Beijing, China

Tianjin – Beijing Day 1 – 26th October 09 Monday Our flight on Air AsiaX Airbus A340-300 departed from LCCT, Kuala Lumpur and we arrived 6 ½ hours later at 9:30am at Tianjin Binhai International Airport 天津滨海国际机场. It was autumn and the weather was a cool 16°C. We boarded a shuttle bus waiting outside the airport departure hall which took us to downtown Tianjin. The fare cost CNY10 per person and the journey took about 35 minutes. The shuttle bus stopped at the back portion of the Tianjin Railway Station 天津站. Security personnel scanned our luggage before allowing us entry into the station. The ticket counter was located at the left side of the train station with a large screen displaying the train schedule. A special counter on the left side was opened for tourist convenience. We bought two bullet train economy tickets at CNY58 per ticket for the 2:15pm ride into Beijing. For CNY10, we were able to store our luggage in a large locker cabinet, allowing me to carry only a light backpack. So while waiting for the bullet train, we explored the attractions of Tianjin.

We took an escalator up to the main hall and walked towards the south gate to exit the station. We then proceeded on foot along the Hai River 海河, passing by a drawbridge called the Jiefang Bridge 解放橋 as well as the Century Clock 天津世纪鈡. In the distance, we saw the Dagu Bridge, which consists of two arches; a large archsymbolizing the sun and the small one marking the moon.

Tianjin is the third largest city in China, ranked only after Beijing and Shanghai in terms of its urban population. It is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China and the closest seaport to Beijing. Tianjin’s urban area is located along the Hai River 海河. Haihe starts from Jingang Bridge in the western suburbs of Tianjin and ends at Dagukou, where the river flows into the Bohai Sea. It spans 70 kilometers across the city proper.

We then boarded a taxi (CNY13) to the Ancient Cultural Street 古文化街. A giant archway stands at the entrance to the street, and behind the archway are streets lined with two and three storey buildings built in Qing dynasty (1644-1911) architectural style. Within the confines of the street are the Tianhou Temple (Tianhou gong) and the notable shop of Zhang, the famous sculptor of clay figurines. Nirenzhang Clay Sculpture 泥人张 is a well-known folk handicraft in Tianjin, with lifelike figures in various poses and colorfully painted clothes. There are many stores along this street dealing in jade articles, Chinese paintings 楊柳青年畫, seals, antiques, traditional handicrafts and in particular, Wei’s calligraphy kites 風箏魏. For CNY15, we bought a box of “Shibajie Mahua” 桂發祥麻花. “Shibajie” means 18th Street, while “Mahua” 麻花 is a fried dough twist, which is a famous produce of Tianjin.


Next, we boarded a taxi (CNY8) to Nanshi Food Street 南市食品街 for lunch. Nanshi Food Street is an ancient building complex, with green glazed roof tiles, housing many shops offering countless kinds of delicacies and cuisines. At one corner of this building is the Guobuli Restaurant, where we decided to try out the famous Guobuli dumplings.

The history of "Goubuli"狗不理 dumplings 包子 dates back over 150 years. It is stuffed with a choice of well-flavored fillings like pork, fresh shrimp, leafy green vegetables, etc., and wrapped with half-leavened pastry of fine wheat flour. A tray consisting of a mixed variety of 6 dumplings plus some porridge and pickle cost us CNY88, an expensive experience. A native of Wuqing County, named Gao Guiyou高贵友, created this famous snack during the late Qing Dynasty. At the age of 14, he left home and came to Tianjin, where he was apprenticed to a restaurant specializing in stuffed buns. A diligent and honest young man, he eventually opened a shop of his own. His stuffed buns tasted better and had peculiar features in colour, scent, taste and shape, which won him a booming business. Gao Guiyou was always too busy to talk to his customers who then said jokingly “Gouzi (his nickname “Doggie”) only sells his stuffed buns, paying no attention to customers”. Later, people started calling him “Goubuli” literally meaning “Dog don’t care” and his stuffed bun “Goubuli Stuffed Bun”. Today, with its main outlet located at Shandong Road, Heping District, the Goubuli Dumpling Shop has developed into a corporation with 89 branches in Tianjin and many other Chinese cities, provinces and regions.

Running out of time before our train was due to leave, we quickly boarded a taxi (CNY10) back towards the Tianjin Railway Station, as we really did not want to miss the bullet train to Beijing. With only 20 minutes remaining, we quickly collected our luggage and rushed to the departure gate. Many passengers were already at the waiting hall. 15 minutes before departure time, the gate was opened for passengers to descend a lower platform where the train was waiting. The bullet train was very modern and the ride was extremely smooth. Within minutes, we were speeding down the track at 340 km/h, as displayed on an LCD panel in the coach. Free mineral water was provided on the train.

The train journey from Tianjin to Beijing took about 30 minutes and we arrived at Beijing South Railway Station 北京南站, which was designed more like a modern airport than a traditional rail station. This is Asia's largest railway station, consisting of five floors; two above ground and three underground. The second underground floor and the third underground floor are connected to the Beijing Subway 北京地铁 Line 4 and Line 14, respectively. Passengers can transfer within subway lines without needing to go out of the railway station.

