The train from Shenzhen was long (29 hours) but really comfortable. We had a cabin to ourselves, dining car next door and comfy beds. We watched movies, played a few hands of cards and watched the scenery pass by. Before we knew it we were in Beijing and in the mass exodus of people scurrying out of the station. We're staying in a great spot, an old "hutong" which is basically a small courtyard of houses in the city (many were unfortunately razed during construction for the olympics). The rooms are set around a quiet courtyard where the staff have a pet duck, an unusual sight in a city known for peking duck.
We spent our first day visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Tiananmen square is most recognized for the events of 1989, but it was here in 1949 where Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People’s Republic of China
to an audience of one million revolutionaries and it was here that he lead the mass rallies of Cultural Revolution. In the center is Mao's Mausoleum with a line of devotees wrapped around the square. We crossed the street to the entrance of the Forbidden City which houses the ancient imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties (built 1406-1420). At the entrance is the famous portrait of Mao along with the words
"Long Live the People's Republic of China".
You walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace and then pass through the Meridian Gate to a courtyard of restaurants and souvenir stalls and then over one of 5 bridges through the Gate of Supreme Harmony. We walked around the grounds feeling like little ants. There are three big halls to walk through before you exit through the Gate of Divine Prowess opening to a bridge over a moat. After a few hours of walking through the city we went home exhausted.
The next day we went
to the Great Wall. We decided to go to a section of the wall that isn't as touristed (or rebuilt), so we chose Simatai. It's a 4 hour drive to the drop-off location in Jinshanling, from there we took a cable car up to the wall. We trekked 10 km on the wall, passing through 32 watchtowers before arriving at our pick-up location in Simatai. It was amazing,
from start to finish, completely breathtaking. There were sections that were falling apart and some sections which were in good condition and great views from every angle
(especially with the fall colors). At times, it felt like we had the entire wall to ourselves. It was one of the biggest highlights of our trip, an absolutely incredible experience.
We were both a bit worn out from our day yesterday so today we went to see Bird's Nest Stadium and then out to try Beijing's signature dish, it was a great meal! We're leaving tomorrow for Datong, near the Great Wall pass to Inner Mongolia. It was a spontaneous decision to go there since train tickets to Xian were sold out. We'll post again soon!
The train from Shenzhen was long (29 hours) but really comfortable. We had a cabin to ourselves, dining car next door and comfy beds. We watched movies, played a few hands of cards and watched the scenery pass by. Before we knew it we were in Beijing and in the mass exodus of people scurrying out of the station. We're staying in a great spot, an old "hutong" which is basically a small courtyard of houses in the city (many were unfortunately razed during construction for the olympics). The rooms are set around a quiet courtyard where the staff have a pet duck, an unusual sight in a city known for peking duck.
We spent our first day visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. 
Tiananmen square is most recognized for the events of 1989, but it was here in 1949 where Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People’s Republic of China
to an audience of one million revolutionaries and it was here that he lead the mass rallies of Cultural Revolution. In the center is Mao's Mausoleum with a line of devotees wrapped around the square. We crossed the street to the entrance of the Forbidden City which houses the ancient imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties (built 1406-1420). At the entrance is the famous portrait of Mao along with the words 
"Long Live the People's Republic of China". 
You walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace and then pass through the Meridian Gate to a courtyard of restaurants and souvenir stalls and then over one of 5 bridges through the Gate of Supreme Harmony. We walked around the grounds feeling like little ants. There are three big halls to walk through before you exit through the Gate of Divine Prowess opening to a bridge over a moat. After a few hours of walking through the city we went home exhausted.
The next day we went 
to the Great Wall. We decided to go to a section of the wall that isn't as touristed (or rebuilt), so we chose Simatai. It's a 4 hour drive to the drop-off location in Jinshanling, from there we took a cable car up to the wall. We trekked 10 km on the wall, passing through 32 watchtowers before arriving at our pick-up location in Simatai. It was amazing, 
from start to finish, completely breathtaking. There were sections that were falling apart and some sections which were in good condition and great views from every angle 
(especially with the fall colors). At times, it felt like we had the entire wall to ourselves. It was one of the biggest highlights of our trip, an absolutely incredible experience.
We were both a bit worn out from our day yesterday so today we went to see Bird's Nest Stadium and then out to try Beijing's signature dish, it was a great meal! We're leaving tomorrow for Datong, near the Great Wall pass to Inner Mongolia. It was a spontaneous decision to go there since train tickets to Xian were sold out. We'll post again soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment