Memoirs of China: Shanghai and Beijing Trip

It was just last month that I was able to have been able to get a chance to pay a visit to China. Me and my friends decided that it would be a great opportunity to pay a visit to the two famous cities Shanghai and Beijing because of a special all in promo that we got earlier this year from Cebu Pacific Airlines which allowed us to get our airline tickets for only Php 5,000 each round trip. In terms of accommodation we had a friend that was residing in Shanghai and all that was left was to book a hotel at Beijing which we were able to do through Agoda.com. 

Shanghai

Our flight to China from Manila started at around 8:20pm from NAIA terminal 3. We of course had to pay travel taxes prior to checking in and after that we had to go to pay our terminal fee. We were so relaxed at that time that we were almost late for boarding time because we decided to have dinner at shakey's since we didn't get a meal package for our flight bringing down the cost of our tickets. It really pays to be at least 2 hours early for your flight no matter what destination just to give you leeway time to get the things you would want to get done at the airport. The flight took approximately 3 and 1/2 hours to get from Manila to Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. We had to go through very strict customs checkpoints that would inspect our passports and visas as well as go through our stuff. They are a bit friendlier though than what was briefed of me prior to the trip but still a little more stern than what am used to in the Philippines. Customs will have you also look into a camera so they can make a photo record of you arriving in China. After picking up our luggage we were already contemplating on figuring out how we would travel from the Pudong International Airport to head to our friend's home in Shanghai Links Area when thankfully our friend surprised us by greeting us welcome and providing us with a means to go to their home. We found out that since there are 5 of us it would be quite difficult to grab a cab that would take us to their place and would get even more complicated as they would only allow 4 people per cab which means that we would have had to take two. Being first timers in a country where English isn't spoken at all, that would prove to be more than a challenge. That night we were rather exhausted from the flight and since it was about 1am when we got to our friend's home we decided to call it a night. 

The next morning we were all hyped up to go about town to check out what there is to see and of course to check out the neighborhood of Shanghai Links. The cold weather of Shanghai was a bit of a surprise to us but we came prepared with our winter outfits and from the weather reports Beijing would be quite colder. First on our agenda though, was to plan our itinerary and mode of transport from Shanghai to head to Beijing. Our first option was to go by train and of course the other was to fly. We found that though the train would be the most scenic route in terms of travel, it would eat up about 5 hours of our time and the cost would be the same as that of taking a plane. With that we decided to go by plane and we got our deal through a travel agency called Flight Centre which booked our tickets via China Eastern and China Air. After booking our flights we decided to go visit the malls and the site of Shanghai's tallest buildings such as the Oriental Pearl Tower. We also paid a visit to the riverside view of the Pudong and Puxi where we were told was a great view that would show the difference of the Old(Puxi) Shanghai in contrast with the New(Pudong) Shanghai. It also reminded me of the top view of a scene in the latest James Bond Movie called Skyfall. 

Oriental Pearl Tower

Apple Center IFC Mall

On The Bridge of Shanghai Central Business District

Next on our Shanghai Agenda was the Yuyuan Garden which is also a great place to shop for the tourist as the garden is surrounded by many souvenir merchants that you can haggle with and haggle we did. Got pretty good deals in jewelry, wallets, wood fans that were naturally scented, and many more. After the shopping we decided to head to the Yuyuan Garden which occupies an area of 2 hectares (5 acres), and is divided into six general areas laid out in the Suzhou style:

• Sansui Hall (三穗堂, Sān Suì Táng, lit. "Three Tassel Hall") – includes the Grand Rockery (大假山, Dà Jiǎshān ), a 12-meter-high rockery made of huangshi stone, featuring peaks, cliffs, winding caves, and gorges. This scenery was possibly created by Zhang Nanyang during the Ming Dynasty.
• Wanhua Chamber (万花楼, Wàn Huā Lóu, lit. "Chamber of the Ten Thousand Flowers")
• Dianchun Hall (点春堂, Diǎn Chūn Táng, lit. "Heralding Spring Hall") – built in 1820, the first year of the Daoguang Emperor; served as the base of the Small Swords Society from September 1853 to February 1855
• Huijing Hall (会景楼, Huì Jǐng Lóu)
• Yuhua Hall (玉华堂, Yù Huá Táng, lit. "Jade Magnificence Hall") – furnished with rosewood pieces from the Ming Dynasty, shares its name with a mountain near Xinye in Zhejiang.
• Inner Garden (内园, Nèi Yuán) – rockeries, ponds, pavilions, and towers; first laid out in 1709 and more recently recreated in 1956 by combining its east and west gardens.

