Hong Kong and China

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In brief: Went to Hong Kong for a few days, was great, then to Beijing, which was a bit of a mixed bag, under construction, nightmare visa application for India, nice streets, lakes and Forbidden City/Great Wall. Then flew to Xi’an, old capital, near Terracotta Army, Taoist Temple, then flew to Chengdu, where there is a Panda reserve, then back to Hong Kong for one night before flying to Delhi. Were originally going to spend 5-6 weeks in China but cut it short to spend more time in India.



We arrived at Hong Kong island on a bus from the airport, and with little trouble found the building of our guesthouse. There was a 24 hour supermarket outside with a good selection of Chinese and western food, and such conveniences as tasty sandwiches and takeaway pizza slices. That afternoon we managed to hand in our passports with an application for a Chinese Visa.
The next day, Aug 17th, we went for a long walk in the morning, from Causeway where our hostel was, down to the pier, around Central. It was great fun checking out all the shops and skyscrapers but we were feeling worn out and hot when we got back to our room. Later that afternoon we met up with a friend from home, Rich, who has lived out in Hong Kong for a couple of years. We had a couple of expensive beers in a nice bar and then got a taxi to the Star Ferry terminal, to make it over the other side for the nightly lightshow at 8.00pm. It turned out taxis and the tube are both air con, cheap and easy to use so no more sweaty walks getting around Hong Kong. After the light show we got the ferry back, and after a short taxi we went up an outdoor escalator to look at a few bars and have a few more beers. It seemed an exciting, safe and friendly place to wander around even late at night. Rich had said he had never witnessed a fight in two years, expressing how much of a better atmosphere there was compared to home, or England, where there seems to be relatively frequent confrontation with drunk louts.
On Friday we picked up our passport and in the afternoon went to an outdoor market on Kowloon side, popularly known as ‘the ladies market’ because of all the handbags and items primarily of interest to women. In the evening we met up with Rich again and had another good night. The next day we went to the post office to send a parcel home which was very easy as they spoke English and had everything you needed there. After we met up with Rich again and went to the other side of the island, away from the skyscrapers to some beaches and Stanely market. The market was just pretty tacky souvenir stalls but it was nice wandering around by the beach, seeing the other side of Hong Kong island. In the evening we went to another market in Kowloon, walking down streets of stalls where people often try to get you come just have a look at their watches or whatever. Later on we were going to go up to Victoria Peak where you get a view of the city from above but unfortunately it was too cloudy so we didn’t go in the end.
On Aug 20th we made our way to the airport after check out at 12.30 a.m. Finding the bus stop with an ‘out of use’ cover we spent almost an hour walking around with our luggage in the heat and humidity of Hong Kong, so by the time we gave up and hailed a cab we were both really sweaty and hot so it wasn’t the best start. There were no problems with the flight and we arrived in Beijing just after dark, getting a bus to the centre, and then a taxi to our hotel. We couldn’t communicate with the first taxi-driver and he seemed unwilling to try, driving off after about 10 seconds. Fortunately the next taxi driver seemed a little more patient and after attempts at pronouncing the address we settled with him using his mobile to phone the hotel and get directions. By the time we got to the hotel it was about 11.30 p.m. but the room was nice, the staff friendly and they had cold beers in the fridge so we were pretty happy. The room was 250 Yuan (about 15 =£1), at the top of the budget range, and very clean with a nice en-suite shower and a/c, and near the side of a lake to the north west of central Beijing.
The next morning we went to the Indian Embassy getting there about 10.30 a.m. as it closed at 11.30., to apply for a visa. There was a reasonable queue outside and by the time 11.30 came and a bloke handed out a few chips to those at the front of the queue we were still near the back. We found out from others in the queue though that you needed to get the application form from the internet as they didn’t provide them inside. After this failure we went to the train station to get some tickets to Pingyao where we were heading next. After taking almost an hour to walk there, we spent over two hours jostling and pushing in a ‘queue’ to get to the front and present the surly looking assistant with our request written in Chinese by the hotel staff. After 7pm was the reply. After this second failure we went walked around some more, past the Tiananmen Square gate entrance to the forbidden city, where we saw the famous picture of Chairman Mao, with a wall of scaffolding on the gate. Getting lost up some other streets to the side of the Forbidden City we ended up in a student art shop where we strangely made a spontaneous purchase, and I left with the awkward feeling of not knowing if we’d been ripped off or not. The zen calligraphy painting I bought certainly looked like it could have been knocked off in under a couple of minutes. After returning to the hotel for a while we returned to the train station, this time by metro which was cheap and easy, though a little old and hot after Hong Kong and Japan, arriving about 6.30 p.m. The queue was pretty big but we managed to get to the front for 6.55, to be told to wait till 7.00pm. There was then a painfully slow change of shift, as a new lady arrived and they chatted whilst logging off and on. Finally after 7.00 we presented our request slip to be told ‘West Beijing Station’, that we had to go to a different station. So it was after another 40 min journey there, another two queues (one to find which queue to join), at about 9.00 we walked out with our treasured tickets.