Our trip was most timely, because the newly completed Subway Line 4 began operations on 28th September, just in time for China’s 60th National Day celebrations on 1st October. We bought our subway tickets at CNY2 per person. This allowed us to travel on the subway for an unlimited number of stops or line changes, so long as one did not exit the station. The route we took was Beijing South Railway Station (Line 4)-Xuanwumen (Line 2)-Chongwenmen (Line 5)-Dengshikou. Exiting Dengshikou station 灯市囗, we arrived at our hotel Wangfujing Dawan Hotel 王府井大万酒店 which is located at 2A Ganyu Lane 東单北大街甘雨胡同, Dongcheng District, Beijing. We selected this hotel because of its strategic location, a 2-minute walk from this station. This subway station was to be our main daily departure point where it is accessible to most tourist sites in Beijing. After checking in, we took a rest until evening.


By the time we walked out of the hotel at 6.00 pm, it was already dark and we headed towards Wangfujing Street along a hutong. A short distance away, at end of the hutong, was St.Joseph Wangfujing Catholic Cathedral 王府井天主堂, also named the Eastern Church 東堂 to the locals. It was first built in 1655 as an apartment for two foreign priests who came to China during Emperor Shunzhi's 順治帝 reign in the Qing Dynasty. In its history of more than 300 years, it was destroyed several times by either earthquakes or wars. In 1904, it was rebuilt, and in 1980, it was reopened to Catholics. It has Romanesque-style architecture and is one of the best-preserved religious sites in the heart of Beijing.

Located at this street intersection is the most famous modern-style commercial street in Beijing - Wangfujing Avenue 王府井大街 where plenty of people plying the street for food and shopping. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the residences of ten princes, three princesses and aristocrats were built here, so the street was named Wangfu 王府, which literally means “aristocratic residency”. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), following the discovery of a well 井 filled with sweet water, the road was renamed Wangfujing. Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty, some foreign banks and firms set up offices on this street, and in the 20th century it became one of the four commercial areas of Beijing. In 1992, Wangfujing went through a thorough renovation, which lasted for almost eight years. Now, the street which runs from north to south is a comprehensive commercial area that integrates shopping, recreation and tourism. There are many shops, large departmental stores, two major modern shopping malls, the Sun Dong An Plaza 新東安市场 and Oriental Plaza 東方新天地 as well as modern luxury hotels. The best part of Wangfujing is the night culture. The street springs to life when the sun goes down and turns into a veritable wonderland of neon lights around this pedestrian street, with people having fun specifically at the Snack Street. It has now become very popular among tourists.

At a traffic junction is the location of the Donghuamen Night Market 東華門夜市. Every evening, over 60 snack stalls are set up, neatly arranged side by side on one side of the street, manned by vendors in red caps and aprons. Foods on sale included skewers of many types of meat (goat, beef, snake), insects (scorpions, crickets, centipedes, larvae) and seafood (seahorses, starfish), all waiting to be grilled, fried or boiled. Of course the usual tasty dishes of noodles, dim sum, dumplings, pancakes and desserts are available as well. These foods are served as take-away only. You can either eat right then and there, or ask for a bag and take the food with you. Not far away, on a side street of Wangfujing, is a large traditional Chinese style door archway marking the entrance to the Wangfujing Snack Street 王府井小吃街. Here you will find an array of restaurants and stalls selling both exotic and traditional Chinese cuisine. Unlike the Donghuamen night market, these are established restaurants lining the street so there are places to sit and eat your meal. We had our meal at one of the open-air seating areas while listening to the opera singing being performed nearby.

Day 2 – 27th October 09 Tuesday We had an early morning breakfast of bread and sandwiches at a shop next to our hotel before boarding the subway heading towards Tiananmen East Station 天安門東站 [Dengshikou(Line 5)-Dongdan(Line1)-Tiananmen East Station 天安門東站]. The crowd waiting to board the train was exceptionally large and wardens were seen pushing passengers into the coach. It was such a tight squeeze that we had to endure body-to-body contact in the carriage, as the train moved along.

Exiting from this station together with this huge crowd, we could immediately see the magnificent Tiananmen Gate before us and the Tiananmen Square 天安門廣場 to our left. There were many people including both local and foreign tourists, various tour groups and the local Chinese.

It was here on 1st October, 1949 that Chairman Mao Zedong 毛澤東, spoke before a crowd of 300,000 at the Tiananmen Square. He proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China 中華人民共和國 and for the first time, the Chinese national flag was raised. Ever since then, a large portrait of Mao Zedong has hung over the central archway of Tiananmen Gate. The large plaques to each side read, "Long Live the People's Republic of China "and "Long Live the Unity of the Peoples of the World." It is also here where the world watched the celebrations on 1st October 2009, marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The national day parade marched along Chang'an Avenue 長安街. We walked through the archway under Mao’s portrait at the Tiananmen Gate northwards to the Upright Gate 端門, with a design that is identical on Tiananmen Gate. Walking along the tree-lined path, we entered the Meridian Gate. Our backpack was scanned by security personnel who were stationed there. Walking further onwards along the tree-lined path, there were barracks for ceremonial guards and we saw a group of military guards practicing their march in the compound. We bought our admission ticket at a ticket booth for CNY60 per person. 

The Meridian Gate 午門 of the Forbidden City 紫禁城 is very grand, with five openings, and is the largest and main gate of the Forbidden City. There were strict rules to follow for people entering the Forbidden City. Entering through the central opening was the emperor’s exclusive privilege while his empress was allowed to go through the opening only once, that is, on their wedding day. The candidates ranked top three in the national examinations, which was presided by the emperor in the final stage, were allowed to pass through the central arch as they leave after meeting with the emperor. The east opening was for the ministers while the west opening was for the royal family. The other openings were for other officials. Ordinary people were absolutely forbidden to enter the city. Today, however, visitors enter through the central opening and in doing so; get a first glimpse of the vast spaces and grand structures within the Forbidden City.

