Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Thanks for helping make my trip to China amazing!

LvL – I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying my report and finding it useful. Unfortunately, I don’t recall how much I paid for the taxi to the Yungang Grottoes. I’m pretty sure the CITS tour was 100 yuan per person and I’m glad to say that the one I took included no shopping stops. As PeterN_H says, it really isn’t possible to see the grottoes and the wooden pagoda and the Hanging Temple in the same day – the distances between them are simply too great. If you aren’t able to reach Datong in time for a CITS tour, I would think a taxi would be your best option. Alternatively, CITS might be able to arrange for you to hire a car, though that could be expensive. Also, my hotel there – the Yungang International – had a car and driver that one could hire (or at least, that guests could hire), but I have no idea what that would cost. I hope you are able to see at least two of these magnificent sites and that you have a great trip!

Installment 11:
Chengde

Thursday 27 May - Datong to Chengde

I took an early morning bus to Beijing. For some reason, it completely stopped for a very long time (1.5 or 2 hours?) en route. Once in Beijing, a young man who spoke English was kind enough to help me find the bus station. (Here and elsewhere, the buses I took often discharged passengers several blocks from the actual bus station. That created some interesting challenges along the way!) Once at the bus station, I thought I bought a ticket for (and boarded) an express bus. Apparently not: About an hour after leaving the station, the bus stopped at another location within Beijing, and it stayed there until enough people bought tickets to fill the bus. And then we were all given the choice of paying an extra fee to cover the cost of a toll-way that would cut our transit time in about half. Fortunately, everyone agreed to the extra fee.

Throughout the day, I found the scenery interesting, but between Beijing and Chengde, it is often stunning. I caught a glimpse of the Great Wall just before dark, and eventually -nearly 12 hours after leaving Datong - reached Chengde.

I bought a train ticket for my return to Beijing, found a metered taxi, and headed to my target hotel, only to find that no rooms were available. It was a very short walk from there to the Mountain Villa Hotel. They did have a room; it seemed serviceable enough and I was offered a substantial discount. A few problems emerged after I settled in, but none serious enough for me to try to switch rooms.

Friday 28 May - Chengde

After walking by vendors selling some gorgeous fruits and vegetables, I visited the Mountain Resort. I began with the palace area. As I had read, the residential buildings have an elegant and lovely simplicity, but if you look closely, you’ll see that they aren’t at all rustic - the quality of the craftsmanship and materials was evident even to my inexpert eye. Several of the buildings are used to display small collections of things, many of which were quite lovely. I particularly enjoyed an exhibit in which mannequins were dressed as the emperors who had spent time at the Mountain Resort. Their costumes were beautiful, and I found it interesting to see how the style of dress changed over time.

It had been raining off and on all morning - sometimes quite hard! - so the grounds may have had fewer visitors than normal. Still, there were people around, including quite a few groups of young people (high school and college aged). I shared their enjoyment in the blossoming lotus ponds and swirling schools of goldfish and plots of enormous yellow iris in their glory and a field of grazing deer. There were lovely pavilions scattered about, and as the rain lightened, more people came out to enjoy the park. I remember one elderly gentleman who practiced splits with an ease I couldn’t have accomplished in the most flexible moments of my youth!

I can imagine enjoying an entire day in the park, but after 4 or 5 hours I felt ready to move on, so I took a taxi to Puning Si. There are some wonderful things to see at this temple, but pride-of-place goes to the enormous Guanyin statue. Despite her size, and despite the difficulties of getting a reasonable sight line (one can only climb to the 2nd story, across from her torso), she seemed incredibly expressive.

