Category Archives: China

I can’t believe it has been two months since I lasted posted anything here. Where have the days gone?  What with doing more freelance writing, working on several websites and going on the occasional trip, the first two years of retirement have flown by!

Last week, I took a quick one-week jaunt over to China to visit with old friends in Wuhan and my son in Changsha. In the two years that have passed since we left China, both places have completed citywide subways. What used to be a 150RMB taxi ride in each places has turned into a 4RMB metro ticket.  A completely new school complex has been added to the Maple Leaf campus along with several dozen new skyscrapers in the surrounding landscape.

After a couple of days in Wuhan visiting friends, I jumped on the bullet train and headed to Changsha.  500 km in about 1.5 hours at an average speed of over 300 kph.  What used to be empty train stations only a few years ago are now crowded with masses of people.  And these things leave several times each hour all day. I walked into the station and was able to get on a train within twenty minutes. North America has a long ways to go to catch up!

Once I arrived in Changsha, I just hopped on the subway that left from under the train station and was within a block of my son’s bar and apartment within a half hour. The last time I visited only two years ago, I had the choice of either a long bus trip or expensive taxi ride. It really is easy getting around from city to city. Read More

It is hard to believe we have been in Thailand now for almost a year. Recently, we have been thinking about the six years we spent in China and all the wonderful opportunities we had while living there, especially the ability to take weekend trips to the many exciting cities that can be found in almost every part of the country.  Whether you are a first-time visitor to China, or a long term resident, it is hard to beat Beijing as a travel destination and it is one place that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

With a population of over twenty million, fortunately the mass transit system is well organized and easy to use. By staying in one of the many well-located Beijing hotels, and planning out your days ahead of time, it is easy to fit in a lot of tourist sites. You don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy your time in the city. On one of our visits, we stayed at The 365 Inn, a great little place with a public bar/restaurant on the first floor and located on a popular street with many colorful, interesting shops nearby. It was also nice that Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square were both within easy walking distance from the hotel.

Forbidden City is a massive palace compound that was the home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. You can easily spend several hours walking around this site and its surrounding gardens. Again, plan ahead and visit the parts you are most interested in. As an ex-ceramic artist, I was particularly interested in the Palace Museum, especially the incredible collection of Chinese ceramics, most of which I had only seen in books up to that point. We spent two hours walking around the grounds and barely cracked the surface. Across the street is Tiananmen Square, which is easily ticked off your list on the way to Forbidden City.

Other interesting sites in this concentrated area are the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. There is certainly no shortage of fun things to do when you visit this world-famous metropolis.

For those looking for a more luxurious get-away, the China World Hotel, Beijing – Shangri-La is a great choice. This hotel connects directly to the China World Trade Centre and is a short walk from the Guomao subway station, which provides access to the city’s many ancient and modern attractions. Whether we are looking for a weekend retreat in China, Thailand or North America, the Shangri-La has always been one of our favorites.

And, of course, everyone’s dream when traveling to China is to visit the Great Wall. Regardless of the hotel you choose, it will be easy to organize a trip to one of the many accessible parts of the wall.  It is possible to find it yourself but much easier to take part in one of the many organized tours that are available. Most of the “tours” just drop you off and give you a specified amount of time before you need to return.  Mutianyu is a good example of a section that is a little further away from the city but much less crowded. Many people don’t realize that this popular destination is in the mountains. Although it may be hot and humid in the city, the temperature can change drastically as you climb higher. We left in shorts and t-shirts, and had to purchase sweatshirts once we arrived at the base of the chairlift that would carry us to the starting point on the wall itself.

When people say they “climbed” the great wall, they are not kidding. This section was not an easy romp. There were lots of stairs culminating at the end of the section with “the four hundred stairs”. Some were pretty short; others were made for giants. I can’t imagine how the guards of past years patrolled the wall laden down with their heavy armor and weapons. There were parts that were so steep that we almost had to clamor up on our hands and knees.

The other great thing about Beijing is that passport holders of 51 countries and regions including USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands are granted a visa-free stay of up to 72 hours when taking an international transfer via Beijing Capital Airport.  This gives travelers plenty of time to check into one of the many renowned Beijing hotels and visit several of the world-famous landmarks while in transit.

Check out this link to discover more Beijing hotels as a starting point to your trip of a lifetime. Whether you are dropping in for a couple of days or an extended holiday, this thriving metropolis will provide you with enough sightseeing activities to keep you more than busy.