There are four entrances to the Forbidden City; the major north and south gates and the minor east and west gates. However, it is best to enter via the south gate because this gate is the main gate and is traditionally the “front entrance”. This will allow you to experience the carefully laid out complexes to the best effect and you will be facing the front side of each structure as you progress northwards. You will experience the Forbidden City just as the foreign envoys in the past would have done, humbled by each gate, hall and massive courtyard as they made their way to see the emperor. Similarly, we recommend taking the central axis from south to north when first inside the Forbidden City. After reaching the Imperial Garden, you can back track to explore the building and exhibitions to the east and west of the central axis.

The Forbidden City 紫禁城 located in the center of China’s capital, Beijing 北京 was the imperial palace for over 500 years where fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty 明朝 (1368-1644) and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty 清朝 (1644-1911) reigned. This was the place where the emperors handled the affairs of the nation. In 1977, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site and is now officially known as “Palace Museum 故宫”. The city is rectangular in shape, surrounded by a six-meter deep moat and a ten-meter high defensive wall, in an area of 178 acres housing 9,999 rooms. The digit 9 was believed to be a special and magical number, especially for emperor, because it is the ordinal of the highest value. The word for nine 'jiu' 九 in Chinese is a homonym for 'long/lengthy' 久, signifying everlasting rule and longevity. The number of rooms was built with this rationale in mind. The number of rooms in the palace is considered very auspicious and of vital symbolic significance as it is close to 10,000. The Emperor was considered Lord of 10,000 years. However, as he bows to only God himself, symbolized by the complete number 10, the Emperor’s power is symbolized as 9 (in this case, 9,999 rooms), the closest a human could come to being God. In reality however, the current palace houses 8,707 rooms. Doors in the Forbidden City and Imperial Garden were often decorated with nine rows of nine bolts. Some nine thousand people were estimated to have lived in the Forbidden City. This included the emperor and his royal family, his concubines, eunuchs and servants. The last Emperor Puyi 溥儀, was evicted from this palace in 1924.

The Forbidden City is the world's largest palace complex. Designed with thousands of halls and gates arranged symmetrically around a north-south axis, its dimensions and luxuriance are a fitting symbol of the power and greatness of traditional China. It is now one of the most popular tourist attractions worldwide.

