Come - Beijing

This has been long overdue but I finally got around to posting the details of my recent trip to China. The following blog entries were all written while I was on vacation but I had to wait to return to Calgary before I was able to upload all the pictures and writing because of the Chinese censorship. Enjoy!

I left Calgary on July 9, 2009 and arrived in Beijing on July 11, 2009, so technically I spent three days travelling across the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, I have no access to my blog since everything seems to be censored in China so I’m writing this while I wait in the Beijing Capital Airport and I will post this entry once I return to Calgary.

I just finished my stay in Beijing and I’m now heading off to Xi’an. The city was beautiful but travelling with 12 other family members is not the wisest decision. Yes, I wouldn’t want to spend this time with anyone else but there’s 13 people wanting to do 13 different activities, so this is not the most optimal decision.

Anyways, the plane ride from Calgary to Beijing wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected especially compared to my flight on China Airlines 8 years earlier. The city is truly amazing but the culture shock once I arrived in the City was overwhelming and I continue to give blank stares when anyone speaks to me in Mandarin. Our hotel in Beijing was the Grand Skylight Catic Hotel and it was located right next to Bird’s Nest, so the view was beautiful especially when the stadium was lit up at night.

Once we settled in and finally got a full night of sleep after sitting in airplanes and airports for the past 16 hours, we began our tour of the Capital City of China. We explored local landmarks with the help of our tour guide, Amanda who was a wealth of information about the local attractions. We started our tour in Tiananmen Square, which was extremely sobering because of the massacre that occurred exactly 20 years ago. Amanda let us know that we probably knew more about the event than her since the Chinese people knew very little about the incident and she has never even seen the infamous pictures because of the heavy Chinese censorship. The square was huge and there were hoards of people lined up to see the final resting place of Mao, so we decided to forgo his mausoleum and headed towards Forbidden City.

The vast size of Forbidden City was incredible and I will never forget the opulence. The courtyards were endless, so the walk was excruciating because of the humidity. Regardless, the effort was worth it because the site was beautiful with the stunning ancient Chinese architecture and vivid colors of yellow, red, and blue. Next, we headed off to the Noodle Loft where we dined on delicious noodles, which we flavoured with our own choices in sauces. I really wish we had something similar in Calgary because I love the idea of people being able to combine the different sauces to create the perfect noodles to their own personal taste. After lunch, we visited the Summer Palace, which features a beautiful marble boat and a spectacular hall decorated with 14,000 hand painted images. It was definitely breath taking and I’m amazed by the ornate décor that is found throughout Beijing.

On our second day in Beijing, we had an opportunity to climb the Great Wall of China. Timo always said that you weren’t a man until you visited the Great Wall but our tour guide said you weren’t a hero until you have accomplished this feat, which sounds a lot less sexist. Thankfully, it was cloudy that day so it was slightly cool when ascending the Wall. My back was still completely drenched in sweat and I felt slightly disoriented because the path was slanted and the steps were uneven. Once I reached the top, the view was simply amazing as you look down from where you started. The breeze felt very soothing while standing at the top and I really just wanted to savour the experience before heading back down. This was absolutely the highlight of my trip and I wrote my family’s name on the wall to remember my journey. Later that night, we ate Peiking Duck which most people had already warned me wasn’t nearly as good as the dish in Calgary. I have to agree since the duck tasted almost bitter but I do appreciate the opportunity to sample the original recipe. Oh, one thing I must mention is that the food in Beijing wasn’t amazing!! I really loved the spicy taste of most of the dishes and the service at restaurants beats anything you will ever receive in Calgary.

As we headed back home, we decided to walk to the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube. Both buildings just look so much better at night and I really wanted to feel the skin of the Water Cube but it was closed at night so I was only able to view it from afar. The Bird’s Nest is an architecture appreciators’ dream because the initial impression of the building is utter amazement because of its ability to combine modern architecture of the moment with the cultural significances of its surroundings. I also watched a documentary of the design and construction of the stadium so being able to see the building in person was a joy.

On the last day of our tour, we visited the Temple of Heaven. This was the first day in Beijing when it wasn’t cloudy so I was finally able to see the sun and blue skies pass the smog and clouds. The Temple of Heaven is no longer a functioning temple and has become a park for the local people, so once you arrive at the site, you are surrounded with people practicing tai chi, performing ribbon dancing, and singing Chinese Opera. This was another favourite of my trip because I really enjoyed being swept up by the music and the stunning visuals of the temple and the Chinese people spending their day leisurely in the park.

Beijing seems to be a city that is growing every second with endless amounts of construction of new roads, subways, and high rises. However, it seems that the city is losing some of its appeal because in its attempt to prove that is a world-class city, Beijing has become overly westernized in order to cater to all the international visitors. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my experience here and I certainly have a wonderful impression of the city including its historical significance and the kindness of its people.