Back from 21 Superb Days in Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai

EK: Glad everything worked out so well for you! We all help each other and now you can offer your experience for these cities to others. Have a good rest and we'll wait for the TR. I couldn't remember, are you in NYC?

Yes, here in NYC...thanks again for all of your help and I will post more details within a few days...btw..food was amazing! Just amazing! And I had no trouble, even in the few places where there was no English on menus, such at Jia Jia Tang Bao in Shanghai....there were always people eager to help out, especially when it came to ordering food!!

Eks-
One of your earlier posts listed questions about what to buy where. When you get the chance -I am interested in finding out what you ended up with. I am heading to China in six weeks. I was following your posts since you asked similar questions to what I was wondering and gained already from all the help you received.

Bob I promise to post details of shopping. Jet lag has crept up on me but I will try to begin the report within a day or two. The most important thing I will tell you is that you need to leave lots of room in your suitcase! And the weight strictures are adhered to with different zeal depending on the airline; I found Asiana to be very accommodating about overlooking all of my extra "stuff." Korenair was less so..details to follow...

Probably the best shopping for me was at the Beijing Dirt Market..I will give all details. Overall this was one of the best and easiest trips I've taken in a long time..

While details are still fresh in my somewhat foggy mind, I will begin this report now. If it trails off abruptly it will be because my head has hit the keyboard due to effects of jet lag!

My trip began on Monday March 26 and lasted for 3 weeks. The impetus for the trip was a visit with a relative based in Seoul; from there I flew to Beijing and on to Shanghai by train before flying back to Seoul and home to New York. I was less concerned with checking off a list of sights but, rather, wanted to explore aimlessly, eat great local food, and do some swimming (indoor hotel pools) and shopping.

While I have traveled extensively in Asia, most of my trips were in the 80s and I had not been back since 200O when I spent 2 weeks in Saigon. As soon as I hit the ground in Seoul, I wondered why I had waited so long to return to Asia! And as I write this, I am formulating a return trip for next winter, so please be prepared for a whole new round of questions about Laos and Northern Vietnam!

After endless deliberation, I decided to bite the bullet and book business class rt's from JFK-ICN on Koreanair. Although the price was VERY high, I was glad I had splurged; the 14-hour flight was comfortable, service was good, each seat had individual tv's, etc etc. Two full meals were served; the food, both western and Korean, was disappointing. We left JFK on time about 2pm on Monday afternoon.

On arrival in Seoul about 4pm Tuesday, and after changing a small amount of money at the currency exchange, I bought a bus ticket from the counter inside the terminal and was directed to Bus Stop 5A. After only a few minutes, the bus arrived and I was bound for the Capital Hotel in Itaewon where my cousin would pick me up. The ride took about 90 minutes; traffic was heavy.

I spent 5 days in Seoul before flying to Beijing (and would spend 3 more before heading home). Since I stayed with my cousin, I have no information about hotels and not too much details about restaurants because many of the places we ate had no name or menu in English so I just followed along and enjoyed!

Weather in Seoul in late March, and again in mid April, was cool with temperatures in the 50s most days, and cloudy most of the time. Although there were several days of "Yellow Wind," with advisories to stay indoors as much as possible, I was not bothered at all and had no respiratory, or any other health, problems in Korea or in China. Quite a few people wore masks but I donned mine only to get a few funny photos.

Here are a few of the highlights of my 5 days in Seoul at the begining of my trip:

Gyeongbokgung Palace. There are several English tours daily including one at 12 noon, which I took.
While the tour, which lasted just under an hour, was a good introduction, it provided just an overview; I would have liked more detail about the history and architecture and I think it would be worthwhile seeking out a private guide the next time. After the tour I spent some time in the Korean Folk Art Museum on the grounds.

Lunch that day was at a tofu restaurant nearby; excellent tofu soup with shrimp spiked with red pepper. No English spoken and no English name out front so I have no further details.

Dinner that night, also with no details, was at one of the many inexpensive chicken restaurants in Yongsan. Fantastic barbecued chicken; good fried chicken. This was the first time I had seen tables with doorbells attached, used by diners to summon the wait staff.

After lunch at a shabu-shabu restaurant, I walked to Insadong and strolled around, peeking into a few of the scads of small shops stocked with traditional Korean arts and crafts. Prices are high and I was, thankfully, not tempted to buy anything. One highlight was the ceramic showroom, Atelier Seoul, which showcases the works of Ceramist Park Young Sook, who counts Queen Elizabeth among her clients. Her work is a modern take on traditional Korean forms and I was enthralled by many of the pieces. Prices ranged into the thousands, in US dollars.

Atelier Seoul
7-2 Kwanhun-dong
Chongno-gu

http://www.longhouse.org/exhibitmain.ihtml?id=217&exlink=9

Once again the "Edit" function is giving me a difficult time so here are a few more details which I tried to insert above and, after much frustration, willl insert here, out of context:

After my tour of the Palace, I spent some time watching the changing of the colorfully costumed guard which takes place every hour on the hour from 10am to 4pm; try to time your visit to see this if possible.

The English tours of the Palace are given at 9:30; 12noon; 1:30; and 3pm.

Although I was not too tempted by the shopping in Seoul, ceramic-a-philes with large budgets should visit both Atelier Seoul, mentioned above, and the showroom at the Restaurant Chil-ryang, where I would eat on my last night before leaving for China (details to follow).

Other items of possible interest were silks, the ubiquitous "fake" designer leather goods and watches; and very pretty, but not inexpensive, lacquer boxes and small items inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Seoul has an excellent subway system which we used much of the time. I also took taxis which are easy to hail on the street. While drivers did not speak English, taxis had working meters; prices were less than in New York but much higher than in China. (The drive from the airport can run anywhere from $50 to $80 USD depending on traffic and destination within the city; local runs cost from $3. US to $10 US for long distances with heavy traffic.)

Food costs were moderate in the Korean restaurants where we ate most of our meals; English here is very limited so you should go with a spirit of adventure!

Next up...Noryangjin Fish Market and an afternoon at the Spa!

great start...thanks

Would love to hear about your time in China as I am planning a trip there too. Also want to learn about the train. How long is the trip? Would you do it again? Cost?

I will get to the rest soon, including the train ride Beijing/Shanghai. The train ride was 12 hours, although I read that a faster train will soon be put into use, shaving about 2 hours off the trip. Yes, I would take the train again..I almost wish the ride had been a bit longer to allow for more scenery viewing!

One of the most entertaining and interesting sights, for me, in Seoul was the Noryangjin Fish Market, easily accessible by subway. This hangar-like structure houses acres and acres of vendors, offering every sort of aquatic life imaginable from immense skate-like creatures to baby octopi to prawns, abalone, and hundreds of species that were foreign to me. After strolling the aisles taking photos, we turned our thoughts to lunch. From the vendors we bought one large flounder, which was immediately cut up into sashimi; a few abalone, which would be consumed raw; a half kilo of giant prawns; and a few oysters. Surrounding the market, both on the upper lever and a level below are strings of restaurants both Korean and Japanese. We selected one on the lower level, handed the cook our selections, and settled into a side room with a low table and floor seating. The oysters and prawns reappeared grilled, and the abalone and flounder were plated and presented to us as well. A wonderful lunch and a very good value for Seoul, which is quite an expensive city as compared to many others in Asia.

After lunch it was off to the Dragon Spa directly outside the Yangson subway stop. I had never visied a Korean Spa and this was quite an experience. After paying an entry fee of about 10,000 Won, about $10.US, you can roam around the multi-floored facility, taking in saunas, salt rooms, hot baths, scalding hot baths, cold baths, ginseng baths, seawater baths, cold rooms, "sleeping" rooms, a swimming pool, nail counter, Korean restaurant, barbecue restaurant, snack bar, etc etc.

For an extra fee you can have yourself scrubbed (22,000 Won) by a no-nonsense underwear-clad matron (in the women's area) who removes the top layer of your skin, leaving you baby soft if a bit reddened. Somewhere there are also massage rooms and exercise rooms but we did not see them. The emphasis here is on getting clean and relaxing. (There is a huge tv showing cartoons and animal programs in the main hot-floored room and people sprawled around on the floor reading, sleeping, and chatting). All I can say is that this was quite an experience for me and I am quite keen to seek out one of these spas here in the New York area as soon as I get over my jet lag!
Dragon Spa is one of the nicest and newest, I am told, but these facilities are scattered all over the city. I would consider a visit a must for any traveler to Seoul.

Another highlight of my 7 days in Seoul (split into two segments, before and after I visited China) was the tour of the DMZ organized by the USO.

www.uso.org/korea

The USO runs about 10 DMZ tours a month, leaving their Seoul office at 7:30am and returning at 3:30pm.
You need to book in advance and should get there early, as they often run several buses and the earlier you get there, the better chance you have of leaving on the first bus. A Korean guide (not always totally conversant in English) acompanies you until the DMZ where you change buses and are led by a member of the military. There is a stop for lunch (and several opportunities for shopping if you are looking for DMZ coffee mugs, caps and the like).

Lunch is not included in the tour but costs from $5US to $10US depending on your choice of main course (there are 2 choices..both Korean and both decent, if uninspiring). You can bring your own food and avail yourself of free ice water at the eating place.
I believe the USO tour cost $42US and it is well worth it. I won't go into the details here but suffice to say it was a surreal experience. Note that there is a loose dress code.

Included in the USO tour (and not some others) is a visit to one of the tunnels that North Korea dug under the DMZ and that was discovered in the 1990s. A descent into the tunnel requires some fairly strenuous uphill walking on the way out which might be of interest to anyone with physical impairment.

The USO runs other tours including tours to the Korean Folk Village, the I'Chon Pottery kilns, Kangwha Island, and several tours within Seoul including river cruises and Seoul by night tours.

After my day at the spa and fish market, I visited the highly touted (by locals) Dongdaemun neighborhood which was positively throbbing with shoppers about 6pm until at least 10pm. The area is a congolomeration of high rise buildings packed with both regular shops and small stalls selling all manner of trendy clothing and shoes and tons of designer "fakes." The fakes are usually not out on the shelves. Shoppers are ushered into the back of the stall and shown a book with copies of Vuitton, Gucci, Rolex, Panerai, Hermes, and on and on. You choose what you want and the shop owner sends for it and lo and behold.... Bargaining is the rule.
This is not my thing and even if it were, I was not imnpressed by the qualityof the merchandise that I saw. Apparently there are different grades of "fakes," with AA being the top grade. Apparently a lot of locals shop here because it seemed to me that there was an LV bag dangling off half the women between the ages of 16 and 40 in Seoul!

I was not enthralled by this neighborhood, although I did pick up some cute socks for 1,000 won a pair. I watched as a woman purchased a "Bottega Veneta" woven leather bag for $160 US, a price arrived at after some fierce bargaining with the calculator flying back and forth.

Outside there is break dancing and live music that draws large crowds of the under-30 set. And there are lots of places to eat along the side streets, where we ended up in a barbecue place and where I had my first taste of kalbi, beef grilled on a stove in the middle of the table and snipped into bite sized pieces by the scissor-bearing waitress who was summoned to the table by pressing the doorbell attached to the side. Like most other meals, this was accompanied by plates of pickled vegetables including kimchee. Little, if any, English is spoken.

More on shopping: While "fakes" do not interest me, there are a number of shops across the street from the Galleria department store that sell gently used designer leather goods and clothing and watches. Fendi, LV, Hermes, Prada, Chloe, and on and on from recent seasons are in "like new" condition and are sold for prices that I imagine are about half of original retail. Several of these shops specialize in watches (Cartier, Panerai, Rolex, Tag, etc) but I am not sure as to how one would be certain that the offerings are, indeed, the "real" thing.

The spa I mentioned above is:
Dargonhill Spa and Sports 02-792-0001

If you face the Yongsan subway station, look to your left, to the left of the wedding palace, and you will see the entrance at the end of a bamboo-lined path paved with stones. Little English is spoken but that really does not matter. When you enter you are given a key to a locker for your shoes, and for another locker for your clothing, as well as a towel. You can buy individual packets of soap, shampoo, facial masks, conditioner, and whitening cream, as well as scrubbing gloves if you want to do the job yourself.

Just want to quickly comment about Beijing-Shanghai trains.

On 4/18/07, China updated its timetables, with increased speed on many routes.

The overnight "Z" trains received a minor speedup, cutting the travel time from 12 hours to 11.5. Really no big deal, and there's no big push to cut those times down as you get on, have a nice dinner, go to bed, wake up at your destination.

However, there IS a new highspeed train, D31 that takes 10 hours for the route. Departs Beijing 10:50am in the morning and arrive 8:49pm. Same time for the northbound D32.

Thanks, Rkkwan. That last one must be the one I read about last week. If anything, I wish the overnight trip had been a bit longer to allow more daylight travel for scenery viewing. I agree, once you are on the train and eat dinner, the actual travel time means little.

Just to retiterate, the train trip was excellent; train personnel were very helpful; my compartment had its own bathroom, too! Doors lock when you leave the compartment. One of the highlights of my trip for certain!

In closing the segment of my report on my first visit to Seoul, I will discuss three restaurants in the city. One of the best eating experiences, at the Fish Market, is included above.

Most of the places we ate had no signage or menu in English so I am unable to incldue them here (my dining companion(s) were Korean-speaking and they took the lead both in selecting restaurants and in ordering the meal)

1. Chil-ryang.
www.kr7r.com

Chil-ryang B-2
shin-young Building (woori Bank)
chingdam-dong
Gangnam-gu
(200 meters soouth of southern ed of Young-dong Bridge)
Chungdam Station exit #13 on dark green line #7

Chil-ryang is an absolutely beautiful restaurant where a series of private dining rooms rings the ceramics showroom of Chung Yoon-Seok and his son, Young-Kim. The pottery is available for purchase and the dining table is set with the hand-crafted plates and cups. (I was seriouly tempted by a few of the wares here but in the end, the prices nixed my purchase (about $300 US for a pot about 9-inches tall)

Chil-ryang prides itself on natural ingredients with no additives. The food is traditional Korean and a succession of dishes from the set menu are served to diners in private rooms. The set menus range from 25,000 to 120,000 won; our dinner for 3 cost about 50,000 won per person.

Here is am going to fall totally short because I cannot describe most of what we ate; there was a series of plates brought to the room and plated by a lovely woman dressed in traditional clothing. In addition to the usual pickled vegetables, there was a skate dish that had been cured with an unusual brine; many vegetable dishes; a sweet potato soup; and about 8 other courses. Overall, the experience was great but I liked the ceramics better than the food. I am sure this is because of my ignorance of the local cuisine rather than any shortcoming on the part of the restaurant. I would recommend this place as a special occasion spot more for the ambiance than for any stand-out individual dish.
The pottery, again, is exceptional with a rustic spin on beautifully glazed traditional forms glazed in earth and water colors.

2. Much more satisfying was a lunch at DTF, a branch of the celebrated Taiwanese dumpling restaurant in central Seoul. I ate here after I returned from Shanghai and was very happy to have one last chance to gorge on baskets of soup dumplings, stuffed with pork, crab, and mushrooms, as well as vegetable-stuffed dumplings. We began the meal with a wonderful hot and sour soup. Apart from the soup dumplings, which had been the centerpiece of one of my favorite Shanghai eating experiences, my favorite dish was a beef noodle soup with the most exceptional braised beef..I wish I knew what part of the animal this came from because I would immediately go out and experiment with it at home! Maybe someone familiar with DTF can help here. If you are in Seoul, do not waste any time...make a beeline for DTF!! A multi-coursed lunch here cost about 15,000 won per person.

Shin Eun Jeong, where I ate my last night in Korea, will be covered as soon as I can get back to this report.

It's fun to read about Seoul, as there is relatively little posted about it here. Great report! I'm looking forward to the China portion.

i loved your line about "...liking the dishes more than the food..."
i thought the food in korea was horrid!!

Great report, ekscrunchy - enjoying all the details. Can't wait for the Beijing section.

Hope the jetlag is losing its grip,

Jackie

ekscrunchy-Just wanted to say that I very much enjoyed your lengthy trip report focusing on food in Rome and now I'm happily enthralled with this one.
More food please!

Thanks, everyone. I promise to get back to this soon, hopefully later today. Just when the jet lag was easing, I seem to have developed a horrid chest cold...
I did feel fine for the entire trip, though!

Rkkwan..I laughed when I read your response. I debated what to write about my opinions on the food in Korea and I have to admit that I found it among the least appealing of any country I have visited recently. I did have a few good meals, but they werre in Chinese or Japanese places! Those ceramics sure were pretty, though!!

I think you mean rhkkmk's response.

Anyways, I do eat Korean food from time to time here in the US and have always enjoyed it, especially in NYC's Korea Town.

It's also interesting that eating habits and food presentation can vary so much, just within one region of Asia.

Rkkwan, you are right. Forgive me. I have confused you with the other poster.

I hesitate to say anything at all about Korean food based on such a limited sampling. I will try to sample more of it here at home (I live in NYC but have not heard great things about the Korean places in Manhattan);

I think the grilled meat dishes are a standout but I only had one meal featuring grilled pork so am a poor judge. This is not to say the food was bad (except for that unusually cured skate dish at Chil-ryang) but just not as enjoyable to me as the very different foods I have eaten elsewhere in Asia. Interesting, as you say, how different the cuisine is in Korea to that I saampled in China. Perhaps North Eastern (close to the border) Chinese dishes would have some common ground with Korean...

As I wrote above, many of my meals in Seoul were at local places with no English names or menus. Among these, one of my favorites was a tiny place near the US Embassy that featured tofu soup...a loca dish worth seeking out.

Another was a shabu-shabu place between the embassy and Insadong, located in the basement of an office building near the Palace.

On my last night in the city, I shared an excellent meal at the Japanese restaurant Shin Eun Jeong. This place is located in the neighborhood adjoining Yongsan; the telephone number is:

02-755-1213 or 790-5602

Although there is no English on the menu, which is written in Korean and Japanese, one of the servers was fluent in the language; I recommend this restuarant highly; reservations are essential. When you book you will be asked to verify if you will "be drinking" that evening. I am not sure what would happen if you reply in the negative but this was not an option for us!

This small, one-room rstaurant lined with shelves of sake and shoju bottles bearing their owner's names, and decked with floating Japanese banners, was packed when we arrived about 7pm. Businessmen appeared to make up the entire clientele. Since I could not read the menu, my dining companions did the ordering; the food was uniformly good. Here is what we ate:

Octopus fried in a scrumptious crumbed batter..a must!
Fantastic tofu lightly fried and served in a dashi broth..a must!
Plate of various raw fish, sashimi style including what was desribed to me as the fin of a snapper. Very good.
Potato croquettes...potatoes mashed and breaded and lightly fried..a house specialty. (Like mashed potatoes lightly fried!)
Whole small fish with pale yellow roe, grilled and eaten whole.
Sashimi of horse meat. This was highly marbled thin slices of horse served with leafy green lettuce and a dipping sauce. It looked like kobe beef and was quite tasty. Another house specialty.

With the meal we drank excellent Japanese beer and sake. One of my favorite meals in Seoul. Very friendly staff and congenial atmosphere.

More on Seoul food: Among the tasty street snacks are waffles made on the spot and folded over jelly or other fillings. another favorite street snack is hot dogs wrapped in a blanket of French cut potatoes and deep fried. I liked the waffles very much.

After 5 days in Seoul, I took Asiana Airlines from ICN to Beijing. I booked the round trip in Seoul at:

Sharp Travel, which has an office in the US embassy and another in Gangnam. Their phone number:

02-722-6070

The agent I booked with is Hyun-Young Joo; her telephone is: 397-4270.

The round trip tickets Seoul-Beijing and Shanghai-Seoul on Asiana cost me just under $500. USD.

I highly recommend Asiana; planes were new on both flights, service is excellent with hot meals served on both (short) flights, and they are very lenient with baggage requirements.

The plane left and arrived on time. The immigration line in Beijing airport was slow as molasses; it took me more than an hour to pass through, so plan for this possibility. I was met outside customs with the driver from The Peninsula; round trip transfers were part of my Winter Escapes package at the hotel. I was very glad I had arranged this since it took any stress out of my first arrival in China. The ride to the hotel from the airport took about 30 minutes. My first impression of Beijing was that the city was HUGE. And modern. And gray.

My large and comfortable room at The Peninsula
cost 1750 RMB plus 262 RMB tax in the Winter Escapes program, which ran through early April in 2007. The room charge included a buffet breakfast
which was among the most elaborate I had seen on my travels, (and which was topped only by the wedding-like spread at the Meridien in Shanghai.)