Next morning we were up early, making it down to the Indian Embassy for 8.45 a.m. There was already a large queue, and some faces we recognised, but at least we were early. With all the queue barging by friends, and then during the last half hour diplomat after diplomat, we only just got a chit at the 11.30 hand out, and the disappointed who hadn’t made it slowly gave up and drifted away. Finally getting inside there were 3 men, 1 accepting the applications and 2 doing little. We needed them for Friday but were told that was unlikely but they’d be ready Monday. We went to the silk market afterwards, which has recently been moved indoors and is now a six storey air con building full of small stores. It was fun walking around checking all the stuff out, though some of the sellers were pretty pushy and would grab on to you trying to pull you into their store.
On Thursday we got a bus to Badaling, one of the most popular spots for seeing the wall. It was as we’d been warned very touristy, mostly of Chinese tourists, and though we’d been early, it was already really busy when we were there. We met an interesting Israeli travelling on his own who hung out with us for the day. Naturally religion and politics came up on the hour long bus ride. He mentioned how a couple of French lads, who he’d been getting along well with, had brushed him off once they found out he was Israeli. I told him I’d been brushed off by an Israeli in Israel once he’d found out I wasn’t Jewish. He felt bad about that and apologised. When you travel people always ask you ‘where you from?’, and as they may not have met many people from your country, how you act can be quite impressionable. As is I guess true with any nation, meeting individuals rather than large groups often leaves a better impression.
Although we’d ‘seen the wall’ we later talked to others who had gone further and walked for a couple of hours along stretches where there were hardly any tourists, so although it was great to see it, I do feel perhaps we didn’t exactly get the most of it. Our slightly flagging enthusiasm for travel and China in particular was felt all the more when we later met up with a French couple, who in their first country at the beginning of their year trip, were busy all day seeing as much as they could.
The next day on 25th August, after a nice lie in, we went for a walk around some old streets, a lake and Beihai Park, where there were tea gardens, Buddhas and a nine dragon screen. It was a great stroll, on the lake were tourists in paddle boats, and by its side fishermen, (despite numerous no fishing signs), people doing exercises, and a spot where many were gambling their money at Mah Jong, the Chinese game a bit like cards but played with domino style tiles. Our enthusiasm for China on the rise again, we went to the train station to cancel our tickets. Ruth, now getting used to the local way of things went straight to the front of the queue to join the mass of elbowing desperados at the front, whilst I stood calmly going nowhere at the back. None of those who were actually queuing ever complained at all those who kept going to the front, and seemed happily resigned to standing in a queue that wasn’t moving. After a while I lost sight of Ruth, but within 15 minutes she squeezed her way out to inform me it was the wrong queue for refunds. The right queue was a nightmare as far more were fighting at the front and there was not even a resemblance of a queue. Seeing our predicament a few locals got interested and when Ruth told me someone had offered us 80% of the cost to buy the tickets we jumped at the chance, happy to leave that thronging chaos that is the Beijing train station ticket office.
On Saturday we went to what the Lonely Planet recommends as the best place for tourists to see the Beijing Opera. At first we couldn’t find the place, but then going down a back street that stunk of urine, and asking an old man with hand signals, we eventually found it. The door was open a little and we went in, but a man soon started shooing us out the door. Trying to explain we just wanted information the only word he could say in English was ‘no’ as he practically pushed us out and shut the door. I’d expected an impressive building, an Opera house of sorts, and as it was so touristy a proper ticket office with English speaking staff, so was pretty shocked and insulted by the rude behaviour. After we went to a book shop where we found a few good cheap books on Chinese philosophers, and then after lunch, and the by now normal push, shove and block to get on the metro, we went to see the Lama Temple, one of the most famous Tibetan temples out of Lhasa. It was very impressive in its architecture, and had some great Buddhas, including one that was about 18 metres high I think, even having a Guinness World Record plaque outside. That night we had our 4th dinner at the same restaurant, the easily mispronounced Fu Ku restaurant, near our hotel and by the lake. A couple of beers, a few dishes like chicken and cashews with onions and peppers, or fried pork strips with chillies, and a large portion of rice would set us back around £4.
