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Friday, March 26, 2010; 9:15 pm

So here is the much awaited post of the year. Hope you guys enjoy. The pictures get lesser by the day because the weather is getting colder and it is hard to take pictures with gloves on. Haha. Here we go!

Trip to China (Beijing)

Departed from Singapore at around 12midnight on 12 March.

13 March (Day 1)

We reached China, Beijing at around 7am in the morning. I was stunned by the low temperature the moment I step out of the plane. The cold air came in from the space between the plane and the walkway into the airport. Damm freezing was my first thought at that moment. We went to change into warmer wear immediately after checking out to withstand the cold weather. Found and was introduced to the guide. His name is 小马 (Xiao Ma) where Ma is his surname. This is the way people preferred to be called in China. He is a funny guy and the first question I ask him was, “what is the weather tomorrow… will it snow?”

I know it is cold but I still hope to experience snow since being in Singapore will not allow me the chance at all. Met the other people of the tour group and they are really friendly people when the days goes by and when we get to know each other better. There is also this girl, Hui Li (donno if it is spelled like this though) who is the same age as me and guess what… She is also in NYP… Haha… The world is just too small. Or should I say Singapore is just too small?

We did not check-in to the hotel straight away. Instead, we start the tour immediately. The rest should be explained with pictures on the way…

The airport @ China

1st stop: 玲珑塔 (Ling Long Ta) & 鸟巢 (Bird Nest).

The Ling Long Ta has very nice views from the top… Their 7 storey building is like out 10th storey… Damm high…

The Bird Nest or should I say that it was the stadium used for the 2008 Olympic in Beijing and it is really big. Unfortunately, we could not go into the one that they use for the swimming event during Olympic because they are renovating it to become a shopping paradise for tourist. Those who visit during June will then be able to enjoy the new facilities.

Ling Long Ta

Bird Nest

2nd stop: 故宫 aka 紫禁城 (also known as the Forbidden City)

Xiao Ma is really good at history because I am really bad at it. However, I do have a interest in history, I just do not like to study it, especially when there are test and exam for it. I learned a lot of the history and how the different parts of the palace are made and the reason. There are 9999.5 rooms in total in the palace because there cannot be 10,000 so they stop building the last room. Interesting facts all absorbed. Haha.

3rd stop: 王府井(Wang Fu Jing) and the food street there

This is a street that is full of shopping malls. They sell brands that we have no interest in because I want to enjoy the country that is full of culture. The shopping malls spoil the environment. However, there is this food street at the corner turn provides a different scenario. They sell lots of food that belongs to China.

I was walking along that street when suddenly a person shouted, “Xiao Jie… Try this… It is good for your body and it is yummy”… At the same time, he pushed a stick of scorpions in front of my face. I got a shock and gave a soft scream. The scorpions are still moving even when they are already being pierced through a stick. Damm disgusting. Still ask me to eat!!! I turned away and saw a beautiful lady eating 3 sticks of it. OMG lar… I will never ever try any of it…

The disgusting scorpions ...

Time passed quickly and it was dinner time already. The food was really nice but it was salty. All their dishes are salty because they need to salt in the cold weather. We requested less salt less oil but it is always the same and it remains the same for the rest of the trip.

We the checked in to the hotel and rested for the day. I was extremely tired because I did not take a good rest on the plane. We stayed at Four Points by Sheraton. Nice hotel btw

14 March (Day 2)

It snowed today. Beautiful snow is everywhere and the environment really looks like those that we see on the television program where couples walk. It is romantic but it is also very cold and I don believe anyone can walk and chat with such temperature. I can never accomplish it.

1st stop: 天坛 (Tian Tan) was our first destination for the day. It is a place where the emperor goes every year to pray in the past. Very nice architecture, almost similar to the palace but this is in a better state than the palace and it is very grand. There is stone where we stone on and it was said to be the stone where the emperor will stand on in the past and talk to the god. It is a communicating tool. I made a little wish there. Hopefully god will hear it.

Standing on the stone which was said to allow us to communicate with god

Lunch: Very interesting lunch as we watch a traditional show using paper puppets while having our lunch. It is amazing how they do it and how it actually can still be showed to us after a few hundred years of history with people willing to prolong the life of such culture.

2nd stop: 景山公园(Jing Shan Gong Yuan), a garden behind the Forbidden City (it is too big to be called a garden. It is a mountain.) It was also mentioned by Xiao Ma that the place that the emperor stay (the palace) should have a mountain behind for leaning on and a river in front to bring in good fortune. This way, the emperor will stand firm in his position as an emperor and govern the country well. This also means that there will be no rebels who want to kill the emperor and take his position.

