Come along with me and share the excitement as I explore the world researching freelance articles. These blog posts offer short chunks of travel that you can digest quickly as well as plenty of photos so you get the picture. You'll have some fun, make discoveries, and pick up great ideas and information for your own vacations. Think of me as your canary in the coal mine. For even more travel inspiration, visit my BERKELEY AND BEYOND website at http://www.berkeleyandbeyond.com.
is a Beijing area specialty once served only to the royal court.
Peking Duck preparation in Beijing, China.
Here the duck is hung above an open fire to cook, unlike the more common Cantonese crispy-skin duck which is baked or roasted in an oven. The skin is crispy with little fat and the meat is lean and tender.
exterior of Quanjude RoastDuck Restaurant in Beijing, China
Quanjude RoastDuck Restaurant
No. 18 Putang Rd., Fangzhuang, 010-67602008. My tour group ate here. We were able to watch the chef carve our duck.
It was served with plum sauce and scallions and the traditional pancakes. It was the star, but only part of the extensive feast we enjoyed.
feast at Quanjude RoastDuck Restaurant in Beijing, China.
(also known as Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall and Marriott Beijing) 7 Jian Guo Men South Ave., city center, Dong Cheng District, +86-10-58118888. 5 stars. 420-649 rooms. Restaurant. Pool, hot tub, fitness center.
The largest Marriott hotel located outside the U.S., the Marriott Beijing City Wall has spacious rooms equipped with deliciously smooth starched and ironed cotton sheets, a white cotton duvet, a marble bathroom with deep tub and forceful water fill (but the drain cover didn’t work in my tub and the water drained almost as fast as it filled until I stuffed it with the edge of a wash cloth). The restaurant serves a splendid breakfast buffet with excellent breads, a few dim sum choices, and American made-to-order omelettes and bacon and eggs.
The portion of the city wall outside the hotel’s entrance dates to the Ming Dynasty—600 years ago—and is all that is left of that wall, though it does extend a bit farther than the hotel in either direction. On the other side of the wall from the hotel, a narrow park hugs the wall. Across the street are alleys where you can get a quick, inexpensive meal, and a massage parlor is in the alley behind the hotel (it looked interesting, but I have no information on it).
exterior of Marriott Beijing City Wall in Beijing, China
dumplings at breakfast buffet in Marriott Beijing City Wall in Beijing, China
Four times bigger than the Forbidden City, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the largest ancient religious complex in China.
Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
Additionally, this park-like complex of Taoist buildings is popular with senior citizens, who hang here playing card games, and thus offers a small window into the local lifestyle.
hallway at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
locals playing card game at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
Chinese people believe they receive power by touching the gnarly juniper trees and so a lot of that goes on, too.
locals receiving power from juniper tree at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
Long ago the emperor visited here just one day each year, in winter, to pray for a good harvest. During that visit, Ming and Qing emperors also made sacrifices (originally humans, then ox, now nothing) at the triple-gabled circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests dating to the 15th-century. The original building was destroyed by a lightning fire in 1889, but was rebuilt completely of wood on a marble base and without using any nails.
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
detail of Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
The small, single-gabled circular Imperial Vault of Heaven is surrounded by a smooth circular Echo Wall that transmits sound over large distances and was designed to help prayers reach heaven. The Circular Mound Altar, located south of the Imperial Vault of Heaven, is an empty circular platform atop three levels of marble stones, each decorated by lavishly carved dragons. The numbers of elements of the altar, including its balusters and steps, are either the sacred number nine or its multiples. The altar’s raised center stone is a round slate called the Heart of Heaven/Supreme Yang. It was designed to lift the emperor’s voice directly to heaven and is where the emperor prayed for good weather.
neon ticket kiosk at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China
Across from Forbidden City. Known as the Eye of China, this is the fourth-largest public square in the world and dates from 1415. It can accommodate 1 million people. The world focused on this square during the bloody demonstrations of June 4, 1989.
Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
Today it also holds some buildings, including the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall/Mao Mausoleum, which attracts long lines of people every day to see the chairman’s remains.
wait line at Chairman Mao Memorial Hall at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
Everyone who visits the area must go through a security screening. During my group visit, I witnessed police in a loud altercation with a Chinese citizen who didn’t want his items to be checked. I don’t recommend attracting this kind of attention here.
security check at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
Located on the banks of manmade Kunming Lake, this hilly 670-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site is China’s last imperial garden. The Summer Palace is a vast area filled with lakes, gardens, and palaces. Originally constructed as a royal summer home, it is visited now for its classical Chinese gardens and elaborate covered ½-mile Long Corridor. After walking beside and through the hallway, view the marble boat at the end and then take a refreshing boat ride back to the entrance.
