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Scott
Trip Date 02/28/2011 Posted On 08/12/2019 17:03:21 |
Destinations | Cruises | China | Southeast Asia | Beijing | Tianjin | Beijing Tour Guide | What to See in Beijing | Beijing Guide | Best Sights in Beijing | Explore Asia
Our combined land and sea trip to Southeast Asia and China was one of our all time favorite destinations (so far, at least). The culture and architecture in this part of the world is vastly different from most other places which we have explored. Our three week trip started with several days in Beijing. After making our way to the Tianjin Cruise Port, we boarded Princess Cruise Line's Diamond Princess. We sailed around China and Southeast Asia with visits to Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand and finally Singapore. Starting our Asian odyssey in northern China in late February, temperatures were cold. Reaching the equator at the end of our journey, temperatures were nice and warm!
Sine we love DIY travel, we researched each of the ports before leaving home. Being our first time to explore Asia, we felt that some would be better explored with either a private guide or on a small group tour. We chose a private guide in Beijing and couldn't have been happier. With a list of our must see sites, Beijing Tour Guide made additional recommendations and put together a three day Beijing itinerary. We saw everything on our list . . . and then some!
If you are planning travel to China and want to see the best sights in Beijing, this post will help you make decisions about what to see in Beijing. Written in the format of a three day itinerary, you'll be able to determine how much time you'd like to spend at each site. This guide to Beijing is meant for those who want to see and do as much as possible, so be prepared for an action packed three days!
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Beijing Tour Guide
After reading lots of internet reviews, Stacy found Beijing Tour Guide. Based on the reviews, we felt that their prices and services would be a great match for our three day visit. All of our preplanning communication with Beijing Tour Guide was via email (kung316@yahoo.com). They were prompt with replies, made suggestions along the way, and continually followed up.Violet and Kong Lin were a young couple who spoke excellent English and were college educated in Chinese history. The two of them traded-off during our time in Beijing so that at least one of them was escorting us everywhere during the day time. Since we speak no Chinese, it was a great decision to have a personal guide.
Our air travel took us from Austin to Chicago, up and over to Tokyo, and then on to Beijing. (The word "Beijing" means "north capital"; "Bei" means "north" and "jing" translates to "capital".) We arrived very late at night, so it was nice to have Kong Lin greet us at the airport. After loading his car with our luggage, he escorted us to our hotel. He even stood by to make sure we got checked in successfully. Before he departed late in the evening, we all discussed our plan for the following day making sure we were on the same page.
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Hilton Beijing Wangfujing
We chose the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing for a couple of reasons. Probably the biggest factor was hotel points that Stacy had accumulated from business travel. Secondly, the Wangfujing area is near the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, shopping malls and restaurants. Finally, the American hotel helped us feel more comfortable for our first trip to China since we did not speak Chinese. With Stacy's Hilton status, we also had a complimentary breakfast included each morning. The breakfast was a combination of many new to us Chinese foods as well as some American items too.Day One
Violet met us in the morning at our hotel just as promised. We had a very full day, including lunch with Violet as our guide. Other than our optional rickshaw ride, transportation all entrance fees and lunch were all included in our agreed upon tour price.
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Tiananmen Square Flag Raising Ceremony
The Chinese flag is raised each morning and lowered each evening during a perfectly choreographed ceremony. The daily events are timed with the rising and setting sun and are attended by thousands.Our first full day in Beijing happened to coincide with the even more grand flag raising ceremony occurring on the first day of each month. Since it required a very early wake-up, the two of us walked on our own to Tiananmen Square to see the Flag Raising Ceremony. It is an impressive spectacle where the Chinese military honor guards march with perfect rhythm and synchronicity to raise the national flag.
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven, a sacrificial altar, was built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty. While smaller than the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven is bigger than the Forbidden City. Today, you can find historical tours of the Temple that include an hour long Tai Chi class!Nearly everything in Chinese traditional life is symbolic in one way or another. The northernmost building within the wall surrounding the Temple of Heaven sits at a higher level, is circular and symbolizes the heavens. The southern building is square, symbolizing the earth.
