Beautiful Beijing

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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.

Smoggy street when we first arrived
Smoggy street when we first arrived

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.

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It was actually really nice to experience cold weather. Autumn is my favourite season and it was very pretty.

Autumn leaves on the footpath
Autumn leaves on the footpath

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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.

Map of the Tianamen area
Map of the Tianamen area
Chairman Mao's Mausoleum
Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum

We didn’t go in…. super crowded and we weren’t that interested at seeing his resting place. Outside was fine.

The People's Monument
The People’s Monument
Giant flower basket display in the middle of the square.
Giant flower basket display in the middle of the square.
Cute grandma in traditional dress carrying her little princess.
Cute grandma in traditional dress carrying her little princess.
The entrance
The entrance
Inside the Forbidden Palace - it was too huge!
Inside the Forbidden Palace – it was too huge!
The back exit of the Forbidden Palace
The back exit of the Forbidden Palace

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.

Beijing Subway Map

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.

Bridge Reflections
Bridge Reflections

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.

Autumn colours in the palace
Autumn colours in the palace
Kunming Lake with the Tower of Fragrance of Buddha in the backgound
Kunming Lake with the Tower of Fragrance of Buddha in the backrgound

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.

Pagoda ontop of stones in the Palace
Pagoda ontop of stones in the Palace
Nan Luo Gu XIang entrance - night markey street
Nan Luo Gu XIang entrance – night market street

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.

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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.

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Tree lights display along the road to the Birds Nest Stadium and Water Cube

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.

The Bird's Nest Stadium
The Bird’s Nest Stadium

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.

Map of the Mutianyu section
Map of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall

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).

The view of the left side of the Great Wall from the chairlift lookout
The view of the left side of the Great Wall from the chairlift lookout – it stretches away to the left!

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Looking backwards after climbing this section. Scary stuff. The hand rail is there for a reason. Probably the steepest part we climbed.
Looking backwards after climbing this section. Scary stuff. The hand rail is there for a reason. Probably the steepest part we climbed.
The view of the 'left side' that goes towards the Badaling area over the hills.
The view of the ‘left side’ that goes towards the Badaling area over the hills.
My favourite part of the wall, the unrestored crumbly version. Amazing!
My favourite part of the wall, the unrestored crumbly version. Amazing!

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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.

Coming down - a scarier experience than going up
Coming down – a scarier experience than going up

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.

Street Food vendors
Street Food vendors

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).

All kinds of skewers
All kinds of skewers
The 'traditional-looking' Wang Fu Jing Snack Street
The ‘traditional-looking’ Wang Fu Jing Snack Street
Really love how the man dressed like people used to
Really love how the man dressed like people used to
Live, yes, live and wriggling scorpions on sticks
Live, yes, live and wriggling scorpions on sticks
Hubby really ate 3 of the baby, deep fried scorpions.... He said they were crunchy o.O
Hubby really ate 3 of the baby, deep fried scorpions…. He said they were crunchy o.O

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!

Sunset
Sunset

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”

Love him
Love him

Anyway, that’s it. Leave any questions you have in the comments. Next post will be the video I made of our trip.

Sun and Moon in Heart ~ Shangri-La, Yunnan (Summer)

The view from Lijiang train station
The view from Lijiang train station
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from Lijiang
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from Lijiang
The back view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain next to the Yangtze River
The back view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain next to the Yangtze River
The floodplains in Shangri-La
The floodplains in Shangri-La
Panorama of the floodplains during the Tibetan Horse-Racing Festival
Panorama of the floodplains during the Tibetan Horse-Racing Festival
Tibetan tents
Tibetan tents
Hooping cigarettes - carnival game
Hooping cigarettes – carnival game
View over the floodplains in Shangri-La
View over the floodplains in Shangri-La
View from the wooded forest of Shangri-La
View from the wooded forest of Shangri-La
Epic views of the Yangtze river
Epic views of the Yangtze river
Tibetan Buddhism monument called a stupa
Tibetan Buddhism monument called a stupa
Panorama of a bend in the Yangtze
Panorama of a bend in the Yangtze
Where a smaller river meets the Yangtze
Where a smaller river meets the Yangtze
Beautiful
Beautiful
Farmland on the banks of the river
Farmland on the banks of the river
Sunrise in the mountains
Sunrise in the mountains

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Shao Kao - BBQ in Yunnan. Homemade in a wok with some chicken wire
Shao Kao – BBQ in Yunnan. Homemade in a wok with some chicken wire
Typical breakfast - homemade mantou, chilli sauce and hard-boiled eggs
Typical breakfast – homemade mantou, chilli sauce and hard-boiled eggs
Another stupa in Old Town, Shangri-La
Another stupa in Old Town, Shangri-La
The world's biggest Tibetan Prayer Wheel. In Old Town, Shangri-La
The world’s biggest Tibetan Prayer Wheel. In Old Town, Shangri-La

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Old Town, Shangri-La. Tibetan prayer flags
Old Town, Shangri-La. Tibetan prayer flags
Clouded view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Yangtze river
Clouded view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Yangtze river

Green Valley, Raging River

A trip we took earlier this year to a place in China called Fugong. Here are some of the photos.

Side street
Side street
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Typical Breakfast. Steamed buns, chinese donut (you tiao) and soy bean in a bowl
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Infamous Yak Butter Tea – salty and rancid tasting…

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Yunnan Impressions

Well, I’m here in China learning Chinese in Yunnan.

China flag made of flowers.
China flag made of flowers.

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!).

My riding get-up. Helmet, sunnies, mask. Attractive.
My riding get-up. Helmet, sunnies, mask. Attractive.

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.

 

Yellow arrows show the spray trucks
Yellow arrows show the spray trucks

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. 😀

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.

Off to school!
Off to school!

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!

My desk at school. Text, highlighter, mechanical pencil, notebook and matcha greentea
My desk at school. Text, highlighter, mechanical pencil, notebook and matcha greentea

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…

cloudy skyline
cloudy skyline

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.

City view
City view

What a blessing it is to be in this land. I am looking forward to many more exciting experiences ahead!