Three Days in Beijing - What to See with Three Days in Beijing, Capital of China

Introduction to Beijing and Touring

Beijing Overview:

Beijing is getting a facelift for the 2008 Olympics - you'll be amazed at the amount of construction going on in the city. But in between the jackhammers and cranes, you'll find some of China's most historic and beautiful national treasures. You could spend weeks seeing all there is to see in Beijing, but if you only have a few days, make the most out of them.

Best Way to See Beijing:

I'm a very independent traveler, but the first time I visited Beijing, I booked a few tours. There are pros and cons to this approach, but I find it's a great way to sight-see and glean the history out of a place where the guidebooks leave you short. My recommendation is to combine independent travel with private or group sight-seeing to make the most out of a short trip to Beijing. Booking tours is very easy through your hotel in Beijing. Once you have your reservations, contact your hotel and they will help you set up a group or private tour.

More on Group Tours:

Pros:

• A good way to see highlights, quickly (there won't be enough time for you to get "templed out")
• You'll get the history of the location from an English-speaking guide

Cons:

• Between each historic spot on the agenda is usually an unannounced stop at a shopping location - usually overpriced and unwelcome if you're really into seeing the historic attractions
• Lunch is always part of the day and it's generally bad Westernized-Chinese food. Yuck!

Getting Around Beijing

Taxis are an inexpensive and easy way to get around. However, most drivers don't speak any English so you usually have to show them where you're going, for example, on a Chinese map or with a business card.

Hotels will have "taxi cards" for you to keep with you to get back and they usually provide a little card with the major sights listed in Chinese as well. Be sure to pick a few up for your bag.

There are tourist maps available in the hotels and Beijing is easy to walk around too, although it is very big. The subway is very easy to navigate in Beijing. This is a good option during peak traffic hours and it's also much less expensive than an already inexpensive taxi.

Day One Morning - a Self-Guided Introduction to Tiananmen Square

The following itinerary assumes you have three full days. You can obviously tailor this itinerary down if you have less time.

A good first-impression destination for Beijing, and an infamous one at that, is Tiananmen Square. There's not much to see on the square itself - it's really just a huge plaza. But it gives you an inkling of the sheer size of monuments - even a public plaza - that Beijing offers. Of course, millions of people paraded through the square on occasion under Chairman Mao and the Square became famous in the West in 1989 as the news broadcast the army clashing against pro-democracy demonstrations. Now it's a place for kite flying and strolling - bikes must be walked across the square. The square is surrounded by heavy Communist monuments such as the Chinese Revolution History Museum and the Great Hall of the People.

Worth a stop if you have a vague interest in seeing embalmed Communist leaders, is the Mao Mausoleum. There will be an enormous line to get in so you'll have to wait, and make sure to bring your passport. The line moves fast; people are shuffled quickly past the Chairman's embalmed body.

Lunch Break: It's your first day and if you can't stop sight-seeing to eat, bring along some snacks or a packed lunch from your hotel. There are plenty of spots to stop and rest in the Forbidden City. There aren't a lot of lunch choices once you're inside. Stop in the snack bar or restaurant at the Great Hall of the People before heading off to the Forbidden City.

Day One Afternoon - a Self-Guided Walk to the Forbidden City

From Tiananmen Square, the large portrait of Chairman Mao overlooking the Square from Tiananmen Gate is hard to miss. Make this your next stop as you walk over to the Forbidden City also commonly called the Palace Museum. Upon entering from the south, you'll make your way through the maze of palaces and pavilions that housed Ming and Qing emperors until 1911 when the last emperor, Pu Yi, abdicated. Read the full profile for more history and essentials about visiting the Forbidden City. The exit is on the north side.

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City take a solid morning to early afternoon. If you go to the mausoleum it's probably a whole day. If you get finished with the Forbidden City and feel like seeing more, Beihei park is a few minutes walk from the northern exit of the Forbidden City. It's got a few interesting temples and sights and is easily combined with Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Walking through Beihai Park is a nice way to unwind from the massive historical sights you've just witnessed.

