Blogs from Beijing, China, Asia - page 453

The Great Wall is the single greatest tourist attraction in China, and to my mind one of the greatest in the whole of the world. After spending the best part of two days in some of the less developed parts of The Wall, I can honestly say it’s one of the most exhilarating things I have ever done. After hearing “horror” stories about the hordes of tourists and massive over- commercialization at Badaling, I decided to hike the section of wall between Simatai and Jinshanling. This is a popular choice for many backpackers as most of the cheaper accommodation houses and hostels in Beijing arrange day trips with a drop off in Jinshanling in the morning and pick up later in the day at Simatai, thus taking the worry out of arranging public transport. There is ... read more

On this fine Wednesday I went to work, nothing very exciting happened. But I did feel as though I was very helpful today, because I was able to make some important corrections of the use of certain English words. The first good deed was done when on our way to lunch Kitty was saying this guy in the accounting department was very "shame". So I had to give a lesson on the difference between "shame" and "shy" to everyone in the elevator. I think they were very greatful to be corrected so that they wouldn't continue to say the wrong thing. The second good English deed was done while helping one of the supervisors revise an email she was sending to an auditor. Basically the document was a series of questions she wanted answered having to ... read more

We've finally arrived in Beijing after a Trans-Siberian train journey spanning 5,936 miles, fifteen distinct ecosystems, eight nights, four segments, three countries and two excruciating customs/visa checkpoints. Although we missed the fireworks in the states, we did spend the 4th of July with an American family that has been visiting Mongolia for the past three weeks. We can't fault their choice of location. Mongolia is a ger-and place to visit, but we'll get to that later.... Trans-Siberian Observations The Trans-Siberian began in Moscow as a super-comfortable, air-conditioned high-speed train ride featuring beautiful scenery, low-sodium snacks and ample toilet paper. Although each of these qualities changed dramatically as we approached Beijing, our cabin companions remained vibrant and entertaining throughout the trip. Basically, our second class berths entit... read more

Life is a travel,every traveler wanna find their own treasure from it,maybe true love,maybe money,maybe nice family... What would i find? say bye to any romantic things, say bye to any romantic thoughts, bye,all my dreams,and all my unreal guys.. have good days,happy,relax,and sunny be myself, looking forward tomorrow,the new day and eager for the year,can go abroad, see all the things by myself..... read more

With so much to see and only five days in which to see it, I decided to concentrate on one major site each day. However, this day, the close proximity of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City to each other allowed me to experience both without spending hours crossing from one part of the city to another. First stop Tiananmen Square, symbolic and political heart of Beijing and site of numerous tumultuous events in relatively recent history. At first glance it appears to be a rather nondescript giant concrete public plaza, surrounded on three sides by austere soviet-inspired buildings with a tall marble obelisk in its centre. On closer inspection however, you can get a greater appreciation for the significance of this place in the hearts of the Chinese people. It is here that the endless ... read more