Traveling in China once again

ceremonial hall--Forbidden City

A year ago, my brother and sister-in-law told me they’d like us to plan a trip to China for them and some friends.  So, now, here we are once again, my brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law and 5 additional friends, in this remarkable country.  Don and I first visited exactly 30 years ago (see an upcoming blog about how we've watched China’s transformation into the world’s second largest economy) and have returned 20 times since then.  We continue to marvel at what China has done over that time.

Great Wall meandering across the mountains near Beijing

Beijing is a must-see city.  Though its broad avenues are a driver’s nightmare now that the city has 7 million cars, seemingly on the streets all at once, and generally terrible air quality, it is center of Chinese history and culture.  The Great Wall is an hour away—and a thrill to see no matter how many times I’ve visited.  The Summer Palace is a monument to imperial decadence and a favorite destination for Chinese (and all) tourists.  There are museums, art districts, excellent restaurants, a few superb temples that survived the Cultural Revolution, supermalls, the infamous and enormous Tiananmen Square and the magnificent and huge Forbidden City.  And much more.

panorama of Forbidden City courtyard under surprisingly blue skies

We got lucky this trip.  A sandstorm blew through Beijing the day before we arrived, but the winds also cleared the air of the oppressive smog that usually covers the city.  I’ve never seen blue sky in Beijing before, but we enjoyed 2 days of clear air.  My past photos of the Great Wall are murky, but this time, we could see sections of the Wall that had been hidden by the smog on previous visits.  We climbed as high up the steep wall as we could go breathing easily.  One tip here, visit the Wall in the afternoon when the swarms of tourists are smaller.  By the time we left about 5 p.m., there were only a few people on the Wall, whereas in the morning, crowds make it difficult to move on the lower sections of the Wall.

children playing at the Summer Palace

This part of the Great Wall has all been rebuilt, but that doesn’t detract from its power.  It is a marvel of human effort and folly, built at the expense of a million lives and destined to fail at its objective of keeping China safe from Mongol conquerors.  Near Beijing, the Wall meanders over very steep limestone mountains.  In its earlier form, it was built of earth with mud-brick watch towers.  Today, it is made of limestone filled in with concrete.  Its steep, irregular steps are an effort to climb and fortunately deter most of the tourists from its higher reaches, giving us freedom of movement above the first watch tower.  Nonetheless, there were women in spiked heels clambering up even the ladder-steep sections, breathless and excited.  In a few days, we will fly to Jiayuguan where the wall began, far out in the Gobi Desert.

temple and lake at the Summer Palace

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, home of the emperors, are at the heart of the city.  In the last 30 years, Beijing has grown to 23 million people, so the city has moved far out from its center.  Every couple of miles, there is a ring road circling the city, connected to the other ring roads by wide boulevards literally overflowing with cars.  They are about to begin construction of the 7^th ring road and still the city has built way beyond even this farthest point. 

outer wall and moat of the Forbidden City

Beijing is about to host the heads of state of the Silk Road countries.  China has a major push underway to expand its influence throughout Central Asia via its “Silk Road Initiative”, ostensibly to encourage tourism along this fabled trade route, but also to create a sense of common history and destiny.  So, security was beginning to be even tighter than usual as the city prepared for its high level guests.

Now you need passports to get into the most popular attractions, matched to your entry tickets so scalpers can't buy low and sell high.  Security is always tight around Tiananmen Square where foreigners can pass through easily, but Chinese must wait in long lines to get through security and into the square.  On one side is the enormous Great Hall of the People, where President Richard Nixon was hosted at a huge state banquet when he visited China in 1972.

Great Hall of the People

Most Chinese live in tiny apartments or single rooms, chilly in the winter and stuffy in the hot summers.  

women singing at the Temple of Heaven

Retirees (who often must retire before reaching 60) spend much of their days in the parks and temples with friends, exercising, playing cards and talking.  The Temple of Heaven is a haven for Chinese who fill their days there with a variety of social activities.  Now, the government has installed exercise equipment to add to the tai chi many Chinese practice every morning.

Round temple at the huge Temple of Heaven