Visible by the naked eye from outer space, this UNESCO World Heritage Site snakes through the hills like the tail of a dragon for more than 4,000 miles. The goal when construction began on the Great Wall in 2021 B.C. was to keep out nomadic peoples. In 1985, an Englishman completed walking the wall after 1½ years.
Great Wall in Beijing, China
entry gate at Badaling Pass section of Great Wall in China
Today the reality is that it is a steep climb amid crowds of other tourists from all over the world. Steps are uneven and often high, sometimes requiring you to pull yourself up and to hold on tight going down.
Some steps are simply wood rails nailed across the stone base to allow your shoes to grip.
wood rails on stone path at Badaling Pass section of Great Wall in China
Railings do help, but they vary in height and availability. Wear unloved pants or jeans so that you can bump your way down where necessary. Rain adds slippery to the mix. A friendly Chinese lady--who seemed to enjoy seeing me and with whom I tried to carry on a conversation--warned me to take it slow. So on a gloriously clear and mild day,
view from not very far up at Badaling Pass section of Great Wall in China
I stopped climbing a steep incline before my husband did and just sat at the side on one of the steps and enjoyed some prime people watching. The Japanese were particularly watch-worthy—many wore outrageous outfits for the venue—think high heels, tulle, and sequins. Later, my husband told me that what looked to be the top wasn’t; yet more climbing was ahead with no end in sight. He never reached a leveling off. Visitors can gain entry to the wall in 14 spots, and the wall can be experienced in other ways, like camping out in a watch tower overnight or even running a marathon.
Great Wall sections/gates:
Who knew? Near Beijing, there are five places to access the Great Wall. Each offers an experience that is different in degree of difficulty. Several offer a cable car lift. Avoid the weekends! Three of the most well-known passes are:
70 km/45 miles NW of Beijing. This steep section is very popular and the most crowded because it is safer and easy to get to. It is the one my own group visited. The section of the wall here is the most well-preserved and close to original condition. Other sections of the wall are not as well preserved, or have even crumbled out of existence. Bedaling stretches for 7.5 miles, though only about 4,000 yards of it are open to the public. A long, steep stairway leads up to the wall. I had been told to take the steeper left stairs (north) instead of those on the right (south) because it is more scenic. Some accounts say this section has a cable car, but I didn’t see it.
60 km/37 miles from Beijing. Another popular gate, the wall here has a handrail. Progression up the stairs can be slow, depending on who is in front of you. A fear of heights can slow people down. Faster walkers, who don’t mind steepness will push on around. Going isn’t so bad, though it is slow due to the crowds. But coming down can be scary.
80 km/50 miles from Beijing. Though a bit farther away, this pass offers a cable car ride up and down, plus the option of sliding back down on a toboggan ride. This gate is especially recommended for children and those with mobility difficulties. You can take the cable car up to Fortress number 14, walk to number 6, and then take the cable car or slide down on a toboggan from there.
Located across the road from Tiananmen Square, this immense UNESCO World Heritage Site has many an inner and outer courtyards. The Forbidden City measures 172 acres--as big as 200 soccer fields. If you are without a guide, visit in early in the morning and get an audio headset. The largest palace enclosure in China, it was closed off to the public for the 500 years that it was home to 24 emperors.
In 1911, the last emperor left and the compound was opened to the people. Its new name was Palace City. (The Academy Award-winning movie “The Last Emperor” was filmed here and worth a watch.) Buildings are many and ornate. Though to my disappointment I missed seeing it, a small gallery holds the Clock Museum. With more than 1,000 Chinese- and foreign-made pieces, it is one of the world’s largest collections of mechanical timepieces from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Beijing is the gigantic capitol city of China. The original city wall is long gone, replaced by six ring roads, and the moat has become a river. The high-rise buildings go on and on and on.
unusual high-rise in Beijing
Nowadays almost everyone lives in high-rises, too.
residential high-rises in Beijing
Traffic is a crazy, yet surprisingly organized, mash of cars, tuk-tuks, and bicycles.
mixture of vehicles in traffic in Beijing
I found it surprising that the streets are clean and litter-free. Locals say that happened when the Olympics came to town. Individuals and teams of human street-sweepers as well as street-cleaner vehicles operate regularly.
street cleaners by the Great Wall in Beijing
I did not see one cat or dog.
The best weather is in May and June, with comfortable weather in April, when I visited. Because the city is near the province of Inner Mongolia and the Gobi Desert, sand storms do occur. We did experience a short one. People want to be inside when that happens and to have a face mask.
