Below is an overview of our China trip. It was four of us (Eric, Ryan, Oanh,
and Ryan’s mom Anh) that went from 9/10 - 9/24. We had been planning this
trip for a long while, preparing travel lists, getting everything ready,
working with CYTS (our tour company) to get everything squared away. And
then it was time for the big day.
(Click on the day for the photos and video log.)
Best of China: All the best photos all together in one album.
Day 1: Airport and Flight and Hotel
Departed on a 747 wide body, Air China flight from SFO to Beijing. Very long
flight, and all I could think of is “who is going to meet us in Beijing?” as
the tour packet wasn’t specific on where we would be met. Arrived, made it
through customs. Huge airport @ terminal 3 in Beijing with a lot of people
competing for luggage. Finally went outside and noticed all the people with
signs, and then the crazy began. Luckily, we had a tour guide meet us, and a
dedicated driver. As it was just the four of us in this tour group. Made it
pretty personal.
Our tour guide was Linda. A late twenties suburban single girl who was
always tired and said that she loved to shop. Pretty informative even if we
asked a lot of wacky questions. Like mom always asking her about Chinese
history and the Dragon Lady … all confirming what she had seen in Chinese
movies.
Arrived late, so went straight to Jade Palace Hotel to check in. 5-stars by
China’s standards, but a pretty standard hotel by western standards. The
trickiest thing was to figure out you needed to put your room key into the
wall holder to turn on power to the room. Without it, nothing would work.
Ate dinner in the hotel that night and turn in, expecting a full day.
Day 2: Beijing
Great Wall - Summer Palace - Olympic Park
Waking up we had to fight for the breakfast buffet since there were some
many other tour parties there. We ended up standing and eating a bit before
some seats cleared out. Linda met us at the hotel and gave us tour hats.
You’ll see them in many pictures. On one side is the tour company logo, and
on the other it looks like Burberry or what we termed Burberrresque.
Great Wall: What can I say about the Great Wall other than, it’s
great. Lots of climbing and lots of people. Ryan was scared of heights, so
he only made it up so far. Where Oanh and I kept climbing up to the farther
towers. The view was impressive, and the people thinned out along the way.
It was pretty well maintained, but the steps were uneven in places, making
it difficult in some parts.
Going to the great wall we visited a government-operated Jade factory. We
would come to learn that these planned factory visits were the norm. Some
beautiful pieces, but we were not really into jade. Throughout the trip,
Ryan kept wondering if he should buy a jade bead bracelet since we noticed a
bunch of Chinese men wearing them. Although it would look nice, jade didn’t
turn out to be hi thing. Mom did by some crab apples and fruit from the
vendor outside.
After the great wall, we ended up eating lunch at another factory that made
copper pottery. Lunch was not great, and we would soon learn this is a
common theme on the trip.
Summer Palace: Built in classical Chinese style in 1750 as a royal
recreational resort. Among it’s famous feature are the 700-meter-long
corridor with it’s wonderful painted gallery, the marble barge, and several
magnificently painted pavilions and pagodas. The lake was really impressive,
as were the symbolism of the lions, gates, and buildings. We didn’t have
enough time to visit all of the structures in the palace, or to walk out to
the island via the 17 arch bridge and visit the Dragon King temple.
Olympic Park: We visited the birds nest stadium, took some cute
pictures with the mascots, and briefly walked in the pavilion to see the
water cube. The tour guide told us that the government basically leveled a
bunch of homes to make way for the massive complex. We saw signs that, just
after 4 short years, the stadium was starting to look deteriorated.
Day 3: Beijing
National Theatre - Tienanmen Square - Forbidden City - Temple of Heaven -
Acrobat Show
National Theatre: The cool thing about this theatre is that it looks
like a spaceship egg floating on water. Like something landed and then it
was poached. You enter under ground, and walk under the water reflecting
pool to the main seating area. It was very early morning, and they didn’t
even open any of the doors to see inside. Pretty disappointed, although we
got some funny pictures.
Tienanmen Square: The largest outdoor public gathering place in the
world, we had to walk through some security to get to. What got me was how
orderly everything was. There were gigantic TV screens in the square towards
the center, before the entrance to the tomb that were displaying slogans and
visages of the countryside. Basically saying, “keep calm, look what your
government is doing to promote the people.” I just noticed it as a big
propaganda engine.
Forbidden City: Impressive to say the least! Brings back memories of
movies like
Curse of the Golden Flower but the movie set was far better. Grand
courtyards, gate after gate, too many lions to count guarding every little
passage. I know there was a bunch of symbolism here, but it all became a
little repetitive. The nice garden and pagoda at the back was peaceful and
different. It would have been pretty opulent to live here.