From there, I chose to walk to Xumifushou Miao. It was further than I expected, but the walk was interesting. There was an area that was even then being demolished, and residents who were walking past with their daily market purchases stopped to pause and watch; and then a stretch of road with great views of the wall around the surprisingly high hills of the north end of the Mountain Resort; and then I began to glimpse the amazing gilded dragons atop one of Xumifushou Miao’s buildings. I finally reached the gate - but where was the ticket booth? I was directed further in the direction in which I had been heading. After a while, I began to doubt my understanding: I was walking along an almost deserted lane between what appeared to be a rather sparsely populated area and a garbage dump. Could this be right? Just as I was about to turn around, a “golf cart” filled with Westerners whisked by, so I decided to keep going.
Eventually, I came to Putuozongcheng Zhi Miao (sometimes called the “Little Patola”). Apparently, tickets to Xumifushou Miao are sold in conjunction with those for the Little Patola; I bought a combination ticket and decided to start here.

It was still raining off and on, and the very steep slope to the base of the temple was quite slippery. And then I reached the stairs, which were also slippery and steep, and I was already tired and I must admit that by the time I got anywhere near the entry to the temple itself, I was fully prepared to conclude that it hadn’t been worth the effort. But it was! I found it fascinating. The main building has three tiers of symmetrical balustraded balconies around a temple-filled courtyard and was unlike anything else I had seen in China. Inside, I enjoyed seeing a collection of traditional paintings and mandalas, a few other displays of artifacts, and pair of wooden “miniature” pagodas that were about as tall as the building and were glimpsed from vantage points on each balcony. On its top, there were some structures that struck me as distinctly Chinese, and others (here and elsewhere on the grounds) that showed their Tibetan inspiration. And the views were wonderful!

I had seen only a few other visitors since I first arrived. As I was thinking about that, I realized that it was well past closing time! I am grateful that no one rushed me in any way - I’m sure the staff face dallying tourists every day and would prefer to close up and go home. I descended the still slippery steps and slopes; by the time I reached the base, I was reasonably certain that Xumifushou Miao would be closed, so I crossed the street and waited for a bus.

I returned to my hotel, freshened up, and set out for dinner at Xin Qianlong Dajiudian. I ordered venison stew and a local vegetable; both were absolutely delicious!

Saturday 29 May - Chengde to Beijing

Before leaving Chengde, I had time to visit Pule Si. For some unknown reason, my taxi driver would not take me up the last, steep stretch of road to the temple. The upside to that was that I got some wonderful glimpses of the roof of a building designed to resemble the Temple of Heaven’s Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests. When I arrived, I was the only tourist there, and although a few others arrived before I left, it was nice to roam around in relative peace. (I can’t say relative quiet - one side building was undergoing noisy reconstruction.) The temple offered some wonderful views over the surrounding area and a few very pleasant corners shaded by tall trees. It also held an exhibit of Buddhist statues depicting sexual intercourse that I found fascinating because I hadn’t previously seen such depictions.

I took a taxi back to the area by my hotel, spent some time walking around the market area in front of the Mountain Resort, and then retrieved my luggage and went to the station for my train to Beijing.

chinese_chicken - I'm glad that you and your wife are enjoying my report and that you are finding it helpful! If you are changing your estimate of how much you can see in the time you have because of my experience, note that I probably spend more time visiting places than most people. As for hotels, I believe I spent on average about 280 yuan per night. The cost differed dramatically from city to city, and I'm not sure what accounted for the differences. I would think that you can manage for much less if you aim for hostels. Best wishes for a wonderful adventure!

Installment 12:
Beijing

My “soft” seat on the train from Chengde was surprisingly (and rather painfully) hard, but I nonetheless enjoyed the views - a river, cultivated flat lands separated by ridges of steep hills, occasional towns, some stunning mountains....

Once in Beijing, it was incredibly difficult to obtain a metered cab. Even if I hadn’t been armed with PeterN_H’s warnings, I’d like to think that I would have asked myself why so many taxi drivers were willing to offer me such “deep” discounts off the metered rate, and why they would then protest so vehemently if I insisted on using the supposedly more expensive meter. The metered cab that I finally found (after an official intervened) cost 29 yuan – a far cry from the “discounted” rate of 150 to 250 yuan the drivers of the non-metered taxis tried to convince me to take.

