Beijing 2005

December 5th 12 noon and I find myself in Newcastle airport for a business trip to China!  I have two supplier factories to visit but because China is growing in World importance so quickly the flights to get me in Beijing on Thursday 8th December are all fully booked and I can only get one to have me into Beijing two days early; so having to travel all that way I may as well make the most of the opportunity.

One full day later and 12 Noon and I am walking into the Beijing Marriot Courtyard hotel.  It's not really a full 24 hours traveling as China is 8 hours ahead of UK so I was only on the go for 16 hours!  I got this shot as we were at 11,000 meters above sea level flying over Tibet,  the landscape looked very rugged and remote, it was all frozen rivers and snow covered mountains.  Not long after this the Boeing 777 pilot pointed out a view of the Great Wall - unfortunately the camera was stowed away; but it would have been hardly visible to my Canon IXUS 40's pathetic x3 zoom even if it can be seen from outer space!

Beijing airport was classy marble, a little dated but spotless and a swift cruise though.  There was loads of building going on the opposite side of the terminal so I expect a new terminal to be open soon.

A very hair raising taxi ride and I was checked in by 1pm.  First job on the order of the day was food and I stumbled into a sushi bar, I did not really come all this way for Japanese food.  It was interesting and I do not think I ate any fowl!  Not sure what I did eat though!

So what to do, no real sleep on the overnight flight and not feeling tired I tried to keep to local time and sleep pattern so I tried two taxis before I could get the driver to understand I wanted the Forbidden City.  He dropped me at the East Gate where I was immediately singled out as a tourist, well it is hard to disguise 6'3" of 'Round Eye' in a light blue Berghaus coat with a Benny Hill hat and glasses combo!  I then had a hair raising ride around the Forbidden City perimeter to enter by the

South Gate.  This is on the north Edge of Tiananmen Square which believe it or not I did not notice; well I always like to leave a place with a reason to return.

I was very lucky to be approached by John Lee (his business card says 'Your best friend in Beijing') who did me a deal as a tour guide for the Forbidden City, his English was impeccable, albeit with a Chicago accent, and he had a great sense of humour.  He dealt with the city in an acceptable way giving an overview on a wall map then a detailed 2 hour tour.  It is magnificent in size and scope when you consider it was built 600 years ago, in the 1400's.  The site drainage still is effective and works today.  There were other surprising facts such as the cobbled courtyards had 15 layers of cobbles to prevent breeching security from the subterranean borers.  There were 308 huge water containers throughout the city in case of fire, sort of fire extinguishers of the 15th Century.  The above picture is in the Garden of the Emperors Palace, he built this so that his concubines from the South of China would feel at home.  Central axis of the structure is North South line geometrically through the centre where only the Emperor was allowed to walk, mahogany carvings, cloisonné, jade and glazed pottery are all apparent in this wonder of the modern world.

John and I finished the tour with a cup of Cha - yes Cha is the Chinese name for tea where it originated.  Whilst refreshing ourselves we entered into negotiations for my second day as a tourist, a tour to the Great Wall and the Summer Palace; watch this space.

7th December 2005.

Well I tried.  Nine million bicycles in Beijing, it is a fact that I can neither confirm or deny because as much as I tried it was impossible to count them, the stationery ones OK but the ridden ones kept moving!  So with a population of 13 million I am sure that most of the people of Beijing have one so it may well be a fact.  Enough of this, it was time for me to get well into day two as a tourist.  I started the day by buying John Lees' pregnant wife an indoor plant, it was even gift wrapped what I did not know at the time was John's wife had returned to her native autonomous province of Inner Mongolia to her mother for the duration of her confinement - nice idea but no cigar.

John Lee was very pleased I had thought of his wife but as she had been out of town for one month would the day be plagued with John and I searching for a Concubine each?  Of course not we had some serious tourising to do.  First stop was a Tea Ceremony with my hostess Apple (Huang Jmping.  Her English was excellent and she clearly explained the herbal recuperative properties of the different teas, the tea I required was the rose and black combination which sorts out memory loss.  One she claimed could reduce fat for dieting effectively - if only this were true then I would have found the holy grail of many Westerners.

Now onto the Great Wall.  There are no adjectives I can use that would come close to the awe inspiring spectacle that is the Great Wall of China.  Our British Airways pilot had treated the left side of the cabin, my side, to an aerial view of this World Wonder but now I was following Chairman Mao's entreaty to climb the wall and become a Hero of China; not only did I achieve this status but I got a brass plaque to prove it (only 40RMB).  You need to be fit and active to make the climb on the Badling section, I think this is true of all the sections as the wall was started in 200BC to stop invaders from the North by running over the mountains that protect Beijing on three sides, as with all fixed fortifications in the end they do not work.  From the Great Wall of China to the Maginot Line in France in the end they do not work but it has left China with a Wonder that people from all over the World clamour to see and walk upon, and I am one.