Side trip between lunch, we visited a Chinese herbal medicine clinic where
(just by touch mind you) they were someone able to diagnose all the ailments
that afflict us. Ryan was just looking for face cream and I think the
interpreter lady was getting tired of us asking questions and not paying
attention. Needless to day, we didn’t buy anything.
Temple of Heaven: Some quick shopping after lunch before going to the
Temple of Heaven. This place is awesome and quiet. A stark contrast to
Beijing’s busy streets. Surounded by contemplative forests, the temple is a
beautiful complex. I had fun circling the temple, seeing the outlining
structures, and finally appreciating China’s beauty. In the restroom there
was a sign on the urinal translated to “a step closer keeps it cleaner”. Now
if only people would read.
That night we enjoyed a cool acrobatic performance before turning in.
Tomorrow would be our first intra-China flight to Xian.
Day 4: Xian
Drum Tower - City Wall - Feng Shui Museum - Dumpling Show on Tang Dynasty
The flight to Xian was uneventful and peaceful. China Air did a good job,
but we soon learned that their standard food was [insert something] & rice.
Duck and rice. Seafood and rice. Chicken and rice. Beef and rice. Pork and
rice. Or for very short flights some wacky bau bun with mystery meat.
We met our new tour guide, Dominick at the airport. Dominick was pretty
nice, but always when we got to a destination, he was being a ladies man …
chatting up the local girls or the other tour guides.
Drum Tower: Located in the center of the city, this small tower holds
the world’s largest drum. The drums around the tower have seasonal meaning,
and were beaten when the date for that season or event arrived.
City Wall: Xian used to be the capital of China during the Tang
Dynasty. No, not the powdered drink, much more powerful. As such, the center
of the city still has most of the city wall surrounding it. The government
opened almost all of the gates to allow traffic through, and just like the
gates at the Forbidden Palace, each gate has a meaning. The unique thing
about the city wall is it’s like the great wall. You can walk on it and
there are ramparts you can see along it in the distance. Dominick said that
Xian is also the capital of feng shui culture. So, the city walls were
slanted inward instead of outward. This was to capture the rain water (a
sign of wealth and power) and bring it into the city instead of letting it
flow out to it’s enemies.
The feng shui museum at the top of the wall introduced us to the culture and
beliefs, showed some good buildings and shopping center designs, and allowed
us to pet the lion-dragon-horse-goat creature. Apparently this would bring
good luck, wealth, long life and happiness.
Dumpling Show: We were told by our friend that the dumpling show was
the highlight for the food and entertainment for the trip, so we had high
expectations. That proved to be less than accurate. The dumplings (and trust
me, there were a lot of different kinds) kept flowing, but they didn’t have
the taste of true dim sum. Some were some wicked weird combinations of
fillings. And most got cold since they took time to bring them out. The show
was a combination history musical dance number. Impressive costumes, but
after a long day all of us were struggling to stay awake. What impressed us
most is our driver, and getting us out after the show amongst throngs of
people. A true professional!
We were pretty tired after a full day, but were excited to see the
terracotta warriors the next day.
Day 5: Xian
Terracotta Warrior Factory - Huaquing Hot Spring - Terracotta Warriors -
Song Dynasty Tomb
It was going to be a full day in Xian again, with a flight out that night.
Dominick picked us up at the hotel, and we were off. Ironically, the Xian
hotel (Shangri-La Golden Flower Hotel) was the best hotel we stayed at while
in China. Nicest pool tool.
Terracotta Warrior Factory: Just outside of Xian proper is a small
town hosting some university compounds and some of the largest mountains in
the area. We stopped off first at a factory that specialized in making
terracotta figures and replicas of the warriors all from the special clay in
the area. The ovens and process, and attention to detail was amazing. There
were all sizes and material, from the traditional terracotta to bronze and
jade. We liked the replications of the chariot, and ended up getting
something for our library at home.
Huaquing Hot Spring: A smaller replicate of a palace for the
concubines of the Tang Dynasty emperor, the hot springs is a sprawling
complex. Was beautify with the mountain in the background. There was also a
Taoist temple at the site. It was a nice relaxing break before the day’s
main event.
Terracotta Warrior Complex: Massive! Over four buildings housing what
essentially four farmers unearthed many years ago, the terracotta warrior
museum was the highlight of the day. The detail was stunning and what they
were able to preserve and restore was awesome. You had your archer (standing
and kneeling), warrior, general and emperor. Although the emperor was a
reproduction as there were no natural emperors found (without massive
damage) at the site. Took lots of video which is part of the record / photos
for this trip.