I chose The Peninsula for the price break on the package and for its location near Wanfujing, a central pedestrian artery. It proved to be a good choice for me. Blocky and ugly outside, the interior is sleek and modern with lots of marble and gargantuan lighting fixturres. Hotel shops were a bit of a disappointment; we had Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo and the like but not one mildly interesting Chinese store. I also wanted the assurance that I would have good, English-speaking concierge service (this was my first trip to China and I was traveling alone so was a bit overcautious) and the Peninsula came through with flying colors here. (It certainly is not necessary to spend that much to get an excellent hotel in Beijing, with a good concierge.) I also wanted a good indoor swimming pool, as I like to swim laps every day on vacation. The Peninsula had a fabulous pool which was rarely by anyone else during my 6 day stay.

After checking in, I took a taxi to the Chaoyang area for some walking around and stocking up at a nice supermarket. (juice, fruits, water, etc). The water proved to be unecessary because the hotel provided bottled water in the rooms. After a quick visit to the Shard Box store, which I had read about in a guidebook, I walked over to the Ritan Building, right off the southwest corner of Ritan Park.

The Ritan Building is a modern concrete office building stocked with shop after shop selling high-style clothing and accessories. A shopper could spend an entire day here wandering along each of the several floors. There was traditional Chinese clothing and more contemporary designs and what I saw was generally high quality, with prices to match. (Asking price for beautifully embroidered silk long jackets was more than $300 US, a price that would no doubt be reduced by adroit bargaining, but I was just there to get an idea of what was on offer..) This place would be a must for a serious shopper with an interest in fashion. Many shops had tailors on call to custom design. (If you are considering custom-made clothing, make that one of your first stops after arrival to allow time for the garment to be completed)

After a couple of hours, I took a taxi back to the hotel and got ready for my first Peking duck dinner....(I had reserved earlier with the concierge..)

more soon...

Great start in Beijing, can't wait for more!

Me too!

(Hope the chest cold has loosened its grip)

Jackie

Ercia,here is konglin,its very nice hear that you had an excellent trip in Seoul.i am expecting more.

My first dinner in Beijing was at Beijing Dadong Kaoya Dian; I did a lot of research into the best places to sample Peking duck and this place always received excellent reviews. At the recomendation of the hotel concierge, I reserved a table at the new branch in the Dongcheng district, which was closer to the hotel than the original branch near the Third Ring Road.

Beijing Dadong Kaoya Dian. 1-2/F Nanxincang International Plaza, 22A
Dongsishitaio, Dongcheng District
86-10-5169-0329


The two-story restuarant is rambling and very glossy. An open glass-walled kitchen greets diners at the entrance. The place was packed at 7pm on a Monday night and people without reservations were waiting for tables. All of the diners that I saw were Chinese.

I was shown to a (large) table in one of the second-floor dining rooms and from then on, the night was magical. I have eaten a lot of Peking ducks in New York but this meal was superior. The setting had a lot to do with my enthusiasm. Photos and English translation make the menu easy to navigate and, in my case, I knew what I wanted before I sat down: Half a duck.

The ducks are carved tableside by toque-topped men, and presented with all of the usual accompaniments. One accompaniment that was not usual for me was white sugar; the waitress explained that the Chinese dip the crispy duck skin in the sugar. After sampling, I can understand why, as it is addictive!

Although I was probably the only single diner in the place that night, (one little person at a huge, white-linen-clad table that would seat 8) I was not made to feel uncomfortable in any way. The food was excellent, service was exemplary, and the price was reasonable; half a duck cost 98RMB, which is about 13 USD. While this is likely high for Beijing, I felt the meal ws well worth it. The restaurant accepts credit cards, as did most of the places I ate for dinner in China. There are many many other wonderful looking dishes on the menu and if I had more time in the city, I would have returned to sample some of them.

After the meal and a few minutes watching the cooks in the open kitchen, the doorman called a taxi for me and I was back at the hotel within a few minutes. A terrific first day in the Chinese capital!

Although Beijing has a subway, I took taxis to get around; I found the drivers honest and the taxis were usually very easy to hail on the street. Meters worked and I never paid more than 15RMB (2 USD) for trips within the central city. Most drivers do not speak languages other than Chinese, so it is important to have your destination written in Chinese characters before you enter the taxi.

I will try to move this report along; please be patient with the stops and starts.

The following day, Tuesday, my first full day in Beijing, I breakfasted at the eleborate Peninsula buffet and then took a taxi to the Dazhalan district south of Tienamen Square. This is a crowded and fascinating old neighborhood of small shops selling everything from tea to medicinal herbs to silks to DVDs and lots more. I planned to shop for silk and perhaps have some clothing made so I headed first for the state-run Ruifuxiang, which was recommended in a few guidebooks.

Fabrics are sold on the ground floor; the second floor holds ready made clothing and tailors who will custom make garments; orders take at least a week. (This is not the case with the privately owned shops, as I would soon learn). Here and in other state-run shops there did not appear to be much room for bargaining and prices were higher than I had expected; I ended up buying a 2-piece outfit of excellent brown silk gauze but I paid about 75USD for EACH piece so be forewarned. The material is truly wonderful, though. I browsed in a few more shops an found it difficult to find clothing larger than a size 8. The answer was obviously custom-tailoring.

When I tried, through hand signals, to ask if I could have a jacket made for me in a larger size in one of the state-run shops, I was told emphatically, "no." Could they get me a larger jacket in a few days? "No!"

I did love that jacket, so ended up taking a saleperson from another , private store across the street, into the first shop and showing her the jacket. This of course caused a bit of a to-do with the salesgirl in the first shop threatening to call the police. I am not sure what the charge would have been: Having staff from a competing establishment enter your store?

Anyway, not to belabor this, I ended up having a terrific jacket custom tailored. I returned to the store for one fitting and the finished garment was delivered to my hotel at the appointed time on the day before I left the city. The shop is:

Xin Li Xin Fu Silk Shop
proprietor: Ying Ling Li
No. 16 Dazhalan Xuanwugu
www.meiyixiang.com.cn

The tailor on the third floor of this shop understands English.
The cost of the silk-lined jacket in an excellent grade of silk and, after lots of bargaining, was 600RMB. Make sure to pick out the fabric for the lining and for the buttons as well as for the body of the garment.

After all of that shopping I peeked into the QuanJude restaurant just down the street; they have a fast-food area where you can eat their famous duck but nothing else from the menu. Decoration is pretty bare bones but prices are lower than in the restaurant proper. they also sell duck packed to take out. I passed on lunchtime duck, although I was tempted, and kept walking north a few blocks to Tianamen Square....

Here I had my first encounter with two of Beijing's many "art students" who happen to have their paintings on exhibition nearby. I spent about a half hour walking around with these girls and asking lots of questions, most of which went unanswered. It was when I asked to take their photos that they scattered very quickly.

Unfortunately, my intended destination, the Mausoleum of Chariman Mao, is currrently closed for renovation. So I walked on to the entrance to the Forbidden City. By this time it was about 1pm and the entrance was absolutely packed with people; I decided to leave this for tomorrow when I could get an early start, and taxied back to the hotel...

Afternoon found me wandering along the pedestrian section of Wanfujing, the broad street about a 10 minute walk from The Peninsula. Many of the stores are covered in scaffolding but they remain open. There are lots of upscale western and western-style shops and a few local places including an excellent and very exotic food emporium where I spent a long time just wandering and gaping.

Once back at the hotel,through the concierge, I reserved a table for dinner at South Beauty, the well-known Sichuan restaurant with a branch at Oriental Plaza not far away.

Oriental Plaza is a huge complex of buildings comprising offices above and a several levels of stores and restaurants (Crystal Jade, Beard Papa, and a clutch of fast-food places) on the lower floors; the Hyatt Hotel is in this complex, located at the southern end of Wanfujing Street. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from The Peninsula.

Before dinner I browsed in a few of the shops; many of them are banches of international companies like Espirit. Prices are not low. One of the more interesting shops is Shanghaixu, a small shop with beautiful, high-quality silk clothing, bags and shoes. Here I saw some of the most striking ready-made embroidered silk jackets but at those prices, 3800 RMB, they should have been fabulous! The shop will tailor to order in a few days; little English is spoken but they have swatch books.

Next door is another small shop with bedding and pillowcases and other home furnishings items, all in good quality silk.

I had a good dinner at South Beauty: Sichuan beef with healthy herbs (48 RMB), Ma Pa tofu with minced pork (22 RMB) and a light chicken-based soup with mushrooms (48 RMB) The first two dishes were extremely spicy (marked by two and three red peppers, respectively, next to the dish on the menu) but the aroma of the Sichuan peppercorns on the beef was intoxicating.
Service is good and the diners were mostly 20- and 3-something locals with a few foreigners here and there. The menu has good English translations and color photos. Prices begin at about 20 RMB and rise to the sky: 398 RMB for 500 grammes of king crab; 480-680 RMB for abalone dishes, and 980 RMB for a half-kilo of braised Napoleon Wasse, a fish I noticed listed on many upscale menus.

(Question: What is this fish??)

Other dishes here, for the more adventurous, include jelly fish head, double boiled turtle maw, goose intestine, and rim of turtle shell with pigeon egg and straw mushrooms. The last dish costs 380 RMB per person. There are also the usual exotic shark fin dishes, including superior tiger shark fin in bisque, at 488 RMB per person.

This is a fine restaurant, especially for a newcomers to China who wants to eat in an upscale and somewhat familiar setting and who can tolerate spicy foods. For the spice-adverse, there are a few pages of Cantonese dishes, two of which I would sample on a second visit later in the week.

I love how much detail you are providing. I leave May 1, so hope you will be posting more before then.

I'm very much enjoying your report. As a fellow Peking duck afficiando, I appreciated your description of your meal in Beijing. If you haven't had it at The China House in Bangkok, that should be a meal for you to add to your itinerary when you are there!

Thanks to both of you. I promise to finish the report before May 1..it is good to have a deadline as I tend to write in fits and starts.

Kathie, I am beginning to plan my Bankok/Laos/Vietnam trip for next winter so will be sure to place that one on the list! I cannot WAIT to sample the food in Bangkok..it has been YEARS since I have been there.

On Wednesday after breakfast I took a taxi to the Forbidden City's eastern gate. The day before I had ridden on a tourist trolley (RMB) which runs from the south entrance to the east gate. This trolley did not appear to be running early in the morning, so I walked southwest around the perimter, taking time to watch the locals fishing in the moat and pedaling along on bikes.

If you arrive at the East Gate, you can bypass part of the gauntlet of souvenir and postcard vendors that throng tourists entering from the Tienamen Square entrance. I had experienced this the day before and was not really in the mood so early in the morning. The FC opens at 8:30 AM and I arrived shortly after that time; I highly recommend this. The earlier you arrive the better you chance seems to be of avoiding the mobs of other tourists who will descend upon the place.

I spent 2.5 hours in the FC and especially liked wandering around the eastern portion where I could actually be alone in one of the halls. The 9-Dragon Screen a must see, is in this section within the Hall of Jewelery. The trees in the north garden are lovely, too, and the blossoms were just beginning to sprout when I was there in early April.

When I paid the Forbidden City entrance fee, I also rented one of the audio guides. Breaking news: Roger Moore no longer does the commentary! ( I had a bland female voice instead.) The contraption gave me lots of trouble and I returned to the rental booth twice for assistance; the second time I brought (dragged) the girl into the FC with me for a tutorial. Honestly, the thing was more trouble than it was worth. The guide is automatically programmed to start speaking as you enter each section; there are no bottons to push as with museum audio guides and if you deviate from the planned pathway, you need to wait many minutes for the guide to "relocate" itself. Very frustrating to a technophobe like me and frankly, not worth the high fee. You give a deposit and that is returned as you exit, in my case, from the north gate. I recommend taking along a good guidebook and just wandering around sans guide. Unfortunately, in the big pre-Olympic clean-up of Beijing, many of the halls and palaces are under scaffolding and closed to the public. But there are plenty more to visit, so do not worry!

After my visit, I took a taxi to the China World Hotel for my lunch with the daughter of a friend of my sister, who has lived in Beijing with her family for 25 years. (One can only imagine the changes they have observed!)

The China World Hotel, with good subway access, appears to be a central meeting place for business people and the hotel's Cantonese restaurant, Summer Palace, was jam-packed at lunchtime, which is early in Beijing, beginning at 11:30 in many places.

The dim sum at the Summer Palace was superb! It is probably the best I've ever sampled (although I am not all that experienced with dim sum..)

My favorite were the sesame BBQ pork puffs. Almost as scrumptious were the rice-flour crepes filled with minced beef, the steamed BBQ pork buns, the tiny meatballs, and a host of other dishes. We splurged and ordered about 7 plates and guess what? There was nothing left after these two ladies swept through the offerings! With a pot of tea, the meal for two cost the equivalent of 40USD which I am sure is exhorbitant for Beijing but I thought it was well worth the pleasure it brought.

After lunch we headed by car along the airport highway to the outskirts of the city and the Gaobaidan neighborhood, of which I had heard good reports concerning the furniture and crafts shops.

ek - it may be that you didn't get the "official" (Roger Moore) audio guide. I wound up with a different guide too, but after I had rented it I passed another outfit offering the Roger Moore one. Thanks for all the info on your visit - I'm getting itchy feet reading it, although I think I may wait to revisit Beijing until after the Olympics!

Wow..I had no idea there were different audio guides! And I was looking forward to the Roger Moore narration that I had read so much about! I can understand how you are eager to return...once you have "tasted" china, I can already see that there will always be a "next trip" looming in the mind...

Shanghai is definetely a favourite of mine. Glad you enjoyed your trip

http://www.travel--guide.org/Shanghai

odysseusthebrave: This is ekcrunchy's trip report thread, not for you to list a website that you have put on many forums.

And that website is ridiculous anyway! There is one restaurant mentioned in Shanghai and it is a Brazilian steak house!

Please........

Gaobidan is a district on the eastern outskirts of Beijing just off the highway to the airport. The drive from central Beijing takes about 30 minutes. On both sides of the railroad tracks cutting through the area are streets and lanes jammed with furniture workshops and showrooms. Many of the shops sell smaller items as well, from lacquered boxes to embroidered shoes, paintings and textiles.

The most famous outlet in the area is Lu Ban, where my friend had purchased furnishings for her new house in the city. After driving around for a few minutes, looking in vain for Lu Ban, we decided to visit Lily's Antiques, a large complex of hangar-like rooms stuffed with furniture (mostly reproduction), ancestor paintings (old), pottery, bronzes, and all kinds of odds and ends. If it were not for the restrictions about baggage, and the exhorbitant price of shipping, this and the other nearby showrooms would constitute a shopper's paradise.

We spent about an hour or so wandering through the rooms at Lily's. At last I settled on two contemporary paintings that cost, after some good-natured bargaining, a total of 400 RMB. I am very happy with the way the pair looks in my house,, so no buyer's remorse here!

Next door to Lily's a small shop sells hand-made shoes with both cloth and leather soles in very cool styles for men and women, along with an array of textiles and embroidery from various regions of China.

If you plan to visit Gaobeidan, hire a taxi and have the driver wait for you , as it might be problematic finding one for the drive back. (The shop staff might be able to phone for one; check this before you let your driver go).

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a row of carpet and antique shops near the San Li Tun area; one of these, filled with Tibetan and NW Chinese carpets and artifacts, is:

Zhang Yong Zhi
tel: 646-31669 (shop)

The shop is located on a lane off San Yuan Dong Qiao; have the taxi driver call from his mobile (I did this often during my stay in China) for exact directions as there is a lot of construction and demolition in the area, as throughout the city.

After returning to the hotel and swimming in the wonderful indoor pool, I was ready to venture out for dinner at the Night Markets off Wanfujing Dajie.

ekscrunchy: WELCOME BACK! It's good to have you back!

What a wonderful way to give back to this forum! It's great to read your report and to know that you had a good time in Korea and China! Enjoying every minute along with you!

Napolean wrasse: it's a coral reef fish and is an endangered species because it is a large fish and breeds very slowly. You'll find a number of articles on this fish online, including one on nakedscientists.

DTF (Din Tai Fung) - so they have spread to Korea now. Glad you had a good experience with this chain restaurant in Seoul. Mine was less than stellar in Los Angeles (posted a report at SF GTG 5/23 on the US board).

Keep going! Can't wait for your next segment!

I'm enjoying your report very much. Can't wait till you get to Shanghai. I'll be there for a month this summer and would appreciate any and all recommendations. Thanks in advance!

Really enjoying your report. My family and I will be in Beijing in mid-May and also staying at the Peninsula. Glad to hear feedback about the hotel and really appreciate your recommendation of Beijing Dadong Kaoya Dian for Peking duck dinner...hope to check it out!

Since I had eaten a huge dim sum lunch at Summer Palace earlier in the day, I was not hungry at dinnertime on Wednesday night. I had wanted to try the Muslim lamb hotpot but when I peeked into the the restaurant recommended by the Peninsula concierge (walk out of Peninsula, west to Wanfujing, turn right; restaurant is across from the Catholic church, which looks beautiful lit at night) I could see that this was not the right place for a single diner with a feeble appetite. Next time, hotpot will be on my list; the place was crowded with what appeared to be locals and it looked interesting.

So I backtracked a block or so to one of the two Night Markets in the area, which stretches west a couple of blocks from the Wanfujing intersection. This place is one great photo opportunity! The tightly packed line of stalls, lit by scarlet lanterns and strung with red banners, offers everything from the truly unusual (to me) starfish, centipede, cricket, and stomach of pig, to the delightful, such as frozen strawberries and pineapple encased in sugar syrup, grilled skewered seafood and meats, stir-fried noodles, and many varieties of boiled and fried dumplings. Most of the patrons were locals, with a good sprinkling of tourists in the mix. Some vendors speak enough English to explain what they are offering.

I have to admit I was a bit leery at first, (wondering if one bite would put me out of commission for 3 days...) but the return of my appetite overruled this fear and I sampled a plate of fried vegetable-stuffed dumplings. The prices here seem to run from about 5 to 15 RMB if I am remembering correctly. So you can stuff yourself for the equivalent of a few dollars. Sadly, around the fringes of the market hover people who obviously cannot afford to buy anything and wait to dive into the trash cans in search of diners cast-offs. (I saw very few beggars in China; most of the ones I did see were in the vicinity of Wanfujing and quite a few were minority-looking men with children.)

My verdict on the dumplings I sampled: They were filling and cheap but not nearly as good as others I tried in more established eating spots. A local guide or friend would come in handy in guiding a visitor to the best eats here.

After wandering around a bit more and taking far too many photos, I headed back to the hotel and turned in early, in preparation for tomorrow's outing to the Great Wall at Mutianyu with Guide Kong Lin.

more soon.....

I forgot to add that, after returning from the Night Market, I had a massage in my room at The Penunsula. I had booked this the day before and it was a wonderful experience to have Anita bring the massage table and all of the fixings to my room and to shower and tumble into bed afterwards. There is no extra charge for coming to the room and I recommend it highly. I believe the cost was about 50 USD for 60 minutes. (Half of what Le Royal Meridien charges in Shanghai; many hotel services (including internet use for e-mail) were much less expensive in Beijing than in my Shanghai hotel).

During our phone call the day before, Kong Lin and I agreed that he would pick me up early the next morning for the trip to Mutianyu. I was to have 10 hours with Kong Lin and the driver, so I wanted to get an early start. I recommend leaving the hotel no later than 8am in order to arrive at the Wall before the hordes of other tourists. (Next time I would depart at 7am.)

Kong Lin met me in the Penunsula lobby at the appointed time. He is a very personable young man who I had learned about from this website. I was very pleased with his services; he was easy to be with and had a good sense of humor. The driver chosen by Kong Lin spoke almost no English but he was very congenial and, most important, was willing to take it rather slowly on the highway, as per my request.

There is a new road to Mutianyu which Kong Lin was familiar with, and the drive took us about 90 minutes more or less.

The Mutianyu Wall is reached either by a long hike or by a chair lift reached by walking through the gauntlet of souvenir stands that stretches from the parking lot up the hill to the entrance gate. Before I had time to think, Kong Lin had purchased the tickets, steered me through the gate, and deposited me by his side in the chair lift. The ride up to the Wall itself takes about 5 minutes as you glide over gullies and hills to the top. I was scared out of my wits! I shut my eyes and jabbered on and on to allay my fear of dangling high above the hilly ground on a slatted seat. I have no real fear of heights but all I kept thinking was "I hope they maintain these things...!"
Looking back, there is nothing to fear and I would do it again. There is always the option to walk up so allow time if you really cannot abide the chair lift.

Any shaking and shivering from fear quickly diminished as we arrived at the top and gazed around at the view of this amazing structure stretching off to the horizon in both directions. There were very few tourists around and that heightened the spectacle. Truly incredible to think of all of the energy and all of the labor involved in building and maintaining this barrier that stretches for so many thousands of kilometers.