I think I’ve already noted that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the siheyuan I stayed in when first arriving in Beijing, so I was hoping to find alternative lodging in a hutong and close to a metro. I ended up targeting the Bamboo Garden Hotel, but I did so with some ambivalence: It was extremely convenient to a Metro and was in an interesting, if rather gentrified hutong neighborhood, but it was not a traditional siheyuan - instead, it was a relatively modern (but attractive) set of buildings in Ming style surrounding pleasant gardens. The rate I was able to obtain was higher than I had hoped to pay, so I considered going to my back-up option. In the end, I decided to stay: It did have a room for all 6 nights I would need one; it had English-speaking staff; and it offered some nice options, such as free in-room internet and free transportation to the airport. That it was only a 10-minute walk to a Metro station was the deciding factor.

By the time I settled into my room and showered, it was late enough for me to wonder whether I could reach any of the restaurants I had flagged before they closed, so I decided to try the hotel’s restaurant. The view I had of the hotel gardens was very pleasant. My braised pork with onions and side dish of celery and lotus root were both quite good, if IMO overpriced.

Sunday 29 May - Beijing (3rd full day there, counting my stay at the start of my trip)

I started my day at the hotel desk, where I tried to book a few performances. The staff said they could only buy tickets for me if I agreed to be at the hotel in time for transport to the theater, even if I would otherwise be near the theater at the right time. I didn’t want to commit to returning to the hotel, so I gave up on the idea of pre-booking performances - I would take my chances on getting tickets shortly before the performances.

I soon left for the Capital Museum, where I spent most of the day. This architecturally interesting museum holds some excellent collections, almost all of which are well-signed in English. BTW, I rented the audio-guide, but must admit that I quit using it fairly early - there was too much extraneous information for my purposes. I was particularly intrigued by the display highlighting the traditions that had been typical of Beijing.

When I was finally ready to leave the museum, I walked a few blocks to the Military Museum. I only had an hour or so before closing time, so I visited only a few collections. I found several exhibits much more interesting than I had anticipated, but what I found most intriguing here was how packed it was with Chinese tourists and how many of them (male and female, young and old) wanted to be photographed beside implements of war.

After it closed, I took the metro to the Red Theater, where I was able to get a ticket for that night’s performance. There was a small stretch of places to eat a few blocks away, so I bought some grilled lamb and cucumbers in soy sauce while I waited for show time. I didn’t write down the name of the place, which was OK, but nothing special.

I thought “The Legend of Kung Fu” was very entertaining, even if it was clearly targeted to western tourists (for example, much of the dialogue was in English). It was well staged and well performed, the sets and costumes were impressive, and some of the stunts were truly astounding. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

Monday 31 May - Beijing (4th full day)

After considerable debate, I had decided to make Badaling the part of the Great Wall that I would visit. I easily found my way there by bus. My plan was to take the cable car to the highest point and then walk down and up the other side. Unfortunately, the cable car was temporarily closed. After ensuring that it wasn’t going to reopen that day, I went to the main entrance and began climbing the side to which the cable car would have taken me. I’d read enough reports to expect that there would be some very steep areas, but I hadn’t fully understood just how truly steep parts actually were! I huffed and I puffed and I nearly gave up more times than I can count. But each time I caught my breath, I decided to go just a little bit further. After a lot of “little bits,” I finally reached the top, and I am so glad I persisted: The views were fantastic! Seeing the Great Wall snake around the mountains that spread in nearly every direction was as impressive as I had hoped it would be and was among the most memorable images of my trip.

I spent a while enjoying the ways the changing light (there were a few clouds) illuminated different things before starting back down. I passed the main entrance and joined the masses of tourists who were climbing the other side. The difference was marked - there had been other people on the side I first climbed, but surprisingly few. Here, I could barely take a step without running into someone or stepping between someone with a camera and the person s/he was trying to photograph. I continued climbing for quite a while, perhaps two-thirds of the way up, and then decided that I had had enough. The crowds were driving me nuts, I was getting weary, and if I waited any longer to get back to Beijing, I wouldn’t have time to see anything else that day. So I returned to the entrance, enjoying every last view from this remarkable place.