There is also an emperor who escaped to this garden during a war because he knew he was losing and hang himself on the tree. I took picture of the tree and that one is a man-made on because the real tree had died due to long age of 300 years.

The tree which the emperor killed himself

3rd stop: We then took the trishaw after leaving the garden. It was really freezing on the trishaw because the cold wind keeps hitting on our face. It was fun because they cycle through the little alley in between houses. Totally cool.

Dinner and back to the hotel

15 March (Day 3)

1st stop: First destination of the day is the Jade Production Centre. They do have nice jade but there was really nothing much for us. Especially when the price is quite high I must say honestly.

2nd stop: 十三陵 (Shi Shan Ling).

It is the last tomb of the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is buried 9th storey underground to preserve the bodies which include the emperor itself and his queen. Nice architecture and the way they manage to built it without water flowing into it was amazing. Even our tunnel in Singapore failed to do so…

Lunch: At a place where they produce 瓷器 (porcelain products). The workmanship is really good but same thing, the price seems a little too high. Daddy actually took a liking to one of the vase but we still decided that it was too expensive and it will be a chore to carry it all the way back to Singapore. I also saw a cute little display telephone but it cost like $70+ and it is smaller than my hands. So… Did not get it although it’s really exquisite.

3rd stop: 长城 (Great Wall of China)

We have 25 people in our group and only 7 of us manage to go all the way to the top. And I am proud to say that out of the 7, we take up 5 of the slots. It was really difficult to get to the top especially when the snow is starting to melt and it is making the floor slippery. Not only that, the steps are all of different thickness and we could have one step only 15cm high and the next one at 40cm high. Damm horrible. After reaching the top, it shows that I really need to start exercising to keep fit.

The way down was much faster. We chose to slide down with the help of the melting snow. Very fun and we end up with our buttocks all wet and cold. Haha.

Before the start of the climb This is how steep it really is... The wonderful view of the mountains

The 7 of us on the Great Wall of China

4th stop: At around 4pm, we went to pluck strawberry and each person was only allowed to pluck 8. There wasn’t much for us to pick anyway…

5th stop: I really cannot remember the next place that we went because I was really tired after the climb of the Great Wall. Damm weak… That place sells all sorts of medicine and natural stones which was said to be able to heal illness. It is hard to believe all of it. Daddy bought a pillow which has some sort of stones in it which can hopefully heal my monthly problem. If it really can be healed, I will treat the pillow like a treasure.

Dinner: A flower feast as they call it. I thought we were to eat 10 dishes of flowers. Turns out… Dinning at a garden environment, very fake though. We then went back to the hotel to rest for the day after dinner.

16 March (Day 4)

1st stop: 同仁堂 (Tong Ren Tang) at 9am.

They have a branch in Singapore so I donno why they bring us there. Maybe to earn commission ba. Nothing much but I really brings back the interest a few years back where I wanted to learn about the Chinese medical. How to feel pulse and things like that.

2nd stop: A shop nearby 同仁堂 which sells little cakes or refreshments that once belong only to the palace and was only enjoyed by the royal blood. So when I eat it, does it means I have royal blood? Nothing much there, just the normal tasting and buying of cakes which will be delivered to us on the day we are suppose to depart back to Singapore.

Some of the things sold there

Lunched and head for our next destination.

3rd stop: Nothing significant and I only remember a place where they product sillk. It came from those little maggots and I don think I need to talk about this part because most people should know how silk came about. So… Skip!

4th stop: 天安门广场 (Tian An Men Guang Chang)

Look at pictures because there was really nothing much. At the front was where 毛泽东 (Mo Ze Dong) body was kept but due to some reasons, we cannot enter and thus missed the chance to take a look at it. Sad…

Early dinner today and we had 北京烤鸭 (Beijing Roast Duck). Not really as delicious as everyone said it to be. I think those restaurants in Singapore sells better ones.

Last stop of the day was the Red Theatre where we watched a show, 少林传奇 (Shao Ling Chuan Qi). A very nice show combining what I thought was the best music for each scene. Almost cried as it was really touching. Good show. If they ever come to Singapore, you guys much really check it out.

A little pic of the performance

We then went back to the hotel. Changed hotel today and this one come with a spa in each room. Did not take any pictures but the spring water was really full of minerals because we can see them floating on the surface of the water.

17 March (Day 5)

1st stop: Train station to take the bullet train to 天津 (Tian Jing)

We reached within 30 minutes. We spent a morning and afternoon there. Went to some destination which I did not catch the name simply because there was a change in tour guide and the new guy did not introduce us at the destination at all. I still prefer Xiao Ma. However, I took lots of pictures there because the whole place is made of pottery. It looks disgusting yet full of artistic feel.