Each area is separated from the others by "dragon walls" with undulating gray tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon's head. The Yuyuan Garden which is also called Yu Garden is open only till 5pm and because of the massive size of the place I would really recommend that who ever will decide to head here to get there early so you would be able to truly enjoy the entire place. After visiting the garden we decided to grab some snacks in the area and one of the coolest things we tried were the fruits that were covered in melted sugar that made it look like it was frozen in ice. 

Market Place around Yuyuan Garden - Great for Souvenir Shopping

After our stint at the Yuyuan Garden we rushed off to go see the Shanghai Circus act which was a must see for every visitor in Shanghai. The Shanghai Circus World showcased an acrobatics show that was both fun and awe inspiring acts that is worthy of any international circus act. The show we watched as made by a group that called the show ERA. 

ERA- Intersection of Time - As a multimillion-dollar stunning acrobatic extravaganza, the first of its kind in China, ERA is a multimedia odyssey whose inspiration is a direct result of the combination of traditional Chinese acrobatic arts and modern technology. Just like Shanghai, ERA evolves through a constant collision between the past and future. ERA is a love story, yet it is also a contemplation across the millennia, a fascination with that other dimension man has yet to conquer: time. ERA's acrobats are on a quest to find that tenuous point of balance, the intersection between X, Y and Z. Not only will the audience be amazed by the acrobats' control and precision, they will be enchanted by the world that is created through the use of multimedia, technology, lighting and sound effects, elaborate costumes, original live music and a lot more. As such, ERA can remain universal, without language or cultural barriers. A thousand-year-old gesture is worth a thousand emotions, a thousand images, a thousand words.

My favorite part of the show was the finale where the motorcyclists would death defiantly criss-cross each other in a small circular cage. I found myself catching my breath each time they would add another rider in the cage till it was literally jam packed with over 7 riders all spinning and zigzagging creating a psychedelic fusion of light and colors.


The next day our goal was to simply go shopping and Shanghai Puxi side was just full of malls of all shapes and sizes. I honestly lost track of their names but from going around every single one had something spectacular to offer. The prices though were not as shopper friendly as Hongkong but still quite good enough. We paid a visit to our favorite shops such as H&M, GAP, and Muji to check out their items that have been placed on sale and also found some cool side stalls selling accessories such as caps and bracelets that were unique but pricey. Food was also great in Shanghai to our surprise but somehow we felt that the chefs would use and over use MSG giving some of us a hard time after a full meal. I also had to download an English to Mandarin translation to show the waiters that I only eat vegetables prior to flying to China and found that it was a wise thing to have done because you wont be able to use Google Search. An alternative to Google search in China would be to use Bing.com as your search medium.

Our flight to Beijing was going to be in the afternoon which gave us a lot of time to explore the Shanghai Links Community as it is also a Golf and Country club. We got to spend time taking pictorials at our friend's awesome porch which had a view of the golf area and club house then we strolled over to visit the Shanghai American International School to check out their facilities and have a quick lunch at their cafeteria, which brought back memories of my old school life. More pictorials of course followed all the way through to the golf area and club house. The place would make one feel like you weren't in China at all as the Shanghai Links Community was pretty westernized in its theme minus of course the Chinese Gardeners and Security Guards which roamed the grounds. 

Beijing

Once back to where we were staying we had the opportunity to sort through out stuff to see which could be left behind to help lighten our load as we prepare for our trip to Beijing and also double check on our flight details and hotel bookings. It was then that I realized that the flight from Shanghai to Beijing was roughly 2 and 1/2 hours. Temperature once we arrived was forecasted to be -5 degrees Celsius. That was where we decided to make sure that what we wore was enough for the frigid temperature once we get there. 

Pudong International Airport

The airline taking us from Pudong International Airport to Beijing International Airport was China Eastern, and I honestly wasn't prepared for what was to come in that plane. My friends in Manila that have already been to China have always complained about how the locals would smell because of the food that they eat which comprised of mostly fried and very oily food plus the aromatic ingredients that they most often include in their dishes. During my entire stay in Shanghai I didn't get to experience that as we were being driven around by our friend and their driver and most of the environment was either outdoors or in a mall. It was only when we got onto China Eastern that I got a full whiff of what my friends were talking about and it was a huge shock to my nasal senses. I struggled with having my nose to get acquainted with the smell but had to as this was going to be one long flight. Another thing that jarred me was the plane literally shaking and vibrating in places that I never thought a plane could vibrate in. I have been on budget airlines a lot especially since Cebu Pacific is my airline of choice most of the time but none of their planes ever made me feel as uncomfortable and a bit panic stricken as that of China Eastern. I guess what I am pointing out here is that if you ever decide to fly locally in China, China Eastern may be the cheapest but it sure didn't make me feel like I was safe at all. There were moments in the flight that I would go over emergency procedures in my head, I actually felt that I the train would have been the better choice as of that moment. Gratefully, we landed safely and I would have breath a sigh of relief had it not been for the sudden whiff of aromatic scent that the passengers emitted as they all got up to quickly get their stuff. I mean no offense though, as I know every culture of course would have their own distinct scent, I guess I was just not accustomed to this one. I would most likely compare it to how one would have lets say, an acquired taste for a certain delicacy like the balot which we have in the Philippines. 