I soon boarded a bus back to Beijing, where I went straight to the Lama Temple. What a special place! With a lovely tree-filled area to the front, many treasures in its beautiful temples, a small museum of priceless objects and some amazing mandalas, and a very grand Buddha, there was much to appreciate. I was just finishing my visit when monks began locking the various buildings. As I slowly walked back to the entryway, I reflected on how glad I was that I had left Badaling in time to reach this temple.

It was too late to visit the nearby Confucian Temple, so I walked around for a while and then returned to my hotel. I freshened for dinner, and soon headed out for Ding Ding Xiang, a hotpot restaurant recommended in Beijing Eats and other sources. After consulting my information and the wait staff, I ordered a mushroom-broth hotpot with beef, enoki mushrooms, chrysanthemum greens, and noodles (buckwheat?), along with their sesame-based house dipping sauce. It was delicious! I must admit that I wouldn’t order this same combination again because it included too many things that were hard for me to manage with chopsticks. But everything was fresh and flavorful, and I appreciated the mix of tastes and textures. I also ordered their specialty bread, shaobing, which is sesame coated and served hot and it utterly fabulous - my mouth waters just thinking of it! The modern setting highlighted the clean whites of the table linen and walls and the staff (many of whom spoke English) were attentive and helpful. I was also pleased with the watermelon that was served gratis at the end of my meal.

After returning to my hotel, I spent some time on the internet. On my first day in Beijing, I had learned that the tour buses to the Eastern Qing Tombs were not running. Nonetheless, visiting them remained a priority for me. While in Beijing, both during my first few days in China and since returning, I had spoken to a few taxi drivers about taking me there. Most were unwilling to even consider it; those who indicated a willingness to do so were unwilling to agree to a price that I was willing to pay. I posted on this forum and got a very helpful response from PeterN_H outlining how to get there by public transportation, but I was concerned that the trip would be long, might leave me with little time on site, and would require that I watch the time very carefully to ensure that I could return to Beijing that evening. So I also looked (warily) at tours that were advertised on the web. I identified one that promised a car and English-speaking guide with stops at the Great Wall at Huangyaguan, an ancient temple called Dule Si, and the Eastern Qing Tombs, with all costs, tickets, and lunch included. It was more than I had hoped to pay, but not much more than what I had begun to think I would need to pay for a taxi, and far less than any other option I identified (excepting public transportation). Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to see these tombs enough to pay the price, so before going to sleep, I sent an e-mail to the tour operator to see if I could book it.

Tuesday 1 June — Beijing (5th full day)

I woke up early, prepared for the day, and set off. I walked through my neighborhood a bit, passed the Drum Tower, and walked along Qianhai Lake, wondering how it was possible that nearly a month had passed since I had eaten my first meal in China beside this lake. I also reflected that upon first arriving in Beijing, the city had seemed alien and intimidating; now, it seemed so manageable.

Soon I reached Jingshan Park, where I enjoyed the blooming flowers and people exercising and other people playing traditional instruments before climbing “Coal Mountain.” Along with countless others, I admired the pavilions and their views over the Forbidden City. Smog hung heavily over the city that day, but the views were impressive nonetheless. I walked down the stairs to the south and roamed around the park there for a few moments. There was a rose garden in bloom, and there were many people enjoying them and taking pictures.

I finally crossed through the underpass to the Forbidden City. Wow! Resounding OMG wows! I had left the Forbidden City for one of the last days of my trip because I thought it would be special - sort of like keeping dessert for last. There’s always a risk, though, that one’s expectations exceed reality. IMO, it did NOT disappoint and was instead even more awesome than I had anticipated.

