walter_ba21

Hallo! I wish tell you about my travel in China, It’s my way to repay the internet community, for all helpful information I have found in internet when I started to planning this travel.
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Planning the travel
Why China? Travel to China has been from long time my dream and now I decided at last. My wife and my son (sixteen), obviously have been enthusiast. Having only 12 days, we limited the itinerary to Beijing and some short excursions: obviously Xian, for the Terracotta Army, Datong, for the Yungang Grottoes and Chengde for the Mountain Resort and the Outlying Temples. We would consider adding Guilin, Shanghai and the south of China to a future itinerary.
We were decided to visit Beijing independently, without haste, in order to enter also in contact with the people. More complicated seemed us visiting the other localities, without to waste time. Therefore we have decided to book in internet the international flights and the hotel in Beijing and to ask to a Chinese agency to organize us the excursions. After searching and reading lots of information in Internet, we have chosen the CITS (China International Travel Service) of Guilin www.chinahighlights.com. The organization of these excursions, has been perfect and precise: in Xian, Datong and Chengde we had a guide and a driver with a minibus only for us, so we could visit all without to lose time and the restaurants and the hotels were ok too. We have been very satisfied with their services and we can recommend it. Our hotel in Beijing has been Days Inn Forbidden City, a good 3 star hotel located at only few minute walking distance from Tienanmen square, Forbidden City and Wanfujing street.
For Beijing we did not have precise programs and timetables, therefore we could decide day by day what to do and how much time to spend for each visit, without haste.
Following this link: http://fotoviaggiando.altervista.org/cina/foto.html you find the photogalleries of my travel.
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Itinerary
9 Jun flight Ljubljana/Budapest/Beijing
10 Jun arrive in Beijing
11 Jun excursion to Xian (a/r flight)
12 Jun Beijing
13 Jun excursion to Datong (flight)
14 Jun back from Datong (flight) and excursion to Chengde
15 Jun back from Chengde to Beijing
16-19 Jun Beijing
20 Jun return flight Beijing/Budapest/Ljubljana
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Day by day trip report
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10 June – Temple of Heaven
Arrival in Beijing at 5,30 in the morning. Due to the different time zone, our physiological clock said to us it was time to sleep, but it was morning!. On the way to the hotel, we had a first impression of Beijing: the city seems immense, all around ultramodern skyscrapers, some roads have flowers on the guardrail and flower-beds on the sides. Lots of green spaces, but although smog. We rested some hours in hotel and than we went to visit the Temple of Heaven. Confused for the jet lag and without forget our map of the city, we went to the subway. Fortunately all the signs and information are written also in English. Once out of the subway, my son becomes an uncontrollable hunger and without asking, entered in a pizzeria, forcing us to follow him. He ordered “spaghetti alla carbonara”?! My son can eat spaghetti everywhere! After he eat, we could continue the search of the Temple of Heaven. We asked (in English) the way to some people and this has been the first example of all the linguistic difficulties we could have. We also understood immediately that they didn’t know to read our city map. Our map in English has been practically useless, we would need a bilingual map! Fortunately a woman decided to accompany us to the Temple of Heaven.
The Temple of Heaven is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Beijing. The Temple was built during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven. It is a ceremonial complex and consist of a park with many buildings. The most magnificent buildings are the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. All constructions are rich in symbolic elements.
We have spent some hours visiting the halls and scrolling around the beautiful park. The complex is very interesting and enchanting. We have lunched inside the park. After the visit we returned to the hotel by taxi. Taxis are the best way of transportation in Beijing: very cheap and fast. The problem is the language, nobody among the taxi-drivers, we have met, spoke English. It’s necessary show them the destination written in Chinese (We asked in advance in the hotel, to write us all the destinations we would like to visit in Beijing, and we went around with them). For dinner we have gone in a small restaurant in front of the hotel. The maids didn’t speak a word of English, so we ordered showing the photos on the menu and the result has been very bad. We have left nearly all, but we have amused the other guests of the restaurant with our clumsy use of the chopsticks.
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To be continued …

Shanghainese

Interesting start, hope you had better luck with food in later days.

