China had never been a destination high on my “TO DO” list, so when the opportunity was offered to participate on an educational with China Bestours, I thought, why not!
Our early morning arrival at Beijing Airport was perfect as it avoided the crowds and gave us the chance to appreciate the enormity of the building and gave us a quick process through immigration. Before we knew it we were with our guide and on our bus.
The drive to our hotel was interesting as autumn still had traces of recent snowfalls with overcast and grey skies; I am not painting a great start to this new adventure! Within a few hours of arriving in China, the smiling faces and the fascination of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square soon had me over my gloomy start. These places were amazing as we listened tentatively to our knowledgeable guide. At this stage, I wished that I had listened more at school when we studied the Dynasties of China! To have a basic understanding of the history would be a bonus!
The next day started with the excitement of seeing the Great Wall which is a challenge for those who want to take on the steep walk! This was an amazing sight and I can totally understand why this is one of the Seven Wonders of the World! After a short walk, I was happy to sit and take in what was in front of me. I then knew, I WAS IN CHINA! The afternoon was spent at the Summer Palace set beside a beautiful lake, wandering through the gardens and again absorbing the incredible history this country has to offer.
Beijing offered so much with a trishaw ride through the ancient alleys to visit a Hutong (a local house full of interesting stories), the Lama Temple with its magnificent statues, the spectacular Temple of Heaven and a Jade factory. No trip to Beijing would be complete without a visit to the sites of the 2008 Olympics, the Birds Nest and Water Cube (although the dust storm coming in off the Gobi Desert made it a quick visit!)
With all of this on offer, we were able to fit in a bit of shopping at the market and a walk through the main shopping area was quite a surprise with the ultra modern shops and huge TV screens everywhere!
A short flight away was the beautiful walled city of Xian which is the home of one of the most amazing sights, the Terracotta Warriors. This is an archaeological site that was discovered in the 1970’s with over 8000 ancient terracotta soldiers and horses. This was truly an experience that I will never forget!
Xian also offered wonderful dining experiences with a steamboat dinner and dumpling banquet complimenting the other wonderful meals that we had. A few more amazing sites then we were off to our final stop, Shanghai.
Cities don’t often excite me but this one did! Shanghai is amazing with the old areas in total contrast of the ultra modern. A lot of work was in place including the upgrade of the famous Bund area, in readiness for Expo. The city was looking good. The French influence is also interesting as we headed down a small street to our French restaurant for dinner and really could have been in Paris.
The Acrobatics Show in Shanghai is also a MUST! Laughter and thrills was a great way to spend our last night in China…..
Shopping was also on the agenda and I will admit that I came home with a few bargains! Those who know me will be shocked as I will admit I am not a great shopper. We were taken to a couple of markets and the experience with the shop keepers was as much fun as the buys!
The trip was completed by taking the Shanghai Maglev, the fastest train in the world, back to the airport. Maximum speed was at 420km and we were still on the ground (well sort of)!
This insight into China was a fantastic experience and I loved every minute of it! I loved the food, I loved the people and I was fascinated by the history and blown away by the sights.
If I can achieve all of this in a week, imagine what you could do in two weeks!