Kong Lin and I spent about an hour on the top; he guided me to the left towards what he thought was the best vantage point. We climbed one of the watchtowers and I took scads of photos; this was the cloudiest day I had in Beijing but that did not take away much from the experience of being there. Again, make sure to get there early!

The descent can be made by walking, by chair lift (not again for me on this day) or by a toboggan which sounds scary but is anything but. In fact, I was so frightened of going too fast that I neglected to push the speed control and, as a result, I kept getting stuck along the slide. I am sure the worker who came to my rescue with a good push (several times) was muttering under his breath! It was really quite funny and I was laughing and laughing during the stop-and-start descent. (You need to release the brake hard at the beginning in order to gain sufficient momentum; even at top speed it is not very fast!)

When we or rather, I, finally made it to the bottom Kong Lin was waiting for me and we strolled along to the parking lot after pausing for me to buy a Great Wall t-shirt for my at-home partner.
Along with lots of tourist detritus, there is a good selection of dried nuts and fruits for sale as well as snacks and drinks.

By now it was lunch time. At Kong Lin's direction, we bypassed the string of eateries on the road leading to the Wall and drove about 20 minutes to the district of Huai Rou where, at a major intersection but indicated by no English signage, we found one of Kong Lin's (and now my own) favorite Beijing eateries, The Family Reunion Restaurant.

This is a great place! Packed with locals, this casual restaurant specializes in dumplings and feast we did, on fried dumplings, steamed dumplings, dumplings fused together and browned in one sheet..stuffed with combinations of leeks, meshrooms, pork and assorted other fillings. All of this, along with a delicious order of stir-fried pork (the menu has English translations but I like to walk around and check the plates on other nearby tables, which I did here before ordering the pork) cost a total of 120 RMB, less than 20 USD. An excellent lunch! Note: Toilets upstairs are very clean Chinese style; take paper with you when you go.

The Family Reunion Restaurant
Huai Rou district (near Mutianyu Wall)

After lunch my outing with Kong Lin continued as we returned to Beijing and headed for our next stop, the Lama Temple.

more soon......

Here is Kong Lin's e-mail:

konglin316@hotmail.com

His cell phone number is:

131-46901596

He continues to work on his ever-improving English.

Re Beijing night market food - I don't like dumplings, so haven't eaten them there, but can recommend fried things on sticks (especially shrimp and mushrooms). Further south on the west side there's a cul-de-sac with much more interesting looking food, at least in day time.

Ekscrunchy, I am enjoying reading your excellent report as I shared many of your experiences ( Peninsula & Le Meridian hotels, many of the sights you visited, etc). I don't quite have the energy to write an extensive report as you are, but I will continue enjoying yours.

Thanks, Paul. Your tip for the Meridien led me to one of the best hotels I've stayed at in a long time!

Yes, there is the other night market further south. I checked that out, too. At that one there are also sit-down restaurants with tables indoors and out. So much food, so little time!

hi EK:

Thank you for describing your experience with Kong Lin.
I wrote about him in another thread and also received some e-mails from other folks needing a reliable BJ guide.

We also had very good service with JadeLeo in Guilin.

I don't care at all if some posters feel we are advertising for Kong Lin..many people are seeking unbiased information for good guides in China, and I feel we who have recently traveled there should share this information. Great report...I'm not ging to write an extensive one but may just write something quick and simple. Pix came back yesterday, loaded the CD today..great. The shots at the Ruijin came out very good....
hello from Roz
Stu

EK: Sounds like you had loads of fun sightseeing, eating and shopping, and thanks for all the details, I like your style. So nice you and tower gtg'd in Shanghai, I'm patiently waiting for you to continue.

BTW, some of us xiao long bao addicted Fodorites are going to gtg in SF on 5/23 at Shanghai House, probably can't compare to Jia Jia Tang Bao!

Shanghainese:

And you were one of those who helped me so patiently with my barrage of questions (most about food!!)! I bet the xlb's you will have at the GTG will be a lot better than the ones we have here in NYC!!! I wish I could join you! DTF has a branch in LA, I think..none in Bay area?

I will get to Shanghai very soon so stay tuned!

Thank you, EK. No DTF in SF yet, easytraveler went to the one in LA last week (non shanghainese owner) and gave the xiao long bao a "C". I liked the XLB in NYC at Tang Pavilion on West 55th Ave, at least the owners are shanghainese.

Do let us know when you plan to visit SF, we'll do XLB!

Stu - will you be writing a trip report? I am so anxious to hear all about your trip, as you had such awesome comments on ours last summer. Travelgirl

ekscrunchy - I'm so enjoying this report. Can't wait for more!

Ekscrunchy, we are really enjoying these reports. They are fantastic and very detail oriented.

Keep em coming!!

Shanghainese: Tang Pavillion in New York is a few blocks from my house so I will check it out. There are 2 I know of in Chinatown that are decent: New Green Bo and Yeah Shanghai. But, oh those xlb at DTF (and at Jia Jia Tang Bao, which will come in the section on Shanghai, where I also visit DTF) One of these days I will get out to Bay Area and chow down over a few baskets with you!!

After our visit to the Wall, I had several hours remaining with Kong Lin. The Lama Temple, Yonghe Gong, was our next stop en route to the center of Beijing. This Tibetan Buddhist Temple built in the 17th Century is a must-see, in my opinion. Nearing the entrance, we passed streets jammed with small shops overflowing with incense, Buddha images, and all manner of accoutrements used by the faithful. The shops alone would be worth a visit for the atmosphere and great photo opportunities!

The Temple is a collection of courtyards dotted with tremendous bronze incense burners and prayer wheels that lead to various halls housing buddha images. Monks in their saffron colored robes add to the atmosphere and the place was thronged with worshippers bowing and lighting insence. It seemed less of a tourist attraction than an actual place of worship (of course it is both) and for this reason the experience was very moving to me in a way that I did not expect.

Of course I could not resist doing a little shopping; stalls similar to those on the surrounding streets also pack inside the Temple and at one of these and after some good-natured bargaining I bought a handsome bronze fish for about 100 RMB that is now resting out of water but in my bathroom on the window ledge. Kong Lin told me it would bring good fortune and MONEY!!

After about an hour and a half, we were back in the car for the drive to the Back Lakes and our visit to the hutong there.

I had read an article while in Beijing that listed the favorite hutongs of the author, a resident of the city, and I wanted to visit one of the less touristed ones (if I find this article I will post the names of these other hutongs here but some are in danger of being torn down in the modernization frenzy that is accelerating with the advent of the Olympics). But Kong Lin advised a visit to the Back Lakes hutong district, where we would engage the services of:

www.hutongtour.com.cn

For a price that I think was 150 RMB, we would be driven through the hutong in a pedicab and allowed entry into one of the courtyard homes in the hutong where we would peek into the rooms and chat with the occupants over tea. The Peninsula was offering a hutong tour, which included transfers, for about $30 USD which was not only far too much money but would mean walking around with a large group at an appointed time and this was not for me. It turned out that they used the services of this same company which must have a monopoly on this particular hutong!

So Kong Lin and I piled into the pedicab and took off on our tour, beginning with a circle of Qian Hai Lake; I kept an eye out for the Hakka restaurant that I planned to dine one night, hoping that I would be able to return and find it with no trouble. The ride around the Lake was beautiful. Men were swimming in the (what I imagine to be frigid) water and people were playing games and riding bikes. this is a lovely area of the city and feels far removed from the bustle and traffic of the center. The driver was pedaling furiously the entire time, so I made sure to tip him at the end, at Kong LIn's suggestion.



After the drive around the Qian Hai Lake we rode deep into the adjacent hutong. It was a delight to see the old houses and even if this area has been cleaned up somewhat for tourists it was very atmospheric.

We were ushered into one house and given a brief overview of the place and its elderly occupants who included the uncle of the on-site guide,
Ling Ling, or Jasmine as she is called, who pointed out the rooms surrounding the courtyard; some were "show rooms" decorated with antiques from the last two centuries, two were lived in today by the family, and one or two were set up to house tourists. So if you have any interest in renting a room here for a couple of nights (they looked tidy and clean and it would be quite an experience) you can contact Ling Ling at:

liyuling886@sina.com

A hutong visit is another must for a visitor to the city. After about an hour and a half, it was time to drive to the Da Zhalan area south of Tianamen Square for a fitting of my black silk blouse with colored silk frog closures! It was really handy here having the services of a car and driver and the company of Kong Lin who could expound on things we saw and make a valiant attempt to answer my incessant questions about life in Beijing.

Did you visit the Qing Tombs, Ekscrunchy, or am I jumping ahead?

How does Kong Lin price his services? Is it by the hour, by the day/trip, on retainer, etc.? How far in advance did you make a reservation with him?

Bob

B.: I never did get to the Qing Tombs. Along with the Summer Palace, they will have to wait until next time.

For the day at Mutianyu/Lama Temple, etc Kong Lin gave me a price for 10 hours with himself, the car and the driver. This does not include admission to the various sights, lunch, and the hutong tour. (He does not have to pay to get into places himself as he has a guide pass) I used him for two subsequent half days within Beijing and he drove his own car so the price was much lower. Using him and the car and driver were much cheaper than hiring a car through the hotel.

I communicated with him via e-mail a few weeks before I left. He seems to have quite a few customers from the US as well as from other countries so do not wait until the last minute if you can help it.

EK;

By the way, those thin-skinned dumplings of all varieties that we also enjoyed with Kong Lin at "The Family Reunion" (subtitled: "where families may meet and enjoy fine cuisine") turned out to be the best we had throughout the rest of the Chinese phase of the journey (Xian, Guilin and Shanghai)!

Stu T.

Bob:

we skipped the tombs (I had seen them in '84 and didn't think they were worth the time again. Instead, Kong Lin took us to The Sacred Way leading to the tombs...the sight of huge stone sculpted animals (elephants, camels, lions, etc) is remarkably unique...there is another Sacred Way in Nanjing.
I found Kong Lin's rates to be less than all others I had checked out. The guy is a great guide for Beijing in my estimation. I think EK agrees.
Stu T.

Thanks Stu. The Beijing business associates we'll be visiting have offered to find good, English-speaking guides for us while we're there, but you can't beat first-hand recommendations like this. May I ask what you'd guess Kong Lin would charge for a full day to The Sacred Way and Great Wall at Huangyaguan, with four people?

Bob

But where is Huangyuaguan? Much further than Mutianyu? The issue is that with four people, plus Kong Lin and the driver making 6, he would have to get a larger car so I would not know about the price. But it is easy enough to ask him directly via e-mail.

Stu: I agree that those dumplings were quite wonderful. I am really missing them now! In fact, I am missing all of China!

Dear Bob,its is impossible do Sacred Way and Great Wall at Huangyaguan at one day.Huanyaguan Great Wall locate at Ji county Tianjin,East of Beijing about 110KM.Sacred Way lcate north west of Beijing,50KM away.how do it at one day?

Bob: You're asking for a lot of auto travel, which just ain't easy in China. Try Mutianyu, it is not crowded as Badaling, and is very scenic. It would be easy to do it, and Sacred Way, in one fairly easy day. Just e-mail Kong Lin..he'll deal fairly with you, I'm sure.

Stu T.

Thanks Stu. As a matter of fact, Kong Lin and I have already been in touch!

It seems from his response that we could do either the wall at Mutianyu and the Sacred Way, or the wall at Huangyaguan and the Eastern Qing Tombs in a day. We'll compare and rely on Kong Lin's advice as we decide.

We're also hoping to do another day trip, or even an overnighter, to a worthwhile but less crowded/tourisy locaction. If anyone has visited a unique destination they'd recommend, please share.

Bob

Bob, ask Kong Lin about the small town he visited with the Israeli tourists. He showed me photos but I forget the name...

I will, EK. Thank you.

After the hutong tour, Kong Lin and I were driven back to the Dazhalan district where earlier in the week I had ordered a tailor-made silk jacket. I had a fitting at the shop with the tailor who promised to have the garment finished and delivered to my hotel by late the next afternoon.

By this time it was close to 6pm (remember to allow time for traffic when driving) so I returned to the hotel and arranged to spend the morning of the next day with KongLin. After an hour of laps in the swimming pool, it was time to head out again, this time to Made In China in the Hyatt Hotel at Oriental Plaza., where I had a dinner reservation.

The duck at the Hyatt was as good as that at Beijing Kaoya Dadong. I had not phoned ahead to order a half-duck and for a moment it was touch-and-go whether or not the restaurant could serve me that dish, which is one of their specialties. Fortunately half of a duck was found someplace (!) on the premises and, along with a couple of small courtesy plates, was presented to me with all the trimmings. Again, a nice touch was the crispy half-head on its own plate.

Service at Made In China is very attentive and the host and captain spoke excellent English; the female servers have some English skills as well. The Peking duck dinner at Made in China cost 198RMB (about $26 USD) with tea, a lot more than at Beijing Kaoya Dadong. But the English skill and attentiveness of the staff make it an ideal place for first-timers to sample some superb Beijing food; the long menu covers all the bases so duck is not mandatory. Diners were a mix of tourists and business people, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the surroundings are attractive and informal.

After dinner I strolled back along Wanfujing to the Peninsula and went to sleep early in order to be ready for my rendezvous with Kong Lin tomorrow at 7:30am, when we planned to drive to the Temple of Heaven to view the early morning activities in the park.

Friday morning after breakfast in Jing, the hotel's buffet restaurant, KongLin and his adorable girlfriend, Violet, were waiting for me in the lobby as arranged and at 7:30am the three of us set out in Kong Lin's car for the 20-minute drive to the Temple of Heaven complex in Beijing's southern district.

The various halls and altars of the complex, where the Emperor would make sacrifices and pray to heaven and his ancestors at the winter solstice, sit within a huge public park that, in the early morning hours, attracts hordes of mostly elderly Chinese who particpate in activites ranging from tai chi and ballroom dancing to dominoes and choral singing to kite flying and mah johngg. I found it very moving to see the seniors out and about, enthusiastically enjoying their chosen pursuit. Kong Lin told me that many of them travel quite a distance by bus to the park each morning.

We spent about 2 hours here (I recommend that you arrive no later than 8am to catch all the activity) and while I declined a few invitations to foxtrot, I did take some interesting photos of the elders and of the Temple structures.

Kong Lin and Violet were lots of fun to spend time with; Violet speaks English quite well and would also like to try her hand at becoming a guide for tourists.

Conveniently located across the avenue near the northeast corner of the Temple of Heaven is Hong Qiao, the famous Pearl Market which ranks among Beijing's most famous tourist shopping destinations and which would be my next stop.

Bob: For an overnight trip, ask Kong Lin about the huge former royal residence with gorgeous wooded grounds which the famous Mei Hua Lu (plum blossom deer) inhabited, the deer's skin is white-spotted like the plum blossom and very docile. Not sure if the place's name is Chende or not.

And Chuan Di Xia is the name of the village I was trying to remember; accommodations are basic according to my guidebook.

Hey Shanghainese,where it is,and could you tell me the Chinese name.maybe its Chengde Summer Resort or Mulan Hunting Ground.

Beijing's Pearl Market is a modern, multi-level building crammed with small stalls and small-to-medium-sized shops. Stalls on the lower floors concentrate on fake designer clothing and accessories. I was not interested in these, although I did spot some good copies of those popular leather-trimmed nylon Longchamps bags in various colors. As soon as I picked up the bag, the seller told me 200 RMB; when I began wallking away, she droped the price lower and lower until I could have had the bag for 20RMB. In retrospect, I should have bought it!

Kong Lin, Violet, and I went directly to the 5th floor where the more eleborate pearl shops are located. (There are more on the 4th floor) Here you will find dozens of these shops, selling various types of pearls and strands of coral, turquoise, and other jewelry. I quickly settled on one shop offering some lovely black "coin" (round shaped discs) pearls. After some heated bargaining, we settled on a price of 230 RMB ($29 US) for a double-strand necklace with a magnetic clasp. While we waited, the girls in the shops strung the pearls, knotting between each one, and I had the finished product in my hands in about 15 minutes. It is really beautiful and I am very pleased with this purchase. I also bought a couple of preal-studded ribbon necklaces and pearl-studded silver chains for gifts. The shop is:

Beijing Tongshi Di Yuan Pearls & Jewelry
5th Floor
Pearl Market
The salesgirl's name is "Snow"

After the pearl purchasing, we browsed for about an hour in the section of the 4th floor dedicated to "handcrafts" where I purchsed, among other things, two Mao watches (note that the strap on one of these broke as soon as I got it home; at $10US the repalcement strap cost 4 times as much as the watch itself but these are still fun gifts, even if you have to wind them every two hours!) and a few small boxes made from porcelain shards and a "silver" metal. For those going to Shanghai, you will find better quality and more chance of "real" antiques at the Dong Tai street market stalls.

After the Pearl Market, Kong Lin and Violet dropped me off at the Peninsula and we made plans for an early visit the next morning, Saturday, to Beijing's famous weekend Dirt Market (Panjiayuan).

After a half an hour spent e-mailing in the Business Center, (prices seemed high here until I got to Shanghai and found that the Roayl Meridien charged double the Peninsula price for a half-hour of e-mail access!) I headed to Peninsula's excellent Cantonese restaurant, Huang Ting, for a dim sum lunch.

more soon...

Internet access in hotels is always a rip-off. Much more fun to find an internet cafe and share it with the local kids playing video games. But since the Chinese authorities cracked down after a fire in Beijing, they are harder to find there.

Yes, I was surprised that I did not see ONE internet cafe the entire time I was in China. I am sure they exist, but they are not as prominent as in other parts of Asia...or perhaps it was only because I could not read the Chinese characters. The prices at the hotels are astronomical and, as I said, the hotel in Shanghai charged quite a bit more than the Peninsula Beiijing, where I paid 45 RMB (about $7 US) for 15 minutes!

ekscrunchy: Really enjoying your report and can't wait for the next installment!

On the internet in China: The Kerry Center in Beijing offers free internet for concierge level guests. Also the most wonderful hors d'oeuvres, also free (concierge level only tho)

I've tried Chinese internet cafes especially in the interior of China. They seems to change locations all the time, usually are smoked filled and used by the young for games. It's also pretty difficult to connnect to overseas even for email purposes from these local internet cafes. It's a hit or miss whether you will be able to connect to home or your own email.

I just ask the locals for the nearest internet cafe - not everyone knows what it is.

The big international hotels provide the best and easiest access, but some could be prohibitively expensive, as ekscrunchy has stated.

Found internet cafes at ridiculous penny prices in BJ, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai...concierges at all hotels know just where the cafes are located.
Had no trouble connecting anywhere.

By the way, was shocked when I learned that The Park Hotel in Tokyo offers free internet service for guests. Yes, I took advantage of that!

Stu T.

I too have had no difficulty accessing my email in Chinese internet cafes, once I've located one - except one time in 2001 in (I think) Jiayuguan where the provincial governor had banned ALL internet access. Am loving your report, ek, and wishing I was planning for China this fall instead of Canada!

Actually I asked the concierge at the Meridien in Shanghai where I could find an internet point and, after consulting with a few colleagues, he answered that there was one close to the Sofitel about a 10 minute walk east along Nanjing Road. I walked there and could not find it, although I admit I did not try too hard.

Huang Ting, in the Peninsula Hotel, features first-rate Cantonese food in an attractive (not glitzy but handsome) setting. Like the other Cantonese meals I ate in China, this one was superb. One drawback to being a single traveler is that you are not able to sample too much from the vast array of tempting dishes you will see on the menus. (Never mind, I did a pretty good job of sampling, but still...)

I had two lunches at Huang Ting during my week in Beijing and sampled from the dim sum menu on both occasions. Each dish at both meals was superb; here is what I ate that first day:

Sesame BBQ pork puffs (my favorite..26 RMB)
Steamed rice flour crepe rolled with minced beef 26RMB
Crystal dumplings filled with baby cabbage and black mushrooms..26RMB

....I am sorry that I have to cut this short, as I am heading to Chinatown for some Shanghai food..more soon and I apologize for stopping and starting so often..

Thank you, Kong Lin, that's it, the Chengde Summer Resort. What's your opinion of it?

its far away from Beijing,282KM.but its very nice palce to see.

We really liked Huang Ting too. Yum. An excellent meal and very nice surroundings.

I spent the rest of that Friday relaxing and swimming at the hotel. At exactly 6pm, the appointed time, the tailor from the Xin Li Xin Fu Silk shop arrived at the hotel; I tried on the jacket I had ordered earlier in the week and it was perfect!

Dinner that night was at South Beauty again; I left early and browsed around Wanfujing before heading for the restaurant for my 7:30pm reservation. Food again was very good; this time I ordered my main course from the Cantonese part of the menu: Sweet and sour fish which was a white fish that had been cut into a beautiful and elaborate flower shape and drrenched with an orange sauce that was familiar from Cantonese places back home. Good but I do not recommend sweet and sour dishes in China; they are too familiar, with the gloopy orange sauce. My second dish was stellar: Mushrooms and bamboo shoots from the Sichaun selections. A truly terrific vegetable dish.

