There we were, all packed in a bus to Beijing after we were told that after the rigorous classes we had for our course, we were going to have time to relax. It took us two hours from Tianjin and we made it to Holiday Express Inn.
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| Memories made at one of the Wonders of the Ancient World |
The Great Wall
No visit to Beijing is complete
without seeing the Great Wall. The best time to visit is when the sun is up, so
there will be good photos for you to take. There are souvenir shops so that you
can purchase some memorabilia and also grab snacks after having explored the
wall.
There’s actually a warning sign
that says:
But if you’re someone who can manage, the climb can give a beautiful view of the valley and other structures in it, like pagodas and the connecting moats. The bus took an hour and a half through the Great Wall Valley, so why not make the most of your time there? What you will need are a good pair of shoes, a cap and water. Once you get down from the top, some of the shops also sell ice cream to reward yourself after the climb.
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| Advisory in Great Wall Beijing Station (nope that's not me pointing) |
But if you’re someone who can manage, the climb can give a beautiful view of the valley and other structures in it, like pagodas and the connecting moats. The bus took an hour and a half through the Great Wall Valley, so why not make the most of your time there? What you will need are a good pair of shoes, a cap and water. Once you get down from the top, some of the shops also sell ice cream to reward yourself after the climb.
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| Beijing Olympic Park |
Beijing Olympic Park
In 2008, China was at the center
of the world’s attention because of the Beijing Olympics. The Olympic Park was
constructed solely for hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. China was intent
on putting on a good show, being the first time that the country hosted the
Olympic Games. The park is vast, so again, walking from the entrance gate up to
the main arenas will take patience, as I sat on the grass as soon as I got the
chance in front of the Bird’s Nest stadium, and because it was afternoon that
we arrived, must also be because of the heat that I thought of staying put for
a moment.
There are benches and shops all
over the place, but it looks like it’s a recreation park after the conclusion
of the Olympic Games. It’s also surprisingly a quiet place to spend the
afternoon in. How timely it is that I’m writing about the Beijing Olympic Park
on the 10th Anniversary of the Beijing Olympics.
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| Tiananmen Square in Beijing |
Known as the seat of power, Tiananmen
Square has quite an extensive history, and with many structures around it, it’s
no question why. To its north is the gate to the Forbidden City, to the left is
the Great Hall of the People, and nearby is the Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum. In the
center of the square is the People’s Heroes’ Monument, a silent spectator.
It’s the site of many historic
events in China, and is one of the largest squares in the world. Our bus parked
a distance away, and we took the underpass by foot and walked to the square
mid-morning.
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| Rickshaw in a side street in Beijing, China |
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| Statue in a side street cafe in Beijing |
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| Side street in Beijing |
The Pearl Market
To end our tour around Beijing, we
had shabu-shabu lunch and had the chance to visit the Pearl Market for some
souvenir shopping and of course, who’s not familiar with the term pasalubong?
It’s fun to go around the Pearl Market, and the name of the game is to haggle,
haggle, haggle. There are so many stalls and goods in the Pearl Market, but my
personal favorites are the stamp engraver and the stall selling masks from the
Peking Opera House. But my baggage allowance won’t allow it though, as after
Beijing we were heading straight to Shanghai via bullet train.
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| Shabu Shabu Lunch, Pearl Market, Beijing |
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| Stamp Engraver in Pearl Market, Beijing |
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| Masks of the Peking Opera House, Pearl Market, Beijing, China |
Because of time constraints, our group didn’t have the time to visit the other attractions. I’d love to go back someday and visit the Silk Market, Forbidden City and The Temple of Heaven, but perhaps with family next time.
China 2018 Series:
Beijing
Disclaimer: All inputs are based
on my experience while in China. A schedule was planned for our group
beforehand given the limited amount of time.
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