The Temple is divided by two walls into inner and outer sections. The main buildings of the Temple lie at the south and north ends of the middle axis line. From south to north, the most magnificent buildings are The Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. Almost all of the buildings are connected by a wide bridge called The Vermilion Steps Bridge.
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National Centre for the Performing Arts
In three days, we knew that we did not have enough time to explore all that Beijing has to offer. We did attempt, however, to get a peek at as much as possible. As we were nearby, we had an opportunity to see the National Centre for the Performing Arts (or National Grand Theatre for short), albeit in the distance. Commonly known as "The Giant Egg" due to its shape, the building has three performance halls inside - opera, music and theatre.Beihai Park
Originally part of the Forbidden City, Beihai Park has over 1,000 years of history, but was only open to the public in 1925. Hours could be spent exploring the huge beautiful park and superbly preserved ancient gardens. Sitting on the highest point within the park is the White Dagoba. The dome shaped structure was originally built in 1651 in honor of a visit from the fifth Dalai Lama.Jingshan Park
While not nearly as spacious as Beihai Park, Jingshan Park was built just a few years later. Today, the park probably has the best view of both the city of Beijing and the Forbidden City.We were both fascinated and intrigued as we stood watching a Street Calligrapher in action. With just water and a very long brush, he drew drew Chinese characters with amazing speed. No matter how fast he was, the earliest lines of characters evaporated before the long continuous string was finished.
Lunch with the Locals
Violet recommended that we eat lunch together at a Chinese restaurant where the locals eat. Again, it was very helpful having a personal guide who could communicate with the restaurant staff in Chinese and with us in English!
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Before leaving home, I made a cheat sheet with basic Chinese words written in pinyin (phonetic Chinese using English letters). It would have taken much more effort to really learn Chinese through pictographs, so this was a start. While at lunch, she noticed my sheet and thought is was really amusing. We laughed about it together - but all agreed that it was better than nothing!
The Summer Palace
Located about 45 minutes outside of Beijing, the Summer Palace is where the Emperors and Empresses used to go to escape Beijing's summertime heat. The Summer Palace is situated in an attractively landscaped park that is three-quarters water.The natural landscape of hills, gardens and water is combined with lovely artificial features such as pavilions, palaces, halls, bridges and temples. Together, these features of the park form a harmonious ensemble.
Sitting at a higher elevation than Beijing, the park was rebuilt after being destroyed by European troops in 1860. Imperial residences within the park are adorned with red columns and wood panels painted with landscapes.
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One of the park's most interesting features is the long covered corridor decorated with more than 8,000 images of flowers, birds and scenes - both mythological and historical. My favorites are the landscape paintings inside the Hall of Regular Clouds.
The Hutongs
Beijing's residential neighborhoods filled with courtyard style Chinese homes are called Hutongs. The ancient alleyways where you can find this traditional architecture date back to the days when Beijing was the capitol of the Yuan dynasty (1266-1368).Many of these homes were originally occupied by aristocrats. Following the Communist takeover in 1949, the aristocrats were pushed out and replaced with poor families. Unfortunately, many are being demolished so that they can be replaced with today's more common architecture.
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The Hutongs may feel intimidating to visitors who are used to Beijing's wider streets of the more recent years. The locals, however, are very friendly. They'll often try to help you if you look lost. One of the highlights of our day was visiting the home of a local resident. We were generously offered tea and had the opportunity to learn firsthand about life in the Hutongs.
Rickshaw Tour of The Hutongs
Before leaving home, Stacy had read about the popular Rickshaw Tours offered in the Hutongs and it suddenly became a must do. This traditional method of public transportation relies on the strength of the driver. After all, he is responsible for pedaling to transport the weight of himself and his passengers. It was most definitely a fun way to explore the narrow streets of old Beijing.Houhai Neighborhood
Before returning to our hotel, we spent our remaining time touring some of the popular spots in the Houhai Neighborhood. The neighborhood is known for its entertainment options including restaurants, bars, shops and more. The beautiful Houhai Lake is the largest of three lakes in the area. During the warmer months of the year you may find people enjoying boat rides. Ice skating is quite popular on the lake during the winter and year round people just enjoy strolling around the lakes.The Drum Tower and Bell Tower were built in the late 13th century. Both were used as clocks in years gone by. The "heavenly" bell tower sounded during day time hours and the "earthly" drum tower would beat during the night.