The next morning Kong Lin and Violet arrived at 7am, as planned, and we set out in Kong Lin's car for the famous Dirt Market, held only on Saturday and Sunday and reputed to offer some of China's best shopping opportunities. The market certainly lived up to its reputation. About a 25 minute drive from the hotel, this is a vast outdoor and covered area absolutely jam packed with interesting temptations. You MUST get there early (before 8am) to avoid the huge crowds that pour in at later hours. Parking is problematic but we managed.

Suffice to say here that this place is amazing and if you are a shopper, it is worth scheduling your visit to Beijing around the weekend so you can attend. Long lines of trucks piled with large stone statues and garden appointments line the entryway. Further inside, rows of stalls and vendors on the floor offer everything from thick strands of red coral to minority weavings to porcelain and bronzes to Mao posters to wedding baskets to shagreeen items and everything in between. Bargaining is fast and cuthroat but prices are generally (with exceptions) much cheaper than you would find at home. Having KongLin and Violet by my side helped, as several vendors told us that they were giving better prices to a Chinese and I believe this to be true in many instances.

Without going into more rapture, I will just say: GO! During our wanderings, I met up with a woman who buys here for well-known antique shops in the US; she had an entire wheeled pallet piled high with goods being dragged by several helpers. On her pallet I spied someting I had been searching for ever since my stay in Seoul: A wooden statue, (about 3'tall) with acupuncture markings. A pair of these were quite pricey in a Seoul antique shop so I was pleased when this buyer pointed me in the direction of another similar statue. I then spent about a half an hour dithering about the price and how I would carry this heavy wooden piece on the train and plane but suffice to say it is now at home on my mantel and I am sorry only that I did not buy her male companion! There are shippers at the market but prices are insane unless you buy a part of a container...shop around for better shipping value.

After several hours the corowds were getting dense and we headed back to the car and across southern Beiijing to Malian Dai, or "tea street."

Located in Southwest Beijing, Malian Dao is entire street devoted to tea. I expected a narrow lane crammed with small tea shops but the reality is much different. It is a wide street lined mostly with large modern buildings (along with some small shops) which are, in turn, stacked with stores sellling tea and every related accoutrement. Tea City is the most famous and perhaps largest of these buildings and I would describe it as a department store for tea. Within the glossy interior several floors hold counters dispensing every kind of tea, in every kind of form--from flower tea to pu-er tea in huge solid rounds--you can imagine. I was completely overwhelmed. Also on offer are tea sets of every possible description and in every price point. Absolutely amazing! Serious buyers are invited to sit down and taste various brews.

By the time we were finished gawking, it was time to return to the hotel and say goodbye to Kong Lin and Violet. In Violet's honor, I gave her name to my new acupucture statue that now resides in my living room. It was really fun to get to know this young Chinese couple and I recommend Kong Lin to anyone traveling to Beijing in search of a trustworthy general guide/companion. Hopefully he will bring Violet along as well!

konglin316@hotmail.com

EK et al: Just to reiterate, I second everything you have said about Kong Lin...

Stu T.

...and he is working diligently and practicing his English as we speak, I am certain!

I spent the rest of Saurday afternoon at the hotel, swimming, e-mailing home, and packing my bags for the train trip on the following day. For the price of the bubble wrap, the hotel staff enveloped Violet the statue in several protective layers to prepare her for the train trip. (If you plan to shop, you may want to pack some bubble wrap in your own bag for purchases and to form a protective layer; I did bring a small amount and used it to re-wrap the smaller items I had purchased)

I enjoyed another excellent lunch at the Peninsula Cantonese restaurant, Huang Ting, where one dim sum dish costs less than a bottle of water at the pool! Truly excellent food and lovely surroundings with attentive service.

About 7pm I took a taxi which let me off at the southern end of Qian Hai (Front Lake) and I set off on foot (Taxis cannot drive further than my drop-off point) in search of Restaurant Hang Cang, known to locals as "the Hakka restaurant," after the style of cooking. I knew that the restaurant was at the southeast edge of the Lake but as I walked the perimeter in the dark, I saw no likely candidates with signs in English. I did see a two-story wooden building merrily strung with red lanterns that looked like it might be the restaurant...and it was.

Inside, Han Cang was jumping; throngs of people were waiting in the foyer. When I spotted the hostess and told her I had a reservation, she motioned me to sit and wait.
After a while I noticed that newcomers were given numbered tickets, so I asked this hostess for my ticket. She told me that I did not need a ticket, since I was "only person!!" So I had singular status that night!

After about a half an hour I was shown to a (large) wooden table in the cheery rustic dining room. Diners here were a mix of locals (many speaking at least some English) and what appeared to me as expats and the place was jumping !! From the long menu, rich in bullfrog and snake dishes, I chose two dishes that were reputed to be among the house specialties. (A third special is the whole fish, Hakka style but that will have to wait for my next visit). Here is what I ate:

Salt-baked Shrimp. Threaded onto skewers that were, in turn, stuck into a rustic wooden bucket filled with rock salt, these were excellent. The layer of salt is removed with the peel.

Sliced Hakka Pork with Bamboo Shoots. Also excellent.

With a pot of tea, I estimate that this dinner cost approximately 150 RMB.

Hakka Restaurant Han Cang (also known as Kejia Cai..be specific that you want the Hakka restaurant at the Back Lakes)..Southeast bank of Qian Hai, north of Behai Park north entrance. No English sign marks the place; look for red lanterns; the two-story restaurant faces the lake.

By walking back to the main road, it was easy to find a taxi for the ride back to the hotel.

The next morning after breakfast and a long swim, I turned my attention once again to my "stuff" and took the time to scribble into my notebook:

"Once again, wore about 1/4 of the clothes I packed. NEVER wore the 2 pair of "nicer" pants or the pair of "nice" shoes. Wore leather clogs every day with either blue jeans or balck cords. Did it again!!" Thoroughly disgusted with myself and now what was I going to do with the train trip a few hours away??

I'm reading this report with great interest and in anticipation of our family trip this June. I know I'll have tons of questions for you, especially the shopping parts!

The toboggan sounds like fun. My kids would have loved it. I wonder why we didn't see it last summer? It's not new, is it? Well, it's a good excuse to go back some day.

I, too, am thoroughly enjoying your trip report, ekscrunchy. Anxious to read more...

Thanks..I will try to speed it up this weekend. I am ready to answer any questions whenever you post them..

I am not sure if the toboggan is new; it snakes down the hillside from the entrance. It was kind of a low-tech ride but I did have a blast!

The following day, Sunday, was my last in Beijing as I was departing that evening by overnight train to Shanghai. The Peninsula was most accomodating about allowing me to remain in my room past checkout time; I had to vacate the room by 4pm and my train was leaving at 7pm.

I spent the day relaxing and swimming, with a break for a walk to Wanfujing where a free outdoor concert unfolded in honor of the upcoming Olympics: Singers, acrobats and lots of patter from the emcees.

I had another superb dim sum lunch at Huang Ting, in the Peninsula and, was in the lobby ready to depart the hotel at 5:30pm. This was the departure hour recommended by the concierge; in retrospect I should have departed the hotel at 6:15 because the drive to the central railroad station took only about 10 minutes on a relatively traffic-free Sunday.

My Winter Escapes package entitled me to round- trip airport transfers and the hotel kindly allowed me to substutute airport for railroad station. After quite a bit of discussion between the bellman, the concierge, and the driver, it was agreed that the driver would assist me with my luggage as far as the train tracks. Unfortunately, we arrived so early that the track number had not yet been posted. Both of us struggled under our heavy burdens, from the parking lot, across what seemed like acres of pavement, through security, and up the escalators to the waiting area near the tracks. (If I had been carrying a sensible amount of luggage, this would not even be worth commenting on because it would have been so easy and straightforward; also, a taxi would have negated the long walk from the parking lot)

I waited upstairs above the tracks, frantically scanning the boards for some indication of the track on which the train would depart. Finally, the notice went up with this notation in English: "Z-13 Shanghai; Track 7." This was lucky for me because, stranded as I was with my mountain of luggage, I could not venture around the station in search of English-speaking personnel.

A daunting set of steps leads down to the platforms and, burdened as I was, I was close to tears before a very kind fellow passenger offered to assist me.
Again, once I found my carriage, the perky railroad employee helped me drag the large bag to my compartment. For about $233. US (1800 RMB) I had purchased, after much deliberation, botoh compartments in the luxury soft sleeper, so I had the compartment all to myself. As soon as I stepped into the compartment, I knew this had been the right decision....

The soft-sleeper luxury compartments on the Z train were quite comfortable. There are two berths, along with an easy chair with lacy white anti-macassar and small table. The bathroom wiht flush toilet is in a separate connecting room. There is a dining car on the train, but dinner is included with the ticket price. I would strongly recommend bringing your own food, as the noodle dinner delivered to the car was not very appealing. To say the least. Hot water in a thermos is always available but teacups are not provided, nor is the tea itself, so bring your own if you want to drink tea or coffee. (The train attendant lent me a china cup) Bottled water is provided.

Access to the upper berth is a bit tricky, as there is no ladder, only a tiny fold-down step beside the berths. There is also a flat-screen tv but I did not use it. Music is piped into the car but a dial turns it off easily if you wish.

The train ride was wonderful and I was sorry only that it allowed so little daylight time for sightseeing in April; warmer months would allow more opportunity for scenery viewing.

After a cocktail of duty free vodka (can you begin to understand why my bags were so heavy?) and dinner (thanks goodness I had packed hardboiled eggs), I explored the train a bit. Most of the passengers were Chinese, although an Australian family traveling with an infant occuped one of the compartments close to mine.

I found it easy to sleep on the train; beds are a bit hard but bearable and there are clean sheets and fluffy comforters on each berth.

About 6am, passengers are awakened with breakfast. Orders are taken the night before and there is no choice ("Chinese only. Noodles. No western") apart from the selection of tea or coffee; acup is provided for these. The food is not good. At all. Perhaps the dining car offers better quality.

Exactly on time, a few minutes after 7am, we pulled into the Shanghai station where I began to panic, once again, about the task of maneuvering my luggage to a taxi.

more soon...

........As soon as I managed to drag my bags and parcels from the train itself out to the platform, a savior appeared in the form of a red-vested man behind the wheel of a large golf cart who whisked all of my things onto the back, motioned for me to hop into the front, and speedily drove off. Weaving in and out, along the platform, across a street, and down an escalator with bags in hand, this man eventually deposited me at the taxi rank somewhere inside the station itself. All of my anxiety about my bags....vanished! I think the charge was 10 RMB. Although I was in a bit of a daze, I believe it was quite a long distance to the taxi rank and I have no idea how I would have managed alone..again, because I was most unsensibly laden down with...stuff.

I presented the taxi driver with the name of my hotel written in Mandarin characters (I asked the concierge at The Peninsula to do this before departing Beijing) and off we went.

I liked Shanghai immediately. At first glance, it appeared far more accessible than Beijing and, in a way, more familiar. The drive to the Le Royal Meridien was a quick one and soon I was deposited in a double room on the 41st floor. Here I will pause to thank Paulchili who first alerted me to this marvelous hotel. Thank you, Paul!

My room was far more lavish than the one I had left at The Peninsula the day before. Paying $35 to acquire Starwood points allowed me a small discount resulting in a nightly rate of 1650 RMB plus 247 RMB service which equals about 246 USD.
I loved this hotel and the location was perfect, just off pedestrian Nanjing Road East. The floor-to-ceiling windows encompassed an astounding view facing People's Park and Nanjing Road West. (The hotel's bar on the top levels, and some of the higher priced rooms, afford a jaw-dropping view east to the Bund and Pudong.) The indoor swimming pool is among the best I have ever experienced; there is even a large bed draped in white linen to accommodate sun bathers on the adjacent outdoor deck! The spa services here were twice the price of those at the Peninsula, however, so I did not use them.

I took a few minutes to marvel at the room (the bed may have been the most comfortable I have ever slept in; I went as far as contacting the hotel after my return home to inquire about the manufacturer)and at the view before heading out to experience Shanghai, where I would spend the next 5 nights.

ekscrunchy - I am glad you enjoyed your stay at the Le Royal Meridien. We loved it as well. I am following your reports closely and enjoy reading about your experiences. Keep going.

ekscrunchy,
We, too, are staying at the Peninsula in Beijing. I thought it sounded good until your most recent posts. We are staying in JW Marriott in Shanghai. NOw I wish we weren't...
Looking forward to your continuation...

Ekscrunchy, I can't tell you how much we are enjoying these reports. I keep checking for updates. Keep them coming and thanks so much!

Thanks, all..I am sorry I am taking so long..

LostinChina..The Peninsula Beijing is excellent in every way; I did not mean to give any impression that I found it lacking in the least. Visually it is not as jazzy as the Meridien, but then the Meridien is in Shanghai where glitz is the name of the game! The location of the JW Marriott in Shanghai is good although I did not go inside the hotel. It is about 5-10 minutes walk west of the Meridien and not directly on the pedestrian part of Nanjing Road East. But you are closer to Shanghai Museum and the Park, I believe. And also closer to the famous Jia Jia Tang Bao restaurant.....

After checking into the Royal Meridien, I ventured out into the streets of Shanghai and walked east along the pedestrian portion of Nanjing Road to The Bund. At 9am or so, Nanjing Road was quiet; the scene would be very different by late morning.

It was thrilling to see the fabled Bund; I had a good guidebook (Frommers) which detailed the history of the great commercial buildings facing the Huangpu River. I would revisit this area several times so this morning I decided to visit the Pudong side for a better view of The Bund.

The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a bit of a surreal experience. Reached by descending a flight of steps from The Bund, the tunnel under the River is traversed by small shuttle cars and lit by flashing strobe lights and lasers that reminded me of a ride at Disneyland. It takes a few minutes; try to sit at the front of the car for heightened effect.

Once at the Pudong side, you walk through a hall filled with small shops before ascending to the street where the first sight that greets you is the towering futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower. After a few wrong turns, I found my way to the promenade facing the river and took some time with my guidebook viewing the buildings on The Bund (and the giant Wynn sign) facing me, before crossing back to the other side. There is also a Chinese Sex Culture Exhibit at the tunnel station that, in retrospect, I am sorry I bypassed.

After another walk along The Bund and a visit to Three on the Bund, a renovated commercial building that now houses upscale restaurants including The Whampoa Club (where I decided to dine later in the week, after viewing the dining room and menu), I asked the doorman to hail me a taxi and let the driver know I was heading for the famous Nanxiang Dumpling House in the Old City, a 10 minute drive from The Bund.

ekscrunchy,
Thanks for the clarification on the Peninsula. Still enjoying your report...

What a wonderful report! I'm leaving for China next week. yikes. breathe. OK. While this trip is with a tour group (I'm confident it will be fine...good reviews from what I gather) any return trips we make will be on our own. I think for our first trip the tour will give us a good overview and hit all the "highlights" so that we can focus on in depth some time in the future. From your experiences, I wouldn't hesitate to go it alone.

Trying to move this along here...

After The Bund and Pudong I headed for Shanghai's Old City, YuYuan, and lunch. The core of this area is a prettified version of what it must have looked like centuries ago. Now, along with the koi pond (you can buy fish food!) and the bridges over the lake, there is a Starbucks, innumerable shops selling "Chinese handcrafts," and many restaurants touting "food good for foreigners" and "Optional snack stop." I never did figure out what tht last one means! Masses of tourists, mainly Chinese, throng every inch of space.

My destination was a famous dumpling house that I had read about but honestly I am still not sure which dumpling house I lunched in, because there was no English sign outside the door. Instead, there was a long line of Chinese waiting for takeout; this was a clue that I was in a good place so I ventured inside. There were several floors of restaurants here, including the stark looking ground floor room with a glass-walled kitchen to allow visitors to watch the dumpling cooks at work.

The entire building was jam packed with hungry locals and Chinese tourists at 12 noon. (Mealtimes are rather early in China). I went up one flight of steps and into one of the teeming dining halls. I guess I stood out somewhat amidst all of the Chinese diners, because after a minute of standing there with my mouth open at the scene before me, a kindly Chinese-American woman (visiting Shanghai with her husband and two friends) filled me in on the situation. The idea here is to tell the cashier what you want to eat (Chinese menu posted on the wall), get a ticket, and then wait (hover) behind someone already seated and eating, with the hopes that you can snag their seat when they leave. There are no tables for one, or for two..all tables were large round 8-tops.

So I pointed to the menu on the wall; there was little choice as this was a dumpling restaurant and the bamboo steamer baskets were piled high on every table, paid the equivalent of a few dollars US, and staked my claim at a nearby table. It was pretty cuthroat, because whenever someone would gather their things as if to signal they were about to leave, several hopefuls would gather round waiting to pounce. Honestly it was great fun and I quickly got into the spirit and into a vacant seat.

Without dragging this report on to long, I will say that I was in heaven with my first taste of xlb (xiao long bao??) (Shanghai soup dumplings) in their hometown. (Make sure to order the ginger along with the dumplings) As the week wore on, I came to fancy myself as a bit of a connoisseur and I would rank these dumplings last of all those I ate in the days to come. But they were very very good, believe me!!

After lunch, I andered around the Old City for an hour or so; there is some interesting shopping in one of the large office-like buildings that has been converted into warren of small antique shops..it is near the Starbucks and you should go to the basement. Sorry I don't remember the name as I did not buy anything.

There are also other dumpling restaurants in the Old City that cater to large tour groups..these have English signs and menus; I would recommend avoiding these and seeking out the more locally oriented spots. Look for long lines!

After taking a taxi back to the hotel and swimming my laps in the fabulous hotel pool, I set out again to savor Nanjing Road during the height of the afternoon action. In a word: amazing! The colors, the crowds, the activity!

"Watch your bag. Watch your bag!" I looked down and saw that my bag was not open. Then why were all these people telling me to watch my bag? NO! They were NOT telling me to watch my bag, they were peddling watches and bags! I could choose an item from the brochure thrust in my direction and they would get it for me. "Cheap!" The fake market in Shanghai! The brochures, similar to those I had seen in Seoul, have photos of the Chinese version of designer goods that appear in the photos to be identical to the "real" thing. I did not pursue this, although it seemed as if every male staff member at both hotels I stayed in sported one of these watches; they told me that the price for an AAA-quality (they actually have quality ratings here!) fake Panerai watch, for example, was about $80 USD.

Soon it was time for another meal. Clutching the address written in Chinese by the concierge (the top-rank hotels give guests cards printed with instructions for the taxi drivers; the concierge fills in the address; the card has the hotel name for you to show the driver on your return drive) I stepped outside the hotel and into a waiting taxi for the ride to Shanghai Uncle in the Bund Center, where I had booked a table earlier in the day with the help of the concierge.

I am anxiously awaiting your report on Shanghai Uncle, as I chose to skip this restaurant due to lack of time and some "bad" reviews ( posts). I wonder if I made a mistake ( how did it rate compared to other places you dined in in Shanghai)?

Nee hao, Paul:

I'll chime in on the "uncle". We dined there the night before EK did...and we found it to be excellent.A bit Vegas-y as far as decor is concerned, but our dinner choices were superb: cracked , fried crab Antarctic style..wow...roast sliced pork and dumplings...delicious.

Service: quiet, unhurried and attentive..ambience once you got past the red wall covering turned out to be warm and inviting, though a minor part of the experience.

Dinner for two, with one Tsingtao beer, and a gooey,choclaty dessert came out to a very fair 260 yuan (about $38).
It's in a very nice building/hotel location (Westin)on the Bund...easy walk or taxi ride from where we stayed, the Ramada Plaza next to Royal Meridien on Nanjing Lu's pedestrian segment.

We had a super great dinner for three the next night, but I'll let EK tell you about that.

Stu T.

Ni Hao to you, Stu; maybe next time we'll go to Shanghai Uncle.
You switched from Radisson to Ramada Plaza?
EK - don't mean to hijack your thread.

ekscrunchy: You have us salivating along, one message after another!

Just skip the descriptions of the views, the taxis, the hotels - just get us to the next meal!

Sounds like you have a fantastic trip! So happy for you!

I second that on the salivating. I always get hungry reading your TR!!

Thanks for all the detail!

Yes, you can become addicted to xiao long bao, ET and I will attest to it. You were at the right place in Yuyuan for them, it's Lupolang (Green Waves), the Clintons were taken there, private room of course.

Oh, I'm addicted to your TR too!

