June 16, 2007 - Beijing
Our hostel room is situated in the back of a courtyard and the first room in a corridor, with a small window facing the courtyard. The light the filters through the window isn't much, kind of hard to tell whether it is already daybreak or still night time. The only way we can tell if it's already morning is when we hear the Leo Hostel staff or some of the hostel guests out and about.
This morning Peter woke up feeling much much better. He had a bad reaction to the oily food we ate yesterday lunch. His headache got worse last night so I had to give him a massage and he tried to induce vomit - he had to do it three times until what was in his stomach has been removed. (I had dinner on my own here at the hostel's restaurant/bar)
We walked north to Jing shan park, just right above the Forbidden city (when you exit on the North gate you will immediately be greeted by the sight of the temple sitting on a hill in Jing Shan park). The artificial hill was made from the dirt unearthed when they built the moat around the Forbidden city, and this park was once connected to the city itself for use by the Emperor and his officials. I have a picture, which I took in 1982, of the same view of the Temple showing that it was connected. Now a big road bisects the two.
To enter Jing shan park you will have to pay a mere 2 yuan per person. As always, the park is filled with local people sitting around, walking, exercising, singing, playing, etc. It's a surprise that we even got to sit on a nice and shady bench.
We took our time here at the park, resting to have some morning snack/fruit before climbing the stairs up to the Temple. The climb wasn't that long and the steps' distance from each other were just right. At the top there sits a Temple with a huge Buddha inside (no photos allowed - but I managed to steal a shot from the outside). The views around the Temple provided us with a bird's eye view of the whole city of Beijing. It was hazy so the pictures didn't come out clear.
There at the Temple we sat to enjoy the view, despite the milling crowds around us. The breeze provided us with such a refreshing feeling after walking up the steps. To the South, we saw the enormity of the Forbidden city complex which contains so many houses of different sizes - which you do not see when you walk through the city. We saw the Drum and Bell Towers in the background to the north. To the East, we saw Bei Hai park, another artificialy made lake with a small island hill where a stupa sits on, called the White Dagoba (we wonder where George Lucas got the names in Star Wars). To the West, just more and more buildings.
We took a different path going down from the Temple going towards the west gate. At the bottom of the steps we saw a sign saying, "this was where Emperor Zhongle hanged himself." Tour groups were there clicking away in their cameras taking pictures of the supposed tree where Zhongle did the job. I too clicked away.
After having enough of the park we left through the west gate and followed the map we bought in Shanghai. Note: Maps in Beijing cannot keep up with all the changes and developments of the city, one will have this street but in another it's no longer there or it has been transformed into a park. We walked west and found the street right next to a park (which used to be rows of hutongs and roads) giving us a much shorter distance to Sun Dong An mall (north of Oriental Plaza in Wang Fu Jing jie).
Wang Fu Jing will most likely be the Nanjing Dong Lu of Beijing. Big malls and brand name shops line this street. With all the construction and renovations happening all over the dust just adds to the pollution. Sun Dong An and Oriental Plaza malls are in the middle of some renovations, as are the side walks, streets, and everywhere you look, here in Beijing.
We found a good place to have lunch at Sun Dong An; serves an assortment of cuisines - so we were able to choose something not oily. I had the beef brisket and Peter had the chicken curry - both for 65 yuan includes drinks.
Right across from this mall is a huge bookstore, Foreign Languages Bookstore. We wanted to buy a map for Xi'an and the other cities we will be visiting after Beijing but there wasn't any. We spent some time browsing through there collection of Chinese books on culture, language, history, etc. Also, to cool off from the warm air outside. I got some postcards and a Chinese script learning material - they have so many to choose from.
After an hour or so at the bookstore we went out, walked along Wang Fu Jing jie, trying to follow the path of the shade, and took a detour to where the Food stalls are. This area comes alive at night when all the food stalls are bustling with activity. Tables and chairs are laid out and stalls are permanently stationed there with an assortment of local food. During the day the tables are covered with umbrellas and food are still served. It's just too hot to hang out there at that time.
Connected to the food stalls are souvenir vendors. Peter managed to haggle a souvenir of Chinese Opera masks from 35 yuan to 15 yuan. I think the vendor still made out well from the deal, but at least we feel that we, too, made out from the deal. (They say we should actually ask for 1/10 of the price. Well, we both feel that we do not want to waste our time and effort to really get a very low price, not unless it's really something we want.)
Our next stop after this walk through Wang Fu Jing was the Oriental Mall (again) to cool off. With this weather, you will definitely need to find a mall or a place to cool off after walking in the hot afternoon to avoid heat stroke. We went to Yogurt Fruz and got a regular size yoghurt: mine with Figs; Peter, with mango. It really helped cool us off. Afterwhich we went to get some groceries and food from Bread talk for our light dinner.
We have one more full day here in Beijing before we leave early in the morning (4:30 a.m.) for the airport - destination: Xi'an.
~~~
There are so many places here in Beijing which we haven't visited yet. At this time, Beijing is not yet tourist-friendly but they are working hard to improve the infrastructure in the city. I was telling Peter that what they need in this huge city which would help the tourists would be a "hop-on, hop-off" bus. It would really be very convenient to see the sights. But, once the other subway lines are online, I am sure that it will be easier for everyone to go around this big city.
~~~
1. Toilet facilities here have improved. There are lots of paid toilet areas that are pretty clean and offer the western style toilet.
2. Toilet facilities have a centralized toilet paper dispenser for everyone's use.
3. Toilet facilities in Sun Dong An are high class and very clean - all Western-style.
4. Toilet facilities going to the Great Wall in Mutianyu are disgusting - squat style, no flush and leftovers are seen with flies all over the place. Just wait until you get to the place and go to the restaurant toilet.