Opium Street, also referred to as Tobacco Pipe Street, got its name for the commonly found smoking accessories sold. (The shape of the street is also said to resemble a tobacco pipe.) The quaint and charming alley, Nanluoguxiang Street is actually a famous Hutong. While the alley's unique architecture remains, today the street is packed with restaurants, bars and retail shops.
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The Yin Bar, a rooftop bar in the Emperor Hotel, was the perfect ending to our day. The bar's sweeping views of the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and more allowed us to see from above some of what we toured during our day with Violet and what's to come in the days ahead.
Beijing Night Market
We spent the evening exploring the Wangfujing area surrounding our hotel on our own. Following dinner in the Beijing apm Shopping mall, we roamed the streets but spent most of our time exploring the Donghuamen Night Market. The market, which closed in mid 2016, was filled with food stalls, many of which were unlike any that we'd seen anywhere before. A variety of Chinese "delicacies" including seafood, crickets, scorpions, lizards and other insects were offered on a stick for eating!Day Two
Our second day was spent with Kong Lin, and we were again met in the morning at our hotel and returned back in the evening. We spent the better part of the day exploring some of the sites further away from central Beijing.
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The Great Wall of China
Although the drive from central Beijing is close to 1 1/2 hours, the time spent traveling to the Great Wall at Mutianyu was well worth it. Despite the hundreds of tour buses in Beijing every day, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is not as crowded as the closer Badaling or Juyongguan wall sections.Located among the orchards and pines in the mountains north of Beijing, the Great Wall of China was constructed and reconstructed at Mutianyu to keep out the nomadic tribes to the north. The positioning of the Great Wall along the ridge line and the adjoining walls are recognition of the importance of this high ground.
The 5.4 kilometer (3.4 mile) section of the wall at Mutianyu allows you to explore for more than an hour. The design of this section of the wall has some rather unique features:
- There are valleys on both sides of the wall plus 22 watchtowers (more than normally expected in a similar sized wall section).
- The Zheng Guan Tai Gate stands with three connected watchtowers.
- The center tower rises above the flanking structures.
- While each tower has its own gate, it is quite unusual for the main watchtower gate to be located on the east side of the building.
There are several options for getting from the parking lot to the top of the wall and back down. Those who want to get some exercise can hike from either the north or south entrance. Access via a fully enclosed cable car is available from the north entrance. From the south entrance, a ride on an open air chairlift is an option for those who are a little more adventurous.
Those who choose to ride the chairlift from the south entrance can return down via either chairlift or by toboggan. We both had a blast on our rides down the winding metal track on the wheeled toboggans. If you decide to go this route, do be careful when rounding the corners as the toboggans can tip easily!
Be prepared for the Chinese warriors who will likely approach as you are heading back to the parking lot. We couldn't resist tipping them for a ridiculous photo as I was "held hostage"!
Chinese Dumplings
So that we could try something a little different for our last lunch, Kong Lin took us out to a restaurant serving traditional Chinese dumplings. We placed Kong Lin in charge of ordering a variety of dumplings for the three of us to share along with a large bottle of Chinese beer for anyone wanting one!
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Beijing Olympic Park
Heading back toward Beijing, we made a stop at the Beijing Olympic Park, home of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Although we didn't have the time to tour each of the venues, it was fun to see those that we remembered from watching the Olympics on television.The National Stadium is a futuristic stadium resembling a bird nest. It is especially beautiful at night when the lighting system is activated. The stadium, more commonly known as the Bird's Nest, was home to the track and field events. The building is expected to host both opening and closing events at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games as well.
The National Aquatics Center is another "out of this world" looking structure. The building appears to look as if it is covered with "pillows" that resemble soap bubbles. The building, affectionately known as The Water Cube, hosted Olympic swimming and diving events. If you have the opportunity, visit in the evening when the LED lighting system turns the cube into a shimmering kaleidoscope of colors.