walter_ba21

dear Shangainese, the food was not the best part of our travel in China, but the first dinner has been absolutely the worst.
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11 June - Xian
We waked up very early because we had to catch the flight to Xian at 7.20 a.m.. The departure was from the new Terminal 3, constructed for the Olympic Games and planned by the English architect Foster. The terminal is spectacular and efficient. It’s enormous, but spaces are well organized and you can’t get lost inside. Our flight leaved nearly 10 minutes before the scheduled time and in two hours we arrived to destination. In the airport we have been received from Xin, our tour guide for one day and from a driver with a minibus only for us. We decided to go at first to visit the Terracotta Army, so we could stay there as much time as we liked. The site of the Terracotta Army is located approximately 40 km from the city.
The Terracotta Army is one of the most interesting sites we have seen in China. Simply wonderful! The Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials. Total over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses.
It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
The site is very large and comprises more exhibition areas. In the first pavilion there are the pits with the infantry, where during the night (in order to let the site to be open by day), the archeologists work to the reconstruction of the destroyed statues. In the other pavilions there are the best exemplary of each military grade, the weapons, the bronze chariots and a small photographic museum of the site. There is also a hall where a documentary is projected in Cinerama. For me has been a great emotion to visit this site.
After lunch we went to visit the city wall of Xian. Xian (8 million inhabitants), ancient capital of China with more than 3.000 years of history, is renowned for being the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and therefore the center of the commerce between China and Europe. The fortifications of Xian represent one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. The existing wall was re-constructed during the Ming Dynasty in 1370. The wall is impressive with a height of approximately 12 meters and a width of 18 meters to the base and 14 meters at the top. It is also plenty wide enough to rent a bicycle and cruise along the wall. You can walk on the top and have a nice view: a mix of the middle-age fortification with towers and the town with its modern skyline. In the evening we returned to Beijing.
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12 June – Beijing
We make up for lost sleep, due to the jet lag and the early up of the day before. We slept till 11. When we asked for breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, the maid has watched to us in strange way and has pointed out that they were preparing the buffet for the lunch, so we drank only some tea. As it was too late to visit the Forbidden City, we decided for the zoo and took a taxi. We had lunch in a small restaurant near the zoo entrance. Fortunately the menu was in English too and with photos. The meal has not been one of the best, but the 3 different kind of tea that we drunk were delicious.
Now the Beijing zoo hosts 8 panda cubs newly arrived from the Wolong Nature Reserve after the earthquake. The panda are lodged very well and the panda cubs are lovely, but the rest of the zoo is somewhat dreary. Unfortunately, when we finished to visit the zoo, the Aquarius was already closed (it’s open till 5 p.m.) so we returned to the hotel and than we went for a walk in the pedestrian Wanfujing street, the way of the shopping. As we could see this is an elegant street, rich in stores, shops, restaurants and there is a lot of people strolling the street or coming here to watch television from some maxi screens. It’s a pleasant place to walk and in the shops you can find everything. We have been amused in finding a counterfeit T-shirt of Dolce&Gabbana and an improbable shirt “made in Italy”: after the “spaghetti alla carbonara” an other sign of our country.
We had dinner in a fast food and than early to sleep, because the day after we had to wake up at dawn for our excursion to Datong.
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To be continued …

JohnAtLC

Delightful commentary, Walter! Thank you for sharing.

walter_ba21

Thanks, John.
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13 June - Datong
We waked up very early and in less than an hour of flight we arrived in Datong. Datong is a city of 3 million inhabitants, important for its coalmines and therefore a polluted city, but it is famous above all for the Yungang Grottoes (literally "Cloud Ridge Caves"), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In airport we met our likeable guide, Joan and the driver with a minibus for us. The first stop has been at the Hanging Monastery (Xuankong S&igrave, about 70 km from Datong. This monastery clinging to the cliff side, has been built approximately 1.400 years ago directly on a sheer precipice. The wooden halls and structures are linked by an ingenious system of pillars, posts and footbridges.
It’s a very interesting monastery not only for the constructive characteristics, but also because it includes elements of the three main religions of China (Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism). We liked this delicious monastery very much and walking on its footbridges and looking down is stunning. Later we returned to Datong for lunch: at last a good lunch, we appreciated very much. After a short visit to a monastery in the city, we went to visit the Yungang Grottoes, the true reason of this excursion.
The Yungang grottoes are something astonishing, over all imagination, completely carved from the pavement to the ceiling with religious themes and with Indian and Persian influences, because of the origin of the artists and craftsmen who worked here. For me, to be here, has been an inexpressible emotion. We are remained here for much time to admire this masterpiece of early Chinese Buddhist cave art (from the 5th and 6th centuries). Later we have been accompanied to the Hongan Int. Hotel. This 4 star hotel is well situated in the center of Datong, its rooms are very comfortable and clean and the breakfast buffet is very good. We decided to have dinner in hotel in one of the 3 restaurants (Chinese, Korean and western a restaurants). My wife saw in the western restaurant’s menu the Milanese veal cutlet and was taken from unexpected nostalgia for Italian food, therefore we decided to eat here. The Milanese veal cutlet was not like an authentic "Milanese", but it was not bad.
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14 June – Great Wall
After an abundant breakfast we took the flight to Beijing. In airport we met Terry, our new guide, and the driver with a minibus. We leave for Jinshanling Great Wall. We had lunch in a nice restaurant, where was served the "Lavazza" coffee and where we saw also the publicity of the “Illy” coffee. It is funny to find Italian signs so far away from house. By the way, Illy, the owner of the Illy coffee, has been the mayor of our town.
Unfortunately it was raining and it was foggy when we arrived to the Great Wall. But if we traveled so far to climb the Great Wall, surely we would not be stopped by a few water! We bought three raincoats and than we took the cable car. We had the rare privilege to be alone on the top, without other tourists.
In spite of the weather, the experience has been great. We were conscious to admire an important piece of history, the most famous symbol of the Chinese civilization. Like authentic tourists, we bought some T-shirts with printed “I climbed the Great Wall". Then it was time to continue our journey to Chengde, where we arrived in the late afternoon.
In hotel we met Helen, our guide for Chengde. The hotel, Shanzhuang Resort or Mountain Villa Resort – 3 star, is a good hotel in front of the entrance of the Mountain Resort. The breakfast has been great, the room clean and comfortable for 2 persons, but the extra bed was not confortable. In the evening we went to a restaurant just a few minute walking distance from the hotel. This has been the best dinner of our journey. We have eaten deer and beef and the food has been delightful. Chengde in fact is renowned for good cuisine and especially for the game. Walking back to the hotel we took some photos. There were many vendors on the street who were selling fruits. One of them offered us to taste a fruit, which we have never seen before. He said us something like "mangostà", the name of the fruit I suppose. The fruit was delicious with a taste like banana, but very juicy and so we bought some of them. The dialogue with the vendors has been funny, he speaking Chinese and we speaking English, both also with the gestures. And the Chinese number gestures are so different!
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To be continued ...

