Thoughts on Beijing/Xian/Guilin/Hong Kong
Jun 16th, 2001, 02:34 PM
#2
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Jay - it sounds like a great itinerary. We visited all those cities last year plus Shanghai and a cruise on the Yangtze. Each city offers something special. BeiJing and Xian have the obvious things - Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, terra cotta soldiers, Ming tombs, etc. Hong Kong is just exciting - it makes New York look lethargic. We were told that Guilin was the "small town" on our trip - with only 700,000 people. We really enjoyed the scenery there. The only negative thing I can say about any of the cities is that the traffic in BeiJing was terrible and ate up a lot of time, but it was worth it. Enjoy.
Jun 16th, 2001, 03:23 PM
#3
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Just returned from Beijing, Xi'an, Yangtze and Shanghai. Go and have a wonderful time. We were with a group and mostly ate in restaurants that served groups, so food not anything to write home about; but the times we were able to eat in a good Chinese restaurant the food was very good. Take anti-bacterial handwipes, and use them frequently, especially before handling any food. I'd go back in a minute! The people are friendly, and curious about westerners, in a friendly way. They've had immense changes in the last 10 years, mostly for the better in material ways. Not one bad experience in 13 days.
Jun 18th, 2001, 02:17 PM
#4
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If going to Guilin you MUST make it to Yangshuo - a short distance from Guilin. The scenery is much better and the town much more relaxed than Guilin. Recommended: take a boat trip down the scenic Li River to reach Yangshou. It will probably be the highlight of your trip!
Jun 18th, 2001, 03:23 PM
#5
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We just got back from there. We didn't get to Hong Kong, but did have a Yangtze cruise and ended up in Shanghai. It was a wonderful experience. The people were friendly and curious. The sights were thrilling. <BR> <BR>You can see our digital pictures at http://www.peacham.com/china <BR> <BR>Fritz
Jun 24th, 2001, 03:55 PM
#7
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Hi Jay,<BR>In Oct. of 1999 we did your exact itinerary (Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong). It was a wonderful experience.<BR>We would like to go back to China in the future and see more, but this was an excellent first time sampling.<BR>We travelled on our own, but hired guides where needed, like to go to the Terra Cotta warriors.<BR>We enjoyed just walking on our own in these cities, visiting the local shops and markets. People were friendly, and many times would stop and walk with us for a few blocks to practice their English.<BR>Scott is right, the trip down the Li River to Yangshuo is magnificent!<BR>If you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to help.<BR>