We had lunch at the complex, and got to see a chef do hand-pulled noodles.
Song Dynasty Tomb: We still had lots of time before our flight, so we
snuck in a tour of another tomb where smaller bits of terracotta pieces were
found. This was unique because you walked on glass over the rows and rows of
this stuff. Basically the emperor had this all prepared to enter the
afterlife, complete with miniature pigs, chickens, goats, ovens, cooking
staff, and everything you can think of needing. If he was flying coach into
the afterlife, his checked baggage fees would be astronomical.
It was back to the airport to say goodbye to Dominick and off to Gulin. The
mascot for Xian is this silly looking permanganate with sunflower on the top
of it’s head. Some symbol for international peace and nature and harmony or
something. Cute to look at. Gives you a smile every time.
Day 6: Guiln
Reed Flute Cave - Silk Factory - Elephant Trunk Hill - Shopping and Foot
Massage - Snake Dinner - Colorful Night Cruise
Gulin is in the southern part of China, so it was hotter and more humid than
the other two cities. We met our new tour guide Lizzy at the airport. The
airport is quite a way from town, and the night flight we just checked into
the hotel. The next day we were ready to tour the town and discuss what
Lizzy said about Gulin … Fantastic mountains, clean water, splendid caves
and colorful nights.
Gulin was the town that Bill Clinton first visited and since that time they
have really done a lot with the downtown area, making it very beautiful and
vibrant.
Reed Flute Cave: Known for it’s splendid caves, Gulin was a wonder of
nature. The cave was expansive and they had it all lit up with color. It was
a relaxing way to beat the heat.
Silk Factory: On the way back we visited another state-run factory,
this time making silk sheets and bed covers. Ryan was all over this one, and
we ended up getting something for the guest bedroom.
Elephant Trunk Hill: One of the formations was like an elephant trunk
that you can see from the river. Inside the hill they store rice wine, and
we sampled (and purchased) some of that. I didn’t get the elephant look at
first, until I realized it’s like an elephant’s trunk extending down into
the water. It was so hot that we stopped for a local coconut drink.
Shopping & Foot Massage: We had some extra time to tour through the
city so we did some local shopping, ate a little food, sampled and purchased
some local tea, and generally relaxed. Oanh, Ryan and I decided to get a
foot massage and it was so worth it. It’s like a foot and leg massage, very
detailed and skilled where the people working in the business need to go
through about five to six years of training to learn proper techniques. In
China, they consider the foot like the second heart, and taking care of your
feet is supposed to bring long life.
Snake Dinner: At this point in the trip we were so over bad food that
we told Lizzy to take us to a good local restaurant. We went in the back of
the kitchen and asked what their local dishes were. They offered chicken,
goose, snake, river snail and different types of river fish. Mom had a good
time picking out the fish. And we also decided to try snake. Some of the
pictures and video are of the snake being brought out of the cage and
“prepared”. Let’s say that it was interesting. It was deep fried snake (with
little meat), snake soup, and snake skin salad. An experience, but we’ll
never have it again. The fish was prepared wrong, but the river snails (the
cheapest dish out of everything) turned out to be the best. Oh well, live
and learn.
Colorful Night Cruise: Something I was looking forward to, at night
the town and river come alive with color. The relaxing river cruise takes
you under various replica bridges and along the banks of four lakes in the
area. You get to see people singing, performances, and the river people use
the ducks (with their necks tied) that they use to get fish. No hard comes
to the ducks and they are well trained. It was an awesome way to top off the
end of the day.
Day 7: Li River & Yangshuo
Li River Cruise - Yangshou Market - Minority People Performance
Li River: To take in the splendid nature of Gulin, there is nothing
like the Li River. Cruising along this shallow river, you get a glimpse of
local life and the scenery is just perfect. The gaged mountains that were
formed with years of erosion are a thing of beauty. At one point, there’s a
place on the river that is the backdrop for the 20 yuan bill. You can see
that picture in the album. After a while the scenery all blended together
and it was time for a nap.
Yangshuo: Chaos. Waking up to a group of boats all trying to come
ashore, only to have to walk through a local market to the hotel. It’s what
the best of China is like. Guard your wallet and backpack, negotiate
starting at 70% less. It was awesome. We got a “Gucci” bag, which we came to
term Fucci since it was fake. It was hot, the walk was a little far for mom,
so we headed to the hotel to recooperate. That evening we went out again
back to the main market area. Walked through some shops (but I wanted to do
a little more shopping), local food, and then went off to see the show.
Dinner was so so, just like always.
