Ni hau (helo)..
wow..is wot i can start dis note wid for china..
a sudden trip again..decided on the spur of the moment to join ma cus in beijing..got tru visa process in 4 days n off to beijing on 7th day..
Beijing..a totally foreign friendly city..
the Great Wall of China, forbidden city, tianmen square, summer palace, lama temple, ming tombs, temple of heaven & the hutongs.the emotions one feels when standing on he Great wall are simply unbelievable. how did somebody think of building something so majestic (6700 km)?. the day we reached the wall, we experienced a hail storm, so the scene was of this majestic structure with mountains surrounding & the clouds kissing us..beautiful.
forbidden city was extremely big & tiresome but very nice. but once we see the forbidden city, all the other places above have the same architectural & structural feel, so they will not excite us.lama temple has a beautiful 18m high Buddha statue carved outta a single log & it is truly magnanimous.
the specialty of summer palace was its long corridor (728 m) which held a record of being the worlds longest corridor in the Guiness book upto the 90s.we even visited the jade, silk & cloisonne enamaling(copper enamaling) factories, all of them had their own charm. We had an experience of the traditional tea tasting, which was quite informative & enchanting.OMG how could i forget to mention the Bird's Nest (olympic stadium). well dat was something.
but beijing as a city in itself was awesome, with an amazing subway system dat connects you to all the possible places in the city upto the airport.
Xi'an..best food
terra cota warriors, panda breeding center, muslim qaurters, bell tower & drum tower.
the terraa cota warriors was the result of one of chinas former crazy emperor's (same who built the great wall) illusion. it is a site which will make u shudder, when you think of all the thousands of people he killed after building the terra cota army & the wall.
muslim quarters was an alley of chinese muslims, just like our fashion street but much more cleaner & peaceful. also situated in the muslim quarters was the mosque, which was totally different from any mosque i have ever seen. it had a very mystical feel to it & no feel of being a muslim praying place. it was very serene. by evening, the street starts filling up with food vendors & it is a transformation of a peaceful street to a chaotic in a good way street. the food is an absolute treat with the persemian cake stealingthe show.
Hangzhou..the lake in the middle of the city
west lake, pagoda, hefang street & snack street.
it is an experience in itself to rent a bicycle & go around the huge lake. it is so cool with the wind blowing in your face & the sun setting on one side. one can walk through the gardens surrounding the lake, which has parts of them built through the lake.
on way to the hefang street & snack street, we get to see the Bond car showroom ( Aston Martin), OMG!!..
oh & we got a chinese haircut in Hangzhou & took so much time in coloring ma hair, that we missed our last bus & train to our next destination. lolzz..
but missing the last transport, made us have nother adventure, where we reached out next stop but were in fear of being kidnapped, beaten & killed..oh God the terror we had when we were taken to Suzhou in a small private van by people who didn know our language & vice versa at 11 pm. but we reached there in a coupla hours as promised wid all our body parts intact.
Suzhou..venice of china
pin jieng street & the gardens
we lived in a hostel situated in the ping jien streetm which has a long canal on one side & old house & cafes on the other. it gave a total feel of venice wid gondolas in the canal & bistros & cafes on its bank.
walking through the street in day time & at nite has a complete different feel. & then there are a bunch of cute old ladies who do aerobic & dance on the street every evenin as community service & for stayin healthy.
Shanghai..the decadent city ( a friends description for shanghai).
the bund, the french concession, museums, shopping streets & bar rouge
shanghai is asia's New York, full of life & energy & people. its a city with history & lot of western influence which makes it even more interestin.
the french concession has some of the best bakerys & the taicang road on in the area is a must. French concession is an infusion if the french boutiques, pattissaries, cafes & old chinese houses.
the bund is a must walk in the evenin after sun set, with a big river flowing through the heart of the city. we can get to see the former head quarters of the communist party ( now called the Peace hotel - which will take your breadth away on entering it) & the japanese from the bund.
nite life is obviously superb & bar rouge on the bund - has an open terrace bar on 7th floor with the view of shanghai skyline & the bund.
In short china tops the list of countries which are a must see, coz dis was just a part of the country that i saw in a jiffy in jus 10 dasys. china has some gorgeous provinces, like the Yunan province, which i missed due to shortage of time.
it has the upcomin worlds fastest train, it is clean & beautiful & the people are very friendly & helpful.
it is a heaven for street food & a shoppers paradise..
Wo ai China ( i love china)..
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