I started at the north end, where the residential areas are, and proceeded slowly south. I’m glad I did so for two reasons: first most tour groups go in the opposite direction (so I avoided some of the worst crowds); second, it meant proceeding from the intimate to the grand. And that contrast was one of my most striking memories of this magnificent place. The residential areas held many exquisite touches, but they struck me as quite intimate in scale - no matter how richly appointed and no matter how rich the materials from which they were crafted, individual courtyards were generally small. One of my favorite spaces was the Qianlong garden, where small shaded niches provided more private areas than most other areas of the palace that I saw, and there was an area near the theater that was quite lovely and surprisingly free of other visitors.

Only after roaming these private spaces did I see the grand scale of the “official” spaces - those that would (as I understand it) have been open to those who were not family - what a contrast! The spaces designed for public affairs seemed absolutely intimidating in scale and grandeur. People appeared to be dwarfed by these buildings and the vast surrounding spaces. I couldn’t help but think how terribly awesome this place must have seemed to anyone who approached it.

I thought the museum collections quite impressive in their variety and depth, and the Treasury’s holdings seemed IMO well worth seeing. I also pleased to spend a few minutes in a very quiet area by a curving canal to the southwest corner of the grounds.

When announcements indicated that it was closing time, I was ready to leave, but nonetheless felt that I had barely scratched the surface of the Forbidden City. (OK, I was careful not to touch anything, so I don’t think I actually left any scratches.) As I walked through gate after gate, I was even further aware of just how intimidating it must have been for anyone to enter this seat of power. I finally exited through Tian’anmen, after being made to understand, in no uncertain terms, that I could not dally to take photographs of the moat.

Next, I headed to the new National Theater. I was too late to walk through the entryway under the manmade lake that surrounds this theater, but I nonetheless enjoyed seeing what I could. I spent a few moments beside the lake, where a number of other people were walking or talking or taking pictures or watching children play or whatever.

I hoped to see an acrobatics performance that evening. Before commenting on what I saw, I’ll share what I learned beforehand: Correctly or not (or up-to-date or not), one of my guidebooks had said that the best place to see acrobatics in Beijing is the Wansheng Juchang. It took some time and effort, but I finally reached someone with that theater by telephone, only to be told that he hoped I would understand that they couldn’t perform if I was the only person in the audience. Of course not! If I understood correctly - and the speaker spoke excellent English - they haven’t received sufficient requests for tickets to open for some time. How unfortunate!

Instead, I went to the acrobatic show at the Beijing Tiandi Theater. Another very enjoyable performance! According to the announcer, these young athletes (I think the oldest were in their early 20’s) are in the process of building their credentials in preparation for application to the National Troupe. All were highly skilled, many were truly amazing, and the relative youth and inexperience of a few members of the cast were only evident in a very few ever-so-slightly imperfect moments. Again, the staging and costumes and showmanship were impressive. I was very glad to have seen it!

I hadn’t eaten all day, and the restaurants I passed on the way to my hotel had stopped serving. I was, however, able to order some tasty dumplings from the lounge of my hotel.

After returning to my room, I received a call from a young man who would be my tour guide the next day — the first (and only) tour guide I hired during my trip. I must admit that I found the guide’s introductory remarks refreshingly honest - he said that he had been selected to be my guide because he had actually been to the Eastern Qing Tombs once, albeit briefly and only to Empress Cixi’s tomb. I was disconcerted, but glad that he let me know. And after all, I hadn’t originally planned to go with a guide so it didn’t really matter whether he knew the site or not. We agreed upon a time to meet the next morning.

Wednesday 2 June - Beijing (6th full day)

My guide and driver arrived as scheduled for our early morning departure. The car was comfortable, the non-English speaking driver was very courteous, and the guide spoke English extremely well and was a very pleasant companion for the day.