Construction of the palace complex began in 1407, in the 5th year of the Yongle 永樂 reign of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Di 朱棣. Zhu Di was the 4th son of Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋, founder of the Ming Dynasty in 1368. Forbidden City was completed fourteen years later in 1420 with one million workers and 100,000 artisans involved. Because all invasions into China had originated from the north, the north came to represent evil spirits, cold winds and the wicked warriors from the Steppes. Hence, nearly all buildings in the Forbidden City face south, that is, the direction of holiness, giving protection from icy winds and also permitting subtle decorations exploiting the infinite variations of sunlight. In fact, the only pavilions facing north were for the emperor's rejected concubines. Because golden yellow have long been a symbol of the royal family, it is the dominant color in the Forbidden City. Roofs are constructed with yellow glazed tiles and decorations in the palace are often yellow. Even the paved bricks on the floor of the halls were made a bit yellow by a special process. Each corner of the roofs was decorated with a certain number of small animal ornaments, determined by the designated power of the person living within the building. The number 9 was reserved only for the emperor. Only one building has 10 statuettes at each corner (not including the gargoyle guarding the rear and the phoenix at the front). This number symbolizes heaven and is considered the holiest building, that is, The Hall of Supreme Harmony 太和殿. Starting from the front is an immortal riding a phoenix 骑凤仙人, followed by a dragon 龍, a phoenix 凤, a lion 狮子, a heavenly steed 天马, a sea horse 海马, a SunNi 狻猊, a YaYu 押鱼, a XieZhi 獬豸, a DouNiu 斗牛, a HangShi 行什 plus a LiWen 螭吻 at the end. This is the fixed pattern for the order of the animals. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the throne hall, so it has the most animals on the roof. No other buildings in the country were allowed to have more. The other buildings in the Forbidden City are relatively less important and, therefore, the number of small animals on the roof is reduced. The elimination starts from the last animal in the order. After entering the Meridian Gate 午門, visitors arrive at a vast courtyard that begins with five bridges stretching over the 'Inner Golden River' 内金水河. In parts, the five bridges represent the five Confucian virtues of filial piety 孝, loyalty 忠, humanity 仁, profound person 君子 and ritual 禮. The central bridge is reserved for emperors exclusively. The two flanking it are reserved for members of the royal family while the two outer ones are for ordinary officials. The bridges are well decorated with marble balustrades carved with motifs of dragon and phoenix. The river serves as a source of water in an emergency during a fire as well as serving the principles of Feng Shui and decoration. The river bed and banks are paved with white stones to enhance the beauty of the water. According to the principles of Feng Shui, the ideal location for a home is facing south with water in front, 'Golden River' 金水河 and a mountain or hill behind, JingShan 景山. The huge courtyard covers a space of over 10,000 square meters. The grand size was both to accommodate large numbers of people on ceremonial occasions and to create a sense of imperial majesty. So far we have entered the grand Meridian Gate 午門 and crossed the five bridges that span the Inner Golden River 内金水河 and the large first courtyard. Across this courtyard lies the Gate of Supreme Harmony. This marks the start of the Outer Court proper. However, if one simply divides the Forbidden City into two parts - Outer Court 外朝 and Inner Court 内朝 - then we now head into the main part of the Outer Court. The Outer Court consists of three grand halls sitting on a raised marble terrace. In front of the halls and terrace lie a courtyard and the gate to the Outer Court. The Gate of Supreme Harmony 太和门, north of the first courtyard, is the main gate of the Outer Court. The gate is guarded by a two bronze lions, which is aimed at showing imperial dignity. The one of the west is male, with its front right paw resting on a sphere, symbolizing imperial power that extends worldwide. The lioness on the east side has its front left paw on a lion cub, indicating a prosperously growing family and the never-ending succession of the imperial lineage. In China, lions were supposed to be good doorkeepers and placed at the gates to ward off evil spirits. When bronze lions are present in front of a residence, they signify that the occupant is an official. First rank officials have lions with 13 bumps on their heads. This decreases with the official's rank, eight being the least number of bumps on the head. Officials of rank seven and below were not allowed lions outside their gates. Passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony 太和门, we saw the most important building in the city - the Hall of Supreme Harmony 太和殿 and its huge courtyard. The hall was first built in 1406 and later repaired many times. As the heart of the Forbidden City, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, also called the “Throne Hall”, used to be the place where emperors received high officials and practiced their rule over the nation. Also, grand ceremonies would be held to celebrate a new emperor's ascension to the throne, emperors' birthdays, wedding ceremonies and other important occasions such as the Winter Solstice, the Chinese New Year and dispatch of generals into fields of war. Because the Hall of Supreme Harmony was a symbol of imperial power, it was the highest structure in the nation during the Ming and Qing dynasties - no other building was allowed to be higher than it. The emperor would arrive at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, amidst ceremonial music, drum beating and firecrackers. He would then take his place on the throne and listen to a reading of congratulatory messages from his palace courtiers. Civil and military officials would all kneel before him proclaiming: "Long Live Your Majesty". Along the three-tiered marble terrace stairs, there are 18 bronze Dings, a type of ancient Chinese vessel, representing the 18 provinces of the nation (as was then). On the terrace, a bronze crane and a bronze tortoise can be seen. They were placed there to symbolize everlasting rule and longevity. The marble sundial日晷 in the east and an ancient measuring vessel 嘉量 in the west were placed there to demonstrate that the emperor was both just and fair. In front of the hall, there are a couple of gilded bronze vats, which were used to hold water in case of an outbreak of fire. A fire could be lit under the vat in winter to stop the water from freezing. In total, there are 308 vats in the Forbidden City. As a symbol of imperial power, the sandalwood throne inside the hall, standing on a two-meter high platform, is located in the center of the hall and encircled by six gold-lacquered pillars painted with dragons. The golden throne is carved with dragons all over. Around the throne stand two bronze cranes, an elephant-shaped incense burner and tripods in the shape of mythical beasts. The hall is heavily painted with dragons and has an aura of solemnity and mystery. The emperor's throne, which is surrounded by various art treasures of symbolic significance, is in the middle of the hall. Above the throne is a gold painted caisson, or coffered ceiling, with dragon designs. In the middle of the ceiling is the design of two dragons playing with pearls. The pearls were made of glass and painted with mercury. After viewing all these, we next went to the Hall of Complete Harmony 中和殿, the rest and preparation room for the emperor before ceremonies. Next is the Hall of Preserving Harmony 保和殿. This is the hall where the highest level and final stage of the nationwide imperial examination system is held. Those who passed the palace exam would receive an honour and title from the emperor, and their status and wealth were assured. The practice of national examinations was suspended every now and then and was finally abolished in 1904. Behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony, in the centre of the stairway, is a huge marble relief of nine dragons playing with pearls. It is the largest stone sculpture in the Forbidden City. Sculpted originally in the Ming dynasty, it was re-sculpted in the Qing dynasty. During these dynasties, anyone who was caught touching this holy stone would receive the death penalty! Weighing about 250 tonnes, the marble slab is 16.57 meters long, 3.07 meters wide and 1.7 meters thick. The huge stone was hauled into the palace all the way from Fangshan District 房山區, about 70 kilometers from Beijing. This difficult task took about a month, employing twenty thousand men and thousands of mules and horses. It is said that a well was dug every 500 meters along the way and the well water was poured on the ground so as to form an icy road, which could facilitate the land boat transportation.

Next, the Gate of Heavenly Purity divides the Forbidden City into two parts, the Outer Court and the Inner Court; therefore, it serves as the main entrance to the imperial household. This was the sleeping quarters of the emperor, empress and concubines inside Forbidden City. The residential places of the Emperor and Empress were named Qianqing Palace 乾清宫, Jiaotai Hall 交泰殿 and Kunning Palace 坤宁宫. We exited Forbidden City through the north gate – The Gate of Divine Might 神武門. On the gate wall was written Imperial Palace Museum故宫博物院. Opposite the northern gate is the large park well known as Jingshan Park 景山公园 also known as Prospect Hill, constructed entirely from the earth and rocks excavated while digging the moats of the Imperial Palace and nearby canals. This is the highest point in Beijing City and was used to be an imperial garden for feudal monarchs of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Five glaze-tiled pavilions were built atop the hill, behind which a number of palaces were also added. Fruits trees were planted all over the hill slopes, so that the entire park is tucked away in the shade of towering pines and cypresses. The park is indispensable for a panoramic view of the Former Imperial Garden. It is the best vantage point for taking a bird’s-eye view of Beijing. The park was also where the last Ming Emperor Zhu Youjian 朱由檢(Chongzhen 崇禎 era) died. After being defeated by a popular peasant uprising led by Li Zicheng 李自成 and rather than facing capture, the emperor fled to Jingshan hill and hung himself on a tree. Today there is a small memorial, to mark the site where a dynasty finally collapsed.