Having far too much stuff with us from spending too much time in the Beijing markets it was the mission of Sunday 27th to get a parcel packed and posted, which was possible at the Silk Market Post Office, open every day. It was all pretty simple, and after a little more shopping we packed it up, crossed our fingers and sent it off, relieved to be rid of it, worried we’ll never see it again.
During the morning of the 28th we went around the Forbidden City. The Tiananmen Gate where Chairman Mao’s famous portrait is hung was free of it’s scaffolding which was nice, and inside it was already busy with lots of local tourists. It was interesting walking around inside, though difficult to imagine what it was like, especially with as little knowledge as we had about the place. Some of the buildings were covered for renovation, but there were plenty to look at, although they did get a little repetitive.
In the afternoon we went to the Indian Embassy, to collect our passports, half an hour early for the afternoon pick up window, and funnily enough there was already a reasonable queue. We continued to get to know a French couple we had met in the queue last time, and eventually followed them into the office to get our passports. The look of dejection on Cedric’s face conveyed how theirs wasn’t ready, and after a handing in our slip we were informed ‘not here’ as well. Pleading our case passionately, how we had cancelled our trains, hotels (in Pingyao), and now had a flight the next day for Xi’an, he let me go into the main building with both the French couple’s and our slips. After sitting in an air-con waiting room for a couple of hours, with a few other hopefuls, whilst Ruth waited outside standing in the hot street, a man came and got my info, then returned 10 minutes later with 4 passports. Everyone was much relieved as I emerged outside with them, and we agreed to meet up with Cedric and Audrey for a beer in Xi’an, where they were also going next. Ruth and I headed back to Tiananmen Square for the sunset, where we watched local children fly kites and evaded those trying to sell them. For all the stress we had in Beijing it was still really enjoyable. It was extremely dusty, and in the northern suburb where we were in particular there was a lot of destruction going on, but our hotel staff were really great and we even ended up having a group photo with them on our last night, and the owner gave us a present of some Chinese tea. Just when you’re starting to stereotype them all as a bit pushy and arrogant you meet some who are genuinely friendly and respectful.
The next morning we got a flight to Xi’an which all went without a hitch. The taxi driver drove like a nutter but at least we got there in plenty of time. Arriving at the hotel we’d booked online everything was fine, and it was in a great location, right by the old Bell Tower, and surrounded by lots of modern shops with neon lights. Xi’an immediately seemed more appealing in a way than Beijing, more compact, nearly surrounded by it’s old city wall, but with a modern vibrant centre. Being the capital of China many years ago, it also has many sites within reasonable distance, the most famous being the Terracotta Army, one of the main reasons we’d flown there. That night we met up with Cedric and Audrey, the French couple, for a few beers and a dinner, saying maybe we’d see them down the line, at Chengdu, informing them of the hotel we were staying at there.
Next day we’d arranged to go to the Terracotta Army as part of a tour. Usually we are pretty loath to go on tours, as most group activities and condescending tour reps or guides tend to grind the nerves, and there is a certain loss of freedom, and a group you’re with all day. But reassured this was a small group in a minivan, it seemed a much easier way to see a few sites in one day, and you do usually learn a lot more with a guide. The first stop was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. On the way we found out from the guide that this was where Xuan Zang, aka Tripitaka from the old Monkey series on TV, returned after getting the Greater Vehicle Buddhist texts from India, and sat about translating them, which made it all the more interesting, especially as I was at the time reading a translation of the old book upon which Monkey was based. (A comical account of the journey by Tripitaka to India, aided by a magic King Monkey, Pigsy, and Sandy). The temple itself was nice enough, with the usual incense burning, people kneeling before images of Buddhas, monks reading or answering their mobile phones, guides with flags being followed by their children. Next we went to an obligatory factory, where you could buy your own Terracotta Warrior (waterproof), or even a giant Jade Buddha costing over £200,000. Then it was a free and not bad lunch, and finally we approached the site of the famous army. Parking up amongst so many other buses and vans I wondered how we would possibly be able to see the warriors. We were led firstly to the book store where you can buy a book about the discovery and get it signed by the very farmer who made it digging a well in the 70s. He sat there looking very grumpy with a sign saying no photos, almost grudgingly signing books when someone bought one. It was quite funny actually. Then we went to watch an introductory film, in a 360 degree screen cinema, which showed a reconstruction of The First Emperor with his army back sometime around 280 BCE killing all his enemies, unifying China for the first time, becoming the First Emperor, and beginning to build his tomb, with its vaults of warriors, having at a time 200,000 people working on it (I think I remember that accurately?). Then he died suddenly, and after delaying the news, was finally buried in his tomb. Within not many years however there was an uprising, and they vented their fury at what had been his rather tyrannical reign by smashing up his tomb, including the warriors, and causing the vaults to burn and then collapse, to be buried in their recently destroyed state for centuries, till they were rediscovered by the farmer, and then patiently over the last decades put back together. The tomb itself and many other vaults still lay to be discovered, and opened to the public. After this mood invoking short film we finally went to the first vault, the largest and most impressive, where it was surprisingly easy to get a good view, as all the tourists were obviously so spread out over the whole site. Despite the definite fact that it was interesting and stimulating to see them, it was still difficult I found to feel as awed by their sculpture/presence/age etc., as when you watch a well made documentary which helps build up the imagination. The second and third vaults showed some warriors in their discovered position, smashed up and broken, half covered in mud, and there was a museum which had some great bronze horse and chariot statues, also found on the site.
