China May-June 2016

We depart for China on the 24th of May and arrived the morning of the 26th, even though we were going back in time. Because we crossed the international dateline, it was a day later than in the states, not a day earlier. Somewhat confusing!


Including layovers it was about a 30-hour trip including the 12-hour flight over the Pacific on Eva Air. Nice airline! Big in Asia. (We needed to walk more on the long flight to keep the blood flowing and stop the feet swelling.) We had a layover in Taipei on the way to Beijing.

Upon arrival in Beijing, we met our tour manager Frank and the rest of our tour group. Frank is from Beijing, but, is more American than Chinese. Our first day in Beijing was to help us adjust to the 12-hour time change. After hotel check-in we took a walk to Long Tan Park, a beautiful little park.

We so enjoyed the walking after the long flight. We saw people dancing in the park and I made my first purchase in Yuan, 5 for a Hackie Sack! I bought 2, people here use these in the park for exercise, it has feathers attached to it and you kick it with your feet.

In the morning of our first full day, we had a 6 am wake-up call! Gate 1 does not waste any time! Full first day ahead of us! We went to Tiananmen Square, the largest public plaza in the world, built at the height of the Ming Dynasty. We needed to get there early before the big crowds came. The square’s Gate of Heavenly Peace was once used as a staging ground for imperial edicts and by Mao Zedong himself to declare the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. Very interesting!

From there we went into the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was once the residence of Chinese emperors from the Ming to the Qing dynasties. The movie “The Last Emperor” was filmed there. This extraordinary, walled, masterpiece of Chinese architecture consists of 800 buildings with more than 9,000 rooms and was built in only 15 years.

In the afternoon, we went outside the city to the fabled Summer Palace, former resort of the Empress Dowager. This was a beautiful property with walkways on a man-made lake with canals than run to a Pagoda where the Empress would go twice a month to worship.

We then took a Dragon boat back to meet the bus for our welcoming dinner, a 10 course meal with tableside sliced Peking duck! Excellent!!

On the way back we stopped by the Olympic Park, site of the 2008 Summer Olympics. We saw the gigantic National Stadium and the Olympic Village.

The next day, we stopped at a local jade shop to admire wares crafted with one of China's most famous materials. We even bought something. Zach bought a Happy Family 4-Seasons jade piece. Very unique! He bought me a jade pendant. They had gorgeous pieces of Terracotta Soldiers, and Jade Budda’s etc. and free shipping!

From there we traveled to the extraordinary 2000-year-old Great Wall of China, one of the most amazing structures ever built by man, spanning nearly 4,000 miles of China's northern frontier and viewable from space. Spectacular! We chose the loop trail. Steep steps and very varied in heights. Cathy knew her quads would hurt the next day for sure, and they did!

We ended the day at the massive Temple of Heaven, a Ming dynasty complex where emperors held their ritual prayer ceremonies. This ended our time in Beijing.

The next day we had a morning flight to Xian, (pronounced she on) ancient capital of eleven dynasties and an archaeological treasure trove. Population is 8 million. After lunch, we went to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, home to a wealth of historical artifacts and treasures dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties. Some Terracotta Warriors and Horses were in the museum.

The lunches was overwhelming as were the dinners. Dinner tonight was a Dumpling Banquet with over 20 varieties. Six app’s were served first (I liked those the best!) then different dumplings. Different!

The next morning, we visited Xingqing Park, where we had a chance to join the residents in their morning exercise, singing and dancing. This park really captures China’s culture! A little Tai Chi, stretching, dancing with fans and flowing scarves! The locals really enjoyed our involvement with their activities! There are mostly seniors there. This is their daily routine to help keep them active!

Then we stopped at a lacquer furniture shop to learn about these ancient techniques that are still used today. There were beautiful pieces of their culture. Someone from our group bought a big jewelry box (free shipping)!

After lunch, we visited the amazing archaeological site of the magnificent Terracotta Warriors, a vast collection of life-sized soldiers, horses and chariots that were entombed with China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. This world-famous site, discovered by local farmers in 1974, is still being excavated today, more than forty years since the time of its first unearthing. This was probably one of the highlights of this trip. It was so fascinating and archaeologists are still actively working there. They have a warrior hospital trying to piece them together! Truly amazing! Every Warrior is different. The 8th Wonder of the World!!

 

In the evening, we went to a historical dance performance by the Tang Dynasty Troupe. A dinner/show. A six course meal, free flowing beer and wine, compliments of Gate 1, thank you for that. Beautiful performance!

The next day after a walk to and on the Xian Wall, we took a flight from Xian to Chengdu, (14 million people) capital city of Sichuan Province. The wall is 9-miles long, very wide and is a popular place for bike riding.

Before our flight to Chengdu, we had lunch. This trip is also about the food!! Cathy thought she would lose weight on this trip – not so! Lunch and dinners consisted of family style, lazy Susan in the middle and the food does not stop! Soup is usually served last. Flight, Hotel and time to eat again!

