Beijing, China

 First of all, apologies for the delay in the next installment of my adventures.  It is a true story that China does not allow Facebook, or any Google products if you are on a Chinese sim card, which Rosie bought (the Great Firewall of China).  It was quite amazing how many one does use that Rosie has now, had a week off using.  Grant was still able to access most of his apps and I, the vegetable, don’t use any so it didn’t worry me! 

China is the world’s most populated country, and you can tell no matter where you go, there are a lot of people here, and it just happens to be the Chinese school holidays.  They have 2 months off over the Summer so would you believe that the most common nationality of tourists in China during this time is Chinese!  At this stage, we would like to point out that New Zealand children are so much more polite that Chinese children, well most of them are! :)

First impressions of Beijing, capital city of China since 1057BC yet was established over 3000 years ago, and was called Jin City, is that it is quite chaotic.  Coming from the well organized and systematic Japanese, we arrived into the craziness of Chinese driving.  From the taxi ride to the hotel, we counted at least 4 near misses and when you are out walking you need to watch not only the cars and buses, but the numerous scooters and bikes!  The white striped pedestrian lines don’t seem to mean too much, and they also like to use their horn loudly!  We now know why the Chinese drivers are not very popular on the New Zealand roads!  They have a pretty good subway system if you don’t want to navigate the traffic.

So, wits about us at all times as not everything is in English and most of the locals don’t speak our tongue.  There was a lot of gesturing, pointing and sign language to get them to understand what we want.   We were staying near a major shopping street that is for pedestrians only – Wangfujing St and every second building is a mall of some description that has at least 4 floors and 1-2 of those floors is dedicated to food so there is no shortage of finding any food.  They are also open until 10pm each night.

As the Chinese sizing of clothes is like the Japanese, quite small fitting, Grant was able to get some shirts and trousers custom made from Silk Street, a huge 7 floor building with everything imaginable for sale.  Most of the products were knock offs for high ended brands and you bartered with them for a price.  During the negotiations Grant was referred to as a 'buddha' and they wanted some extra money for the extra material they were having to use to make his clothes! LOL!   Fortunately, Grant got his way and didn't pay any extra.

It seemed that every second shop was a restaurant of some description and who knew that Chinese food could be so varied.  Would you believe that not once did we see a wonton or a combination fried rice but we did try as many variations of the food that we could. One of the food outlets that took our fancy was the NotPot, a moving buffet meal on a conveyor belt.  All three of us were in heaven with the amount of food that could be eaten in one sitting.

A definite highlight was the visit to see one of the wonders of the world, The Great Wall of China, a series of stone and earthen fortifications that stretches for 21 000km along the northern border.  The history surrounding this structure is mindboggling.  It dates back over 2,500 years ago when various emperors built it to protect ancient states from nomadic tribes.  Most of the wall was built during the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644.  We went to the Mutianyu part of the wall of which they can have up to 100 000 visitors a day. There is a plaque that states “Once intended to ward off enemy attacks, today it brings together the peoples of the world.  The great wall, may it continue to act as a symbol of friendship for future generations.”

It was also during the time of the Ming Dynasty that the Forbidden City was constructed.  This was the former imperial palace of China and is the world’s largest palace complex, rectangular in shape, and covers 720 000 square metres.  It is surrounded by a 6m deep moat and a 10m high wall.  It is called the Forbidden City because no one could enter it without the emperor’s permission.  This year, 2025, they are celebrating 100 years of allowing the public to view this unique and historical series of buildings.  NB:  The last emperor, Puyi, abdicated in 1912 but was allowed to live there for a certain time.  That was the end of the Qing dynasty and the start of the Republic of China, referred to as 'Modern China'.

Alongside this former palace is the infamous Tiananmen Square, 44 acres and is the biggest square in the world.  With the Forbidden City on one side, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the great hall of the people, and the National Museum of China flank the other three sides.  Over 100 000 people per day visit both these sites and so you can imagine, security is very, very high.  Instead of looking like a terrorist in disguise, I stayed in the van, as who knows what a stuffed toy vegetable could have hidden inside him?  Fortunately, Rosie and Grant, had a tour guide who suggested “no bags” and that saved them over an hour’s wait not having to get their bags checked but still had a few passport checks.  

One of the emperor’s most important jobs to do was to pray.  Twice a year, depending on the seasons, he would venture to the Temple of Heaven and pray for a bumper harvest.  This was the next stop to see a beautiful temple built in a round shape which is the Chinese symbol for Heaven.  The rectangular shape of the Forbidden City represents earth.

The Beijing Zoo is a must visit.  With it being the school holidays there were many families exploring the vast enclosures to see over 5000 species of animal.  We felt like we were on display as well.  Walking around, we must have looked like unusual specimens to the locals as we got many strange looks.  At one stage we got stopped by three teenage boys wanting our photo with them.  Rosie asked them (via translator) “are you on a scavenger hunt?” and the reply was “No, we are just looking for some animals.” 😊  I guess with Grant towering over everyone, Rosie looking like a leprechaun in her bright, green top and me, a vegetable, we did look a bit out of place amongst the Chinese.

Unfortunately, it must have been naptime for the giant pandas, so we didn’t really get to see them in action, same as the Bengal tiger and polar bear, sound asleep.  The rest of the animals were in full flight especially the monkeys – very entertaining to watch.

For a more modern attraction we went to the venue for the 2008 Summer and 2022 Winter Olympics where they still use the magnificent sporting venues for lots of different events.  They are the only city who has managed to use these venues for both Summer and Winter Opening and Closing Ceremonies.  As with all the places we have visited so far, we ventured up high.  The Olympic Tower gave us a magnificent 360 view of Beijing in the 36 degree heat!  

Then it was over to the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium (capacity 91 000 spectators) which is an amazing piece of architecture and engineering.  Not only could you tour around inside, but you could also have a walk around on top, too.  I was too scared to venture up there, but Rosie and Grant did!

China has 4 things that they are famous for, and we were fortunate to visit a few places to find out some more about them.

1.      Tea.  After a very informative tea ceremony, Rosie was recommended to never drink tea from a tea bag again and after having explained about the benefits of certain types of tea, I am sure that Grant will indulge in a few cups himself (especially the one that helps with gout symptoms).

2.      Jade – national gemstone (just like us but different colours) symbolizing purity, beauty and grace so yes, Rosie bought a bracelet and some earrings.

3.      Silk – we were given an explanation about the silkworm cycle and the benefits of products made from silk.  We were persuaded to buy a silk duvet which has warming and cooling benefits and was a lot cheaper than buying one of that quality in New Zealand.

4.      Traditional Chinese Medicine – given an insight into the benefits of their herbal remedies and had the most gorgeous foot massage.

So that is a wrap from Beijing, China.  We could not do it justice in a week but now have some wonderful souvenirs, and memories, from the most populated country in the world.