A guided package tour to Beijing and Shanghai

[Takeovers]

Hi

I had a short trip to Beijing and Shanghai with the wife.

This was our first guided tour ever. And the first visit to China.

If we ever get back there we would do it on our own. But that doesn't mean we were disappointed, quite the opposite. We had a great time.

The tour was well organized but stressful. Doing this program by ourselves would have taken at least twice the time. But I could have taken my time for the photos instead of watching out where the tour group has gone.

The arrival at Shoudu Guoji Jichang International Airport



Immigration was thorough but quick with inspection of the passport. After passing we could evaluate the service of the immigration officer by pressing one of four buttons from very good to very bad. I don't know if the officer can see the vote but she smiled brightly after we had pressed very good. Photos were not allowed in that area.

The chinese seem fond of flowers and grenery. They have put plants wherever possible in every place we have seen.



The carpark of the airport is quite futuristic.

[Troubled]

^

The carpark of the airport is quite futuristic.

"Futuristic" in that they hope to have some cars in the future?

[Takeovers]

Less than two hours after our arrival at the hotel the first tour started. This tour was optional and additional to the booked tours but almost all of the group chose to go. It was cloudy but dry and warm compared to the coming days, just above 0 °C.

The entrance to Jing-Shan-Park. It is placed on a hill next to the Forbidden City and offers a good view.



Some detail



All the places are packed with people, mainly chinese tour groups. It is almost impossible to take a photo without people in it. So I tried to incorporate them in the scene.



A park or garden in China is always a matter of landscaping. The buildings and stones are vital parts of the design.

A pavillon




There was a place where visitors could dress up as royalty and take their photos.
I asked this young beauty if I can take a photo and she was happy to oblige. She is not as young as she looks on this photo I think. She was there with probably her boyfriend who was taking the photos for her.



A view on the Forbidden City. We visited there the next day.

[Takeovers]

"Futuristic" in that they hope to have some cars in the future?

I thought the same but it was probably busier during the olympics.

I have heard also, that an additional airport is already in an advanced planning stage.

Beijing is now full of cars. Highways everywhere and traffic is barely moving during busy hours. Bicycles and motorbikes are still plenty but much more traffic with private cars. Those cars are of european and japanese brands but almost all build in chinese factories.

[Takeovers]

The tour continued into the evening with visiting a market and shopping area.

A large number of food stalls offered snacks. I tasted one and it was quite good.



KFC are endemic all over Beijing and Shanghai.



Those shopgirls were also smiling brightly, when I took the photo and laughing when I showed them.



This is an old catholic church. Our tourguide said chinese brides love to have their photos taken in western bride dresses in front of this church.



Most Chinese don't celebrate Christmas, but they seem to like Christmas decorations.



A nice meal concluded the evening. For some strange reason not all of the tour group tasted this chicken dish. They missed out on it because it was really delicious.

[bustak]

this is a fantastic thread, makes me want to go back to China!

Nice job!

[Takeovers]

this is a fantastic thread, makes me want to go back to China!

Nice job!

Thanks. To be continued but I need time to scan through a few hundred photos to find and prepare some that are presentable.

[daveboy]

Good start to your thread TO some great shots.

[Loombucket]

Nice pictures Takeovers and an excellent start to the thread.

[Johnny Longprong]

A nice meal concluded the evening. For some strange reason not all of the tour group tasted this chicken dish. They missed out on it because it was really delicious.

Looks a real ring burner that one TO. Thanks for the nice photos.

[kingwilly]

great stuff

[terry57]

Nice pictures.

I backpacked China 2 years ago,we had an awesome trip, traveled slow and at our own pace many times being the only whitey on the block.

[sabang]

That looks like ChonQing style chicken from Szechuan, which would scare many a southern Chinese away because it is traditionally fiery hot.

Great stuff.

[mediamanbkk]

Excellent post, great pics and very interesting. I look forward to the rest of it.

[Marmite the Dog]

I tasted one and it was quite good.

Betcha can't tell us what it was though..

KFC are endemic all over Beijing and Shanghai.

I think you mean 'are an epidemic'.

Nice piccies, keep 'em coming (especially if you manage to find a Chinky lass who wasn't a minger).

[Takeovers]

I think you mean 'are an epidemic'.

Couldn't agree more.

if you manage to find a Chinky lass who wasn't a minger).

No way. The Empress and the shop girl on the right were top of the line. None else I have seen would come close. But I'm scanning my photos.

I got the impression that around age 18-20 they have a quite thorough transformation of their looks. Older than that the chinese I have seen there really don't appeal to me.

I have seen something similar with Filipinas. A complete transformation of faces for many in that age group. A Filiipina after the transformation can still be or become more beautiful but can look very different than few years before.