Yongue Lama Temple
Located in Beijing's northeast corner lies an elegant and ancient temple known as the Yongue Lama Temple. ("Lama" is the honored title of a Buddhist spiritual leader.) Today, it is China's largest and most perfectly preserved lamasery. The building was built in 1694 as home to a prince. It wasn't until fifty years later that is was designated as a lamasery.The temple is a fairly large complex with several gates and halls each with countless Buddhas and other figures. The largest of the statues is at the far back of the temple. Entering the room requires all visitors to remove their shoes, and photos are not permitted inside. The 26 meter tall Buddha figure fills the The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses nearly to the ceiling.
Temple of Confucius
Just west of the Yongue Lama Temple is the much quieter Temple of Confucius. It is here where for over 600 years people paid their respects to Confucius, considered the greatest thinker in ancient China. Originally built in 1302, it is the second largest temple built in his recognition.There are four courtyards and nearly 300 rooms within the temple grounds which are now shaded with tall cypress trees. The 198 stone tablets with the names inscribed of over 51,000 Jinshi are located in the front courtyard. These Jinshi are the advanced scholars who successfully passed the three day Imperial Examination.
One of the main buildings of the adjacent (and even less popular) Imperial College is also worth a visit. You'll find richly decorated halls and a surrounding moat offering beautiful reflections. Reach the college through the first gate on the left after entering through the main entrance to the Temple of Confucius.
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Dinner at DaDong Restaurant
While out and about with Kong Lin, we asked for a recommendation for a nice place for dinner for our last evening in Beijing. He recommended DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant which was within walking distance of our hotel. We decided upon a time, and Kong Lin even called to make reservations for our meal.The Peking Duck for which the restaurant is famous is more than just a meal - it is an elaborate experience. In traditional fashion, the waiter slices the duck table side. Once each plate is artistically and symbolically arranged, each diner is presented with their meal.
Day 3
We spent the morning of our final day in Beijing with Violet learning about two of the most important landmarks in Beijing. After our final two tours, we returned to our hotel to complete our last minute packing. With Kong Lin driving and Violet riding shotgun, we enjoyed getting to know the two of them even better during our two hour drive to the Port of Tianjin.
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Tiananmen Square
The large public square located in the center of Beijing and in front of the Forbidden City is the renowned Tiananmen Square. It is the world's largest public square and is the location where the founding of the People's Republic of China was proclaimed in 1949. A must see for visitors, the square is surrounded by grand buildings. In the center of the square is the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao where his mausoleum is located.Forbidden City
The most important palace in Beijing is, without a doubt, the Forbidden City. Home to the Imperial Court during both the Ming and Qing Dynasties, commoners were forbidden to enter without permission from the emperor. Unlike many historical sites, the Forbidden City was relatively untouched during the cultural revolution. The over zealous Red Guards were stopped by the troops sent by the Premier to intervene.As the largest imperial palace in the world, the Forbidden City has nearly 1,000 buildings and over 8,500 rooms. It is next to impossible for most visitors to see all parts of the city which are currently open to the public. We spent several hours admiring the traditional Chinese architecture while roaming through numerous buildings, alleys and museums.
With Violet as our guide, we also learned some history and even a little about Chinese customs. The row of beasts adorning an edge of a pagoda's roof indicate the rank of the occupants. The Emperor's Palace is the highest rank.
Cruising China and Southeast Asia
While our visit to Beijing ended once we left the company of Violet and Kong Lin at the Port of Tianjin, our vacation was just beginning. Our great southeast Asian odyssey next took us to Nagasaki, Japan. Our upcoming post titled 13 Sites to See in Nagasaki in One Day will give you an overview of all that we were able to pack in to our limited time. In addition to text and photos, we will even include information on which tram stops will give you easiest access to each site.To receive weekly e-mail notices when future parts of this odyssey (and all others) are published, subscribe at Wordy Explorers User Account.
Beijing
In your opinion, what are the most important sites that someone visiting Beijing for the first time should strive to include in their itinerary?|
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