Our first stop was the Great Wall at Huangyaguan. Quite in contrast to Badaling, there were no other visitors there when we arrived, nor did we pass anyone while we were there. If for no other reason, I would have enjoyed our stop here. Like Badaling, most of the walls are recent re-creations in the Ming-era style, with evenly cut, dark grey paving blocks and walls. Also like Badaling, some sections are very steep. I must admit that I considered suggesting that we turn around more than once – I found it a strenuous climb, and I really wanted to make sure I had enough time to enjoy the tombs that were my highest priority for the day. But after climbing a while, we could see what looked like a small stretch of lighter stone at the highest end - what was that? I was too curious to turn around. And I am so glad I kept going! Near the top, the pavement changed: This last stretch was built of unevenly shaped tan and reddish stone blocks that had been fitted together, sometimes seamlessly and sometimes with now-worn mortar. The relatively even steps of recent renovation gave way to the unevenness of ancient paving that had survived the elements. The difference was dramatic! The walls, also of stone in these lighter tan and reddish tones, had clearly been re-mortared recently, I assume to ensure the safety of visitors. There was no inner wall along the final accessible stretch: the hillside at that point dropped so precipitously that only treetops reached the walkway.

My guide was unabashedly delighted. He said he had never seen either an unreconstructed part of the wall or a single-sided section. I was thrilled to see something so unexpected at the end of a long, hard climb. And I was rewarded by glorious views over the surrounding mountainsides, with their wall-topped ridges.

Descending from the highest point, we could see a Ming-era maze at the base of the wall - a brick version of a shrubbery maze, it consisted of a series of concentric circles intersected by various alleys and blind alleys. My guide thought they had become popular during the Ming era, but admitted that he had never seen one before. We didn't enter it, but I found it interesting to see.

We soon left for the Eastern Qing Tombs. On the way, I said that my priority for the rest of the day was to see the tombs, and that I would rather skip Dule Si (the other site scheduled for this tour) than shortchange my time there. Both the guide and driver were happy to accommodate me.

Once we reached the town nearest to the tombs, we stopped for lunch. This meal was the only meal of my journey that I shared with others - and that set it apart in several ways. It wasn’t just that I had company, which was a pleasant change of pace, it was also that I got to sample a variety of dishes. My guide was very careful to make sure that I approved each of the dishes before he ordered. We ended up with a tofu dish, an omelet-like dish, a second egg dish (in which the eggs were prepared more like the eggs in an egg drop soup), corn with pine nuts and other tasty things, a dish of local vegetables (mushrooms, zucchini, etc.), eggplant with pork, a chicken dish, and sliced donkey with a sauce on the side. He also ordered a bowl of rice - the first and only rice I ate while in China. What a fantastic meal! The variety of tastes and textures, and the companionship, made it one of the most enjoyable meals of my journey. The eggplant was a little too sweet and rich for me, but I took second and even third servings of everything else. I was surprised by how much I liked the donkey - I found it tender and flavorful and not at all gamey (as I had thought it might be).

Once we finished our meals, we drove to the main parking lot of the Eastern Qing Tombs along streets where aggressive local guides tried to get us to hire them. Our driver couldn’t take us further, so we needed to hire a little golf-cart-like vehicle if we wanted to get from place to place efficiently. We bought maps to the grounds and while I studied mine, my guide and driver talked to the cart drivers. I had given my guide the list of the tombs I most wanted to see (which he admitted he didn’t know). I’m glad to say that the cart drivers confirmed that the most important sites were the ones on my list. We hired one of the cart drivers and set off, passing a small herd of goats on the way.

Our first stop was Kangxi’s tomb, aka Jing Ling. The lovely arched bridge at the beginning of the Spirit Way to the tomb was closed for renovation, but I could glimpse it from a bit of a distance. The Spirit Way itself was lovely! It was quiet and almost completely deserted (as was the entire area) and surrounded with greenery. The statues were beautifully carved, and although they showed a few signs of natural and man-made damage, they had withstood the centuries quite well. And it was also a fascinating Spirit Way in that it curved, dragon-like, to the main tomb area - every other spirit way I saw was straight. The main tomb area – which was extensive - held many interesting elements: a wonderful bixi, lovely side buildings, a platform for offerings, an impressive main temple.... The tomb itself was not open to visitors. Although my guide didn’t know this particular site, he did know something about the general features of a tomb complex and so was able to tell me a bit about what I was seeing.