[Takeovers]

Here we go with the first location on day 2.

But first I would like to ask if I should make the pictures a bit smaller in size and filesize for the coming installments?


This day brought the major Beijing weather change that had been announced for a week. Before it was cloudy but warm, above zero. In the night a strong wind from Siberia had blown away the clouds and brought fresh and crisp but really really cold air. This strong wind and cold was to continue for two days. The days high was -6°C but felt much colder due to the wind and of course we didn't start off at the days high.
We had a chinese Tour Guide with very good german language skills. He did a very good job guiding us as well. He has learned his german in Beijing. But he has also visited Germany. He told us his group has been standing at a crossroad with a stop sign for 10 minutes, just looking at german drivers actually stopping at the stop sign.

The first stop Tiananmen Square.

All entrances are guarded with these nice tents. Inside was a baggage scanner.


A view on the Parliament Building with the Great Hall of the People you can see in pictures of the Conventions of the communist party.


The Flag. Our Tour Guide explained the four little stars as representing the farmer, the worker, the scholar and the soldier. He then said they should now add a fifth star representing the capitalist.
I have checked in wikipedia and found there are actually two explanations of the meaning of these stars. The other explanation originally given by Mao himself, when he announced the Peoples Republic of China: the Workers, Peasants, Petty Bourgeoisie (i.e. Small Business Class), and National Bourgeoisie (i.e. Chinese non-governmental businessmen) which would include the capitalist.


The National Museum and the Monument of the Peoples Heroes


The Ming Gate. Entrance to the Forbidden City and the place where Mao announced the Peoples Republic of China. According to our Tour Guide Mao is still very much revered by the Chinese People for eliminating the influence of western powers on China. This photo shows the vastness of Tiananmen Square.


Another view of the Ming Gate showing the well tended greenery, not in the best shape due to
winter, of course.

[Takeovers]

From Tiananmen Square we moved on to the Forbidden City

Entering the Forbidden City


The Meridian gate from where the Emperor inspected his troops



Harmony is the theme of many of the Forbidden City main buildungs. The emperor was responsible to maintain harmony between the earth and the needs of his people and the heavens.


The Golden Stream with five Marble Bridges crossing it. The middle bridge was for the Emperor only the other bridges for Officials of the Emperor according to their rank.


There are really five bridges but I couldn't get them on one photo.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony, where only the most important ceremonies like inthronisation of a new Emperor took place.


The Hall of Central Harmony where the Emperor woud rest and changes clothes during Ceremonies which would sometimes take a whole day.


Some posing girls


Those kettles were all over the place. They were used to keep water in case of fire. Since all of those buildings are made of wood, fires would break out easily. Burning buildings woud be abandoned.The water was used to protect neighbouring buidings. During winter the kettles would be heated to stop the water from freezing.



The Hall of Preserving Harmony and an inside view



A closeup on some glazed roof tiles


Finally a look on the Ladies Quarters. Good pictures of the inside were not possible, unfortunately.
In these quarters lived the minor wives and concubines of the Emperor. For the evening one was selected by the eunuchs or requested by the Emperor. She was stripped naked and bathed and then delivered to the Emperor wrapped in a carpet. This was to avoid them carrying weapons or using pieces of clothing as weapons against the Emperor.

[reinvented]

made the same trip last year, minus shanghai
will post the pics in new year if i ever learn how to

[Takeovers]

made the same trip last year, minus shanghai
will post the pics in new year if i ever learn how to

The TeakDoor photoalbum is not difficult but a bit awkward on upload. I switched to photobucket after the first series.

The incremental cost for Shanghai was not very high. So we decided to go for it. We don't reget it. Shanghai is very different from Beijing and a good addition to have.

And then there was the weather. Beijing absolutely freezing and Shanghai was sunny like Beijing and highs around 18°C. Beautiful to be outside.

[keda]

Good thread, great pics, been wanting to visit there for a couple of years but will definitely go in 09...thanks.

[kingwilly]

I loved the forbidden city, but early, after 11.00am or so it became an absolute nightmare with the crowds.

[Takeovers]

I loved the forbidden city, but early, after 11.00am or so it became an absolute nightmare with the crowds.

So our Tour Guide said, but this day with app. -10°C plus strong gusty wind the crowd was unusually small. Still a lot of people.

[kwai73]

That looks like ChonQing style chicken from Szechuan, which would scare many a southern Chinese away because it is traditionally fiery hot.

My wife and I had that the other day, and even just having come from Bangkok and being used to sapicey food, it fucked us right up!

[kwai73]

Beijing absolutely freezing and Shanghai was sunny like Beijing and highs around 18°C. Beautiful to be outside.

Nice to know it's that warm down south, as the family and I will be heading south for a trip soon (currently up near the Korean border - it's farkin freezing!)