Next we walked westward to Beihai Park and bought the entrance tickets at CNY20 per person. The Beihai Park 北海公园 was allegedly built by the Great Khan, centuries earlier than the Forbidden City. This park was enjoyed by various rulers of China for hundreds of years and features great pavilions, architecturally interesting walkways and a large lake with an island called Qionghua Island in the middle. High on top this Qionghua Island is several temples and pavilion but the most prominent one is the Bai Ta (White Dagoba) built of brick and stone whitened with lime. A dagoba differs from the better-known pagoda in shape. While a pagoda is a multi-storied pyramidic tower, a dagoba is a single rounded structure topped by a spire and crowned by a golden tip, which is a gilded ball shaped like a flame. We walked along the banks of Beihai under the willow trees until we reached the north gate where we exited. Many local buses were seen stopping here to pick up passengers. We hailed a taxi back to our hotel, costing us CNY15.

Just before evening, we took the subway to Qianmen [Dengshikou(Line 5)-Chongwemen (Line2)-Qianmen Station 前門站]. Qianmen 前門 is the common name for the gateway formally known as Zhengyangmen 正陽門. It was one of the nine great gates of the Beijing city walls. First built in 1419, the gateway consisted of a gatehouse and an archery tower. Although all the gates of the city walls were removed, this archery tower and gatehouse was spared and later extensively reconstructed and incorporated with modern design elements. At 42 meters high, the gatehouse was, and is still today, the tallest among all the gates of Beijing. The Qianmen Commercial Street took shape about 570 years ago and reached its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, garlanded with restaurants, theaters, silk stores and teahouses. The street was closed for a facelift in May 2007, with old buildings demolished. After a massive refurbishment and through use of historical photos, the street was rebuilt to resemble its original style over one year ago. The 845-meter-long historic Qianmen Street, stretching from the southern end of Tiananmen Square to the Zhushiku Street, was opened to visitors, one day prior to the Beijing Olympic Games. It became the second pedestrian thoroughfare in Beijing, after Wangfujing Street, the downtown shopping district. Time-honored shops of local brand names that originated from Qianmen in the past century, such as the Quanjude 全聚德 roasted duck restaurant, Zhangyiyuan 张一元 teahouse, Yitiaolong 一条龙 mutton and the Changchun Tang drugstore were reopened for business on the same day. A tram service that was discontinued in the 1960s was restored and become the only transportation vehicle allowed at the pedestrian street, providing transportation from one end of the street to the other.


Day 3 – 28th October 09 Wednesday



This morning we took the subway to Deshengmen [Dengshikou (Line 5)-Yonghegong (Line 2)-Jishuitan Station 積水潭站 near Deshengmen 德勝門]. Deshengmen is now a major transportation node in northern Beijing. We boarded a green coloured bus #919 Express 直线 that travel on the Badaling Expressway to the Badaling Great Wall. The bus fare is CNY12 per person. Just before we reached our destination, we saw, from the right side window of the bus, many people climbing the Great Wall, at a section known as Juyongguan Pass 居庸關. After an hour’s ride, we finally arrived at Badaling 八達嶺. As we alighted the bus, we were hit by a cold wind and had to quickly put on our jackets to keep warm. From the bus stop, we walked towards the information office to pick up some brochures and a map, and then passing a long wall displaying Chinese words that translated, as “You are not yet a hero until you climb the Great Wall”. We walked on till we passed a tower gate and immediately on the right, was the ticketing booth. The entrance fee was CNY45 per person. Entering the ticket checkpoint, we saw on both sides a display of old canons that was used to protect the wall from intrusion of the northern nomadic tribes. Starting from here, at the 1st tower, we walked to the right towards the northern wall. Our aim is to reached the North Eighth Tower 北八樓, the highest point along this great wall, 1015meters above sea level. The Great Wall of China 萬里長城 A UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a symbol of Chinese civilisation and one of the wonders that the Chinese people have created. In 1988, UNESCO enlisted it into the World Cultural Heritage Directory. On July 7, 2007, the worldwide reputation that the Great Wall of China has gained was further confirmed, as it became listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.


Badaling Great Wall is situated in Yanqing County 延庆县, over 70kilometres (43 miles) north of Beijing. It is the most well preserved section of the Great Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This section is the outpost of the Juyongguan Pass 居庸關. The mountain slope is very steep and the roads are treacherous. These features made it suitable as a military stronghold. Badaling Great Wall is like a strong dragon winding its way along the mountain ranges. The Great Wall originally functioned as a fortification. As early as the Qin Dynasty 秦朝 (221BC-206BC), Qinshihuang 秦始皇, the first emperor of Qin Dynasty unified the whole nation and began to build the Great Wall to protect China's borders from the intrusion of the northern nomadic tribes. Most parts of the preserved Badaling 八達嶺 Great Wall were built and reinforced during the Ming Dynasty to defend the capital against the intrusion of these Mongolian people. At present, Badaling Great Wall still stands there, recording the hardship and bitterness that the Chinese people have endured in the past 2000 years. It is a priceless cultural heritage of humanity.