S: No..I did not go to Lubolang because I saw that one and there were English signs out front. Isn't that silly that I have NO IDEA of the name because there was NOTHING in English except a sign on the stairway reading, in part:

(Looking at my photos now; I do't know how to put them here but will learn)

Ding Xing building

Chang Xing building

Pleasure Boat Hall

This sign was on the stairwell of the building; maybe the word, "building" is a mistranslation and should read "dining room."


Ok, let;'s skip all the taxi details and chatter...

Shanghai Uncle is a very large fairly glitzy red place located down a set of escalators in the basement of Bund Center. Because of its location in an office building it gets lots of business clientele which appeared to fill the majority of the tables during the one dinner and one lunch I ate here.

As usual, I was the lone solo diner and both times was put at the exact same table all the way in the back. Service here was less attentive than most of the other name restaurants but I am not a stickler for that, not in China anyway, so I did not care too much.

What I did care about, on that first visit, was sampling the famous red-cooked pork belly, but much to my horror (!!) the waiter claimed that they were out of this dish that evening. Too rattled to think, I agreed when he suggested that I take the Sweet and Sour Pork from the Cantonese section of the menu instead. Along with the pork, I ordered a mushroom dish (shame on me but I cannot remember details right now). The mushrooms were superb. The Sweet and Sour Pork was......sweet and sour pork like back home..with a gloopy orange sauce!!!! So on the basis of that meal, I could not really pass judgement on the restaurant, especially since I had no business ordering a Cantonese dish like that one in this place.
But despite the sloppy service and my faux pax on the pork, I planned to return later in the week...

On the second visit, at lunch, I did indeed have the red-cooked pork belly and it was fabulous. Just fabulous. Chunks of very fatty meat bathed in the soy and star-anise scented sauce. With it at that lunch on that second visit I ordered the green vegetables in XO sauce (XO is Cantonese???) and that was superb as well...the vegetable was a dark green leafy one...maybe something like water spinach.

So all in all I think this is an excellent restaurant. the problem here, as at other places, was that I really would have loved to have a local person along who could guide me toward the best dishes. (and allow me to sample more dishes) All that means in the end, is that I have to learn more about Shanghai food so I can better order when I return someday!!!

So we will give Shanghai Uncle an A!!

Here I will take the time to mention one place that I did not have time to sample, much to my regret:

Bao Luo. From what I read, and from what I learned from a couple of food fanatics behind the concierge desk, this is a local favorite and probably should not be missed. They do not take reservations after 6:30om, however, and there is usually a wait for a table from what I am told. So that, too, will be on the list for the next trip to Shanghai.

Ok...back tomorrow to shop on Dong Tai Road..

EK - we ate at Bao Lu; it was great. However, I only had the Pinyin name for the red cooked pork and I could not make myself understood. Lesson - get it written in Chinese. That is a real LOCAL retaurant - not a tourist in sight; quite large and very good ,but you have to know what you want.

Paul: That is exactly what they told me at the hotel about Bao Lu...I wish I had gone but was a little afraid because I had heard that there was little English and that they were too busy to cater to a foreigner as far as guiding one through the menu....

There was just so much great food there, honestly I would love to go back just to eat! I never imagined that I would enjoy China so much and that it would be so easy to get around alone...

Speaking about Shanghai, here is an article from today's NY paper; I hope you can access it:



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/world/asia/08shanghai.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

EK: Thanks for the article, aaah, the race for the tallest skyscraper, read that Kuwait City is planning to build one over 3,000 feet high!

EK: XO sauce is cantonese, I think those veggies are called mustard greens in the US?

Paul: Shanghai House in SF on Balboa across from the theatre has the red-cooked pork, #47 on the menu named "pig knuckle with browm sauce", has to be reserved a day ahead. At the 5/23 GTG we are having the salt and pepper version with crispy crackling skin.

Shanghainese - thanks, I will try it one dy soon.

Thanks, S. I wish I could come to the GTG!!

Not mustard greens..they were with very small leaves..but tasty anyway. Is XO sauce made with dried scallops?

Anyway..I just got back my statement so in the interest of thoroughness I will post a few costs; these may differ somewhat from those quoted above since they took into account the conversion from RMB to USD. All are meals for one unless noted.


Beijing Koaya Dian...Peking duck dinner...$12.82 (all costs in USD)

South Beauty, Beijing ..dinner..$18.91

Summer Palace at China World Hotel, Beijing..dim lunch for two..$26.

Made in China , Hyatt, Beijing..Peking duck dinner..$24.

DTF..listed as being in SEOWOOL...lunch for 3..$48.

You're right, XO sauce has dried scallops and other seafood such as shrimp and salted fish in it, love it with veggies, had it last night. I don't even bother to saute, just steam leafy green veggies and drizzle warm XO sauce thinned with sesame oil (like salad dressing) over it. Yum! And low cal, low carb, low ...

It seems that you did a very good job of getting around and trying some new food on your own. I'm impressed.

Easytraveler, I read your message out loud to my partner here and we were both screaming out loud with laughter!

Ok..I am going to try to cut to the chase here and dispense with all of the musings...


On my first morning in Shanghai, I decided to try to try the hotel breakfast. In a two workds: Mind-boggling! I thought the Peninsula breakfast was lavish. This one looked like the tables at a fancy bar mitzvah! The food must have stretched for 60 feet across the room! All the usual suspects plus omelette stations, miso soup, xlb, .....there was so much food! And it was all good. They actually used ghee to fry the eggs. My favorite thing was a pieces of yellow dried fruit which I looked for at stores but never found..I am not sure what it was..bright yellow but not pineapple. Dried fruit, by the way, is sold everywhere and would be great purchase. And amazing jams with flavors like mango coriander... and fresh yogurt in flavors like mango and coconut. With dried coconut to put on the top. And excellent croissants. And pan au chocolate!

After breakfast, I took a taxi to Dong Tai Road "antiques market." This area consists of two main streets which intersect. Small shops and open-air stalls line both axes. I thought this was the second-best shopping area of my trip with Beijing's Dirt Market being the first. I spent a few hours here; the more interesting items were often inside the shops so don't look only at the stalls. From calligraphy brushes to minority textiles to jade sculptures to antique porcelain figures to Mao busts to ancient fossils...it's all here at very good prices, if you are willing to bargain. I bought a few things, including a brush pot made from a resin-type material. I wish I could have understood the long explanation about the material, which apparently comes from tree sap.. Very few of the shop owners speak any English but they all have calculators. One man got very angry at me for offering what was apparently too low a price for a rubber ear with acupucture markings..it was just a rubber ear and he got very worked up and screamed at me to go away.... (That was only one of two instances on my trip that anyone was anything other than friendly and helpful to me..the other was a showshine man on The Bund that smeared my shoe with polish even though I told him (many) times that I did not want them shined)...

Took a taxi back to the hotel and swam my laps before walking to the hotel next door, the Ramada Inn, where I met Stu Tower (Stu T. here) and his wife, Roz, for our excursion to Shanghai's old Jewish ghetto.

more soon...(good dinner at Xiao Nan Guo to come..)

Oh, I want to hear about this. I bet Stu T. is just as charming in person as he is on this board.

Ahhhh! That's it! a breakfast bar that stretches 60 feet!

Just had two eggs for my breakfast, but thanks for helping me dream away, EK!

More! More!

Has anyone eaten at Noodle Loft in Beijing? I saw it on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" China show and it looked like fun.

ekscrunchy-
I just want you to know how much I am enjoying your travel report. I am so impressed at your detailed descriptions. Leaving for my first trip to China May 21. Your report has really helped me clarify my travel plans!

Ekscrunchy,
I have loved the report so far and am very excited about my upcoming Asia trip in October. I am American, but currently living in New Zealand for 6 months. I was just wondering about the visa for China--was it difficult to get? I'm debating going to mainland China or just to HK--I've been to HK before and I think we'll probably get flights back to the states from HK, so we're going there either way...

Thanks,
Redheadj

Glad you are enjoying..that gives me more impetus to try and finish up..only three full days left in Shanghai!

I got my visa for PRC in New York City. I had to leave my passport at their consulate on 12th Avenue and 42nd Street for a few days but the process was simple and there were no lines. They took credit cards.

Stu told me you had posted here. You overwhelm me, looking forward to the rest.!

Thank you for such a great trip report. I have really enjoyed reading it and have taken notes for when I get back to China.

ekscrunchy:

I am in Shanghai now - amazing city. Actually I am in Huangshan Yellow Mountain, and I have time to check out the internet because it is raining hard this morning and we do not want to hike in the rain. Also we will descend the mountain at noon and fly back to Shanghai tonight.

Actually my most memorable food experience in Shanghai are the hole-in-the wall places: Jia Jia Tong Bao just off Nanjing Xi Lu (they do have maazingly flavorful XLB), and Man Shao Jai near Dulun Lu (famous for their 3-fresh dumpling in soup and vegetable-pork dumpling in soup). Yes, both places only have menu in front, so you will have to point and order first before you sit down.

The so-called fancier restaurants we've tried are South Beauty off Hangshan Lu and Sashas. If you look at the whole package: ambience, service, presentation and taste of the food, South Beauty is top-rated. But if I can just rate the food itself - I find it still fairly good but not exceptional (or really standing out). All in all it is still a dining experience. As for Sashas - again great in ambience. The house belonged to one of the Soong sister who was married to the Finance Minister in China (legend said that one sister married for power, one for money and one for love of China). You can guess which ones. Sashas is an Italian restaurants full of expats and tourists. We went there for the house, and also to have a "break" from Chinese food. It was OK.

Actually one of the really nice one was Chun (Spring) - almost like a private kitchen. No menu and the owner just whips up whatever she has that day. It is Shanghai food and we loved it a lot. The restaurant only has 4 tables.

John..Great to hear from you! The very first reservation I attempted to make upon arriving in Shanghai was at Chun! There was not one seat free for dinner the entire six days of my stay in Shanghai! They had a seat at lunch, at 11:30am so I dropped the idea....next time.

Of course I ate at Jia Jia Tang Bao..but I am taking so much time to write my report that I have not posted yet about my experiences. It was wonderful! The lack of English is no problem there at all because the workers were so friendly and there is really one thing to order, plus a few extras!

Do not forget to visit DTF and Shanghai Uncle if you have not already eaten there. And thank you again for the maps! We all look forward to reading bout your exploits when you have a chance.

Also if you need the name of a great driver I will post the phone number of the man who drove me to Xitang. I will get up to it in my report soon but if you want it now, let me know..

Jews arrived in Shanghai in three waves, beginning with the Iraqi Jews in the late 19th Century who played a major role in the city's commercial and cultural life. The second wave was comprised of Russian Jews fleeing tsarist pogroms and Red Army upheaval. Last to arrive, in the 1930s and 40s were Eastern and Central European Jews fleeing the Nazi advance who were able to enter China at a time when most other countries, like the US, barred them. Although the Japanese occupiers of the city declined to implement the Nazi plan for mass drownings of Jews, they did herd the city's Jews (and other "stateless individuals")into a crowded area north of Suzhou Creek in Hongkou that would become Shanghai's Jewish ghetto beginning in 1943.

Here is a link with more details:


http://www.chinajewish.org/JewishHistory.htm#1843

Along with Stu and Roz, I took a taxi to the area and wandered along the streets, trying to imagine the scenes of daily life that would have unfolded little more than 50 years ago. Most fo the city's Jews have long since decamped to Israel, Europe and the US, but the low-rise brick houses, teeming streets, and narrow lanes strung with drying laundry retain their original appearance.

I remembered my parents' story of attending High Holy Day services in the Ohel Moshe Synagogue during their visit to the city around 1974 and was interested in visiting the temple, but it was undergoing renovation, we were told, so a visit was not possible. Instead, we walked a few blocks to pretty, wisteria-draped Huoshan Park, site of a memorial to the Jews of Shanghai and other stateless persons who found refuge here. Today the park appears to be a refuge of sorts for the neighborhood elderly who engage in card games, exercise, and gossiping on the benches.

That night, Roz, Stu and I had dinner reservations at Xiao Nan Guo, the flagship branch of a Shanghainese restaurant group set amidst the manicured gardens of the Rujin Guesthouse in the French Concession......

ekscrunchy...my family will be leaving for China on May 17th. We would love the name and phone number/email address of the driver you used in Shanghai. Your report is very helpful. Thank you so much.

Chertim:

This man was recommended to me by one of the concierges at my hotel; he is also a driver for foreign business people based in Shanghai. His English is minimal (he understands but has only a limited ability to carry on detailed coversations)but he was extremely pleasant and thoughtful. Most important, he is a safe driver with 18 years experience. I booked with him after checking prices with tour companies, and with the hotel; his price was much lower. I recommend him highly.

Zhong Wei Ren
Jin Jiang Taxi Service
Mobile: 139 019 10833

Thank you so much for the information. I will call him while we are in Shanghai. If you don't mind telling me, what was the cost of his services for a day?

Thanks Ekscrunchy. I was just looking around for someone who can take 4 adults to Putong airport. I checked into limo and car services and all said we will need 2 cars. So in the end we may just have to take 2 cabs (2 persons in each cab) to the airport, at 150 yuen each. I know we are only counting beans here. So I will call your driver Zhong Wei Ren seomt time today.

Today is our last day in Shanghai - so we will try Shanghai Uncle at the Bund Center. Frankly we are also a bit tired of the Hunnan food - by all account it is great. But so many dishes are presented with 1/3 plate of roasted red chilies that we are practically on fire. So a change to Shanghai food is good. Afterall we are in Shanghai.

John it is so exciting to hear from you while you are still there. I am quite sure you will enjoy Shanghai Uncle!

After doing some checking around about prices for cars and drivers, I settled on Mr. Zhong. For the trip to Xitang, which took about two and a half hours each way, and included as long as I wanted in Xitang, he charged me 1000 RMB or about 130 USD. His car is in excellent condition and very clean.

Stu, Roz and I had an excellent dinner at Xiao Nan Guo's flagship location (there are at least 6 in the city) in the Ruijin Guesthouse on Ruijin er Lu in the French Concession. Although surroundings were plain in the room in which we were seated, the food provided plenty of excitement. From the long menu, with color photos and Engllish translations, we sampled:

White crabmeat served in a clay pot..A+
Sichaun fried chicken with red chilis (waiter's recommendation)..A-
Shanghai pork ribs (which had been braised and then fried)..A
Bok choy..A
Fried rice (like other renditions of this dish I sampled in the city, this one was not prepared with soy sauce).B+

Service was attentive and the quality of food was very high. I recommend this place; there is a larger dining room that offers a bit more elegance.

Afer dinner we paid a brief visit to the lobby of the Ruijin Guesthouse which was one of several villas comprising the former home of an eccentric Shanghai newspaper magnate; with many furnishings intact, it offers an interesting glimpse into the life of a 1930s taipan.

At 8am the next morning, after another sumptuous buffet breakfast at the hotel, I stepped outside where Mr. Zhong was waiting, as arranged, and we headed west out of the city bound for the "water town" of Xitang.

Never mind...I got my dates mixed up. So in the service of accuracy, we will have to let Mr. Zhong return home; we did not go to Xitang until the following day.


This morning began with breakfast at the famous Jia Jia Tang Bao, source of what some consider to be the world's best xia long bao, or soup dumplings, and conveiently located about a 10 minute walk from Le Royal Meridien at 90 Huanghe Lu.

I am thrilled you went with Stu and Roz to Xiao Nan Guo (the one in the Ruijin Guesthouse compound is the best)and had a great time. I see you gave the crabmeat an A+, I could eat that whole pot by myself!

Bravo for having XLB for breakfast! I so envy you, I had some horrible ones for dinner last night ...

S: I knew you would know that crabmeat dish! Do you know what it is called?

Sorry I got the dates mixed up..I will continue with the breakfast at Jia Jia Tang Bao as soon as I can..I loved that place. The only problem is that these xlb cravings are striking me at odd hours. Yesterday I rushed down to Chinatown (NYC) at 11am to satisfy them!!

Jia Jia Tang Bao is one of Shanghai's most famous dumpling "restaurants." When I asked the concierge at the hotel for directions, he laughed and told me that he was not sure if a tourist would like it, but that he himself ate there every morning after he finished the night shift. (They open at 6am).

About 8am the plaza in front of one of the large Nanjing Lu department stores was alive with ballroom dancers lindy-ing and fox-trotting to taped music. It was the most incredible sight that actually brought tears to my eyes. I declined a few invitations to dance (can you imagine!!) and pushed on toward #90 Huanghe Lu.

There is no English sign out front of the plain red and white-fronted eatery. The only indication that this was my destination was the address and, of course, the dumpling-makers visible through the plate glass. At that time of the morning there were only a few diners inside and everyone seemed interested in and eager to help the lone foreign woman who arrived for breakfast. There is no printed menu, just a sign, in Chinese, behind the cashier. You pay and place your order: Xiao long bao; ginger; soup= 9RMB.

I took one of the empty tables and soon the basket of dumplings, soup (with eggs trailing in the broth..not sure what it was...)and accompaniments arrived. WOW. What a stupendous breakfast. Thin skins, amazingly luscious pork and crab filling with rich savory broth...the basket held about 15 and I ate every one. One of those magical food experiences that will be long remembered! (The photo of the breakfast table is now my screen saver!)

If you do go here, I suggest going early since long lines begin forming later in the day, according to the concierge. They are not open at night.


After breakfast, I headed for People's Park where I met up with "Anita" from Anhui Province who did her best to convince me to attend a tea festival that was being held "today only." Sorry, Anita. The Park is beautiful; cherries were just coming into bloom, the tai-chi-ing oldsters were out in force, as were the domino and mah jongg players...I could have spent a few hours wandering around. Intead, I headed in the direction of the Shanghai Museum at the Park's western edge.

EK: The claypot crab meat is called shaguo xiefeng.

BTW, someone posted a similar Shanghai eating experience on Chowhound ...

Thanks, Shanghainese! I got lots of help on Chowhound from Gary Soup; between the two of you, and the others here..I ate well, as you can see!

I will not elaborate on the Shanghai Musuem except to say that this is a must visit for anyone interested in the decorative arts. Although audio guides are available, they are not necessary; the exhibits are well-described in English and there are excellent free bruchures that offer an introduction to the various genres. I spent about 3 hours here and particularly liked the furniture and ceramics galleries. There are two large gift shops and although prices are high, the quality is excellent so it is a good place for gift shopping if your time in the city is short. I bought a long chocolate-color cut-velvet scarf and a few prints and postcards.

After my musuem visit, I walked to the French Concession where I planned to do some serious shopping. Here I was a bit disappointed; there are many upscale boutiques in the area surrounding the Okura Garden Hotel, and many trendy clothing shops with a youthful orientation (that is to say, too young for me!) along Huai Hai Road but I saw nothing with my name on it, so to speak. The best shopping that I did see was along Changle Lu and Maoming Bai Lu which intersect near the Okura Garden. If I had had more time, I would have ventured further south to Lane 248 off Taikang Road, which is reputed to have some interesting galleries and shops:



http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/travel/04surfacing1.html

I wanted to see the Okura Garden Hotel and the staff was very accommodating in letting me have a look around the original building, the former French Sporting Club in the Concession days. Across the street, the JinJiang Hotel, built in the 1920s by Sir Victor Sassoon, was the city's first skyscraper. Next time I will investigate the possibility of taking an architectural walking tour of this area.

Since I planned to do some more exploring in the area later in the week, I headed east on foot to Xintiandi and arrived a few minues before 3pm. A quick look at my notes told me that the fanmous DTF restaurant was open until 3 so I hustled up to the second floor of No. 6, South Block to arrive just at 3pm. I must have appeared desperate (after all, it had been a full 6 hours since my last meal!) because after some hushed consultation with a manager, the hostess showed me to a table.

The Xintiandi branch (there is at leat one other location in Shanghai) of this world-famous Taiwanese dumpling restaurant is a bright cheerful room with an open kitchen and sleek contemporary design. For the first time since my arrival in China I found myself in a restaurant where foreigners appeared to be almost as numerous as locals.

I didn't need a menu, since DTF is synonymous with Xio Long Bao. The menu lists these in several variations, along with soups, noodle dishes, and vegetable and meat plates. I ordered the pork and crab xlb (at 22RMB for 5 the price here was many times more expensive than at Jia Jia Tang Bao where I had eaten that morning) and a glass of fresh watermelon juice, a favorite of mine.

The dumplings were outstanding. Absolutely wondrous. If I had more time in Shanghai I would return here again and again to repeat the xlb and to sample every dish on the menu. (Happily, there is a branch in Seoul, ROK, where I would have lunch the following week). Absolutely fabulous. On a par with Jia Jia Tang Bao, with spiffy decor and attentive friendly service thrown in.

After lunch I walked around Xintiandi admiring the renovated and reconstructed shikumen buildings. The architecture is wonderful but the area is too Disney-fied for my tastes. There is a Starbucks here, along with other western cafes, many with outdoor seating. (There is also a branch of the Singaporean chain Crystal Jade (a few steps away from DTF), a Cantonese/Shanghai/dim sum restaurant I would have sampled if I had had the time).