Our cart driver told my guide that he and his forefathers had worked on the grounds for generations, and throughout our visit, he pointed out unusual architectural features and described their purposes, with my guide translating. I was glad that he directed my attention to some things that I might not have otherwise noticed.

Once we finished at Kangxi’s tomb, we headed to Qianlong’s tomb, aka Yu Ling. The entryway was less spectacular - if there were guardian statues, I didn’t see them - but the temple area was again quite grand. I particularly enjoyed the curved channel spanned by multiple arched marble bridges. We visited the main temple (which now functions as a small museum) and then entered the tomb. WOW - and I really mean it - WOW!!! The long entryway, multiple massive doors, and inner tomb are all covered with extraordinary carvings and reliefs - Buddhist images and secular designs and calligraphy and I’m not even sure what all! It was breathtakingly impressive! Just after we arrived, a small group of Chinese tourists and their guide entered – the only tour group we saw that day. It was easy enough to visit areas they weren’t viewing until they left. My guide and I spent a very long time here, and both of us were awed.

We went next to Empress Cixi’s tomb, part of Ding Dong Ling. We spent only a few moments glimpsing the interior of the main temple, with its glorious gilded-dragon-wrapped red columns, before going to the tomb itself because my guide had been told that the temple would be open later than the tomb. Raided and seriously damaged in at least one attempt to do so, there really isn’t much to see in the tomb. We also walked briefly around the tomb mound, where my guide pointed to features upon which Empress Cixi supposedly insisted to ensure that water would not seep into her tomb. We returned to the main temple, only to find it closed and locked. I was glad we had glanced in briefly before entering the tomb!

By this time, all the main tomb areas were closed, so our cart driver returned us to our car and driver. From there, we went to the Spirit Way leading to Xiao Ling, the oldest tomb at the site (which we could not visit at that hour). A long, broad, straight avenue lined with guardian statues, this Spirit Way was impressive and peaceful and awesome and an absolutely wonderful place to end a day at these tombs. There were a few people in the park-like grounds around the Spirit Way; I had the impression that they were local people who had come to enjoy a few quiet moments with family members or just to roam around. My guide and driver and I spent quite a while here, examining each statue closely. Most bore some signs of the wear and tear of centuries’ exposure to elements, and it seems that every statue that had a potentially breakable piece - a tail or horn or whatever - now lacked that piece. But that did not dent our overall delight. This was the first place we visited that our driver also got to see, and I was glad to see that he seemed to be enjoying it.

We finally settled in for the very long ride back to Beijing. My guide spent the first hour or so telling me about Empress Cixi, and although I had read much of it before and had seen many of the places that were significant to her history, he did a nice job of putting those bits of information in sequence for me. He also spoke briefly about Pu Yi (the last emporer). I found what he had to say interesting.

I am truly glad that I persisted in finding a way to see the Eastern Qing Tombs, and not just because they hold some magnificent features, but also because it was incredibly nice to visit this spectacular and peaceful place with virtually no one else around. And although it may sound odd, I was pleased to “introduce” my guide to some of the most precious sites the Eastern Qing Tombs offer. I never expected to have a knowledgeable guide; that I had a guide who was honest enough to let me know that he didn’t know these sites beforehand and to show me his absolute astonishment and joy in seeing them was a delightful experience for me.

Before we reached Beijing, I asked whether our route would take us close to the Olympic City, and if so, whether they would they be willing to stop there briefly. Yes! We eventually came to the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, which are spectacularly lit at night and larger and even more impressive than I had imagined. I was glad to have a few moments to admire them. We didn’t spend long, but it was enough time for me to leave the car at two different places to take a few pictures.

We reached my lodging soon thereafter, hours after the tour was supposed to have ended. The original estimate was that we would return around 6 or 7 p.m., but it was about 10:45 when we got there. Because these men, and particularly the driver (who didn’t even get to see anything except that last Spirit Way), went way beyond the “call of duty” by spending hours more than anticipated to accommodate my interests, I decided to offer a small tip. This was the one and only time during my journey to China that I did so. I tried to give it to the guide, asking that he share it with the driver. To his credit, he refused to accept the tip, even when I offered it several times and explained my reasoning. He finally pointed to the driver, who also refused at first to accept it, but I again insisted and he finally accepted.