Badaling Great Wall was the earliest part of the great Wall that was opened to tourists. It has drawn foreign leaders, celebrities and tens of millions of tourists both from home and abroad to visit this place. After 2 hours, we finally reached the North Eighth Tower and were filled with a sense of achievement having climbed the Great Wall. This last tower wall were sealed to prevent further climbing as the following section of the wall was not restored and dangerous to climb. We backtracked the wall a little and walked to the cable car station. The cable car ticket was CNY40 per person. Walking through a tunnel under the Great Wall, we boarded the cable car heading down the mountain. We arrived at the base station after a 5-minute ride. We walked back to the bus stop where we alighted earlier and boarded the same bus service back to Beijing. The bus stopped at Deshengmen 德勝門 and we took a taxi for CNY27 back to our hotel.




In the evening, we travel by subway to the Olympics Sports Center [Denshikou (Line 5)-Huixinxjie Nankou (Line 10)-Beituchen (Line 8)-Olympic Sports Center]. Exiting the station, we saw a large open space and in the distance, the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube. Our backpack was scanned before we were allowed entry into the Olympic Park. The Beijing National Stadium 北京國家體育場, which is also known affectionately as the Bird’s Nest 鸟巢 is located on the northern 4th ring road of Beijing city, south of Beijing Olympic Green. This destination attracted the sight of the whole world during the opening and closing ceremonies; athletic events and football finals for the 2008 Beijing Olympics took place here. A total of 42,000 tonnes of steel made up the major structures of this stadium and is planned to be in use for the next one hundred years. From the air, the whole structure looks like a huge bird’s nest, thus giving it the moniker “Bird’s Nest”. At the same time, it also turned out to be a landmark for Olympic heritage as well as a recognized landmark worldwide. Built alongside the Bird’s Nest is another landmark building of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games – the Beijing National Aquatics Center 北京國家游泳中心, better known as the Water Cube 水立方. The aquatics center looks like a crystal palace, and is especially appealing at night when it is lit.

Day 4 – 29th October 09 Thursday This morning, we took the subway along Dengshikou-Chongwenmen(Line2)-Xuanwumen(Line4) to Beijing South Railway Station. We bought two tickets for the bullet train to Tianjin for travel on the following day. We then continued our journey from Beijing South Railway Station along (Line4) to Beigonmen Station, a 30 minute ride passing a total of 19 stops along the way. Upon arriving at the North Palace Gate entrance to the Summer Palace, we bought our tickets for CNY40 per person. Immediately after going through the entrance, the first sight we came upon was Suzhou Street 蘇州街, laid out along the Rear Lake of Summer Palace. It was designed to imitate the ancient style of shops in Suzhou City, Jiangsu 江蘇 Province. The area served as an entertainment place where Emperors and concubines could feel as if they were strolling on a commercial street. When the royals went there, eunuchs and maids of honor would playact as peddlers, customers and shop assistants to mimic market activities.

Built during the reign of Qianlong (1711-1799), it was burned down by Anglo-French allied forces in 1860. In 1986, reconstruction began and it was opened to the public in 1990. Today's market includes stores such as dyers, souvenir shops, drugstores, banks, shoe stores, teashops, and hockshops, with clerks dressed in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) costumes. There is an interesting story behind the building of this street. One day during the Emperor Qianlong's visit to Suzhou, he dressed up as a pilgrim and came to a Buddhist nunnery where he met a beautiful nun. Deeply attracted by her charming beauty, the emperor wanted to take her back to his palace. But it would break Buddhist regulations to publicly choose a nun as a concubine. After returning to Beijing, the Emperor thought of a way to solve this headache. He ordered the Quanzong Temple at Haidan Park 海淀公园 to be built for the nun. The place was secluded with a beautiful view. Every time Qianlong visited the temple, it served as his temporary palace and the beautiful nun was his favorite concubine. One day, as usual, Emperor Qianlong came to Quanzong Temple, but he was told that the beauty was sick. "What's wrong with you?" he asked her with deep concern. "Nothing's wrong. It has been several years since I left home, and I'm homesick now." the beauty answered with tears in her eyes. "It's very easy. I'll go with you to Suzhou in six months time." Six months later, the Emperor came to the temple to take the beauty to Suzhou with him. Incredulously, the beauty got into the carriage. But an hour later, the carriage stopped suddenly. One maiden asked her to get off, "Here it is Suzhou" she said. Poking her head out of her sedan window, the beauty remarked "It is impossible. How could we get to Suzhou in one hour?” She could hardly believe the sight before her eyes. A little river wound through the middle of the street. Along the two sides of the street, there were many shops selling goods from Suzhou. The passers-by and shop owners all spoke the Suzhou dialect. The whole scene before her eyes made her feel as though she was really in Suzhou. It turned out that the Emperor had ordered the commercial street to be constructed at the Rear Lake of the Summer Palace. Also, a large number of merchants and shops were moved here to further add to the Suzhou flavor. From then on, Emperor Qianlong would often take the beautiful nun here to admire the charming Suzhou view. Because of this, the street is become to be known as Suzhou Market Street.