After taxiing back to the hotel and swimming for about an hour, I walked along Nanjing Lu and visited Shanghai No. 1 Food Store, an amazing hive of exotic foods. There was a special display of Nescafe, in gift boxes, no less, along with mounds of tasty dried fruits, nuts, salami, roast duck, and a thousand other things. Even entire pig's faces, packed in transparent plastic! I bought a few snacks and decided to relax in my hotel room that night.

(I wish I had taken photos of the signs plastered on the windows of the Silk King shop that commemorated the visits of famous satisfied patrons including the "Third Visiting Wife of the Congolese President," the "Queen of Kuwait," and the "Queen of Albania.")

Tomorrow..day trip to Xitang with Mr. Zhong.

Erica,you did a great job.

The next day, Thursday, was my fourth day in Shanghai. Yet again I made an error in these notes, as I did not go to Xitang with Mr. Zhong until Friday.

Thursday, instead, I set out in a taxi after breakfast for the 15-minute ride to the Jade Buddha Temple in Jingan, Northwest Shanghai. Built in the 1920s, the Temple encompasses a series of halls, many housing giant Buddhas, surrounded by courtyards that were crowded with both tour groups and the incense-lighting faithful. Stu Tower had given me the tip that services are held about 10am (is that right, Stu?) and I was very glad I had timed my arrival because the chanting and devotions of the saffron-robed monks was moving and very picturesque. (I did snap a photo of one monk who was more engrossed in his Palm Pilot than in the prayers..)
Also fascinating was the room to the left just inside the entrance where monks sitting behind plate glass windows accept the donation of the devout in the manner of bank tellers.

After about an hour and a half inside the Jade Buddha Temple, I set out in a taxi for the drive west along the old airport expressway to Hu & Hu, in the furniture district of Hong Qiao. Traffic was intense and the drive took us about 45 minutes.....

EK:

Yes, in fact I had remembered from back in 1984 that the ceremony started at 10..and we were right on..so I passed it on to you.
By the way, did you see that super-special acrobatic show I had recommended? I forgot the name of the Theater? Refresh please.

Your report should leave no one guessing about the main features in BJ and Shanghai...thanks.

Stu T.

Thanks, Stu. That was a great tip to arrive at Jade Buddha Temple in time for the ceremony. I did not go to the Acrobats; I will put that on my list for the next trip! The show was at 7:30, I believe, and I was usually in a restaurant at that time!

Also, if I did not mention it above, the tai chi, dancing and other activitiestake place in People's Park and on Nanjing Road from dawn to about 8:30am. Seeing those was also a highlight for me.

Hu & Hu features prominently in many shopping guides to Shanghai. It is a vast hangar-like structure filled with furniture and accessories. Most of the items have been heavily refinished and restored. A few are in the original condition and can be seen pre-restoration in the open-air shed outside the main building. I spent about two hours here admiring everything from cypress cabinets and painted Tibetan chests to brass fire buckets and wooden garden tools. But the shipping costs were so prohibitive that I left emptyhanded. As an example, a painted wooden box that measured about 12" x 6" x 6" and was priced at 200 USD would have cost almost 600 USD to ship to New York (to the point of entry, not to my house). With more planning I would guess that small items could be packed ad shipped via the post office. Buying a portion of a container makes more sense, too, as it would reduce the shipping charge per item.

There are other antique warehouses in the area but not within walking distance; the shops will call taxis for you. If you decide to make the trip, bring along the phone number of Hu & Hu or your inended destination so that the taxi driver can call for directions en route; finding the warehouse is a bit tricky as it is at the end of an unpaved lane near the expressway. Shop staff speak excellent English.
This and other similar shops are a major source of Chinese furniture for US specialty stores.

From Hu & Hu I taxied to the bund center for my second visit to Shanghai Uncle. This time I was successful in my pursuit of Hong Shao Rou, red-cooked pork belly. The flavors are intoxicating and this classic Shanghai dish is a "must." With stir-fried dark greens and rose tea, it was a perfect meal.

Before returning to the hotel on foot, I made slight detour to visit Suzhou Cobblers, a tiny shop a few steps west of the Bund at 17, Fuzhou Road. Although embroidered "silk" slippers are on offer at every other street corner stall, these jewel-like hand-embroidered beauties are something to behold and make the shop a worthwhile even if you do not plan to buy. I bought a pair of the "Garden" design closed shoes.

Here is their link:


http://www.suzhou-cobblers.com/eshop3.html

Women's shoes and slippers cost the equivalent of about 50 USD; there are also cute silk handbags and other small accessories as well as handsome men's slippers.

Back at the hotel I took a swim and set out on foot for Three on The Bund where I had reserved a table at The Whampoa Club.

What an adventure you had! Just a few questions I'm not sure if you already talked about. We'll be going in to China in June with my three teenage girls, it's a tour and they have some theater and banquets scheduled. What did you wear touring and also out to eat at night. Do women and girls dress up for these occasions? My husband usually brings a sport coat, will that be appropriate?

Also, we're not interested in knock-offs, but are there any general items that the girls would have fun shopping for? Do you just assume things like pearls are not real? Is there a way to tell the difference? Thanks. We'll have a few free nights to try your excellent restaurant suggestions.

kraav: just curious, which tour are you going with?

It's actually a medical conference for a few days followed by a tour arranged by the medical society, so it isn't a commercial tour. Is there any advice to share?

Kraav: I dressed very simply. Although I brought along four pairs of pants, I actually wore only two of them.. jeans and black corduroys. At night I wore a "nice" sweater or blouse with these. With a few exceptions, dress was casual; I would not think a man needs to bring a sport coat and I did not see many men, other than obvious businessmen, wearing suits and ties.

If by "banquet" you mean a dinner arranged by the tour group, I doubt if you need to dress up too much. The tourists I saw were casual. I did not go to any concerts, though. But certainly if your husband does not want to pack the sports jacket I believe he can safely leave it home. Of course if he wants to bring it he will not be at all our of place, either. If you plan to dine at places like Jean Georges in Shanghai, perhaps you might feel a need to be dressier. The "fanciest" restaurant I dined at was Shanghai's The Whampoa Club (I will cover that in my report soon) and even there, I was fine in black pants and a black sweater with a silk scarf.

As far as the pearls go, there are many kinds of pearls. I am quite sure the ones I bought (called "coin pearls" by the merchant because the shape is kind of an irregular flattened disc shape rather than round) are some kind of genuine pearl but for the price I paid, they must not be considered very fine. Remember that pearls come not only from oysters but from mussels and other mollusks. Many of the pearls you see will be dyed. But my necklace looks so fantastic and I have received many compliments; I only wish I had bought several.

There is so much that might appeal to children; I am not sure where to begin. Certainly the pearls; they are available in many varieties, some are attached with ribbons in a choker style that the girls might like. But there are so many other tempting items including silk scarves and clothing...a place like the Pearl Market would be a good place to begin in Beijing. If the budget is generous and they like clothes, I would visit the Ritan building, too. I did not shop for any kids so maybe others can better answer that part of your query. I hope I have helped; please do not hesitate to ask questions as I like to relive my trip by attempting to respond.

Ekscrunchy, thank you so much, that was exactly the information I was looking for. I always have good intentions to change into something nicer for dinners, only to realize I'm out of time and/or energy. And I'm sure the girls and I will have lots of fun shopping for the pearls you described.

As far as dinners, did you bring a notebook with you to take notes of all these fabulous places you ate? Did you ever bring a book to read or was it mostly people watching? During my brief solo trip experiences I found dinners alone the hardest part, but you have certainly embraced the opportunities.

Kraav: I had some paper with me for a few of the meals. Other times I tried to jot down the highlights when I got back to the hotel.

I never brought a book with me to dinner; I think I had my guidebook with me for a few lunches but I really wanted to just look around. Sometimes I asked to keep the menu at the table after I ordered. Some of the menus were so long and had color photos so I had fun loooking through them. I really never felt odd or out of place when I was alone..other people asked me that and I have to say that I think in some ways it is easier to travel alone in Asia than, for example, in Europe. I am not sure why this was the case, except maybe it is that right off the bat everyone knows you are a tourist and makes allowances. No one expects you to speak the language. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed traveling alone; I only remember one morning when I felt a little lonely for about 5 minutes and that was when I was nervous about the train ride that evening.

kraav: I agree with all the info EK provided, keep in mind it gets warm in China in June, at hotels, theatres and nice restaurants there will be A/C, taxis too.

Don't know if you and/or DH are attending the medical conference, it is considered business so skirt/pant suit with shell underneath or solid-color dress with jacket over it for you, and suit for DH.

Kraav,skip the medicine conference,actually,it is a commercial conference.they just want to sell medicine to you.

EK Thanks for the insights. Its hard to believe that this post has been ongoing for a month now. I leave in 4 days and though I won't be in Beijing and Shanghai until the end of the month I have my list thanks to you. I have so many notes, papers, guidebook pages (I tore out only what I needed) etc. -well I am leaving the extra pr of pants at home to make room. And since I don't need to keep the papers I will have room for one of those black coin pearl necklaces to bring home. Though I am going without my family I have told my wife that I am going there just to find her a birthday present. You have given me a couple of ideas. Thanks again

You are an amazing observer and writer! What a terrific report.

I am interested in buying the coin pearls. I looked for more info in your post, and it may be an oversight on my part, but where did you get them and how much did you pay?

Thank you for such wonderful tips and entertainment!

Les

Let me echo, E.! I copied your entire travelogue to a Word file, excised the extraneous posts, printed a copy to take to China, and sent the file to the couple traveling with us! Thanks VERY much.

Bob

Bob, I cannot believe it, either, that this report is taking me almost a month to complete. Sorry for all the stopping and starting; it is nearly finished..(I flew back to Seoul on the Saturday)

Dinner on Thursday night was at The Whampoa Club at 3 On The Bund, a 1915 building with interiors by Michael Graves that also contains Jean Georges, along with upscale shops such as Armani. I had high hopes for this restaurant. (I had peeked in earlier in the week and had a look at the menu; note that this restaurant and several upscale places in the area, including Laris, offer well-priced "business lunches") The entrance areas are very handsome, the dining rooms less dazzling; try to reserve one of the window tables which offer superb views of the River and Pudong.

After a Shanghai Lady cocktail, I selected an appetizer of fois gras with red dates. This ranks among the most scrumptious dishes of my entire trip. The sweet dates provided a great counterpart with the luscious liver. Was it goose or duck? I'm not sure.

The next course was a very spicy Sea Urchin custard. I did not like this as much; any taste of the sea urchin was overwhelmed by the pepper. More liquid than a custard, it reminded me of hot and sour soup.

My main course was one of Chef Jereme Leung's signature dishes, Cocoa Fried Ribs. These morsels of pork were very tasty but almost too sweet and cloying for a main course; they would have been better (for me) as a shared dish or as an appetizer. Nevertheless, worth ordering.

The service here was less attentive than in some of the other upscale places I had eaten in. The wait staff spent lots of time chatting among themselves, never asked if everything was ok, etc. So all in all, I would say that this was a good experience but nothing spectacular, and since it was more expensive (but not outrageously priced) than many of the other restaurants I tried, I would not recommend it very highly. The clientele seemed to be comprised mainly of locals, with one table of Western business people. By 8:30pm, when I left, the dining rooms were almost empty.

(Click " China" on the website and select "Whampoa Club" to view photos of the interior)

http://www.threeonthebund.com/#

ekscruchy-
Just want to thank you for your posts. I leave tomorrow morning and will probably follow your resturant recommendations in Beijing and Shanghai exactly. You have been most helpful.
thanks!

On my last full day in Shanghai, a Friday, I hired a car and driver for a day trip to Xitang, a "water town" west of the city. I hired the driver on the recommendation of one of the concierges at the Meridien Hotel. The first time I inquired about day trips, another concierge recommended that I book a car and driver through the hotel, who in turn uses a local travel agency. I balked at the high prices charged and asked another concierge about hiring a taxi. This concierge, David Zhang, recommended Mr. Zhong Wei Ren. He made the phone call to Mr. Zhong and we agreed on a price of 1000 RMB.

Mr. Zhong's phone number is:

139-019-10833

He speaks some English; enough to have limited conversations and to make your needs understood.
I was very pleased with this driver and would recommend him without hestitation. I was most concerned with safety on the roads since I had read about the high accident rate in China. Some of the antics on the highway were truly astounding: Passing on the right, tailgating, etc. But Mr. Zhong's driving was good and I quickly relaxed a little. He has 18 years experience of driving a taxi and, before that, long distance trucks.

We left the hotel about 8am. The route follows the main highway west of Shanghai past the old airport and the new suburbs, and then branches off onto smaller main roads. Closer to Xitang, Mr. Zhong veered off onto a narrow almost deserted road along the banks of a river or canal. I was a little anxious about this (Mr. Zhong explained that it was a shortcut to avoid heavy truck traffic) but soon enough, we arrived on the outskirts of new Xitang, about 2 hours after leaving Shanghai. The town is the button capital of China and we passed many small factories and workshops, identifiable by the towers of shells heaped outside (from which the higher-quality buttons are crafted). While I would not say that the drive was particularly scenic, it was fascinating to see a glimpse of China outside the huge cities. About 10:30 we came to an entrance booth; "casual visitors" to old Xitang must purchase a ticket that affords entrance to the various "attractions;" I am not sure if one would have to pay just to walk through the town but the ticket fee is small in any case.

After parking the car in a lot close to the first "sight" we entered the former home of a noble family that now houses a museum of sorts featuring tremendous, elaborately carved tree roots. I am not sure what the connection is here; it seems that a collection of attractions have been cobbled together to lure visitors, but in any case, I began to be charmed by this little town quite quickly. There were virtually no tourists when we arrived, but more and more visitors began to trickle in as the morning progressed. My advice is to get there early. The tourist crowd never became large enough to be annoying; most of the visitors were Chinese but I did spot a couple of European tour groups.

After the "root museum," we toured the button museum which included displays on the history of buttons and exhibits of the various closures on garmets through the ages. It was very interesting! There was a demonstration of how bottons are crafted from oyster shells; the shells are cut into rounds, holes are bored into the shells which are polished in various stages... This was all very small scale; I was the only tourist in the room at the time and the button-polisher gave me a gift of a few shell buttons. At no time was there any pressure to buy anything and I am not sure that there were even things for sale at these "attractions." No English is spoken.

Next stop was another traditional home of an aristocratic family; on the walls were various incongrous posters proclaiming Xitang as the home of the upcoming Miss World pagaent (not sure if it is Miss World, but something similar); photos of past contestants were plastered on the walls here.

The real joy of Xitang was wandering through the streets and along the canals; the place is impossibly picturesque and will probably be overrun with tourists in a few years but for now much of the village life seemed to continue without much incursion from visitors. There are lots of small shops selling soybeans and delicious-looking roast pork shanks, along with the usual tourist detritus but in no way did this seem tacky or overcommercialized. We walked around for about 2 hours, visiting a traditional medicine shop and a few shops; almost no one spoke English but there is no need for a guide; the place is small enough to cover on foot in an hour or so.

Next to one of the bridges arching over the canals is a large poster of Tom Cruise; one of the Mission Impossibles was filmed here, and in Shanghai. Under the poster, a woman sold tofu from a wooden barrel.

There are restaurants on the canal banks and Mr. Zhong suggested that I eat lunch at one of these, but since he was not planning to dine with me, I told him that I would eat where he took his lunch. this proved to be a great idea; we left the "old" city a walked a few blocks into the new part of town to a tiny dumpling retaurant with a few tables. There was no menu in English and, after enquiring about what was on offer, Mr. Zhang ordered for us. the lunch was delicious: Several kinds of fried dumplings and soup. Excellent. Mr. Zhong graciously paid for my meal. This place is at the main intersection about 2 blocks from the root museum. It is a narrow restaurant and appears to be very popular with locals.

After lunch, we drove back to Shanghai. A wonderful day!

Here is one thought: Mr. Zhong ran the meter for the entire trip; if you hire him, do not let this alarm you; your charge will be the agreed uppon price with no regard for the meter. The car is very clean and almost new.

I will finish up soon...

Sigh! More Food!

Between your posts, EK, and rkkwan's on Hong Kong, I'm getting

FAT!

just reading the posts!

Thanks for a wonderfully detailed and very descriptive TR! This has got to go down as one of Fodors' best!

Thanks! One more meal to go! Before I finish this, here is an update on the shopping:

Do not expect the Mao Tse Tung watches (Mao's face with his arm waving) to function for more than a couple of weeks and even then, sporadically at best. You can buy these for about 15 RMB or so..the strap broke as the person I gave it to tried it on...I bought a new strap but today Mao has tired of waving his arm in the air and seems to have given up the ghost for good)

EK: Love, love your details, style taste and smarts!

So funny about the Mao watches, the ones I bought and gave friends (they asked for them), Mao stopped waving in a week before the strap broke. The fake Rolex and Omega cost a few dollars more but lasted a over a year, can't find replacement batteries here.

You're kidding about the batteries..are they only sold in China? I didn't look at those kinds of watches but I did see a few on people's wrists and they looked good. But what good is it if you can't replace the battery?

Poor Mao...I guess the repetitive motion got to him! I have another one I will dig out; should get a few weeks use out of it!

I don't know about the Mao watches (never got one), but I did get three cheapie watches in Shanghai while I was bored and watching everyone run around shopping.

Believe they cost $1 US each - I can bargain pretty good when bored and not really wanting to buy anything!

The darn things just kept right on ticking for weeks during the rest of my trip. The straps didn't come off either.

The real prize watches are the ones that the Soviet submariners used to wear - made of titanium, can't rust, can't stop - used to be able to find them somewhere in Beijing, forget where now!

I wonder if they have cool watches at the PLA Surplus Store (Dong San Huan, 23; Dongcheng Qu)...?? There is just so much to discover and so little time.
Those Russian watches sound interesting-- a comrade's Panerai!

We also went to Xitang last week when we were in Shanghai, and also saw those pageant photos - they are for something like Miss World Tourism, not the Miss World that we are familiar with.

We went to Xitang by bus, leaving from the Shanghai Stadium - very comfortable ride for 125 rmb return, and that price includes the entrance fees to all 7 (or is it 9?) tourist attractions in Xitang.

John that is great to know. I could not remember the other "attractions." What did you think of Xitang?
It is very good that you posted this, because the concierges at the hotels either may not know about the bus or will not share the information with guests..I did not find any info about it while in the city.

EK: Did you see any boats for hire in Xitang? I haven't been there but had a nice 1/2 boat ride on the canals in Tongli. My DD has been to 4 of the larger watertowns, unless one is keen on learning local history, in her opinion you can't tell them apart after a while.

John: Did your concierge tell you about the bus to Xitang? Most of them don't give guests the info on buses/trains (everyone knows about them) and point them to taxis.

S: There are boats to rent in Xitang. It seemed to me that most of these had been booked by the tour companies that had brought the large groups to the town; the boats were filled with these tour participants. But I would guess, only a guess, that an individual traveler could take a boat ride, too. I really did not have a desire to do that; you can walk along the banks of the canals and have the same view.

I think that the tour group people I saw might have been in the town as part of an organized China tour, not individual travlers that signed up for a day trip to Xitang. Because when I inquired about a day trip at Jin Jiang Optional Tours, 191 Changle Lu, they told me there were none to Xitang. They did have tours to Tongli, however.

I do see the Shanghai City Sightseeing Buses listed in my Shanghai Time Out guide; the phone number is: 6426-5555.

For more information:

http://www.xitang.com.cn/exing.asp

I just looked through the food part of the website above for the first time. I see that the pork I saw for sale throughout Xitang is called "dragon's hoof." Take a look at the food section and the photos of the town.

Thanks, EK, interesting "dragon hoof"!

You did well on the coin pearl necklace, I saw in Chinatown a single unstrung strand (cream, pink, dirty green) marked 70% off for $50.

EK - It may be a silly question, but did you drink tea in Beijing? With all the caution about drinking the water in any form, I wondered if it applied to tea, as well. If the water is just heated, but not boiled, I'm concerned that might not be sufficient to make it safe.

Incidentally, we're all set for four days with Kong Lin!

Bob...I drank tea all the time and I also drank bottled water; it was provided free at both of my hotels. The hotel bottled water in Beijing did not taste as good as some of the bottled waters in the stores (who knows, maybe it was just bottled purified hotel tap water) but I usually just drank it in the room and once or twice bought a large bottle from a store and brought it back to the hotel. I also bought boxed Chinese peach juice (fair; a little watery) so I could have my duty-free vodka before dinner.

