Our Family Travel Logs: To be continued.......Beijing at last!

Entry gate to The Forbidden City

Beijing was the beginning of our trip and a good spot to start (the city has a population of 15 million people and it is the capital of communist political power in China), we were looking forward to seeing those iconic wonders The Forbidden City and The Great Wall and the newer Olympic architecture.

'The Bird's Nest'

So from Australia we flew about 9 hrs to Guangzhou (Canton) and experienced the enormous airport for a few hours - golf carts are needed to get you around. Here we nearly lost 2 of our bags in the xray machine must admit we were tired and a bit flustered going through security. Amazingly we were the only ones in security at the time and because the children were being fussed over we didn't check until we were being whisked off in the golf buggy - so had to do a big turn around. Our connecting flight to Beijing was for another 3 hrs.

In transit at Guanzhou

Got to say Southern China Premium is worth the little extra, yes they played the one English movie 4 times and the food was ordinary but the leg room was worth it, the host'ees were assertive at prodding the hapless intruders who tried to sneak in for abit of a snooze in the empty rows from the squishy end of the plane, which was impressive to see - they must have had training in it!

Beijing was dry and very busy, apparently the bikes have all disappeared replaced with 10 lane roads criss crossing the ginormous city. The air pollution was immediately obvious, our guide told us that during the 2008 Olympics cars were restricted to try and improve the air quality and the appearance to the Western visitors. In fact the Olympics and the rapid emulation of the West has lead to a lot of China being tidied up, traditional court yard housing in the hutongs have been leveled to make way for the new.

Oren in a rickshaw

On our first day wandering around by ourselves we managed to visit a traditional house in the Beijing hutongs unintentionally - which often happens when you're a bewildered tourist with 2 tired kids. We wanted to rest our legs and hired a rickshaw to get around which led us unexpectedly to a house in a back lane. Obviously there was an arrangement we weren't aware of but didn't mind as it was fun, the host showed us through her home and in broken English explained that the family lived together in the compound which had a central garden.

Visiting a local courtyard house

The language barrier became apparent early on as we attempted to use the little we knew unsuccessfully, we have since learnt that there are many unique dialects in China so that complicated things alot. We had to always make sure we had our hotel card on us so that we got back OK.

Tobacco Pipe Lane

Scary snacks! bugs and scorpions

Houhai Lake Beijing

We also came across accidentally Yandai Xie Jie (Tobacco Pipe Lane) a flagstoned narrow lane way lined with old buildings housing groovey shops and cafes. The lane led on to a nice lake in the city called Houhai - it seemed like the place locals came to get some r and r - it had quirky paddle boats bobbing about on it, the cool breeze and greenery around the lake really did provided some respite from the dry bustle of Beijing.

The kids at the back of the bus on tour!

The next day we met up with our tour families who signed up for the IndoChina 'Chinese Checkers' tour. There were 4 families (including us) from Australia and 1 from the UK, 4 girls and 3 boys which turned out brilliant. We were apprehensive about doing a guided tour but I think its the only way you could 'do' China and see as much as we did with kids. The kids entertained themselves at the back of the bus and always sat together for meals and generally had a good time.

The moat around The Forbidden City

The rich colours in The Forbidden City

So with our local guide we explored together the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, climbed the city's Drum Tower to hear the deafening performance, saw some Panda bears at the zoo, hung out at a park with the locals who were doing Tia Chi, dancing in broad daylight! playing cards and badminton like games. You weren't allowed on the grass just the paved area because of the sheer number of people. We saw The Temple of Heaven, had a lovely home cooked meal at a family's home in the hutongs, and saw The Legend of Kungfu show (a very colourful and dramatic performance which mesmerised Oren). We ate a Peking Duck dinner, and visited a Jade factory on the way to The Great Wall and finally tobogganed down from the top of the mountain at the wall which was fun.

One of the many court yards - Forbidden City

The Emperors dragon walk way, The Forbidden City.

The Petersen's were here!

The Forbidden City - was completed in 1420 and was the exclusive domain of the imperial court until abdication in 1912, it was only opened to the public in 1949. Its a huge complex of buildings and ceremonial courtyards the highlights were: the five marble bridges crossing the Golden Water symbolizing the 5 cardinal virtues of Confucianism, the marble carriage way carved with dragons chasing pearls which was reserved only for the Emperor and The Hall of Supreme Harmony which was used for major occasions - the ornate throne sits beneath coloured ceilings.