The Summer Palace Yihe Yuan 颐和园 A UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape gardening and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical royal gardens of the world. To celebrate the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后, Emperor Qianlong 乾隆帝 had the Qingyi Garden 清漪園 of 1750 rebuilt and renamed it the Summer Palace in 1873. It became a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill 万寿山 and the Kunming Lake 昆明湖, three quarters of which is water. The central Kunming Lake was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. Next we walked to the Marble Boat by the lakeside on the north western shore of Kunming lake. The Marble Boat 石舫 was first erected in 1755 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. It was placed in the lake to symbolize the steadfast rule of the Qing Dynasty. The original pavilion was made from a base of large stone blocks which supported a wooden superstructure done in a traditional Chinese design. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the pavilion was destroyed by Anglo-French forces. It was restored in 1893 by order of the Empress Dowager Cixi. In this restoration, a new two-story superstructure was designed, which incorporated elements of European architecture. Imitation paddlewheels on each side of the pavilion makes it look like a paddle steamer. Like its predecessor, the new superstructure is made out of wood but it was painted to imitate marble. The pavilion has a sophisticated drainage system which channels rain water through four hollow pillars. The water is finally released into the lake through the mouths of four dragonheads. The Marble Boat is often seen as an ironic commentary on the fact that the money used for its restoration and the enlargement of the Summer Palace largely came from funds originally earmarked for the Chinese navy – the Beiyang Fleet 北洋艦隊. The controller of the Admiralty, the 1st Prince Chun 醇王, owed much of his social standing as well as his appointment to the Empress Dowager, who had adopted his oldest son to become Emperor Guangxu 光緒帝. Because of this, he probably saw no other choice than to condone the embezzlement. We continued walking, passing many gardens and other classical-style architectural structures along a long corridor by the lakeside till we reached the bronze ox statue. According to ancient tradition, tying an ox near to a riverbank or lakeside helps prevent flooding. When Emperor Qianlong 乾隆帝 finished dredging the Kunming Lake and building a causeway, he installed the gilded bronze ox here in order to tame the flood. To memorialize it, a “Golden Ox Inscription” was done on the ox’s back. Near the bronze ox statue 銅牛 is the location of the largest pavillion in the Summer Palace. A 17-Arch Bridge 十七孔橋 provides a link to an island. The bridge was built in 1750 by the Qing Emperor QianLong. There is a rationale behind the bridge having 17 arches; it has to do with Chinese numerology. The number eight is a symbol for luck or wealth in Chinese culture. The ninth arch, the largest, is considered the number most auspicious for emperors, thus the 'Son of Heaven' is symbolically positioned in the middle of good fortune on both sides (8 arches either side). The design for the bridge is partially based on the famed Marco Polo Bridge southwest of Beijing. There are 544 carved stone lions along the railings, each one different from the others.


Exiting the New Palace Gate新宮門 we took a taxi (CNY10) to Xiyuan station, and then by subway from Xiyuan(Line4)-Xizhimen(Line2)-Chongwenmen(Line5) to Tiantan Dongmen. We walked across the street and had lunch at Kentucky Chicken Restaurant. Crossing the overhead bridge, we bought our entrance tickets (CNY40) and entered the Temple of Heaven Park. After passing the 72 Long Corridors, we reached the Hall of Prayer of Good Harvests 祈年殿. The Temple of Heaven 天壇 is located in southern Beijing. It was first constructed in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Ming emperor Yongle, and was extended and renovated during the reigns of Ming Emperor Jiajing 嘉靖 and Qing Emperor Qianlong 乾隆帝. It was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would worship the god of heaven and pray for good harvest. Covering an area of 273 hectares, it is the largest architectural complex in the world for rituals to pay homage to heaven. In 1918, the Temple of Heaven was turned into a park; it attracted masses of visitors from home and abroad due to its grand scale, unique buildings and importance towards the historical culture of offering sacrifices to Heaven. After New China was founded in 1949，the central government invested large amounts of capital into the protection and maintenance of the historical and cultural sites inside the temple. In 1998,UNESCO included the Temple of Heaven into the World Heritage List. With profound cultural connotations and imposing architectural styles, the Temple of Heaven is considered a reflection of ancient Oriental civilization. 
 Next we walked southward to the 360-meter-long Danbi bridge 丹陛桥, which is actually a raised walkway connecting the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests 祈年殿 and the Circular Mound Altar 天坛圜丘坛. The middle stone-slab path on the bridge, which is 30 meters wide, is the Divine Road and was for the exclusive use of the God of Heaven. The brick-paved path on the east side is the Imperial Road, which served only the emperor. The brick-paved path on the west side was called the King’s Road and was at the disposal of the aristocrats and high-ranking officials who accompanied the emperor for the ceremony. Passing the Echo Wall, and also some pine and cypress trees, we reached The Circular Mound Altar 天坛圜丘坛. There are two walls that encircle the altar. Both walls are painted red and surrounded by blue tiles. Each wall represents something different. The round inner wall represents heaven while the square outer wall represents earth. After the Emperor signed the declaration that would be read to heaven outside the square wall, he proceeded to the terrace. At the center of the upper terrace is the Heaven's Heart Stone, which is surrounded by concentrically arranged flagstones. The altar has withstood the test of time for nearly 500 years, and continues to remain perfectly preserved without any cracking or sagging.