Dinner: It's your first night in Beijing and you're probably pooped out from all the walking and sight-seeing. Don't let this stop you from sampling some traditional Beijing cuisine. Nip back to the hotel for a shower and a quick rest and then go out for some delicious Beijing Duck, it's the specialty in Beijing, after all. If you're really tired, your hotel probably has a restaurant that serves it. Otherwise, ask for a recommendation of somewhere nearby.

Day Two - the Great Wall & Ming Tombs with a Guide

You can certainly see the Great Wall on your own. However, having done it with a tour group and on my own with a private guide, I'd definitely recommend going with a private guide. You'll get to spend as much time as you want on the wall and you'll get to see a less-congested part. I recommend visiting the Mutianyu section. The views are awesome and the wall itself is in great shape. You can walk for miles, though some of it is very steep.

Lunch Break: After your visit to the Mutianyu section, ask your guide to stop at one of the local trout restaurants for lunch. Fresh trout restaurants line the roadway to the Wall and the gimmick is that you catch your own. The food at these restaurants is very inexpensive but quite good.

After the Great Wall, most private and group-tours will head to the Ming tombs. There are thirteen of them and different tours go to different tombs. Most go to Dingling, the tomb of Emperor Wanli (reigned 1537-1619). You'll visit the Sacred Way, a long path leading to the tombs flanked on both sides by mythical and real stone animals as well as the tomb compound itself. The Great Wall and Tombs lie 1-1.5 hours outside Beijing.

Dinner: You most likely had a little nap on the way back from your Great Wall and Ming Tomb adventure, so surely you'll be rested enough to splurge on a fancy dinner at one of Beijing's finest destinations. For a nouveau Chinese dinner that will leave you stunned, try the Green T. House.

Day Three Morning - Self-Guided Sight-Seeing the Temple of Heaven

Get an early start and get to the early. The temple complex is surrounded by a large park and many local Chinese people go and just hang out there. It's fun to see oldies playing cards and singing traditional songs.

The Temple of Heaven was the most important temple for Ming and Qing emperors. Once a year, the emperor came to worship the heavens and pray for a bountiful year. An architectural rendering of heaven (round) and earth (square), the temples are circular with square bases. Key sights are the Round Altar, Echo Wall, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

Getting there: public transport to the east gate, bus no. 807 or no. 812 from just north of the Chongwen Men metro stop (209, exit B) to Fahua Si. The best approach is from the south gate. Taking a taxi is a good option.

Lunch Break: After your Temple visit, skip over to the Noodle Loft for an adventure in Shanxi cuisine, which is based on, you guessed it, the noodle. Open for lunch between 11-2:30pm (dinner 5:30-10:30pm), the Noodle Loft is a fun diversion in noodle culture as well as a pit stop in itself. Dawang Road #20, tel 010 6774 9950. Getting there: Metro stop - Dawang Lu (123) or taxi.

Day Three Afternoon - Self-Guided Sight-Seeing the Summer Palace

After a nice lunch, grab a cab, it's a bit of a hike to the Summer Palace, an enormous park filled with temples, pavilions, theatres, bridges and walkways. The Palace was originally an escape for the imperial court to cool off in the hot summer months that baked the Forbidden City. Abandoned after a while, Empress Dowager Cixi renovated the buildings starting in 1888. Supposedly her use of funds meant for the imperial navy eventually cost China the palace as well as sovereignty over many of her ports. After the Boxer rebellion, British and French troops destroyed the palace and forced China to concede to opening up for trade. After 1949 renovations again took place and now the place can be seen in much of its original grandeur.

The Summer Palace is lovely to just take your time and stroll. Climbing the hill takes you through vividly painted corridors to the main temple where you will have beautiful views of Kunming Lake. Spend the afternoon people watching and walking through the park.

