RMB). Even the automated ticket machines were relatively easy to use. Super convenient and we didn’t get hassled at the airport with taxi drivers. Well done Beijing, well done.
Back to the Palace… It was originally built in 1750 to celebrate Emperor Qian Long’s mother’s birthday. The gardens are so peaceful and the lake (Kunming lake) is huge, taking up about half the garden area. If you visit here, I suggest you get those walking shoes on, because we made the mistake of thinking we could hire bikes inside the palace to ride around (read on Tripadvisor somewhere), but were mislead.
While sitting at this spot, overlooking the lake, I was sketching in my sketchbook. This young boy, probably around 4, came and snuggled next to me (it was cold) and watched me sketch. He told me how he enjoyed drawing, and encouraged me whilst I was drawing. His embarrassed parents kept calling to him to leave, but he stayed for quite awhile. Such a cutie! Made my day for sure.
The following day, we took it a little easier as the day after would be the Great Wall. So we visited San Li Tun village (Soho) and spotted the biggest Uniqlo I’ve seen.
And there were foreigners everywhere. Almost more than locals. To be honest, it wasn’t really our scene. Too modern and ‘high-roller’ for us. I thought when it was ‘village’ that it would be vintage with old buildings, but that was definitely not the case.
The Birds Nest Stadium was actually a bit difficult to get to. Due to the APEC summit in Beijing occurring during the time we were there, many of the main roads were blocked off. We couldn’t physically get to stand infront of the Stadium and Water Cube (Aquatics Center). We even climbed a raised highway area (like around 60 other people) to get the shot below. It was ridiculous.
My favourite and most amazingly blessed day was definitely the Monday we went to the Great Wall. We hired a private driver who was recommended by a friend. We requested we go to the Mutianyu part of the wall. The Badaling wall section is supposedly more crowded, tour bus – ridden and expensive. I’m so glad we went to the Mutianyu section. It was such a great experience.
We went to the right side. And ventured even past the end of this map. It was great. There were hardly any people around. We didn’t arrive super early, around 11am. The walk/climb wasn’t too bad. I was expecting worse. There were some hairy bits where I felt like the wall was in my face as I climbed (almost vertical).
It was lovely just being able to sit at one of the crumbling turrets on the unrestored part of the Great Wall and look out over 3 large sections that split off. It was amazing. I was able to sit there and sketch 3 points of view of the scenery. It was amazing. I loved the rolling, fading, misty hills, the crisp, but sunny weather and the contrast between the restored and ‘nature-reclaimed’ wall sections. We spent a few hours just up there. I sketched, whilst hubby went for a walk on the old section and ended up hiking a fair bit away. Amazing. Definitely a very memorable experience.
Also, we could see little villages settled into the hills on the ‘other side’ of the wall. I kept having the Intro Credits song from Mulan playing in my mind. It was beautiful. I tried to picture how they could have built this mammoth of a structure. Something man-made that can be seen from the Moon. WOW.
All up, this was definitely the highlight of my trip.
With all the heavy packed part of the trip over, we hit the street food that night. This is a street off Wang Fu Jing Da Jie (the main night scene street).
They sold all kinds of other delicacies on skewers – like Huntsmans, water snakes, lizards, starfish, silk work larvae, locusts, grasshoppers, beetles and seahorses. The scorpions in the picture above were 25 RMB a stick. Rip off! But… once in a lifetime for hubby – I hope! FYI, I didn’t eat them!
So all up, I really enjoyed my first taste of Beijing. I think it was a pretty enjoyable trip.
Thanks to hubby for organising the whole thing. I was very impressed by how smooth it went and all of Father’s amazing blessings along the way…. Including the 35 RMB cup of hot tea (tea bag and hot water) at the bottom of the Great Wall. o.O”
Anyway, that’s it. Leave any questions you have in the comments. Next post will be the video I made of our trip.
A trip we took earlier this year to a place in China called Fugong. Here are some of the photos.