On the way back to Chengdu we went to Huanglongxi with its stone paved streets and ancient, wooden houses in the traditional village style, constructed during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

That night we went to the Sichuan Opera Show with its elaborate costumes and performances.

The next morning, we visited Leshan, home of the famous stone Buddha, carved into a cliff-face along the river, standing nearly 230 feet high and dating back to 713 AD. It was very hot and humid walking along the river to board our boat to view the Stone Buddha. You can climb the Buddha, however, hundreds of people climb and there is a several hours wait to climb. Huge lunch again!

Our last day in Chengdu, we went to Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a facility dedicated to the preservation and protection of the pandas, to view and learn about Chengdu's most famous, furry celebrities. It houses more than 80 giant pandas and is the center of the largest panda breeding facility in the world. The baby panda’s were out and playing or just hanging in the trees. They are so cute and we got some great shots of them. Continuing through we came upon the Red Panda’s. Reddish in color but are more the size of a raccoon, with a long tail and have black around the eyes like Panda’s.

After lunch, we visited People's Park, a popular destination for the locals and their leisure activities. Cathy’s had her ears cleaned. It’s a popular thing there! She was a little nervous however it felt good. In this park they have a huge display of large Bonsai trees and a Koi pond, and a 100 year old Tea House.

Our next point of interest in town was Jinli Street, one of the oldest streets in the City’s history. Very popular St. All food vendor’s and crafters. In one section, we saw what looked like small embroidered bags, mostly red with red ties. People buy the bags and write down good wished and hang them on this beautiful tree. Hundreds of bags hanging!

The next morning we headed to Chongqing, gateway to the Yangtze River and starting point for our river cruise. It was a 5-hour bus ride to get there. Very steep streets like San Francisco. Along the river you can see bomb shelters used during the war with Japan. These tunnels are about 1 mile long.

  


In the afternoon, we visited to the Stillwell Museum, dedicated to the General who was Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in the China-Burma-India theater who aided the Chinese people and helped them to win the War of Resistance against the Japanese during WW2. We were surprised that this survived the Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Across the street we visited the Flying Tiger Museum. They had many pieces of art from the local artists. We feel in love with the Four Seasons Rice Paper Paintings on silk. We opted for a small Banyan tree leaf drawing which is very unique.

That evening we embarked on the Century Sun to begin the scenic journey down the Yangtze River. Every room has a balcony and very nice size rooms. This used to be a Viking ship. Gate 1 arrange for our group to have a private room with amenities, at the front of the ship.

In the morning we had a tour of the bridge.

The next morning we stopped in Shibaozhai, built during the Ming Dynasty and considered one of the most exceptional architectural examples in the world. This vermilion 12-story pagoda stands impressively built into the side of a cliff face, rising almost 100 feet high, and was amazingly constructed without any nails. To get to the Pagoda, we had to cross over this wooden bridge, called the Drunken Bridge, and for a good reason: we felt tipsy walking across!

That night we had a Champagne welcome toast with the Captain. Entertainment by crew members and group participation and a little dancing followed.

The next day the ship traveled downstream through the Qutang Gorge and the 25-mile long Wu Gorge, known for its fabled "Twelve Peaks". According to legend, the peaks are believed to be spirits of 12 fairies, the most famous of them being the Shennu Feng (Goddess) Peak, topped by a huge rock resembling a kneeling maiden.

We stopped for a scenic journey up Shennu Stream. We traveled in small boats between rolling hills and rocky cliffs on our journey.

That night we traversed the 5 locks of the Three Gorges Dam. Zach found it one of the most fascinating things of the journey.

In the morning we visited the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest and most ambitious hydroelectric project ever undertaken. It’s nearly six times the size of the Hoover Dam. This project has forever changed the landscape surrounding the Yangtze River, displacing almost 2 million people and putting underwater hundreds of communities. It was foggy, so, pictures weren’t very good.

 

That afternoon we disembarked our ship and flew to Shanghai, the most modern and fastest growing city in China. It used to be part of the British Empire, so, it has a strong Western influence that can be seen in the architecture and even in the size of people. That night we went to see the lights at the Bund.

In the morning, we went back to the Bund and walked along the park-like waterfront promenade with gorgeous vistas of old and new Shanghai.

Next, we visited the classical Yu Garden (Garden of Happiness) built during the Ming dynasty. This beautiful and serene sanctuary features pagodas, lakes, and magnificent pavilions.

After lunch, we stopped at a local silk carpet and embroidery shop to learn more about this ancient Chinese craft and see some of the beautiful creations.

Lastly, we visited the Jade Buddha Temple, built during the Qing Dynasty to enshrine two beautiful jade Buddha statues given as a gift from Burma. These precious statues are rare cultural relics carved with sparkling and crystal-clear white jade, giving them an aura of sanctity and purity.

That night we went to the Shanghai Circus Acrobatic Show. It was an amazing display of high-flying versatility, fearlessness, and flexibility. No pictures were allowed.

The next morning we began out almost 40-hour journey home. We had a long layover in LAX.