The bullet train The whole place made of pottery

2nd stop: Went to a place where they sell lots of dried food. Bought lots of dried food because my sister likes it. I find it a little disgusting though. We also have our lunch somewhere near.

3rd stop: 中国特色商业街 (Zhong Guo Te She Shang Ye Jie)

Mum bought a 紫砂壶 (some sort of teapot) for her friend. Nothing much to buy there and we are back onto the coach and head back to Beijing. Dinner was special as we have a Dumpling Feast. 10 different types of dumpling but I can hardly see the difference between them. It all looks the same except for the fillings inside which I even think a few are the same. Yummy!

We then went to 水立方(Shui Li Fang) to take some pictures around that area because the interior is not open currently. 水立方 is the place where Michael Phelps won his medals. Head back to the hotel right after and onto the bad for a night rest to prepare for tomorrow’s activities.

18 March (Day 6)

1st stop: 正阳门 (Zhen Yang Men)

It was that Singapore is the country that places great importance in FengShui in Asia. The story that was told to me and spread to others about the MRT and our currency was proven right. There are also many more that the master told us. Only when you see the pictures will you believe it but I am not going to touch on it because this post is getting abit draggy. I will try to post it the next time.

2nd stop: 前门大街 (Qian Men Da Jie)

A nice place to shop, there are many things from cultural products to branded goods. Really nice but we do not have the time to shop.

There is even a tram between the shops

Lunch at a restaurant that spins. It does not spin like a top but very slowly that you hardly notice it moving. However, I felt uncomfortable throughout the lunch because the movement of the restaurant is making me dizzy and I did not eat much.

We moved on to 承德 (Chengde) by coach and it took us 3 hours to reach there. It was dinner time when we reached. The dinner was nothing compared to those we had in Beijing but the mutton was delicious. Due to the cold weather, they have to eat mutton and drink to keep them warm. A good way so I could enjoy the mutton and it was free flow. My table of 6 people finished 6 plates of mutton in less than an hour. And we checked into another hotel.

A pic took before the trip to Chengde. The tiger is soooo cute!!!

Scenery during the trip

19 March (Day 7)

Woke up very early and headed down right away to our first destination after the not-so-good breakfast.

1st stop: 避暑山庄 (Bi Shu Shan Juang)

There are 5 wonders in Chengde and there are a few in 避暑山庄. There is this lake never freeze even during winter in there as well. The scenery is beautiful but it is too big. We even have to take little transport to walk around that place. Beautiful place, wonder why it is only for the royal in the past. Should have shared it with the people of the country.

This is said to be the tree that Xiao Yan Zi of the Huan Zhu Ge Ge show jumped and got stuck on

The lake that never freeze

2nd stop: 小布达拉宫 (Xiao Bu Da La Gong)

Cannot believe that Lama live in such nice place in the past. It is still beautiful although many of the things were made later due to a war that almost tear the whole temple down. We had to climb 200+ steps of stairs before reaching the top and the view was nothing compared to the Great Wall of China.

Lunch and we were on our way back to Beijing within another 3 hours. We had a early dinner that day and head back to hotel. With nothing to do and it was still early (impossible to sleep at 7pm), a group of us decided to head back to 前门大街 to finish the uncompleted shopping. Bought some clothes and that’s about all. Knocked out the moment my head hit the pillow.

20 March (Day 8)

1st stop: 颐和园 (Yi He Yuan)

Another place where the emperor goes. The architecture style was the same as the palace. Nothing pretty much and due to the slight sand storm, our mood were dampened and I was trying to block the sands from getting into my eyes.

A vehicle that Ci Xi Tai Hou sat on before. It was said that she only used it once because she felt like she was going to drop off the car and there should not be a driver in front because she must be the highest. One of the rule of the royal blood again...

Free and easy after that at 雅秀市场 (Ya Xiu Shi Chang). Nothing much to buy. All are fake branded goods and nothing caught my eyes. Rot for at least 5 hours before heading back to the coach.

Our last stop before the airport was to see the largest LED screen. It is not big but rather, it is long… Very long that it strains our neck just to watch what it is trying to show on the screen.

At last, to the airport and back home… The last photo was upon request by me. This is our guide, Xiao Ma as mention at the beginning. Quite handsome and cute right. Haha...

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Finally finish this post. It really took me the whole week. Went with Yh to Orchard, HS was working. We went to K, it was a long time since we went there. Bought 2 shirts for like $30.

Should i make a pair of contact lens? Hmm... Shall update again then. Need to sleep soon.

Byes=)