I don't remember drinking water at any meals because I usually drank tea. I have to tell you that not only did I not get sick (and remember I ate at local places in Xitang and near Mutianyu) but I had not one minute of any kind of digestive distress.

I am glad you booked with Kong Lin. He is very sweet and will go out of his way to help. I will be loking forward to reading your report. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions..I don't mind at all and will be around here for two more days.

I have to say that the reports of the tainted Chinese cough syrup and toothpaste might make me a little nervous about using these types of local products!

I will finish this soon..just one more dinner (at Ah Mei in the Meridien Hotel) before the flight to Seoul.

My last night in China, I had dinner at the Ah Mei Cantonese restaurant on the 8th Floor of the Le Royal Meridien Hotel. This is an excellent new restaurant. The centerpiece of the entrance area if a huge glass column that rises to the ceiling and houses brightly colored fish. I am not sure if I liked that so much, but I did like the food. Very much. Service is also first-rate.

Before the meal, complimentary fried fish and a fantastic green vegetable arrived on the table. (So much time has passed due to my slowness in writing this that I cannot recall more about the vegetable but my notes say "fantastic" and it is underlined!)

I ordered Shanghai Kaufu (wheat gluten; a local specialty served here with black mushrooms) that I like very much. It has a sort of spongy texture and I find it addictive. With that I had Cantonese Honey BBQ Pork. And an excellent tea. (Many high-end places have an entire tea menu; I wish I had learned morea bout the various types and brought some home)

Dinner cost 96 RMB.

Not wanting to pay the high prices of the hotel spa, I booked a massage at DragonFly (a well-regarded chain with spas in several cities); the concierge wrote down the address and I gave that to the taxi driver. Unfortunately the taxi driver was unable to find the place, even though the address was correct. So he brought me back to the hotel. When the bellman learned that I had paid the driver, even though he had not delivered me to my destination, he began screaming at the driver and it looked like a huge to-do was about to ensue. Never mind, the driver tried... But I never did get my last massage. Here is the information or DragonFly; their prices are reasonable:

http://www.dragonfly.net.cn/pages/welcome.htm

The next day after breakfast, I took one last swim and then took a taxi to Pudong Airport (185 RMB) for my flight on KoreanAir back to Seoul. The airport is very far from the center city so remember to leave plenty of time.

(For more on Seoul, see beginnning of this report; I condensed both of my stays into one section).

That about wraps it up..I hope to have another long report in early 2008 when I plan to visit Bangkok, Laos and Vietnam...

I will be happy to answer any questions as best I can. Thanks for reading!

WOW EK..!!!

What a comprehensive, educational, detailed, well-presented report!I'm proud to have played a very small
part, as is Roz..so happy that we were able to meet for dinner in Shanghai.

Keep on truckin' and travelin'...
Stu T.

Bravo, EK! Your report has left me breathless. Every day I check in and feel like I am moving, hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and tasting with you. It is such a fantastic treat!!

You are such a connoisseur, not all westerners like kaofu, I'll order it tommorrow night at Shanghai House, SF for the GTG Fodorites, it's called bean curd puff here.

Again, xie xie ni for such a great TR!!!

The bus to Xitang is just part of my research before I left Canada, but I'm sure that the concierge at the hotel knows about this.

The Shanghai Sight-Seeing Bus Service has several departures gates/depots throughout the city, but their main depot is in the Shanghai Stadium.

The Stadium is also called the 80-Thousand People Stadium because it can accomodate up to 80,000 spectators. We were afraid that we might not be able to find the depot because it is a huge stadium and the depot is under one of the entrances (#12 I think - I don't have the info with me - still in Hong Kong and I have discarded the pages as we move along our journey).

We were also afraid that the bus would be packed - but we arrived just after the Golden Week so the bus was not even half-full. With an air-conditioned bus each one of us 4 got a window seat. The 125rmb includes entrances to 7 (or 9) sight-seeing spots. When you enter each of the spot the attendant at these places punch a hole on your bus ticket for that spot. It is very well organized.

Besides Xitang the bus company has many buses going to various places including water-villages, around Shanghai and to Hangzhou, Suzhou. We only had a week there so Xitang was a pre-planned day-trip.

When I return home I will write a small report: I cannot write so beautifully like Ekscrunchy - maybe because I am used to writing reports at work - just the facts and hard data. So it will be a report on travel tips. John

Excellent TR, ekscrunchy!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and got some great ideas for our upcoming trip. Thanks for taking the time to write in such detail!!

I really had fun writing this and I feel as if I have made new friends in all of you who stayed tuned in (and of course in Stu, who I was fortunate enough to meet in person). Thank you very much for the compliments, and for helping me relive my fantastic journey!! And for adding so much to this report.

John:

Isn't that bus depot great? After we discovered it, we gave up on taxis, private cars and trains, and took those buses to many sites, love the A/C and the comfy seats and they even gave us bottled water for free. Some passengers were business men from outlying areas who use it as a means of commuting to meetings in Shanghai.

Yes, the Shanghai Sight Seeing Buses are great. But within the city I have to admit that even though we intended to travel around by subway, the cabs are so cheap that for 4 of us, the most expensive trip is about 35rmb from the Bund to Shanghai Stadium. Most trips, like Ekscrunchy said, cost onlt about 15-20 rmb. So we are really spoiled.

I wanted to join the chorus of praise for ekscrunchy's report. Although we left on the 9th just as you were starting to write about Shanghai, the Beijing section helped a lot. We just got back yesterday and I also enjoyed reading the Shanghai section today.

Thanks, especially, for posting about Kong Lin, we needed a guide for Beijing on short notice as one we had previously engaged by e-mail suddenly became unavailable a couple weeks before our trip. We ended up spending 3 days with Violet and Kong Lin and they did a great job and were a lot of fun, that got our trip off to a great start.

Thanks again for a great report and best of luck with your travels in the future!

maytraveller

ekscrunchy, your trip report is so informative and enjoyable to read! Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I have a question, (in case I missed the answer to this.) if you don't mind, how much does Kong Lin charge? Thank you.

Ekscrunch, would you happen to have your trip report in a word document you could send to me? If I printed your posting, it would be a lot of pages!

Thanks!

Monica
mjpileggi @comast.net

Monica,
You can "copy & paste" all Ekscrunchy's reports onto a word document on your computer (if E. doesn't have it).

Yes, I can copy/paste, but it's about 80 pages or so and I'd like just her story. If she doesn't respond, then I'll do that. I can at least print 2-sided.

Monica

I meant for you to copy ONLY her reports - then you can re-arrange it in a word document so it takes up the least amount of space.

bookmarking!!

EK, I am sooo happy to have found your China posts! I always appreciate your insightful NYC info, and as I'm now preparing to embark on my first trip to mainland China, I was ecstatic to discover that you've just been! (I stumbled across a reference to your trip report on another post and so now am perusing all your pre-trip posts.) I will be taking a class in Beijing with a group of fellow Parsons students, but since I'm not that close friends with any of them, in some ways I feel I'm 'winging it' alone. Your posts are making me feel better already!

Okay, time to get back to reading! (BTW, this is perfect reading while we're sitting here in the middle of yet another torrential rainstorm...)

- ggreen

Thanks for all of the kind responses. I just got home from another trip (France) and am back on Fodors. Monica I do not write on Word, I just use the reply boxes here. But I am always very happy to repond to any questions as it helps me relive that wonderful trip!

Thanks ekscrunchy,

I actually did a copy/paste and deleted the other comments. I'm reading it right now.

I'm sure I'll have question soon! I've pretty much decided to go in May 2008 rather than May or October 2009.

Monica

Just want to add that the May 21, 2007 issue of The New Yorker magazine has a fascinating article entitled "Walking the Wall" by Peter Hessler. I doubt if this is available on-line (??) but it is certainly worth searching for...

EK, unfortunately the article isn't online but I'm making a PDF (actually was planning on doing that today) and will try to make it available. The man profiled is my childhood friend(!). I've been so excited to see him when I'm in Beijing, though now that he's famous maybe he won't have time for me LOL.

ggreen,

I'm sure your now famous friend will make the time to see you! How neat is that!

Monica

I found it!

http://origin.stag.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/21/070521fa_fact_hessler

It looks as though the link is printing twice. Just cut and paste from "http://" through "hessler"

Well, in the 'preview' it copied twice...

Thanks for posting that. Also, the guy who wrote the article, Peter Hessler, wrote a wonderful book about his two years teaching in China entitled "River Town: Two Years on the Yangtse."

Hmm, that's the abstract for the article. But it's a great start - and gives you a taste for the full article!

I didn't make it to the copy machine today, but will try to do so tomorrow afternoon...

I just realized it's only the abstract.

BTW, we're all set for several days with Kong Lin (and Violet) in July.

Thanks!

Thanks to reading your report, I was much more confident of my decision to travel to China, although I joined a group once there. I flew to Shanghai, spent the night at the Ruijin, then flew on to Beijing the next day, toured on my own and joined my group the following day. Both of those days, and every free hour we had on my tour, I went to sites that I knew wouldn't be on my tour. You were my idol, because I was so confident I could handle the taxis, get my half duck, and enjoy my trip to the max.
People on my tour were amazed at my little files for each city, most of the information came from this site, especially where to eat.
But I thank you most of all, because the detail you provided on each day of your trip was such a pleasure to read.
I loved my 2 weeks in China.

PDF is in process (my professor made it and will email it to me).

Thank you, Aleta. That is really very touching. I am glad you enjoyed.

Hey,All,tomorrow is another Chinese traditional Festival called Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of Chinese lunar calendar. we eat Zongzi(glutinous rice dumpling) and hold dragon boat race in centre of this Festival.it had a moved story.This festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan,an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river

And,because of their admiration for Qu-Yuan, the local people living adjacent to the Mi Lou River rushed into their boats to search for him while throwing rice into the waters to appease the river dragons.

Although they were unable to find Chu Yuan, their efforts are still commemorated today during the Dragon Boat Festival.
1,Dragon Boat races

At the center of this festival are the dragon boat races. Competing teams drive their colorful dragon boats forward to the rhythm of beating drums. These exciting races were inspired by the villager's valiant attempts to rescue Qu Yuan from the Mi Luo river. This tradition has remained unbroken for centuries.

2.Zongzi

A very popular dish during the Dragon Boat festival is Zongzi. This tasty dish consists of rice dumplings with meat, peanut, egg yolk, or other fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves. The tradition of Zongzi is meant to remind us of the village fishermen scattering rice across the water of the Mi Luo River in order to appease the river dragons so that they would not devour Qu Yuan.
There will be a dragon boat races hold Tomorrow at north end of canal in Beijing.not far from Tian`anmen Square(at east of Changan avenue called Gaobeidian,close to Old Furniture Street).
Hope everyone like it.

Violet, thank you for posting this information. But if the canal is close to Tianamen Square can it be in Gaobeidan? If you have the dates for next year's races you could post them here so people can plan to include them in their future trips.

Years ago I attended the Dragon Boat Races in Singapore and it was good fun! Do you know that we also have these races in the USA, on a smaller scale?

Hey,Erica,i am so glad hear that you have the same Dragon Boat Races.it is not too far from Tian`anmen Square to Gaobeidian,because the traffic is convenience.about 15 minutes by car.it is held every year on 5th of 5th month of Chinese lunar calendar.

Hey,Erica,i will go to Great Wall at Huangyaguan with two Bob and there wives tomorrow,i will send photos to you after that.have a nice day.

I just finished reading your amazing posts (and copying tons of material onto my now very long China Trip word document!) Up to now everything I have read has convinced me that although I would prefer to travel independently in China, I need a tour (first trip; no Chinese; old enough to be retired, etc.) Now I'm rethinking the whole trip. You have inspired me and after reading about all the time you spent eating and shopping, the thought of bus trips to factory shops and tour-based eating really seems totally unappealing and more awful than ever.

I have been thinking about going to China at the end of next March into the middle of April. That would approximately fit your time span. Lately I have been reading that the pollution will be worse at that time from the coal fires and I know I would need a coat that would take up lots of room in the suitcase by the time I get to Hong Kong. It would be helpful to have an idea of the temperatures in Beijing and Shanghai when you were there and your thoughts on traveling at that time of year. I know you wish you had longer days with more light (I won't say sunlight, but did you have any sun?)

Thanks for your help and for one of the best trip reports I've ever read. As a foodie, I particularly appreciate the long descriptions of every meal and will reciprocate if I ever manage to do an independent trip.

Linda

Linda, definitely think about going independently. I am! I was going to go on an organized tour several years back and then SARS broke out. Now that I have the time (going October 08), I can really do lots of research and planning so I can go independently rather than being with a tour group. It can be done!

Monica

I had a fair amount of sun on my trip...most days were in the 50s and even low 60s. There was very little rain. Some days it was rather hazy but I never felt any effects of bad pollution. I thought it was an excellent time of year in which to travel. I will write more when I return to my own computer..

ekscrunchy:
I'm not sure if it's been mentioned here by you or not, but did you do any shopping at the Dongdaemun Market in Seoul? I read a travel guide that says it's open until 5am!! Since I'm arriving at Seoul so late, I'm tempted to check it out....that's if it's worth checking out so late.

Does anyone know what type of shopping is there? Is it typical flea market?

I did go there but only bought a few pair of socks. We went aboout 8pm and it was in full swing and completely crammed with young shoppers in every nook and cranny. Live entertainment, too, on the lines of break dancing and rock groups. A total scene if you are in your 20s..if you are older it is still definitely someplace to experience but it got old for me pretty fast. Also, there are many shops where you can buy designer fakes..they are not displayed but just tell the shopkeeper you are interested and they will give you a catalog to choose from..I did not think the quality was excellent for the examples I saw. Let me know if you want more information. I am guessing that the complex stays open very very late...it is comprised, by the way, of several high-rises with small streets separating them.

...sorry I did not answer your question..it is not a flea market. It is a complex of high rise shopping centers linked by small streets and cental plazas. Clothing and accessories for teens and young adults seems to predominate, along with a large concentration of shops selling designer knock-offs. There may well be more to the market in addition to what I saw..I was only there for a couple of hours and the person I was with was focused on the fakes and clothing....

By flea market I think you are referring to another market...Namdaemun, but I did not go there.

Seoul is a great place and I loved it so much that I stayed and taught there for 2 years. Even write a book http://www.seoulkoreaasia.com/chapter1.htm

China is a fascinating country although I sometimes struggled being able to coomunicate there as in some of the rural areas they do not understand a word of English (which of course is fair enough as it is China).

I recommend Japan a lot as well. Osaka is a fantastic city in particular.

Hey Erica,i sent some photos i took at Tanzhe Temple,which is the oldest temple in Beijing,1700 years ago.Jietai Temple,1300 yeas ago.i also sent to Tower,Bob,and Nancy,i will sent to others another day,because so tired.who want to have the oldest temple`s photos,leave you email,i will send to you.

Aaah, Violet, thank you. I visited the Tanzhe Temple when I was a young student in Beijing, what a gorgeous structure in the Fragrant Hills west of the city. How do you get there nowadays? We biked for hours and hiked up to the temple.

Perhaps someone can help Violet post it here under another thread.

Hello all - I'm a docent at Winterthur Museum & one of our senior guides went to Yunnan Province last year - Lijiang, Kunming, Shangri-la - & came home absolutely inspired by it & full of information about inspiration for Chippendale furniture (which was what got Winterthur's people all hot & bothered). She said the hotels got rougher the further in she went, but it was all so much worth it, as the people dress in native costume not for the tourists but because it's what they wear. And an authentic experience in travel is hard to come by these days!

We plan to go to China next summer to see a total solar eclipse (in Inner Mongolia!) & plan to expand travel to Yunnan & a 3 or 4 day stay in Beijing. Has anyone stayed in the "authentic yet revised courtyard hotels" in Beijing? I am organizing travel not just for ourselves - what we get ourselves into is one thing - but will be including a friend.

Help, please, on courtyard hotels in Beijing as well as Yunnan experiences.

Thanks.

I'll be staying at the SiHe courtyard hotel in Bejing. http://www.beijinghotelchina.com/sihe-hotel/beijing-hotel.html

I booked at sinohotel.com, where I got a better price than booking direct with the hotel. In fact, the hotel recommended I book that way for the best price.

You can google the hotel and view reviews from travelers

Les

Hi Shanghainese,it is glad hear that you went to Tanzhe Temple,i guss it was very hard work to go there by bike,did you went to Jietai Temple in one day?they are close to each other.i went to there with my clients by van.

Violet -- Didn't get to Jietai Temple. In my student days, we attended classes 6 days/week, were required to live in dorms on campus, and on Sunday the curfew is 6 pm, report to the classroom to study/complete homework. We usually ate 2 meals on Sundays, the dry-as-cardboard "wo wo dou" (steamed corn buns) and thin as water "yu mi tzou" (corn porridge), no wonder my low cholestrol shocked the doctors when I arrived in the U.S.!

I just went to Tanzhe Si during my study in Beijing! What a gorgeous, peaceful place; I highly recommend it to anyone who can get out there.

We took the #1 subway line to the end of the line on the west side (Pingguoyuan), then hired a car for a long drive up into the hills (about 120 yuan round trip). It was the usual zoo of men crowding around trying to get our business; fortunately for us, the driver we ended up with was friends with the monks and we got to stay after the temple had closed.

Our reason for going was that it was an incense-burning day and one of my classmates who's mother lives in Beijing wanted to go. Unfortunately since we had class at Tsinghua until noon and then needed lunch, we didn't make it to the temple in time for the ceremony. So the after-hours visit was extra special!

The entire trip from Wudaokou subway station in the northwest of Beijing to the temple was about 2 hours (same for the return).

Unfortunately we didn't make it to Jietai Temple also. I guess there's always a next time! Thanks, Violet, for telling everyone about such a beautiful spot.

Shanghainese, we didn't stay in the Tsinghua dorms in part because of their curfew and other rules (some of our group had significant others with them, which wouldn't be allowed in the dorms). But I'm happy to say that other than the occasional wo wo dou for breakfast, our food was much more varied than your school fare! (And I still managed to lose a few pounds LOL.)

Wow, ggreen, now you're a Tsinghua alumni! the China-born alumni in the SF area have monthly lunches and annual GTGs,a friend invited me to an annual event and it was very impressive to seeing what they are doing now.

topping for recent poster with restaurant questions

plus anothe restaurants,Dingtaifeng for Dim Sum,Donglaishun for Hot-Pot.Maojiafandian for Hunan restaurant.

topping for poster asking about private driver in Shanghai..his number is contained within the report below.

topping in response to recent question about eating in Beijing..

Ni Hao, EK -- I heard Our Place Shanghai Tea Garden at 141 E. 55 Street between 3rd & Lexington has good xiao long bao, have you been there?

I am leaving for Shanghai next week and will have a GTG with Nutella and nagiffag at Lost Heaven, a Yunan restaurant in the old french concession area nagiffag recommended, she lives there.

Hi,EK,Another good Restaurant in Beijing is Maojiafandian.I went to there with my clients many many times.they loved it very much.which is closed to Tea City.but it is a Hunan restaurant.so it is must for spicy food enthusiast.

Just want to thank you for your entertaining, informative and very detailed report. I know I will find the information you presented very useful when we go to China a year from now. We decided to go after the Olympics, although unfortunately much of Beijing will probably be modernized by then. This was the tradeoff we made for seeing the monuments without scaffolding. Hope we made the right decision.

Shelley I am glad you enjoyed the report. thanks.

Shanghainese: I live very close to that restaurant and although I have been a couple of times, I have not tried their xiao long bao. I think it is about time I did so if you got a good tip! Maybe we can share a basket sometime, someplace. Have fun! I wish I could be at the GTG!!

EK -- We just might be able to share a basket of XLB before the end of the year! Making plans to be in NYC late Dec, will keep you updated.

I believe baaj is also in NYC, not sure about ggreen.

That would be superb!!! Keep me posted! We can do an XLB tour!

Yes, yes - xiao long bao in NYC with ekscrunchy and Shanghainese! Count me in!

Shanghainese, do you know roughly what part of the month you'd be here? I ask because my schedule is a lot more hectic before the 19th - but with planning, anything is possible!

EK and ggreen -- Our travel plan is for the last week in Dec, spending Xmas in NJ and leaving before New Year's eve. I can get to Manhattan preferably for lunch on weekdays. How about I start a new thread here about the GTG after Thanksgiving?

Sounds good to me! Looks like Xmas is a Tuesday - so people probably will have Monday off? For once, I don't think I have any plans that week!

I'll look for your GTG post closer to the date. (And maybe repost here to top and remind us, since I can get scatterbrained LOL.)

That would be great for me!!! Just keep me posted; I will look for the GTG thread after T'giving...

Will do, may even post before Thanksgiving, looks like Wed 12/26 is the preferred date.
Leaving tomorrow for China, can't wait!