Dinner: You've had a grand, if whirl-wind, tour of Beijing. Make your last night about northern Chinese cuisine. Made in China at the Grand Hyatt is a splendid way to celebrate your tour. Dinner hours: 5:30-10:00pm. Tel 010 8518 1234 ext. 3608, Grand Hyatt Beijing, 1 East Chang An Avenue.

credited to about.com

Flood fears force huge evacuation - China, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces

Just two weeks after a devastating tremor in which more than 68,000 lives were perished, a pair of powerful aftershocks on Tuesday collapsed hundreds of thousands of more homes in Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces, adding to the suffering of millions of local residents.

As the frequency of follow-up earthquakes does not bode well, a rising number of rural and urban households in Sichuan, its northern Shaanxi and eastern Chongqing municipality, have chosen to sleep outdoors in makeshift tents.

Many of the more than 400,000 homes that collapsed in Qingchuan County, Sichuan, and Ningqiang County, Shaanxi, on Tuesday, were somewhat already damaged by the initial May 12 magnitude 8.0 killer earthquake. Several dozens are reportedly hurt. The two quakes, on a magnitude of 5-plus and only half an hour apart, were a reminder that the crisis in the region and anxieties of the residents are unlikely to dissipate any time soon.

Flood fears force huge evacuation

More than 150,000 people who face the threat of flooding, should an earthquake-created dam near Beichuan burst its banks, were evacuated last night even as engineers were digging a diversion channel to prevent flooding.

Local authorities said they evacuated 158,000 people by midnight Tuesday in case Tangjiashan lake - formed when landslides blocked Jianjiang River after the May 12 quake - overflows its banks.

According to contingency plans, up to 1.3 million people from 33 townships of Mianyang city could be relocated if the lake barrier collapsed entirely.

Premier Wen Jiabao told a meeting of the State Council quake relief headquarters Tuesday that handling the quake lakes is the "most pressing" task at present.

The water level in the Tangjiashan lake has kept rising and the water diversion channel won't be effective till June 5, experts said Tuesday.

Tangjiashan lake was holding 130 million cu m of water - or the volume of water in about 50,000 Olympic-size swimming pools - said Liu Ning, chief engineer of the Ministry of Water Resources who was at the site to oversee the diversion work.

More than 600 engineers and soldiers were working nonstop at the lake site to dig the channel.

Cai Qihua, of the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission, said 26 excavators and bulldozers were being used around the clock.

The water is rising by nearly 2 m a day and reached only 23 m below the lowest part of the barrier Tuesday, she said.

Many towns and villages downstream held evacuation drills Tuesday.

In Tianlin village, among the first to be flooded if the lake bursts, gongs and loudspeakers directed 680 villagers to rush to surrounding hills within 20 minutes.

"The flood will sweep our village in 5 or 6 hours if the dam collapses," the village head said.

Jianjiang River runs into Fujiang River about 10 km north of the village.

Compounding flood fears, two fresh aftershocks struck quake-hit areas Tuesday.

A 5.7-magnitude aftershock struck Ningqiang county of Shaanxi province Tuesday at 4:37 pm. It was also felt in the provincial capital of Xi'an.

Earlier, at 4:03 pm, a 5.4-magnitude aftershock hit Qingchuan county in Sichuan, which is very close to Ningqiang,

The two aftershocks were also felt in the Sichuan provincial capital Chengdu and parts of Chongqing and Gansu.

More than 60 people were injured and 420,000 houses in Qingchuan collapsed in the aftershocks.

Qingchuan was the epicenter of a 6.4-magnitude aftershock on Sunday afternoon, which was the strongest aftershock since May 12.

The death toll from the quake reached 67,183 by midday Tuesday, with 361,822 injured and 20,790 missing, according to the Information Office of the State Council.

More than 45.61 million people were affected in the deadly quake, and about 15 million have been displaced, according to the office.

