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Wudaokou Travel Blogs

Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

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By Tingy
August 29th 2008

Greetings from Beijing

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

Me, Pails, Jac w/ torches
This is so corny but we saw other ppl doing it too!

Beijing Huan Ying Ni ~ Beijing Welcomes You Hey everyone! It's been a little over a month now since I have arrived in China! So far it's great! Beijing is a huge city with plenty of things to keep busy with. For the first 5 months I attended a language program at the Beijing Language and Culture University, located in Wudaokou, a big student district filled with foreigners. I met so many great people from all over the world! My roommate Christine is from Indonesia and she's great! She is pretty much fluent in Mandarin and helped me out a [View Full Entry]

By canadiancol
July 26th 2008

Beijing Adventures

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

Great Wall

I’ve been in Beijing for about a week and a half now and it has been a bit of an adventure at times. When I got to Beijing from Japan it was pissing down with rain and it was an all around miserable night. The flight was late as well and I had no clue where I was going, I just hopped on the bus I thought I had to catch. I was completely exhausted in the bus, and was not looking forward to having to find a cab in the rain. Yet my heart lifted a little because in the [View Full Entry]

By Mewwitt
July 21st 2008

Olympic Fever

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

One of hundreds of official countdown clocks located throughout Beijing
Tiananmen Square

Beijing has been invaded. It began at the start of the traditional tourist season at the end of May. A couple of hopelessly lost Koreans here, a few scattered Westerners speaking Mandarin with horribly mangled tones there, and a smattering of hopelessly lost elderly Japanese. As the summer arrived and the weather heated up, along with Beijing's interminable humidity, the trickle became a stream, which turned into an all-out flood. Foreigners are descending upon Beijing in droves, reminiscent of a locust swarm. These lecherous parasites have infiltrated the poshest hotels, are hesitant [View Full Entry]

By Mewwitt
June 25th 2008

My Sisterland

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

The official countdown has begun, both for me and for China. For China, the Olympics will open in Beijing in 44 days; for me, I will be leaving China and moving back to the United States in 35 days. The Olympics will open here in Beijing via a spectacular ceremony on a very auspicious date, August 8, 2008, or 8/8/8 at 8:08 PM. Eight is a very lucky number in Chinese culture. Chinese is a monosyllabic language, utilizing four separate tones to indicate differences in meaning between words with the same pronunciation. The word for "eight" in Chinese is "ba", which [View Full Entry]

By Mewwitt
June 14th 2008

Bowled Over in Beijing

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

China's knock-off Minnie Mouse
One fine day, some friends and I ventured to "International Park". This park was comprised of world famous landmarks-- in minature. Minnie was there to greet us.

I've recently been tempted to snatch the title of "Windy City" from Chicago, my prospective future home, and relinquish it to Beijing. The period of late spring through early summer in Beijing is notorious for being immensely windy and tends to experience sudden sandstorms. However, on special days, the winds of Beijing are so strong that I have to walk at a 75 degree angle just to keep moving forward. Today started out normally enough: overcast sky, cool morning temperature, everyone going about their business. I went to my 8:30 A.M. class and then stepped onto the subway for the [View Full Entry]

By mbaade
June 1st 2008

wudaokou, muslim restaurant, racism, "operations", chinese communal society

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

beijing subway map
My hostel is closest to Dongsishitiao station, blue loop line, right side, one stop down from connection with yellow line 13. Wudaokou is on yellow line 13, left side, third stop up.

2nd post sunday 1 june 2008 ahhhmm I did indeed take the subway to WuDaoKou, my old stomping grounds where I lived and worked last year. Somethings have changed since last year. For instance, all subway costs are 2 kuai. Last year it was 3 kuai for red and blue lines, and 5 kuai if you were going up to line 13, which is where Wudaokou is. I am surprised the the costs have gone down. I would guess it's Beijing's way of promoting public transportation and "going green" for the Olympics. Also, the trains themselves have been updated... At least [View Full Entry]

By Mewwitt
May 16th 2008

Long Live China

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

My Birthday Dinner
Some friends from school treated me to a birthday dinner for my 24th birthday. As you can see from this picture, Chinese makeup is too dark for my fair complexion, so I was happy to receive some powd... [more]

What I thought was a simple Beijing rumbling has turned into the most devastating natural disaster China has experienced in recent decades. I was sitting at my desk, willing myself to crack open my books and begin studying, when I experienced a sudden onslaught of vertigo. I looked up at the ceiling and noticed my hanging lights noticeably swinging back and forth. When I stood up to get a better look at the lights, I stumbled. I could see the other high rises swaying ever so slightly through the window of my 19th floor apartment. I'd never experienced an earthquake before, [View Full Entry]

By Mewwitt
April 28th 2008

A Roller Coaster Life

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

Concert at Peking University
A night of piano and violin music celebrating the works of Beethoven

Yesterday started out like any ordinary day. The sun was shining, the smog had lifted and everything was turning green. I was on my way to the Dirt Market, one of my favorite locales in Beijing. On the weekends, hundreds of vendors arrive, spreading their wares out on blankets on the ground and within temporary stalls. Products range from hand-painted scrolls to porcelain vases to antique Chinese toys to jade jewelry. The variety of goods is astounding. The best part about the market for me is that it's basically still a local market, meaning I can be immersed in street life, [View Full Entry]

By zacandsof
April 27th 2008

Beaurocratic Inertia

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

Hangin with Mr Bass
We all hit tristan and sal's pad to catch up with the bass

Our facebook friends will know exactly what this blog is about. So, you can skip this paragraph. To everyone else: In an attempt to make the Olympics a happy and foreigner-friendly affair, the Ch***se Gov******nt (from now on know as 'Norman' - to save any more deportation attempts) is trying to kick out most of the 250 000 happy expats living in Beijing. The scary thing is - it's kinda working. So, of course, getting a new visa at this time is difficult. More than difficult, it's as difficult as trying to meditate whilst having someone put a hot poker up [View Full Entry]

By Mewwitt
April 26th 2008

An Open Letter to Grandma Ruth

Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou

Grandma and me, 2004

Dear Grandma Ruth, On this, the first anniversary of the day you left our lives, I'm not sure what to feel. It's hard to believe that you've already been gone for a year. So much has happened since that fateful April day. I'm back in China, though this time as a student and not a teacher. It was strange to experience the reversal of roles at first, but I'm really enjoying this opportunity to learn more Chinese. It's in no small part due to you that I am back here again. It's not just about the money, but about the support [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » China » Beijing » Wudaokou