walter_ba21

15 June – Chengde
The visit program of the day included the Mountain Resort and two of the Eight Outer Temples. The visit of the Mountain Resort started with a pageant in imperial costumes, which take place every Sunday morning. It has been interesting. Then we started the visit.
The Mountain Resort is huge, with parks, forests, lakes, pagodas, and palaces ringed by a wall long 10 km. The buildings are simply, all built with sandal wood because the emperor loved the smell of this wood and because the fragrance take away insects. With an electrical bus we visited the hills inside the resort and the wall, from where we hade a nice view over Chengde and some temples. During the visit, we had also the opportunity to look at a short concert of traditional music played with antique instruments that we appreciate very much.
Than we visited the Putuozongcheng Temple, called also Little Potala, with its golden roof and the Puning Temple or Temple of Universal Peace, famous for the giant wooden statue of Guanyin with 42 arms. Both temples are in Tibetan style and are very suggestive. There are lots of people who come here praying and offering incense to the Buddha. Inside the two complexes, there are many incense burners and prayer wheels, characteristic of the Tibetan Buddhism. We liked very much these temples, which are an exquisite example of Chinese religious architecture. We had lunch before visiting the Puning Temple, in a restaurant situated in an old temple. The location of this restaurant is great and the lunch has been good.
On the road back to Beijing the traffic was incredibly chaotic and the drivers undisciplined, but fortunately I didn’t have to guide. I have not envied our driver. We arrived in Beijing in the late afternoon, just in time for a walk in the Wangfujing street before to have dinner in a Muslim restaurant.
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16 June - Beijing
We wake up late, again too late for breakfast. We took a taxi to the Lama Temple (Yonghegong Temple). It is one of Beijing's most famous monasteries and one of the most important temples of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. The architecture combines Han and Tibetan style. The temple was built in 1694. Originally it has been the official residence for court eunuchs, successively has been converted in the court of prince Yong and at last, it was transformed in a monastery. Undoubtedly it is one of the most beautiful temples in Beijing. We observed inside the temple many people who was burning incenses and was praying. There are only a few tourists and we were ill at ease with our photo cameras in this place of cult. The atmosphere was very evocative. It’s curious to notice that also who enter to pray, have to pay the entrance ticket. After the visit of the temple we went to lunch (Mc Donald’s) and then we decide to walk to the Drum Tower. From the tower we enjoyed a beautiful panorama over the hutong and, in distance, the top of the Jingshan Gongyuan. In the opposite direction there is the ancient Bell Tower. The Drum Tower was built in 1272 during the reign of Kublai Khan in the center of the ancient capital. The drums were used to announce the time. Today the drumming performances take place every hour for the tourists. It’s fascinating. Here is our video of the performance: http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=7qGg-VinB50 On the way back to the hotel, we have seen many gastronomic stalls a street not far from our hotel. They seemed very inviting, so we decided to explore them in the next days.
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To be continued ...

Chinaren

Great, thanks for sharing your wonderful travel story with us.