Our hostel room is situated in the back of a courtyard and the first room in a corridor, with a small window facing the courtyard. The light the filters through the window isn't much, kind of hard to tell whether it is already daybreak or still night time. The only way we can tell if it's already morning is when we hear the Leo Hostel staff or some of the hostel guests out and about.
This morning Peter woke up feeling much much better. He had a bad reaction to the oily food we ate yesterday lunch. His headache got worse last night so I had to give him a massage and he tried to induce vomit - he had to do it three times until what was in his stomach has been removed. (I had dinner on my own here at the hostel's restaurant/bar)
We walked north to Jing shan park, just right above the Forbidden city (when you exit on the North gate you will immediately be greeted by the sight of the temple sitting on a hill in Jing Shan park). The artificial hill was made from the dirt unearthed when they built the moat around the Forbidden city, and this park was once connected to the city itself for use by the Emperor and his officials. I have a picture, which I took in 1982, of the same view of the Temple showing that it was connected. Now a big road bisects the two.
To enter Jing shan park you will have to pay a mere 2 yuan per person. As always, the park is filled with local people sitting around, walking, exercising, singing, playing, etc. It's a surprise that we even got to sit on a nice and shady bench.
We took our time here at the park, resting to have some morning snack/fruit before climbing the stairs up to the Temple. The climb wasn't that long and the steps' distance from each other were just right. At the top there sits a Temple with a huge Buddha inside (no photos allowed - but I managed to steal a shot from the outside). The views around the Temple provided us with a bird's eye view of the whole city of Beijing. It was hazy so the pictures didn't come out clear.
There at the Temple we sat to enjoy the view, despite the milling crowds around us. The breeze provided us with such a refreshing feeling after walking up the steps. To the South, we saw the enormity of the Forbidden city complex which contains so many houses of different sizes - which you do not see when you walk through the city. We saw the Drum and Bell Towers in the background to the north. To the East, we saw Bei Hai park, another artificialy made lake with a small island hill where a stupa sits on, called the White Dagoba (we wonder where George Lucas got the names in Star Wars). To the West, just more and more buildings.
We took a different path going down from the Temple going towards the west gate. At the bottom of the steps we saw a sign saying, "this was where Emperor Zhongle hanged himself." Tour groups were there clicking away in their cameras taking pictures of the supposed tree where Zhongle did the job. I too clicked away.
After having enough of the park we left through the west gate and followed the map we bought in Shanghai. Note: Maps in Beijing cannot keep up with all the changes and developments of the city, one will have this street but in another it's no longer there or it has been transformed into a park. We walked west and found the street right next to a park (which used to be rows of hutongs and roads) giving us a much shorter distance to Sun Dong An mall (north of Oriental Plaza in Wang Fu Jing jie).
Wang Fu Jing will most likely be the Nanjing Dong Lu of Beijing. Big malls and brand name shops line this street. With all the construction and renovations happening all over the dust just adds to the pollution. Sun Dong An and Oriental Plaza malls are in the middle of some renovations, as are the side walks, streets, and everywhere you look, here in Beijing.
We found a good place to have lunch at Sun Dong An; serves an assortment of cuisines - so we were able to choose something not oily. I had the beef brisket and Peter had the chicken curry - both for 65 yuan includes drinks.
Right across from this mall is a huge bookstore, Foreign Languages Bookstore. We wanted to buy a map for Xi'an and the other cities we will be visiting after Beijing but there wasn't any. We spent some time browsing through there collection of Chinese books on culture, language, history, etc. Also, to cool off from the warm air outside. I got some postcards and a Chinese script learning material - they have so many to choose from.
After an hour or so at the bookstore we went out, walked along Wang Fu Jing jie, trying to follow the path of the shade, and took a detour to where the Food stalls are. This area comes alive at night when all the food stalls are bustling with activity. Tables and chairs are laid out and stalls are permanently stationed there with an assortment of local food. During the day the tables are covered with umbrellas and food are still served. It's just too hot to hang out there at that time.
Connected to the food stalls are souvenir vendors. Peter managed to haggle a souvenir of Chinese Opera masks from 35 yuan to 15 yuan. I think the vendor still made out well from the deal, but at least we feel that we, too, made out from the deal. (They say we should actually ask for 1/10 of the price. Well, we both feel that we do not want to waste our time and effort to really get a very low price, not unless it's really something we want.)
Our next stop after this walk through Wang Fu Jing was the Oriental Mall (again) to cool off. With this weather, you will definitely need to find a mall or a place to cool off after walking in the hot afternoon to avoid heat stroke. We went to Yogurt Fruz and got a regular size yoghurt: mine with Figs; Peter, with mango. It really helped cool us off. Afterwhich we went to get some groceries and food from Bread talk for our light dinner.
We have one more full day here in Beijing before we leave early in the morning (4:30 a.m.) for the airport - destination: Xi'an.
~~~
There are so many places here in Beijing which we haven't visited yet. At this time, Beijing is not yet tourist-friendly but they are working hard to improve the infrastructure in the city. I was telling Peter that what they need in this huge city which would help the tourists would be a "hop-on, hop-off" bus. It would really be very convenient to see the sights. But, once the other subway lines are online, I am sure that it will be easier for everyone to go around this big city.
~~~
1. Toilet facilities here have improved. There are lots of paid toilet areas that are pretty clean and offer the western style toilet.
2. Toilet facilities have a centralized toilet paper dispenser for everyone's use.
3. Toilet facilities in Sun Dong An are high class and very clean - all Western-style.
4. Toilet facilities going to the Great Wall in Mutianyu are disgusting - squat style, no flush and leftovers are seen with flies all over the place. Just wait until you get to the place and go to the restaurant toilet.
posted by Mimi | 12:23 AM
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