The Chinese dragon features prominantly through out China in the decoration of buildings and art and in many festivals. It is endowed with magical characteristics which represented the power of the emperor and offered protection and good luck. It is a hybrid of many animal parts - snake, deer, bull, hawk claws and fish scales.

Macca's, Monks and Mao - only in China!

Oren's silhouette in the tunnel leading to Tiananmen Sq.

Chairman Mao reigns

Tiananmen Square - is a vast paved area (Mao conceived the square to project the enormity of the Communist Party) that was the site of China's hapless democracy movement, even though its a public place it is in the hands of the government monitored by cameras and plain clothes police.

It is here that in 1976 Maos body was also laid to rest in his mausoleum. His casket is raised from its refrigerated chamber daily so you can see his mummified corpse draped in the red flag. Moas huge portrait hangs from the Gate of Heavenly Peace a Ming dynasty gate it is where he declare the PRC.

The Tiananmen Sq. demonstrations of 1989 were a small blip of political dissent that is now kept under control by police, Internet control and propaganda. You really feel that control when you experience walking through the gates from The Forbidden City to the Square. We were shuffling shoulder to shoulder through the funnel only to emerge at the other side to be yelled at by a guard for having a camera! yikes!

'1000 year old eggs'

Having a traditional meal at a local family's home

Hutongs and Courtyard houses - old Beijing is made up of hutongs (alley ways) created between walls of courtyard houses 'siheyuan'. These were communal houses with a central courtyard walled for safety with an entrance gate. We had a lovely traditional meal in a courtyard house with the tour group, I tried '1000 year old eggs' which are preserved duck eggs. They are a traditional Chinese delicacy, and although known as '1000-year-old eggs' they are rarely more than 100 days old. The eggs are 'buried' in a large crock that's been layered and lined with garden soil, and then stored in a cool dry place for 3-4 months. They are blackish in colour - interesting!

Drum Tower

The loud drummers!

Climbing Drum Tower

Drum and Bell Towers - Built in 1420 during the Ming reign the Drum tower houses 25 drums which are beaten to mark the hour of the day. North of the Drum tower is the Bell tower built in 1745 (replacing an earlier building) suspended is a large 4m high bell cast in 1420 which you can pay to ring for good luck. The Drum tower has an impressive regular performance of extremely loud drumming which we saw/heard. To ascend the tower you have to climb very steep stairs.

No nails were used to build the Temple of Heaven

Morning excercise in the Temple of Heaven park

Temple of Heaven - In 1403 Ming Emperor Yongle ruled - he was the architect of the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven otherwise know as Tian Tan. It is one of the largest temples in China, it is here were the emperor would make sacrifices and pray to heaven and his ancestors. As the Son of Heaven he would pray for good harvests. The complex houses the Quinian Dian built in 1420 it has a three tiered roof and domed ceiling built from wood and no nails.

China has the longest lasting civilisation on earth as evidence shows that people lived here 5000yrs ago. It has been ruled by a succession of dynasties, the emperors authority was divinely granted each time by a mandate from heaven, the preceeding emperor having displeased the Gods.

Temple of Heaven

The building is beautiful, richly painted and very tall, seemingly an impossible feat to make a structure without nails to remain standing for over 600 years but the Ming's did it.

Oren entertaining us on The Great Wall of China

Lots of stairs

The kids running off.

Amazing!

The Great Wall of China - "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man" Mao Zedong. It snakes through deserts and hills for thousands of miles. Originally the wall was made of of separate ramparts built by different states, 'The Great Wall' was created when China was unified under Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi 221BC in the Qin Dynasty. It was breached by the Mongols in 13thC and then the Manchu in 17thC. The wall functioned as a defensive but also speedy communication through smoke and drum signals and a rapid transport route for troops and supplies.

The walls were added to by the Ming dynasty which is what we see today. The government has restored large portions of the wall that have crumbled and been pillaged which have been turned into tourist Mecca's. We viewed the Wall from Mutianyu 90km north of Beijing the walls here date from 1368 in a dramatic hilly setting which is less touristy. To get there you have to drive about 1.30hr through very dry barren landscape with poor towns and rural farms. To ascend to the top of the wall you can either walk or take an enclosed chair lift and to descend you can take the toboggan ride which is fun and bizarre given the historical significance of the site.