Inside China Eastern

Our next challenge though was to figure out what mode of transportation we would have to use to get to our hotel, Xiao Yuan Alley Hotel, which was located close to the Tiananmen Square in the Forbidden City Area. We asked the Tourist information center which was able to write down the instructions in Chinese for us to show the Cab driver as we realized that a taxi cab would be the most convenient mode of transport as it was our first time and the location was vague for us. Later on we would take the time to study the railway system which is the cheapest mode of transportation in China. I also had my GPS handy as I had downloaded the map of China on my HTC One X's Mapfactor application. The Mapfactor application made use of my phone's GLONASS feature allowing me to navigate turn by turn to the area of our hotel without the need for an internet connection. The cab driver though was quite adept at finding our hotel and dropping us right at the entrance, which we later found out was a lucky streak for me and friend as most cab drivers would be lazy and just drop you off at the closest distance. That unfortunately is what happened to the other half of our group who was forced to walk the long alley of Lishi Hutong in the shocking -5degrees Celsius temperature that greeted them. 

Our hotel, Xiao Yuan Alley Hotel, is a very charming boutique hotel that had a very old school China feel to it but with a bit of a western touch here and there. The staff were young but to my relief could speak conversational English. We got this hotel via Agoda.com at a rate of Php 2133 for a room that could accommodate 3 people and Php 1654 for the one that would accommodate 2. Their regular rate would go from RMB 980 - RMB 1920 which roughly converts to Php 6,000 to Php 12,000. By the time our other group arrived at the hotel, we were able book our tour through the hotel for the Great Wall for RMB 280 which include buffet lunch and transportation to and from the hotel. We decided that the Great Wall would be the better choice for the next day as the weather would be clear and sunny and moved our Tiananmen and Summer Palace itinerary to the other days as weather reports showed scattered rain showers and a bit of snow. 

Xiao Yuan Alley Hotel Courtyard

After unpacking and getting a bit settled down, we decided to go out for a stroll to buy supplies and to also visit the Wangfujing Night Market. Using the GPS of my HTC One X and the application called Mapfactor, we were able to walk from our hotel all the way to the Wangfujing Night Market. We were thinking that the night market was going to be like a hawker's area but to our surprise it was a long stretch of malls and shops that was quite Westernized in contrast to that of surrounding area. It was here that we decided to have our dinner and do a bit of shopping. The Wangfujing Night market closes at around 10pm and from there we walked home taking pictures of scenic picture worthy places along the way before we called it a night as we had to be up early for our Great Wall Tour at around 7am. 

We all woke up by around 4am to get ready for our Great Wall tour. The air outside was still pretty cold and I think it was at it's coldest for the day. Thankfully our hotel had dedicated water heaters for each room and taking that hot shower was such a blessing. We all had bought fruits from the shops nearby and there are a lot of places to choose from in the area making the hotel's location quite convenient for first time travelers. We had those as our breakfast, our favorite was the local dates which were quite green and juicy. It tasted like small apples that were very crunchy and sweet. The tour van was on time to pick us up and took us to the tour bus that would pick up other guests from the different hotels before heading off to The Great Wall of China. The tour guide was very animated and quite entertaining, he tried his best to share as much information about the Great Wall at the early part of the trip then allowed everyone to take time to admire the local scenery that welcomed us along the way. 

The trip from Beijing to The Mutianyu Great Wall site took roughly about an hour or so. Once there we were informed that our ticket covered the entrance to the Great Wall but not the transportation going up and going down. The fee for the Cable car that would take us up and the Toboggan ride down was separate and would cost about RMB 80. Good thing we brought extra cash with us as there were no money changers in the area. It was also advised to use the toilet before making the climb as there would be no comfort rooms on The Great Wall. Once inside we submitted our stub for the cable car that'll take us to station 6 of the Great Wall. The Cable Car ride was quite a thrill ride for me as I do tend to get nervous with heights. It was more like one of those ski lifts I would see on National Geographic but this one was over the rocky mountainside of the Great Wall. The Cable Car was not going to stop either so riding it you'd have to be quick and secure everything that could fall off as getting them back if they did wouldn't be a likely option. Getting off the moving cable car was expected to be a bit rough as the site staff would literally pull your arm to tug you out of the way without care as to how hard they'd be holding your arm if you were judged to be slow moving. 