Have an amazingly fantabulous time!!!! Where are you headed??

The 26th sounds good to me...post details when you get back...let's go to Manhattan Chinatown!!!

Thanks very much for the kind wishes. I head to Shanghai where my extended family lives (immediate family is here), except for day or overnight trips out of the city, I just wander around the streets exploring every corner and try not to get lost in the vast glass and concrete highrise jungle.

Have fun and happy eating!!!! Take notes for us!!

EK -
Thank you so much for all your trip information. We just returned from our first trip to China and a print out of your TR came along! Many times we followed in your footsteps or took your advice. Even met the lovely Violet. Thanks again for helping to make this trip so memorable.

I have loved your detailed Beijing reports! Thanks so much for sharing. I am planning a 5 day trip there next month with my family and just hooked up with Konglin. Your reports gave me the confidence to seek a local guide and steer clear of the big tourist outfits. I hope we meet Violet too! Do you have any advice for traveling with little kids? They're 6, 8, and 11.

Memmon..I am glad you enjoyed the report. I am not so good on the ideas for children, but I have faith in Konglin (and Violet). I would guess that they would enjoy the Lama Temple just because it is so exotic..ditto the Wall.

Topping for information on my guide in Beijing, Kong Lin..scroll down past Korea to reach this part of the report..

Sega 61, I am in China now and I am taking the trains all around from Hong Kong to Nanning then to Hanoi and HCM city. I have researched train prices and if I can help you let me know. I just bought my soft sleeper, lower bunk ticket from Shanghai to Beijing for 499.00 yen.

Jemappell

Hi Ekscrunchy,

I have a friend that might be going to Beijing in March (or April) and I had told her about my plans for my day trip to the Great Wall, to include lunch at the family reunion restaurant. He's interested in going to this restaurant (traveling to the wall on his own). Would you have the address or the name of the town?

Thanks!

Monica

Oops, that should be, ".. I had told him..."

Monica, the Family Reunion Restaurant is in the town of Huai Rou between Beijing and Mutianyu. The restaurant is at a busy intersection and there is parking right in front. I am not sure if there is any signage in English in front but they do have a menu with English and pictures.

Hi ekschrunchy,

Thanks for the information!

Monica

You're welcome, Monica. I forgot: When are you going?
Are you traveling by yourself? My trip was fantastic and I hope to be able to return one day...I want to read the details of your trip...vicarious thrill and all that...

Hi Monica and EK...as you may know, I am also a fan of The Family Reunion. Just have friend follow EK's directions...any guide would know, also. Are you hiring a guide for Mutianyu? I also am high on Konglin...Have a great trip...when are you leaving?
stu T.

ek and Shanghainese, so sorry to be MIA for a month+. (Grad school is getting the best of me this semester; I haven't even had time to *peek* at Fodor's since mid-Oct!)

I'm not sure I'll be able to join you after all. It turns out I will be in MA 12/22 through 12/26 early evening, so it may be cutting it too close to meet up that day. If you decide to make it the 27th or later, I'll be very happy to join you!

memmom, I have a few suggestions for places that may be appropriate for kids that might not have been mentioned to you before:
- The Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall (not far from Tianamen Square). It's a bit quiet and empty, but the scale model of Beijing that fills an entire room is well worth the price of admission. It's primarily a 3D model that is so up-to-date it includes planned buildings that are not yet built. Then where the 3D model ends, backlit photos to scale continue the city underfoot all the way to where the floor meets the wall. A narration in Chinese and English points out landmarks. It was cool to find our hotel near Tsinghua University at the edge of the model, and the entirety really gives you a sense of the huge breadth of the city! (Other parts of the museum give glowing reports on China's building progress.)
- Another kind of quirky place is the TV tower (though the aquarium in its base is very forgettable). Even if the view is obscured by haze as it was the day we were there, it's still fun to be up there. Also, there's an entire floor of Olympics related stuff - sign your name to a scroll to honor the athletes that aims to be in the Guinness Book of Records, buy ribbons and attach them to a wishing tree for the athletes, photo op with lifesize versions of plush mascots, etc. Our second try had better weather, and it was magical to watch the sun set and the city lights go on from the observation deck...
- If you make it outside of the city, check out the Botanic Garden to the west. Plenty of families with kids, and the plants are beautiful. There's a temple inside the park with a massive reclining buddha.
- Otherwise, parks such as Behai and the one across from the TV tower might be good for some r&r.
- Definitely check out the Temple of Heaven!

ggreen -- I'll try to see if we can change it to 12/27 or 12/28, check the GTG posting, please.

Hi ekscrunchy and Stu,

I'm heading to Beijing October 9th, arriving the 10th. I am still in the early works of finalizing the itinerary and deciding on hotels (although I have decided on the Crowne Plaza in Beijing).

I chatted with someone this morning who highly recommended that I go with a tour company rather than going on our own (taking my Mom's cousin Reenie), as she stated the language barrier is really difficult, transportation (busses and subway) is also difficult and especially crowded. She enjoyed the convenience of having someone pick her up and take her to the sights, to dinner, to/from the airport, etc. It does sound like a good reason for convience sake, but I know that many on this board have gone independently. Need to think hard on this one. I know that everyone is different and has different travel styles. I've traveled solo a few times now to Europe and am quite comfortable doing that. I know some words/phrases for French and Italian, but China is a whole different world.

Monica

Monica, both ways of travel have their ups and downs. I had no issue whatsoever with the language. But then, I took taxis and not buses or subways. Taxis are so inexpensive that unless you are on a super-strict budget, they may well be within your means.

The hotel would write the name of the restaurant/sight in Chinese characters and then the doorman/porter of the hotel would usually get me a taxi. When I left the restaurant after dinner, I often asked them (or they offered) to get me a taxi. It was also easy to hail taxis on the street and I recall only once when I had a bit of a hard time getting one (near Ritan Park in Beijing. Perhaps this was because of the late afternoon hour, I am not sure.) But even at that time, I only waited 10 minutes or so..

But remember that I only went to the 2 cities and you are venturing further afield...

The one time that the language barrier was a bit daunting was on the night I took the train to Shanghai..but even then, part of the problem was that I had SO MUCH TO CARRY that I could not wander around and find someone to assist me..I was tied down to my HUGE PILE of STUFF!!!

I do think that it would have been nice to have a live guide at a few of the major sights. But I did manage to overheard some of the guides that were leading tour groups and many of them just droned on and on in not very good English. So if you do decide to take a tour, remember that you are doing so partly to surmount the language barrier. So make sure that the guides will be fluent in English! Better yet, go alone and arrange for private guides for a day or two in the cities you will be visiting, like I did with Konglin in Beijing..

If I were to return (and I hope to someday soon) there is no question that I would go alone once more..

Feel free to ask anything..we love to help!

Hi Monica,
I wouldn't worry over-much about the language barrier, as long as you have a good attitude about it. I met other international travelers in hostels in Chengdu and tiny Songpan that were able to navigate just fine. (I had the advantage of a Mandarin-speaking travel companion, so I can't say much firsthand.) A Spanish couple I met were traveling all over the country - and their means of communication was in English!

Public transportation is clean and efficient; signs are in Chinese and "pinyin" (Chinese in roman alphabet); announcements such as next stop are first in Chinese then English.

Thanks for the comments. The company that was suggested is China Travel Guide and this couple used their services, which included everything (hotels, transportation to/from airports, meals, sightseeing/entrance fees) except for airfare to/from the USA. There was no one else with them, so they had the driver and guide to themselves.

I think if I can find guides for each city and use the hotels to help translate things for me, my cousin and I will be fine. I think the hardest part will be at the airports or train stations, unless I can get the guides to help in that portion (i.e., taking us to the airport and showing us the way).

Thanks,

Monica

top it

I am going to Beijing, Xian, Yangtze River(3 nights), Wuhan, and Shanghai for 2 weeks beginning April 21, 2008. I know it will be necessary to dress in layers, but I'm not sure how heavy my jacket needs to be since the nighttime temps could be 45 degreesF. I was also planning to bring dressy black pants and shoes, but it doesn't seem like I would need them after reading so many e-mails. I would appreciate any clothing info from females who have been to China.

Bookmarking

just a little jacket will be fine in case rain or windy.if without windy or rain,the T-shirt is enough.

Violet, Thanks so much for the clothing info-I can't wait to see China in April.
Lin 08

Great read - thanks for such a thorough recap!

This is a most fabulous thread. I am in my 60's and will do a solo trip to China and Vietnam in Oct-Nov '08. Am starting out in Seoul but that part is totally organized the rest of the time I am on my own.

Am considering a homestay in Beijing,Shanghai is still up in the air.

Am still working out an itinerary for traveling within China. Since I am a definite foodie, I would appreciate any other forums or links or suggestions on where to eat in e.g. Yangshou, Xian, Lijang
and also accomodations.
Actually all and any advice is appreciated

nywoman: please check my
Notes From Shanghainese's 13 Days in Shanghai
last dated 1/23/08

EK - didn't mean to hijack yours, still haven't figured out how to paste another thread...

Hi,
I just read your post. My mouth is watering and I can hardly wait. I hadn't planned on spending any time in Shanghai but after reading all the wonderful things, you, Linda and ekscrunchy have written about it,obviously I have to now.

Starting my Mandarin lessons in two weeks unfortunately will miss the first class. Thought I should have some idea of the language even if it is yes, no and thank you.

The hardest part of the trip seems to be in the planning, so much to see and do and where do I cut it short and where do I make it longer.

Have a great Memorial weekend everybody.

I am glad you enjoyed! I really want to return to China someday soon! I have wonderful memories of that trip!

topping for HPeabody

Ekscrunchy
Where are you in NYC? I live on the upper East Side. My e-mail is Nywoman@gmail.com. I was trying to find your postings on Chowhound but maybe you have a different ID there.

Thank You so much. I am loving it, I will read more at home after work.

NYWoman: I live in midtown Manhattan. I did write reviews of restaurants in China on CH; one of the threads is entitled "Brief Beijing Report: 6 Days of Fabulous Food." You have to make certain to search for posts dating back more than one year.. There are a few others as well but I think that the same general ideas are covered in this thread.

I am very impressed that you are taking Mandarin lessons.. Please let us know how those progress and any details if possible...

I certainly hope to explore more of China someday in the not-too-distant future!

Mandarin lessons.
The course started Tuesday, but because of a previous engagement I couldn't start until today. It is a continuing education 5 week course given by Hunter College here in NYC.
There are two classes a week. The text book is written in a font a smidgen larger than the local phonebook. It also comes with 2 CD's.

I had no idea what to expect, but definitively not anything close to what the class is like.
We are learning Pinyun which is what Chinese children learn. Most of the evening was spent practising pronounciation of the different letters, the vowels are called finals, and the consonants initials. Which made no sense to me, I obviously missed a lot in the first class. Fortunately the book explained it all. There are 4 different tones to each vowel, and depending on the tone the meaning of the word changes.

Xian is a town where the clay army is, right? It also means first e.g. first I saw this and then that.

My tongue does not move right and I vocalize instead of keeping an even pitch. Don't even ask what that means, but I had a great time trying to intellectually grasp a totally foreign (pardon the pun) language and concept. It is so alien to anything that I know, nor do I know if I can get my tongue to obey so that I can pronounce anything except the most rudimentary letters.

It is totally fascinating, we are 6 students, 1 of them is Chinese girl who only knows Cantonese, she has as much problem with the spoken alphabet as I do. The others are 3 young men and a slightly older man that I surmise has adopted a Chinese girl from what he shared. They all seem very serious about the subject and I look forward to the next few weeks.

NYWoman:

I think a progress report is in order! I cannot convey to you how impressed I am that you are making this effort. I think it will enhance the trip a hundred-fold..even if you make tons of mistakes, you will make contact with people that is not possible for those of us with no language skills. It certainly will serve to "break the ice," so to speak..

Can you post your itinerary and dates?

Hi EK,
Will be more than happy to post itinerary and dates once I get them together. Instead of working on it, got sidetracked on Chowhound, my son and I are having lunch in Flushing tomorrow.

If he is OK with me not cooking Thanksgiving, I am the one usually having pangs of conscience, which he probably is. That will give me 9 days in Korea, 3 weeks in China, 3 weeks in Vietnam and a week or less in Stockholm. Could go to Rome instead, and may still do that depending on my final schedule.

Am using miles for an Around the World trip which means I have to cross two oceans, which is why Europe comes into the picture.

The Chinese class is terrific. It really is, the teacher is very good. Of course I don't remember a word we have learnt, the others answer questions and ask them with some ease. I have my book open and look at the blackboard and still struggle. Where I do somewhat better, is in the pronounciation so many of the sounds are similar to Stockholm's Swedish where I grew up.

I am also probably twice the age of the students, and I don't care what anyone says,the brain works slower as you age.

Flushing! If you are following the CH'ers, there must be a food court in your future!!! My favorite is Little Pepper, though. Please report back and tell us where you ate!

Your trip will be amazing! I did not realize you had so long to play!! Are you visiting someone in Korea? I suspect you will not spend the 9 days in Seoul...

I hope I can return in the winter!

This is my initial itinerary.
Korea is with an International Swedish Women's group, they are having their regional meeting in Seoul.
Am working on Vietnam and now I am thinking Cambodia or at least Angor Wat.
Haven't even begun to look at hotels etc.
Any thoughts?
Oct 8 Arrive Seoul
Oct 9 DMZ Panmunjom
Oct 10 Seoul
Oct 11 Seoul
Oct 12 Kyongju
Oct 13 Golgusa Temple for Temple stay
Oct 14 return to Kyongju
Oct 15 Andong and Sorak Mountains
Oct 16 Sorak National Park and hot springs
Oct 17 dep Seoul Arr. Beijing China Southern Airlines Flight CZ318 1.45 pm
Oct 18 Beijing
Oct 19 Beijing
Oct 20 Beijing
Oct 21 Beijing
Oct 22 night train to Xi An T43/46 dep 9.36 pm
Oct 23 arrive 8.42 Xi An
Oct 24 Xi An night train to Shanghai dep 21.02 T137/140
Oct 25 arrive 11.34 Shanghai
Oct 26 Shanghai
Oct 27 Shanghai
Oct 28 Shanghai day trip to Souzou
Oct 29 leave for Hangzhou D657 dep. 9.30 am. arr. 10.48 am
Oct 30 return to Shanghai
Oct 31 Guilin Air China CH1969 dep. 1.45 pm arr. 4 pm
Transfer to Yangshou
Nov.1 Yangshou
Nov 2 Yangshou
Nov.3 Yangshou
Nov 4 Guilin to Kunming night train dep. 4.53 pm. K393
Nov 5 arr.11.20 am Kunming
Nov 5 Kunming night train to Dali dep. 10.15 pm N810/N811
Nov 6 arr. 7.23 am Dali
Nov 7 bus to Lijiang
Nov 8 Lijiang
Nov 9 Lijiang
Nov 10 Lijiang China Southern CZ3492 to Kunming dep. 1 pm arr 1.40 Kunming
Nov 10 Night bus to Vietnam
Nov 11 Sapa
Nov 12 Sapa
Nov 13 night train to Hanoi

I would drop a day in Shanghai in order to avoid back-to-back night trains. Yes, soft sleeper on Chinese trains is very comfortable, but unless they've added showers you really a night in a hotel to clean up.

I thought it looked good..but Thursday I am not clear on where you would drop the day in Shanghai...you mean the back-to-back trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou? Maybe spend overnight in Hangzhou? (I've not been, though, but from what I've read..)

No, I meant that arriving in Kunming on a night train the morning of Nov 5 and then leaving that evening on a night train to Dali isn't anything I'd sign up for. I've done back-to-back night trains, and sworn off them! So I'd spend a night in Kunming rather than one of the nights in Shanghai (of course, I'm not a Shanghai fan). Or fly to Lijiang on the 5th and work back south instead of the other way round.

I agree! Back to back night trains might be a bit of an ordeal..

Thanks Thursday,

Great advice, back to the drawing board. Never thought about showers, and that I might be feeling pretty grotty.

Am not sure why I don't have a flight to Lijiang and working backwards. There may be a reason or not. Will deal with it later in the week right now I have planning overload.
I so appreciate all the pointers.

EK I am spending the night in Hangzhou. The reason I will be there on that night is the tidal bore which happens twice a month.

Ny, Yes, I see. I must have been groggy when I read the itinerary yesterday!

Now I have to look up the "tidal bore!"

Ni Hao,
My Mandarin is improving!!!!!

I will probably fly instead of the night train from Kunming to Dali.
Stay one night in Dali before Lijiang. Of course this itinerary is not written in stone.

On to hotels

EK -- Sorry to hijack your thread.

Nywoman -- Please post when you have your itinerary and hotels finalized, DH and I might be in Yunan around the same time.

After a good night's sleep looked at my itinerary and now know why it is the way it is. There were no flights from Guilin to Dali or Lijiang.

Will either stay an extra night in Kunming or see if I can arrange with a hotel to rent a room for a few hours to take a shower and a nap. I don't want to spend any more time on schedules, need to get onto hotels etc.

I am re-reading your report and have contacted Konglin since I just added on 4days in Beijing to my Shanghai trip-thanks for all the details. I, too am staying at the Peninsula and in Shanghai at the Meridien and am a female traveling alone(for most of the trip).

China is on my list of countries never to visit. My wife and I can't understand the attraction, no insult to anyone.

Have fun, MoreMiles!

Thanks! I just have a quick question-should I have the Pen car svc pick me up at BJS? I know there are a lot of touts, etc. and if it makes my arrival a lot easier, I will book it.

Topping specially for Panda...with info on ballroom dancing in Beijing and Shanghai...

moremiles,preivate car is more easier but if you are not more than 3,taxi will be much cheaper

Beth just went through this and cut and paste the relevant parts. A completed report is so useful.

Panda: Soon there will be two completed Asian trip reports from Ekscrunchy.

I just wanted to recommend a new book about China:

FACTORY GIRLS by Leslie Chang (she is the wife of Peter Hessler). The book offers excellent insight into the phenomenon of migrant workers in China and how today's migrants differ from those of the previous generation. Recommended.


http://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/2008/05/writing-factory-girls.html

Speaking of LeMeridien Shanghai, I was taking a look at the recent reviews of the fabulous hotel and came across this one that I just had to post. Incredibly, the woman moves out of the hotel after witnessing a series of interesting "events:"



http://tinyurl.com/cryvw5

Especially for Panda..


Also: Starwood'sChina site appears to be a good place to check rates for the Royal Meridien:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/shanghai-hotels-grand-meridien.cfm

hi ekscrunchy!

You can't imagine how happy i was to find your trip report! i just found out that there's a chance i may join my husband on a business trip to Asia -- Seoul, Beijing, and Shangahi! Neither of us have ever been to asia. I have loved your reading your italian trip reports, so i was so excited to this report.

i just read through the whole thing and took 11 pages of invaluable notes.
thank you SO much.

did you end up going back to shanghai since this report?

i'm not sure if this will work as the trip is 5 weeks away and we have no visas. also don't know if we need certain immunizations?

anyways, thanks again!! you are the best!

dina

Dina: You are really sweet! I am going back to Shanghai soon, so will surely have more to report! You still have plenty of time to apply for your Chinese visas, do not worry. I can't remember getting any immunizations, either, for China, but you could check with your doctor about that...

I have another thread about Shanghai floating around here--let me see if I can find it and bring it up for you..

Thanks. I found the eating and shopping threads, but haven't had time to go through them.

Would you mind saying how much Kong Lin and your driver in Shanghai cost for the day?
Just trying to estimate a budget. I would love to use both of them.

Dina: I just found your question here. I paid the driver either 800 or 1000 RMB for the trip to Xitang. I am quite sure that I overpaid but I achieved this price after several attempts and a trip to a local travel agency (they wanted more than $200US for the same trip). My advice is to contact Mr. Zhong or, just ask at your hotel and do not settle for the first price quoted. Ask the next day, ask a different person, tell the concierge you want to use his friend, not an official agency, etc etc. You might get a better price by asking a taxi driver if you can manage to communicate--perhaps have this request written out in Chinese by your hotel person ("I would like to travel to Xitang (or .......); what is your price?") Then, when you find a taxi driver that you feel a bit sympa with, you an show him or her the paper and see what happens.

One key is to make sure that the driver is not a speed freak--there is a LOT of crazy driving in China!

Use the printed agency prices only as a guide and take it from there.

topping for recent posters interested in shopping in Beijing and Shanghai

ekscrunchy,
just found your old trip report and loved the detail on Beijing & Shanghai, which I've printed out. Just wanted to let you know that your efforts are still very much appreciated and being used. Got here by the link to shopping info.

EKSCRUNCHY- Thank you for all of the fabulous info.
Researching for my upcoming trip to China in April 2012. This thread has been an immense help.