Yes, I did do the zip line over the angry Nujiang river. It was just a rusted pulley with a hook that had you suspended with a piece of rope that you literally sat in. This was the ‘harness’ we were promised with. Crazy views as you crossed the river valley. Amazing experience and highly recommended!
Well, I’m here in China learning Chinese in Yunnan.
What an experience! Here are some of the experiences I’ve been able to have so far!
The climate
It’s super dry here. I feel like I may nose bleed anytime. My skin is usually oily combination skin, but here, it has become quite normal. Good or bad?! Who knows. I am almost regretting not bringing the thicker body butters, moisturizers and BB creams. Gah! Who knew?!
I am also getting more and more tanned. I ride to school and my arms are mostly exposed. Getting a seriously dark arm tan. Face isn’t too bad as I wear a helmet, sunglasses and a face mask (for dust!).
It is so dry here that they are subject to spraying the roads and walk ways with water that they pump out of the ‘sewage/drainage’ waterways and into trucks. These trucks drive up and down roads spraying the nasty refuse behind or infront. It smells pretty bad. Supposedly it also helps the sub-par quality road from cracking if you keep it moist. The only warning you get is that the trucks play random icecream-truck-style music as they spray. Do NOT get caught behind or next to one of those.
The altitude was a huge issue to get used to. It is much harder to breathe deeply here. The oxygen content per breath is far less. So, walking up stairs is a chore and you can become so much more short-of-breath than back home. Let’s just say, with the amount of walking, riding and climbing stairs, we are like those long distance ‘high-altitude’ runners training. đ
The culture
To be honest, the culture shock is ongoing. It wasn’t so bad, as I’ve been to China before. The people in Yunnan are very different. They are kind, usually nice and when they find out you are a foreigner, are genuinely interested in why you are in China. They don’t purposely go out to rip you off, but you may get one or two.
The hacking and spitting thing is audible everyday. But far far less than it used to be. I think the idea is to get rid of the pollutants breathed in and not to swallow it. But yes, a long way to go yet.
Drivers and riders. There are more and more cars here now. Until about 5 years ago, it was mainly just bicycles. So, alot of the current drivers you see are brand new drivers. Most have driven less than I have! They drive like they ride their bikes. Wherever there is a space, go for it! If the light is red, one can still ride through in a gap between oncoming traffic. Let’s just say that riding has been a funky experience. I definitely need to ask for protection every time I head out. I’ve yet to run over, or be run over, by someone. Let’s just hope it stays that way.
Still getting used to things such as – no lining up, just push your way through (although it is not as bad as I expected) and hanging produce (meat in particular) just about anywhere along with washing.
Overall, I am slowly getting used to it. But like most things, I think some things will always take me by surprise.
The language
So, I know all of you Asians with some sort of Chinese heritage are going to expect the next line. I am so glad I did some sort of Chinese School back when I was younger. Thank you parentals! It has come in handy. No matter how little practical stuff I actually learnt. Just a basic understanding of pinyin can take you far.
Malaysians and Singaporians (and Taiwanese) – WOW, how different our Mandarin is to the people in China! I have had to learn other words and new words to replace some of the ones that are not heard of here. An example is the word ‘fridge’ – There are four different ways to say it! Also, ‘pineapple’. And I’ve noticed that M’sians and S’porians also don’t do our ‘_h” words very well. Such as ‘sh’, ‘zh’, ‘ch’ , etc etc.
So, will take some time to get used to, but getting there, little at a time. Feel free to practice with me!
The other thing that makes learning difficult is also that not everyone speaks ‘pu tong hua’ Mandarin here. Some will speak their dialects. There are 20+ minority groups (out of 50+) living in Yunnan, so each one has their own unique dialect. So… like Mandarin, but not.
Final words…
But overall, I am loving this place. Loving learning new things daily, being challenged, making new relationships, strengthening old ones and getting used to the hustle and bustle.
What a blessing it is to be in this land. I am looking forward to many more exciting experiences ahead!