Minority People Show: The show was in an outdoor theatre where the
bugs just had a hay day with Ryan and I. It seems like the Off actually
attracted them to us. The Gulin region is known for lots of minority people
.. people the Han didn’t totally decimate in their conquest. Some of them
are river people who take pride in storytelling through song. The others are
a group where the women don’t cut their hair and wear silver to show off. It
was too dark to really film well, but it was a nice production. Sleepy at
the end, but thank goodness no dumplings!
Day 8: Airport
We were supposed to have an early morning flight to Guangzhou, but it turned
out it was canceled. The tour company scrambled to try and get something,
but this would mean that the 1.5 days that we were supposed to be in that
town would be a total waste. So we negotiated and waited. Waited and
negotiated, and finally decided to take a flight directly to Hong Kong and
extend our time there by one day. It was the right decision. I feel sorry
for Lizzy having to do all this last minute hoop jumping, but then again it
was her job. This is where we learned that CYTS didn’t really have much
power to do anything other than the scheduled itinerary, but by this
juncture we were over China.
Day 9 - 14: Hong Kong
Summary of Everything
There is just too much to describe Hong Kong day-by-day so I wrote this
entire summary here..
Waking up in a metropolitan city was a nice change. People were more
friendly, they spoke the language, and we were free. Free! Free from the
tour company which means we could do what we wanted. We stayed at the
Metropark Hotel near Victoria Park @ Causeway Bay. A perfect central
location to everything and a short walk to the Tai Wan MTR station. There
was a pool and exercise room at the roof overlooking the city. The view was
just stunning!
Local to us was a strip of asian stores, supermarkets, fruit stands, and
good restaurants. It was the perfect location to just eat locally, which we
did a lot. Durian was in the supermarket, and you could not walk by without
smelling it. It was pure heaven! Mom and Oanh took some back to their hotel
room and we ate it there, but soon the front desk called them to say not to
store it in the room. :)
We quickly got a MTR (subway) pass, and started exploring everywhere. First
day was IFC towers, shopping, a tea house, and central Hong Kong. We did the
Star ferry cruise to see the entire city, both the island side and the
Kowloon side. We ate at a hole-in-the wall noodle place which was excellent,
and at night we did the Ladies night market to see all the knock-off
shopping stalls. Nathan rode and the neon signs were awesome.
The next several days we sought out the best dim sum, and it turned out to
be at City Hall … Maxim’s Palace. Elegant silver, good dim sum, and the most
tofu fun I’ve every had in my life! Then it was some shopping at H&M for
deals, and more shops in the part of Hong Kong central. We got on the MTR
and took a quick trip to Kowloon side and the flower * goldfish markets. Mom
found some stinky tofu, and we had some salty dried fish.
Mom was tired the next day from walking, so it was just Ryan and I. We took
the MTR out to Lan Tau to see the giant sitting Buddha. It is a nice Nang
Ping village where you take an aerial tram to the city. Ryan was afraid of
heights but he mustered through it by sitting on the floor. Good thing we
didn’t get the crystal bottom car. The monastery and giant Buddha is a site
to behold. Peaceful, and very relaxing. It’s the type of place that I would
choose to live, and with the MTR it’s just about 30 minutes ride from
downtown Hong Kong. I like it when cities invest this in their transit
infrastructure. Paris and New York were the same. Lots of good photos on
this day. We ate at McDonalds, had Starbucks coffee, and shopped at an
outlet mall afterwards. All very American things to do. Bought some luggage,
some nice shirts, couple of jackets, and some great sport coats. Awesome
day. That night we had hotpot dinner, a after dinner snack, and some of the
best durian ice cream around.
The next day we had breakfast which was weird. Apparently wet macaroni
noodles is all the rage. Didn’t understand it at first until I tried it, and
it was good. We went out to a museum but it was closed, which was a
disappointment. So we decided to head up to Victoria Peak to overlook the
city. The tram ride up was almost vertical and it’s been in operation for a
very long time. The view was stunning. Great pictures and video from this
spot. We had roast goose later in the day at a restaurant that is known for
it. But we really wanted the suckling pig, but they were out. :( We had
another dinner local to the restaurant too, but surprisingly no restaurant
prepares Peking Duck the way it’s served here. They don’t separate the skin
to make it crispy and it comes out cold and limp. Oh well, just something to
look forward to at home.
The last day we took mom and Oanh back to the Buddha temple so they could
experience it. We ate this time at the monastery and had some good tofu fun
again.
Next day up before dawn to get a flight to Beijing and then onto the US.
Long long long flight, but we made up a day. For us it was another long
drive home, and after 36 hours of traveling, we were finally done (and
exhausted) from the trip.