Thursday 3 June - Beijing (7th full day)

This was to be my day to shop for gifts for family and friends. I was seeking modest gifts (not souveniers) with some link to China. Following PeterN_H’s directions, I went first to Baigongfang. What a wonderful “market”! It’s a set of small shops selling traditional Chinese crafts, some of which were gallery-quality pieces. I browsed for a while, identifying some modest options and trying to decide what I was willing to spend for them. I then I went back to the shops to bargain. I found it a surprisingly pleasant experience, with many negotiations accompanied by a lot of laughter. I’m sure that a more astute buyer could achieve much better prices than I did, but I got what I wanted at prices that were lower than I was willing to pay.

I didn’t find affordable gifts that were suitable for everyone one my list - nor had I thought I would. So I set off for Qianmen, where there are two silk stores that had been recommended. The area was under reconstruction, so some streets were blocked off and (I was told) some businesses were either temporarily closed or relocated. I walked around and around and around and asked several people, but never found either store. Since returning, I’ve learned that I stopped about a block short of each store. Sigh.

Running out of time to find gifts for the rest of the people on my list, I browsed the tiny shops to the west of Qianmen and finally purchased some silk scarves and some tea. I am quite sure I paid too much for these items, but I had come to a point where my time was too precious to continue shopping or bargaining. Loaded down with packages and absolutely exhausted, I returned to my hotel.

I then took advantage of one of the benefits of this hotel - a free spa treatment. It turned out to be a 15-minute facial, and it was wonderfully relaxing. I even felt it in my toes!

I enjoyed a few moments in the hotel’s garden before heading to Da Dong, which has been frequently mentioned on this forum for its Peking duck. Thankfully, I had a reservation - walk-ins were being turned away when I got there. As I had hoped, Da Dong provided a magnificent last meal for my month-long trip to China. The setting was modern and elegant, the service was impeccable, the wine list was decent, and the food - OH, the food!!! I started with bamboo shoots with mustard leaves - a gorgeous and very tasty dish. I followed that with a half-duck, which was carved beside my table. The presentation and service have already been described on this board; so I’ll simply say: WOW! The duck (the truly wonderful duck) was followed by a generous gratis serving of chocolate sorbet and fresh lychees. Outstanding!

I returned to my room to pack everything I could and realized that I had skipped one critical gift - oh no! Fortunately, I remembered seeing something that I thought would be perfect in one of the shops I had visited that morning.

Friday 4 June - Beijing (last part day)

I finished packing, left my suitcase at the desk, confirmed the time that I should return for my transport to the airport, and set off. My first stop was, once again, Baigongfang, where I quickly negotiated for the item I had remembered. Shopping complete!

From there, I took a taxi to Beihai Park. After enjoying some glimpses of the moat around the Forbidden City, I entered the park. I spent a few very pleasant hours roaming around this park, visiting the Round City and Jade Islet, walking along the lake, watching goldfish swimming around lotus in a pool surrounded by covered walkways in a structure to the north (perhaps Jingxin House), and admiring another Nine Dragon Screen. It wasn’t the largest I saw, but it was in deeper relief than many of the others I had seen and it held dragon reliefs on BOTH sides - wonderful!

Although there was much yet to explore in Beihai, I realized that it was already a little later than I had thought I should leave, so I didn’t linger any longer. I walked back to my hotel at a fairly brisk rate. I arrived just minutes before my scheduled departure and found that my taxi was already there.

The ride to the airport was uneventful and the long flight home could have been worse. I returned very happily exhausted – it was truly a wonderful trip!

I hope my comments have proven interesting and/or helpful. Again, my thanks to the many posters who provided a wealth of information and encouragement, whether directly or indirectly. And thanks for reading my rambling words!