Yours sincerely ( Y s ) and his better half had just returned from our north China trip to Beijing, ChengDe and TianJin. This was a very long postponed trip since Y S has always wanted to see the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, but the better half kept dreaming of the Caribbean and Mediterranean Cruises, and the Norwegian and Scandinivian countries. Harsh realities crept in when our RM dipped lower and lower and a trip to such places could have easily given Y S several trips to Asian countries and with lots more RM left over for better half to do some buying.
Ar........ but then, you may ask Y S, why did you choose winter time to visit Beijing ?
Well, the answer is in the photo.
To leave my footprints in the snow. And it was really snowing hard, several inches every day. For the first time in our lives, we experienced the chilly, biting wind and the fluffy, white icy snowing. Anyway, the experience was well worth the suffering. Actually not much suffering since the better half is an expert in packing winter clothings.
Y S does not intend to write intensively on China tourism. That you can read from so many web sites on the inter-nets and most sites come with bird-eye view of of high mp pictures. Y S' rantings will then be only on my personal observations.
This is the "Killing Fields" at an inter-national buffet super 5 Star restaurant in Beijing. You know, the trick of most package tour is to throw in a very lavish and stomach packing spread after a few days of cheap mundane meals. So, this "makan" (meal) was thrown in after a few ordinary meals of the usual dishes which I observed "sweet sour meat and fish" seemed to dominate the menu.
This buffet is fabulous. Beijing seems to want to be the biggest in everything, including restaurants. There are a few hundred dishes from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Thailand, India, Japan, Europe etc etc etc. You eat until you drop if you want to. Red wine can be carried away to your table in bottles. The dessert is enough to feed an army, and y S' favourite cheese cakes are o la la..." firm on the outside, creamy in the inside and have a balance flavour." They melt in your mouth !
This is a scene at ChengDe's mountain resort. Soon, the lake will be frozen !
Y S at ChengDe's imperial garden.
China is in the frenzy of having the superlative degree of everything and this is the world's biggest LCD screen 75 m X 25 m.
Y S will never do this in Malaysia - taking a trishaw ride. We were huddled into this mode of transportation and were peddled through the narrow lanes and alleys of the Hutong ancient city.
This is the Puning Temple at ChengDe.
Y S on the snow at ChengDe.
Y S' better half showing off her leather jacket.
This is another exquisite dining fit for emperors.
This is what Y S always wanted to see - Empress Dowager's folly. Her stone river boat sitting on a lake in at her summer palace.
This is also Y S' favourite site - Temple of Heaven.
Of course, this has always been Y S' passion - to climb the Great wall of China. And so Y S did. "Cough...cough...panting...panting..... not so much from the climb but from crowd jostling. It is always very crowded !!!) Chairman Mao once said that
" a Chinaman is not a Chinaman until he climbs the Great wall, and swims the Yangtze. "( The last one added by Y s )
This is a part of the Forbidden City. It had to be forbidden judging from the opulence, richness, "wastefulness" and not to mention the vices that happened behind the walls and closed doors. Just think of the emperor's numerous concubines; scheming eunuchs; lower, middle and higher palace officials etc etc etc ....
Y S at the Forbidden City.
This is a special photograph teken with our Manchu Tour Guide who cliamed that Y s looked like a Mongol. LOL
Better half never fails to enjoy the snow.
A shot with a Manchu page boy.
This is another structure Y S longed to see and touch. The Bird Nest Olympic Stadium.
This is the structures that always amazes Y S when he studied Chinese History.
Better half and Y S were fleeced and cheated at another longest street food hawkers.
This is the site of Wang Fu Jing's village well but the place now has been developed into a high end shopping district. From the neon lights and sophisticated brands advertised you just cannot believe that it is a communist country. The modern Chinese have cultivated the bourgeoisie's tastes and preferences. Who said that the Chinese wore blue cheap cotton clothes and rode on bicycles? Visit Wang Fu Jing.
One of Y S' meals was at the famous Peking Duck Restaurant claimed to be visited by world's dignitaries.
Wonder what was this for? They are found all over the ancient palaces and temples. Not for bathing. It was for storing water for fire fighting in the good old days.
Better half posing with a Manchu greeter.
This is another site Y S longed to visit. The Tian An Men Square. Awesome.
This is a walking mall at TianJin.
This was taken in front of the Blue Zoo - Beijing's aquatic exhibits.
Very coooooooooooold..........
This is at Puning Temple that houses the wold's biggest Buddha wooden temple. Wonder what these men do? They are the temple musicians. For a hefty donations, they will play their instruments to some holy music while the donor kneels and prays.
Better half infront of the Mongolians' yurts which are like chalets for rental.
Only in China you see such signage.
This lady is amazed by a half frozen car.
A visit to China is incomplete without visiting the panda bears.
