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Published: April 30th 2010
Air China
Airbus A333-400Beijing Tuesday April 27
After checking out of the hotel, our bags were loaded into a Audi A6 to takes us to Pudong Airport. On arrival e were quickly checked in at the Air China First Class desk, and given our Boarding pass for CA933 to Beijing. After completing security, we were taken by an a electric golf cart through the huge terminal to the Air China lounge. It would have been a very long walk otherwise! The lounge was fairly basic, but sufficient, it was really just a part of the terminal that had been close off on an upper floor, filled with seats and a refreshment area.
Soon boarding call was announced, and we made our way to the gate for boarding. Today we were flying on an Airbus A330-400, and we were seated in 1L and 2L, individual seats by the windows. The crew came around and offered us slippers and a pre take off beverage, and we had a long taxi to the other side of the very large airport for our take off. A light refreshment was served on this 2 hour flight, Jeff ordered western style, and Paul the Chinese option. Jeff’s meal was 2 quarters of a sandwich, one with Chicken and one with Smoked Salmon, with a bowl of fruit salad, a Dove chocolate bar, and a mint. Pauls was more substantial, and was a plate of stir-fried noodles with prawns. After the meal we just relaxed and enjoyed the flight. We disembarked onto the tarmac at Beijing Airport, and were taken by bus to the terminal. After we collected our luggage, we had a driver to take us to the Sofitel hotel in the Chaoyang district of the city.
The driver was not waiting when we arrived, but after calling the tour company, Beijing Impression, and a wait of ½ an hour, the driver appeared and apologized profusely for being caught in traffic. When we arrived at the magnificent Sofitel Wanda hotel, our suite was not ready, so we were taken to the Club lounge on the 26th floor for Afternoon tea while we waited. After around 45 minutes, we were escorted to our Suite on the 23rd floor. It was absolutely stunning, and decorated in a very lavish French style, with chic chandeliers, beautiful wall coverings and lovely furniture, a mix of Chinese and French décor. After we unpacked and settled in, we had evening cocktails and canapés in the Club lounge, and dinner later in the hotels VIC restaurant.
Wednesday April 28
We met our guide for today in the lobby at 8.30am. Her name was Lydi, and she would take us to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City this morning, and this afternoon the Summer Palace. She took us outside and introduced us to our driver, and we were soon in the busy traffic on our way to Tianamen Square. The traffic was chaotic, with drivers honking horns and crossing lanes, and cars everywhere. After around 20 minutes, the driver pulled over in a street across from the square, and we were immediately approached by the first of many hawkers we would encounter over the next few days, selling souvenirs or cheap toys. Most of these hawkers are very much in your face, and its best to ignore them rather than give them the slightest indication that you are interested in what they have to sell.
Tiananmen Square was busy, but not crowded, and very windy. It was huge, and bordered on all sides by grand buildings. The scale was amazing, and there we statues and flags, and video walls. One Chinese tourist was amazed to see Jeff and I as westerners, so asked if he could have his photo taken with us. He must have been from of area of China that does not see many foreigners. After taking photos of the square we crossed the road to the entrance to the Forbidden City. The crowd increased at the entrance, but it moved quickly, we both did not realise the expanse of the Palace grounds. There were many soldiers about and stalls selling fake army hats and other souvenirs. We saw some soldiers marching in formation, in a goose step kind of march, which was amazing to see.
It was easy to imagine what the Forbidden City would have been like in all its splendour of gold and treasures. Lydi told us that a lot of the valuable artifacts were taken away by looters early in the 20th century, and again during the Cultural revolution led by Mao in the 1960s. It is a magnificent World Heritage Site, and today very busy with tourists from all across the world.
Along the way, we saw a tour guide holding a Princess Cruises placard, and we recognised an American couple we had met on last years cruise. It turned out that they were about to take the same cruise as us, so amazing that we would see someone we knew in a completely different part of the world. After a quick hello and goodbye, we continued on our way. We exited from the Forbidden City, on the opposite side from were we had entered, and we crossed the street and entered Zingshan Park.
We were chased by more hawkers, and we were set upon by one man who would not take no for an answer. It was very funny how he kept at us, and we ended up buying a watch from him just to get rid of him. The gardens were popular with locals playing card games and a another group of locals practicing a form of Tai Chi with a bat and ball. The reason these gardens are away from the Palace is that one Emperor believed that he might one day be attacked from a tree. Many of the plants and trees are very gnarled, and some are over 300 years old. The lay out was quite beautiful and again it was very easy to imagine it in its time of splendour.
After 3 hours walking through the Forbidden City and gardens it was time to experience something else that Beijing is famous for, Peking Duck. Lydi took us to a restaurant called King Duck not far form the Forbidden city. As we sat down chef’s were continually walking along with a duck on a trolley, and deftly carving it up and serving it to each table. They looked and smelled delicious, so we waited in anticipation.
When the chef arrived with our duck, he carved about a ¼ of it, then took it away the rest, supposedly to make soup. A waitress came a showed us how to wrap the duck in a thin pancake, together with hoisin sauce, cucumber, spring onion and garlic. It tasted wonderful, especially with glasses of the local beer. The soup eventually came after several other dishes, but it was not as tasty as the duck itself.
Located north of Beijing, the Summer Palace of the Qin Dynasty is set in the foothills of the nearby mountains. The Palace was not nearly as crowded as the Forbidden City, perhaps we had missed the crowds by being there in the afternoon. Inside the Palace were numerous buildings and courtyards some of which were renovated and others in state of disrepair. Again it was easy to see how wonderful it would have been in the days of the Emperors and his Court.
The majority of land space inside the Summer Palace grounds is taken up by a large lake in the shape of a peach, were there are paddle boats that can be hired. Today there was a strong cold wind and the boats were not for hire. The Palace Gardens that surround the lake are set out to achieve harmony with nature and tranquility for visitors.
After leaving the Summer Palace we were caught again in Beijing’s notorious traffic. Our driver was adept in the art of weaving his way in and out of the lanes, and of blowing his horn. Next stop was a Tea House, to learn some more about Chinese teas, and the different benefits associated with them in treating medical conditions. Afterwards we bought some tea in the shop, which we did not realise would be quite so expensive. We should learn to ask first!
Instead of being taken straight back to the hotel, Paul wanted to buy a lightweight jacket to relax in on the cruise. Lydi suggested the famous Silk Market, near our hotel. It was a typical market set up on several floors of a building. It was difficult to look at what was on offer however, as the slightest glance gave the stall holder hope that you might by something from them, even if it did not fit. We were even asked to buy women’s clothes being told it would be for our wife, mother or girlfriend. Mostly of the stalls were selling jeans, shirts and outdoor wear. There would be nothing bigger than Paul’s size however despite many of the shoppers being European or Russian. Eventually, Jeff purchased a pair of shoes, and Paul found a polar fleece. Catching a taxi back to the hotel we were again stuck in traffic that did not move for some time, so close to the hotel we jumped out of the cab and walked the rest of the way.
We were quite tired and went to the lounge for a well earned glass of wine and some canapés. When we arrived at the hotel there were many French and Chinese plain-clothes security and Police, as the French president Mr. Sarkozy was about to arrive to stay at the hotel. After visiting the lounge, we were so tired that we ordered room service for dinner, and enjoyed our lovely suite, sitting on the sofa and relaxing.
Thursday, 29 April
At 8.30am, Lydi was in the lobby, ready to take us to the Great Wall of China. Today we would drive 90km to the North West of Beijing to a place called Mutianyu. The traffic was heavy as usual but eased off as we left the city behind us. Mutianyu is one of several places to visit the wall, but not one of the most popular due to the distance from Beijing, however Jeff had done his research as usual, and decided that this would be the best place for us to se it. When we arrived there were many stallholders lining the route from the car park, and these were by far the most aggressive sellers we had experienced. Quickly making are way through, we arrived at a cable car, which took us up the mountain to the wall. It would have been a very steep walk to the wall if we had not taken the cable car. Once at the wall, we both were in awe at its magnificence, as it hugged the ridges of the mountain for as far as we could see. We left Lydi behind, and began our walk along the Great Wall of China. The scale of the wall was mind boggling, just imagining the masonary and timber needed to fire the kilns was incredible. At some stages we were amazed at the steepness of parts of the Wall, some of it covered in steps, others just paved. It was difficult to walk up in parts, as steps were not big enough for your foot to be on. One elderly Chinese man fell down, and badly hurt his face. We could see blood on the steps, and it made us all the more careful.
After a good walk along the wall and looking over both sides we headed back to back to see Lydi. After taking the cable car down, we ran the gauntlet of hawkers. Paul purchased a Chairman Mao T shirt and a little doll. Paul was having fun bargaining with the stallholders. We then were driven to lunch nearby, and visited a Cloisonné factory afterwards.
Cloisonné is a Chinese decorative enameling on copper vases that was developed during the Qing Dynasty. We toured the factory and were shown how a Cloisonné piece is made, and then taken to the showroom where purchasing was encouraged.
We then drove back to Beijing, to see the famous Birds Nest Stadium built for the Beijing Olympics. We snoozed on the way, and had a god walk around the former Olympic site, which included the Water Cube swimming stadium, and several other sports oriented buildings. As always, there were many hawkers touting here, most offering to take photographs despite nearly everyone owning a camera. The actual park is well laid out giving lots of photo opportunities, and after walking around it was time to be taken back to the hotel and say goodbye to Lydi and tour driver.
Back at the hotel we freshened up and had drinks in the Club Lounge and had dinner in the Vic Restaurant. We chatted about how fantastic The Great Wall had been, and how much we had enjoyed Beijing.
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Pauline Suhr
non-member comment
THOROUGHLY ENJOYING
Hi Paul and Jeff. Am thoroughly enjoying your travel blogs, it's almost like I'm there. Keep them coming.