By noon Tuesday, donations in cash and relief materials from home and abroad reached 32.7 billion yuan ($4.7 billion). So far, 9.4 billion yuan ($1.35 billion) has been forwarded to the quake-affected areas, the office said.

Meanwhile, 566,400 tents had been sent to quake-affected areas by noon Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

credited to chinadaily.com

Tian Shan - China

The Tian Shan , also commonly spelled Tien Shan, and known as Tangri Tagh ("celestial mountains" or "mountains of the spirits") in the Uyghur language, is a mountain range located in Central Asia. The now widely used name Tian Shan is a Chinese translation of the Uyghur name, which may in turn go back to a Xiongnu name, qilian reported by the Shiji as the last place where they met and had their baby as in of the Yuezhi, which has been argued to refer to the Tian Shan rather than to the range 1,500 km further the east now known by this name. A nearby mountain range, the Tannu-Ola Mountains , also bears a synonymous name ("heaven/celestial mountains" or "god/spirit mountains").

The range lies to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. In the south it links up with the Pamir Mountains. It also extends into the Chinese province of Xinjiang and into the northern areas of Pakistan, where it joins the Hindu Kush.

In Western cartography, the eastern end of the Tian Shan is usually understood to be just west of Ürümqi, while the range to the east of that city is known as the Bogda Shan. However, in Chinese cartography, from the Han Dynasty to the present, the Tian Shan is also considered to include the Bogda Shan and Barkol ranges.

The Tian Shan are a part of the Himalayan orogenic belt which was formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates in the Cenozoic era. They are one of the longest mountain ranges in Central Asia, stretching some 2,800 km eastward from Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Jengish Chokusu which, at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft), is also the highest point in Kyrgyzstan and is on the border with China. The Tian Shan's second highest peak, Khan Tengri (Lord of the Spirits), at 7,010 m, straddles the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border. Mountaineers class these as the two most northerly peaks over 7,000 m in the world.

The Torugart Pass, 3,752 metres (12,310 ft) high, is located at the border between Kyrgyzstan and China's Xinjiang province. The forested Alatau ranges, which are at a lower altitude in the northern part of the Tian Shan, are inhabited by pastoral tribes speaking Turkic languages. The major rivers rising in the Tian Shan are the Syr Darya, the Ili river and the Tarim River. The Aksu Canyon is a notable feature in the northwestern Tian Shan.

One of the first Europeans to visit and the first to describe the Tian Shan in detail was the Russian explorer Peter Semenov in the 1850s.

credited to wikipedia and flickr users: kdriese, jurim, uncorneredmarket, ullrich, alan1954, evileve24, soleilune

China in mist

I have to admit, I did not expect China to be so visually stunning... Many imagine harsh mountains, endless plains and a glut of industry (and there's plenty of that), but in actual truth China can be a photographer's paradise, all the same.

Click to enlarge.

images source pic.yesky, 360.bolaa, hinhuanet

Amazing Photos of China

China, (People's Republic of China), is situated in eastern Asia, bounded by the Pacific in the east. The third largest country in the world, next to Canada and Russia, it has an area of 9.6 million square kilometers, or one-fifteenth of the world's land mass. It begins from the confluence of the Heilong and Wusuli rivers (135 degrees and 5 minutes east longitude) in the east to the Pamirs west of Wuqia County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (73 degrees and 40 minutes east longitude) in the west, about 5,200 kilometers apart; and from the midstream of the Heilong River north of Mohe (53 degrees and 31 minutes north latitude) in the north to the southernmost island Zengmu'ansha in the South China Sea (4 degrees and 15 minutes north latitude), about 5,500 kilometers apart.

Few people in the Western world know about the hidden beauty of China. Well….. of course it helps to have an ace photographer who can capture this land of enchantment as no other has. But these are some truly inspiring photos. Forget everything you think you know about China and take a couple minutes to ponder these images.

credited to Feng Jiang