Travel Agent Somerville

I have been lucky enough to have visited China and seen many of the Must see sights.
I started my adventure in Beijing where I saw some sites around the city such as Tian’anmen square and the Forbidden City. I travelled through the Hutongs (Alley ways) in a rickshaw and met some wonderful people. There are some great markets in Beijing such as the night markets where you will see some amazing food you may want to try if you are game! Beijing is famous for its Peking Duck too.
Walking the Great Wall at Badaling was just amazing. It is tougher than I thought it would be. You are so high in some points that when you look back down, everything below looks so tiny. Having a fear of heights, I did find this a little daunting though it is something I would not have missed. It was an amazing experience.

Xi’an was my next city where I could not wait to see the famous Terracotta warriors.
When I first walked into Pit 1, it was so vast and so much bigger than I anticipated. All 3 pits are fantastic and so worth seeing. Photos did not prepare me for the vastness of this great find.
Xi’an is a walled city divided into two areas. Inside the wall (the old city) and outside the wall. This wall is about 12 Kms in length and is in a rectangular shape around the city. This is one of the best preserved walls in China, this wall dates back to 1370. It is not part of the Great wall, it is a wall built around the city. Xi’an was a vibrant busy city and the night markets in the old city were a hive of activity.

Next stop Chongqing to join a Cruise down the Yangtze river to Yichang.
First stop was Fengdu and the Ghost city temple. Another steep climb to get here though every step was worth it. There are some amazing statues around this temple. I loved hearing of the legends of the Ghost city temple. Travelling along the river I then headed toward the Three gorges, Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges, each have their own beauty. I also travelled through the lesser gorges at Wushan on a smaller boat to see where the Hanging coffins were found and to see where a walkway has been built on the side of the cliffs in these gorges. All along the gorges I was told of how all the cities along the river were relocated up the mountain so that when the three gorges dam was completed and the river would rise up to 175 meters above sea level, the people would be settled into their new homes and cities.
This was an amazing project.
The ship then headed for the Three gorges locks, where the ship would enter a succession of 5 locks to travel from the top of the river at a level of 150 meters above sea level to the bottom of the river on the other side of the dam wall to 50 meters above sea level. This process took about 4 hours.
The Three gorges dam is a hydro electric plant producing a huge amount of electricity for China.
A much cleaner option than burning coal which has caused a huge problem with pollution.

At the end of the Cruise in Yichang, I flew to Shanghai. I loved Shanghai. This city has some wonderful old architecture as well as a modern new city across the river. Around the Bund area is a hive of activity.
You can get from one side of the river to the other by going under it in little pods.
At night, Shanghai is lit up so beautifully. Night or day, there is always something happening. You can walk along the bund or go for a shopping adventure along Nanjing road where you will find a multitude of large department stores. I also enjoyed the Yu Yuan markets and the gardens. The gardens are a peaceful retreat from all the noise around the markets in this area. Shanghai is a very easy city to navigate and walk around yourself. I feel very lucky to have seen some of this wonderful country and look forward to going back one day.