On August 31st, after a lie in, we went to the Xi’an museum, which had some interesting pottery and a few other nice items, so was worth the visit, but wasn’t that big or impressive. After we went to the Taoist Temple of Eight Immortals, which I found much more interesting, as it was a really peaceful and relaxing temple, decorated in places with scenes from Taoist legends, with monks and plenty of incense. In the evening, as a change from Chinese cuisine we decided to go to Pizza Hut, but, full of fashionable and relatively well-off Chinese, there was a queue of 50 minutes, so we got take away back to the room.
Friday 1st we flew to Chengdu, where we stayed in a lovely but well-priced hotel on a street full of old style buildings, which was also lovely and clean and run by friendly staff. At night the street was lit up with neon lights, there were people outside the many tea shops pouring tea in acrobatic ways, and even a small fashion show going on where pretty young Chinese girls strutted and pouted modern designs. We had another enjoyable and cheap Chinese meal that night, and next morning were up early to go to the Panda reserve with the hotel driver. More of a zoo than the safari park I imagined (though a pretty nice zoo for the Pandas with large outdoor areas), it was still exciting to see the Panda’s, especially as it was feeding time, so we got to watch them munching their bamboo. We also got to see a couple of babies through a window, and in an incubation box, though it was somewhat busy and many of the tourists, (many of which were Chinese) took photos with flash despite the big sign saying no flash, and the tour guides screamed and shouted for their groups, despite the signs informing how noise stresses the Panda’s so please be quiet. When at times it was necessary to jostle for a place it was a little exasperating, and I even witnessed one Western tourist muttering how it was ridiculous and storming off in a mood. I really enjoyed it though and the Panda’s were really cute and seemed well looked after. We also watched another informative short film on what the centre is doing and how it is trying to help the Panda to survive, as there are now only a few thousand left. After we returned to Chengdu we found a great western style restaurant, enjoying such things as lasagne and mashed potato, and afterwards went to a Taoist Temple, which though with a great eight-sided Pagoda, and with some active worshippers, a place where the legendary old Taoist Lao Tzu was rumoured to have met someone, it wasn’t quite as nice as the one in Xi’an. It was lucky to still be there, as most Taoist temples were destroyed in the Communist revolutionary era. After meeting up with Cedric and Audrey again that night, we were off the next morning by plane to Shenzhen, from where we got a train to Hong Kong. Our taxi ride to the airport in Chengdu just before sunrise was an interesting string of detours and back lanes as the driver avoided the small toll on the expressway, a little stressful for those worried about getting to the airport on time, but still a fascinating early morning tour we’re unlikely to forget.
Getting back to Hong Kong from Shenzhen was simple enough except for the immigration which took forever. It was nice to arrive back in Hong Kong somewhere we knew, felt comfortable, and liked, and that afternoon we were back in a Hong Kong market as the sun went down, after which we did a quick run and sweat in the humid evening to make the light show again from the harbour, (this time with a tripod for photos). After this it was on the ferry back to the island, then, with the clear evening, up the tram to Victoria Peak to see the city from above. It was ridiculously steep up the hill, so that the journey in the tram was actually enjoyable itself, and the view from the top was fantastic.
That was our last night in Hong Kong and though we spent some time after check out the next morning walking some streets, and doing a little more shopping, with no hotel room we soon made our way to the airport early to wait for our late evening flight to Delhi, where we arrived at 2.30 a.m. India time, to be greeted at the airport by Ruths parents who had arrived a few hours before and come to meet us.

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Photos

En-route back to our hotel, Beijing
(Ruth and Yoel)