Once of the Great Wall, we all had about three hours to go around taking in the scenery and exploring the vast ancient architecture. It was quite breath-taking from the get go. Everywhere one would look was a perfect scene to shoot and snap pictures and the feel of the place was vibrant with energy from the past. There were some unfortunate bricks that had been vandalized which I strongly discourage from doing as this is a grounds of getting your butt in jail and if you don't think anyone is watching you'd be surprised to see that there are cameras monitoring tourist activities from all angles. The guide originally told us that the easier route was to go from station 6 to 1, but us being a group that usually likes to go the more adventurous route chose the station 6 to 24. Later we realized it was really more like a mountain hike on that particular route which had many of our group members sitting down out of exhaustion. As we were taking our photos and exploring the different stations we got a glimpse of how the soldiers and workers must have felt in the past. The amount of vigilance needed to guard against an invading army and ensuring the wall holds up its defenses must have been quite an ordeal. Also knowing that this is probably the worlds longest if not largest grave site can have its effect on one's imagination. 

By the time we decided to head on down from the wall we had decided earlier to take the Toboggan ride which was quite fun compared to the rather scary Cable Car ride up. Before heading to the buffet lunch that was set for us at the nearby Young Restaurant, we decided to look around and see what the shops around the Mutianyu had to offer and we were delighted to see so many different kinds of dried fruits and assorted nuts that were both inviting to look at and was quite delicious. The price was also quite cheap. We got a whole lot of assorted fruits and nuts for roughly about RMB100 which is roughly more than a kilo of goodies. By the time we got to the buffet lunch we were all slightly full from the dried fruit sampling, but since the food served was also quite tasty we ended eating up quite a lot still. On the way back everyone was quite happy looking at the shots we were able to capture and of course the food. Later that night we had dinner at the restaurant right beside the Xiao Yuan Alley Hotel which served an awesome chives omelet and many more. After dinner we went to a local liquor shop and bought a bottle of Absolute Pear Vodka which we mixed and drank for the night to help us get us relaxed and settled in plus it made us feel a lot warmer as the night got a tad bit colder than the previous night. 

Tiananmen Square was next on our agenda, which was just a stone throw away from where we were staying. Early the next morning, we walked the same path that we took heading to Wangfujing Night Market as the entrance to the Tiananmen Square was close to that. Along the way we found that adjacent to the Wangfujing Night Market was a Food Hawker place what would be the site of the most exotic street dishes I had ever laid my eyes on. Here we walked towards the walls of Tiananmen and saw the beautiful water and trees that surrounded the place. At the entrance we were greeted by the long tree filled pathway leading to the red walls of Tiananmen Square. Basic rule here though was to not photograph the Guards as they tend to be quite sensitive about that. 

Located in Tiananmen Square is where you can visit Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and see the national flag raising ceremony. Thousands of people come to the Square every day. It is the must place to visit in Beijing City. At the entrance where you would be getting your tickets for admission, you can opt to purchase a digital tour guide that'll talk you through the history and inform you what's special at each particular spot. We opted not to get those and simply go through the signs and read the information plates of each hall ourselves as we take photos of the places we found most interesting. The Tiananmen Square is quite a massive piece of architecture and is beautifully designed. It literally took us hours to go through the entire area. For those that still has energy to go roam around and if time permits they can also visit the Gardens across the Tiananmen Square or visit the gardens of the White Pagoda which is just beside the Tiananmen Square. 

Entrance to Tiananmen Square

Inside Tiananmen Square

By evening from the exit we had to take the side area of Tiananmen Square to double back to check out the Street Hawkers. They are quaintly arranged in a single neat row allowing tourist to have a clear look as to the exotic dishes that they provide. I was shocked to see starfishes, grasshoppers, spiders and several other arachnids like scorpions on a barbecue stick ready to be cooked and served to those willing to try their flavors. I opted to go for the fruits covered in melted sugar instead, which I personally found tasty and felt like I was eating the ancient version of a lollipop. Nearby we walked through the many souvenir shops that were very tourist friendly and were able to get a couple of pretty good items to bring back home. 