I saw many nationalities and an age range from babies in arms to old people and there was not one who could not have benefited from some extra oxygen.  The cold crystal clear mountain air helped but the climb is almost vertical in places.  This out of season excursion, because we had bright clear calm day, was perfect ensuring restricted numbers of tourists coupled with ideal climbing conditions.  Next on the agenda was the Fragrant Hills Park and Summer Palace.

The Emperor would use the summer palace to get out from the heat of the city where cooler air and the lakeside made for a most pleasant summer.

John had lunch arranged for this stop and he bought my wife a pot of Pearl Moisturising Youth Cream.  It is made from the pearls that are too small to use in Jewelry and he swears it will make an improvement so watch out Oil of Ullay the ancient civilizations of China have the answer you have been searching for.  A quick buffet lunch and a tour of the summer palace which was informative and beautiful.  I also met an artist who took me around an exhibition of his, other students and their professors work.  It was a wide ranging exhibition and I managed to get four paintings depicting the four seasons:  they are water colour onto silk panels, each one is unique and represent four weeks work on Andys behalf.  I thought Andy's work was brilliant even equaling his professor and of course at a much better price than his Masters would have been.

One of the main features of the Summer Palace is the long corridor, I am told it appears in the Guinness Book of World record?  Does it?

Last stop was the silk factory at my request.  Just as the Tea Ceremony there was an excellent informative presentation then an Emporium was available for scrutiny.  The silk worm life cycle and the harvesting of this crop has to be seen to be believed.  Once more this is at the Asia Sports Arena which will be a part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  I hope the massive impact of the Beijing Olympics does not change Beijing for the worse - I doubt it as with a civilisation dating back 1000's of years no other invaders have managed - but to be sure if you get the chance come and see it all for yourself.

So tonight's quest is to find Peking Duck!  Chicken Kiev in Kiev is also on the list but a bit of a hike to Kiev tonight so I'll settle for Peking (Cantonese for Bei Jing) Duck whilst in town.  I did not find any but got sustenance in an OK restaurant; the language barrier meant I ate but was not too sure what I was getting 'till it was in front of me, and even then I was dubious!

Thursday 8th December.

For some reason I want to check out the Pandas in the zoo this morning and I have information regarding a Peking Duck restaurant near to Tianamen Square so I should get that done before Maggie Chan hits town this afternoon.  Then to work the whole purpose of my visit but the main road we need to use is out for construction but I believe a train will solve our transportation crisis; exciting isn't it?

Got the Panda:

I got there and only 3RMB on the underground train which was a good experience, then one of those little 125cc three wheeler taxi rides from the station to the Zoo.  I spent the whole morning there and even watched the dolphin show but the animal that really got my attention was the Giraffe, what a strange looking beast?

After the Zoo I was up to two train rides switching mid journey from Line 1 to Line 2 all without the aid of a safety net and I managed to get where I wanted to be and one Peking Roast Duck later I met up with Maggie.

Miss Liau also coincidently was in Beijing so the three of us decided to try Beijing Hot Pot.  This is a meal where you have a boiling cauldron of stock in the centre of your dinning table and the raw ingredients are brought to you and you cook them in the boiling mixture.  It is an excellent way to eat an very popular in China.

The next day was all about traveling, 2 hours on a plane and 5 hours by car; exhausting.

One day at Factory One.

One day traveling.

One day at Factory Two and in Hong Kong late Monday 12 th December. 

I know it was close to Christmas but no room in the Inn?  I had not booked a hotel in Hong Kong and was nearly out of luck because the World Trade Organisation circus was in town but Ming from my hosts office managed the last room in the Metro Park; it was on the 29th floor VIP section with, of course, a harbour view!  I was really surprised by a warm welcome from Alice, Damie and Bryan Chan who is my Hong Kong eMail friend.  Bryn has an encyclopedic knowledge of the English Premiership and he writes weekly eMails to me with all the weekends football news.  The doubly surprised me with a Christmas gift which I can't wait to open on Christmas day as promised.  Here are Bryan and I enjoying our Hong Kong Hot Pot.

It is a good picture of Bryan but I look like I've just swallowed something suspect; which could very well be the case!

All in all a busy business trip but with some great time to act like a tourist due to flight seat availability reasons which now means I have walked on the Great Wall of China, visited The Forbidden City and learnt a few choice words of Mandarine!