Exiting the Temple of Heaven through the south gate, we boarded a local bus #120 (CNY1) to Tiananmen Square East stop. We saw the magnificent Zhengyangmen 正陽門 and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. We then went around the building to the 38-meter high Monument to the People's Heroes 人民英雄纪念碑. Completed in 1958, it is dedicated to the men and women who died in the struggles to make China an independent nation in the century before the Communists came to power. Along the west side of the Square is the Great Hall of the People 人民大會堂. Along the east side is the National Museum of China 中國國家博物館. "Pillars of National Unity" are seen on both sides of Tian'anmen Square 天安門廣場. A total of 56 pillars, representing China's 56 ethnic groups, were set up in Tiananmen Square for the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They each stand at a height of about 13 meters and a weigh approximately 26 tonnes. Images of every ethnic group in their unique festival costumes are engraved onto the pillars, and they stand to symbolize the unity of the nation. We witnessed the lowering of the flag as the guards marched back towards Tiananmen Gate. The crowds were dispersed and police personnel were seen directing people out of the square. Next we walked to the spectacular egg-shaped National Centre for the Performing Arts 国家大剧院 located nearby the Great Hall of the People and Tian'anmen Square. It was designed as an immediately recognizable icon, looking like an egg floating on water. At present, the steel-structured oval shell is the largest dome in the world. Surrounding the centre is a crystal-like artificial lake covering an area of 35,500 square meters. By using advanced technology, the lake was designed to not frost in winter and nor allow algae growth during summer. The National Centre for the Performing Arts and its reflection in water complement each other and add radiance and charm to the overall structure. All the passages and entrances are built underwater. As you walk into the centre, a layer of water sits above your head, giving you a special felling. We took the subway at Tiananmen West (Line1) to Wangfujing. Exiting the station, we entered the basement of a large shopping mall and had our dinner at the food street. We then headed back to our hotel.


Day 5 – 30th October 09 Friday We started off our last day in Beijing with a visit to the Temple of Confucius 孔廟 by taking the subway from Dengshikou (Line5) to Yong-He-Gong Station 雍和宮站. We walked southward for a few hundred meters and located on the right side of a road junction, is the Temple of Confucius. The entrance fee is CNY20 per person. It is the second largest temple constructed for Confucius, second only to The Temple of Confucius in QuFu 曲阜, ShanDong 山東 Province, the hometown of Confucius. This 600 year old temple is devoted to the memory of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism. There are 190 well-preserved stone tablets, engraved with the Thirteen Classics, including The Book of Song, The Analects of Confucius, The Annals and other books. Under the order of Emperor Qianlong, Jiang Heng, a scholar from Jiangsu Province, spent 20 years finishing the task of carving 630,000 Chinese characters onto these stone tablets. Situated next to the Confucius Temple is The Imperial Academy 國子監. It was widely recognized as the highest official institution during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

We returned by subway and walked to Wangfujing Street to have lunch at a Guobuli Restaurant. Here, a tray consisting 9 pieces of mixed variety Guobuli dumplings cost CNY38, much cheaper then what we had eaten in Tianjin. We also ordered a plate of duck meat, chicken egg soup and porridge, with the bill totaling CNY75. After lunch and checking out of our hotel, we took a taxi (CNY36) to Beijing South Railway Station to board the 3:10 pm bullet train to Tianjin.


Upon arrival at Tianjin, we took a taxi (CNY8) to the Home Inn Hotel that we pre-booked earlier on the first day of arrival. In the evening, we walked to the Heping Pedestrian Shopping Street. The crossed shaped Heping Street 和平路 and the Binjiang Street 滨江道 are the busiest pedestrian-only shopping centers of the city. When it started to drizzle a little with the temperature at 6 degrees, we quickly hopped onto a taxi (CNY10) that took us back to our hotel for the night.

Day 6 – 31st October 09 Saturday We checked out from the hotel at 6.00am and boarded a taxi waiting at the hotel entrance to Binhai International Airport. The fare was CNY60 and the journey took about 25 minutes. We checked in an hour before departure. Air AsiaX was on time and flew us back to Kuala Lumpur.

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Air AsiaX Fare: RM604 per person Return (inclusive airport taxes & fees)

Skybus KL Central-LCCT: RM13 Return (internet booking)


DaWan Hotel, Beijing: RM500 (4 nights @RM125 per night – internet booking)

Home Inn Hotel, Tianjin: CNY199 per night

Entrance Fees:
Forbidden City: CNY60 per person

Beihai Park: CNY20 per person

Badaling Great Wall: CNY45 per person

Cable Car: CNY40 per person

Summer Palace: CNY45 per person

Temple of Heaven: CNY35 per person

Confucius Temple: CNY20 per person

Subway: CNY20 (10 rides) per person

Taxi: CNY179(8 trips) Bus: CNY35 (4 rides) per person

Luggage Stored: CNY10

Bullet Train, Tianjin-Beijing: CNY58 per person

Bullet Train, Beijing-Tianjin: CNY58 per person

2 days later after our trip to Beijing, our local Star newspaper reported that the Forbidden City in Beijing was blanketed in snowfall during the wee hours of the morning, the earliest in 10 years. The temperature in the Chinese capital dipped to minus three degrees later in the evening. Beijing was seeing its first snow about two months earlier than in the previous years due to a strong cold front. More than 100 flights were delayed, with some being cancelled.