Summer Palace was the last spot for our Beijing tour and we had to learn how to use the train for this one. Taking separate cabs wasn't an option as we considered our earlier experience with them and the train was supposedly faster. The hotel staff was very good at teaching us where to find the nearest train station, which would eventually be a big help for us as we would use that station to get on the airport train express for our flight the next morning. The train ride to the Summer Palace was very easy to navigate through as the directions and the people at the train station were also quite helpful which is a surprise considering the culture. The train ride is all universally priced at RMB 2 except the Airport express which cost RMB 25. We arrived at the Beigongmen station which is directly at the entrance to the Summer Palace. We arrived quite early in the morning and have discovered that there had been snow that had fallen earlier in the area. The entrance of the summer palace was covered in ice and so were the bodies of water surrounding it. It was a pleasant thing to see for someone that has never seen snow though I was wishing I could have seen it fall from the sky.  The Summer Palace is virtually a museum of traditional Chinese garden arts that blends rocks, trees, pavilions, lakes, ponds, paths and other features to create a poetic effect between different scenes. 

The Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. Its Chinese name, YiHeYuan, translates as 'Garden of Nurtured Harmony' or 'Garden for Maintaining Health and Harmony'. There are so many things to see here and like the Tiananmen Square one would have to visit early in the morning to get a chance to view the entire place as it is only open to the public till 5pm. There are some vendors scattered across the courtyard which you would have to avoid taking a photograph of as they would angrily shout at you to stop. As to why they would so adamantly refuse to be photographed is anyone's guess. 

Summer Palace Bridge at the Entrance

Entrance To Summer Palace

Summer Palace's Buddhist Temple

The Kunming Lake and the scene in totality was just indescribable and from what I was told it is even more majestic during the Summer where the trees and flowers are all in bloom. We were even greeted by a very picture friendly Kitty Cat that had very Chinese looking eyes and pleasantly greeted everyone that cared to say hi. As the winds of night fall by the lake started picking up and the frigid air started hitting us we realized it was almost time to head back. Once we have exited the the Summer Palace via the Kunming Lake Area we realized that it would be quite a walk to get to the nearest train station which thankfully the Mapfactor Navigator Application on my HTC One X was a big help as I saved a waypoint upon arrival at Beigongmen station. It also allowed me reference as to where the other station Xiyuan Station was located. Along the way we enjoyed the falling leaves reminiscent of the fall to winter season that Beijing was experiencing and again provided an awesome picturesque scene for the photo hungry friends of ours.   

Kunming Lake

Our trip back to the Xiao Yuan Alley Hotel was also quite easy as we simply navigated the subway to the Chaoyangmen Station and from there walked a bit towards our hotel. Along the way we spotted a supermarket where we did a bit of grocery for snacks that we would want to take to the hotel and of course for our flight back to Shanghai. Early next morning we woke up around 5am as our flight was scheduled at 8:30am in the Terminal 2 with China Air heading to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.  We decided to take the train station to the Airport via Airport Express from the Chaoyangmen Station which opened at 6am and got to the check in counter at around 7am, giving us enough time to get settled down and explore the Beijing International Airport one last time. China Air was a more pleasant flight compared to the China Eastern flight we took to Beijing and surprisingly we didn't experience the  aromatic scent of that I unfortunately experienced on that flight. It was a much larger plane similar to the ones PAL would use and thus felt more sturdy and safer. It was here that I got to relax a bit and even got to enjoy the Omelet meal that came with our flight. Upon arriving at Hongqiao Airport we had to take the train to the Pudong International Airport to meet our friend whom we would spend the day with before we head off back to Manila in the evening. The train ride from Hongqiao airport to Pudong International Airport took us over an hour. One would have to remember though that you'd have to tranfer trains at Guanglan to get to the Pudong International airport if you are on the airpot train before 10pm otherwise it is a straight ride. Once back on Pudong side we decided to get more groceries to bring home to the Philippines and take a bit of a breather at Shanghai Links before heading back home.

Our China Tour Group :)

China was such a wonderful experience overall and it really is a place that is truly proving itself to be an economic super power. Every where we looked we could see major projects and developments. I am sure that in the next couple of years that if ever we do go back we'd be seeing much more than what we have seen thus far and what we have seen is but a small speck in the totality of what China as a nation has to offer tourists. The experience was very enriching for all of us and though there may be controversies at times due to the politics that are involved between China and other nations, you'd be surprised to see that this doesn't exist in the streets of China itself, instead you'll get to experience a culture full of wonder and surprises around every corner. 

Till Next Time...

-Metz-