Shopping Trips

What annoys me the most in all these group tours to China are the shopping trips. And these shopping trips are divided into factory shopping (so called factory) and general shopping at goods distribution centers. The guide will also bring you to cultural centers, which most of the times sell all the not so good quality arts and crafts.


Buses congregating to send their load for slaughter

On the third day of the trip itself, we went to two shoppings alone! It was only scheduled for one, but during lunch time, they purposely chose this restaurant that was attached to the jade factory.

But to my surprise, my colleagues actually do not mind that, because at all these places, they actually bought quite a bit. Especially at the silk blanket factory, they bought so much even though I think the price was much higher.




Yawn


No No, No More Shopping For Me

All these shops the guide brought us to, self proclaim that they are government runned. But in my opinion, that will only mean that you have just got to pay more for the genuine stuff. Sigh~ Mark and I most of the time would just hide at one corner waiting for everyone else buying there. It is kinda like wasted good times outside there.

Temple of Heaven

At the Echo Wall

We didn't really get to see a lot of the temple, because it was under renovation. Therefore we were only allowed to see it from outside. It will not be completed until June 2006. So we proceed to the echo wall temple and the open space prayer ground. As usual, they all look very bad shape. Probably due to the harsh weather in Beijing these few years.


A nice morning at Temple of Heaven

It was a nice little stroll through the surrounding garden here. Lots of elderly spend their time socializing with each other. There were people practising their chinese musical instruments in an orchestra style, there were group singing opera openly. Walking ahead, there were people that practice their chinese caligraphy too. They wrote a big chinese brush dipped into the water, then onto the square pavements. Mostly practice writings on some chinese verse (dui lian).

Others mostly play chinese chess, with many people surrounding them. Some play the 9 dots card (pai jiu), some play normal pocker cards.





Walking around here, it does gave me a feeling that Beijing people are mostly happy and living comfortably these days, under the current government care. In fact, we don't see much that sleep on the street when dusk falls. Every here seemed to enjoys the warmth of the summer as much as possible.

The Forbidden City

Once when I was at my younger age, I felt at awked when I first see the picture of the forbidden city. I told myself that, how nice it would be if I could go there one day.

And true enough, now I get my chance to finally set foot at this so called Forbidden City. I was very thrilled to learn that I will go there on this company trip.



My first impression of this old palace, is that, it is not that magnificent after all. In fact, it is not as big as what I thought initially. The throne where the emperor once sat, look so dull and smaller than size. The palace ground, at most place, are actually over grown with unkept grass. The beams, wooden window, all look so bad shape.



There are actually very little thing that resemble how it use to be once upon a time ago. The furnitures settings were all taken off to somewhere, where you need to pay more for to look at it. Most of the buildings are empty.



Here and there, we get to see small scale of restoration on it, but this will be carried on until 2008 for the Beijing Olympic. In fact, many of the old buildings are being restored now. So don't be disappointed the next time you find yourself travelling all the way there, only to find that the place you want to visit is closed for restoration.



However, I still manage to get a glimpse on how the royalties lived during the pass. This place is mostly a serious administration fortress, there are very little for fun here. Perhaps that is why they have few summer palace here and there.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen at day time

This place is so so big. People are wandering everywhere, there are space for flying kites. Yes, it is so windy here that peddlers actually start selling kites to tourist like us.


Tiananmen Square - So many people walking around

Nothing much to do here, except taking pictures. There are places of interest around here. Forbidden city is just behine the Tiananmen Walls.

Tiananmen is just as beautiful when comes to night. Bright lights around the whole area, making this place kinda romantic to Pak Tor too. Hahaha...


Beautiful Tiananmen at dusk set in


Standing at the Olympic 2008 Countdown, all weary

Bad bad flight to Beijing

Man... so this is what you get if you are offered an incentive trip from the company!

We actually pay extra for this trip and then we were urshered into the plan at 12.30am the night before, and guess what??? The flight is only 6 hours. Just iamgine how groggy we all became when we first arrived at the international airport.


Along the highway from Airport to Beijing City Center

The weather is so so warm, it reminds me of KL. Even known when I am typing this, I feel it was no different from typing at my house in SS2. :-)

Yawn... we want to sleep... there's no breakfast for us after that, since breakfast was provided on the plane! Lucky I flicked the cold bun from the flight, and ate it when we were at the Forbidden City.

Read about my trip to Beijing, China

First Stop: Tian An Men Square

The Forbidden City

Temple of Heaven

Shopping Trips

Ming Tomb - Dingling, Largest of the 13 Tombs

The Great Wall

Writing from the Backpacker's Hostel

Toilet in Beijing

Lama Temple and Confucius Temple

Back to KL - Klang Valley Night View

Eating in Beijing

See my photo album for Beijing Trip here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danachow/sets/870716/