China – Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Beijing - 26 April 2007 – 9 May 2007

My friend, Peter, invited me two years ago to visit him in Beijing. I hesitated; my three last trips in Hong Kong left me a quite bad opinion of Chinese attitude with Eastern people. Those doubts were wrong.

Beijing, first stay

The two first days in Beijing were quiet in order to rest; we were tired because of the jet lag. We borrowed Peter’ bicycles and we asked to a man working at the beginning of the typical hold street (hutong in Chinese) where Peter’s house stands to repair its. It cost us about 3 euros! Cycling is the best way to carry in Beijing, this is not dangerous but the city is huge.

We first went to the Lama Temple (Yonghegong) and, close to it, to the Confucius Temple (Kong Miao) and, a bit far away, to the Bell and Drum Towers. Next to them, there is a nice area around Quian lack (Quian Hai) where there are old houses and nice cafés (they are ten times more expensive than other ones in less tourist places). Then, we crossed another typical old district, without tourists (from Qihelou Dajie, along the right side of the Forbidden City, we took any of those small streets -hutong). There is no risk and it is easy to find his way. We stopped to one of the small shops to buy a kind of crêpes.

Beijing, second day

We visited the Forbidden City, early at morning. It was in restoration and full of Chinese groups; but; despite of that, unbelievable. After four hours walking around the Qing Dynasty city, we went for a walk across Tian’anmen Square. I felt strange at this symbolist place where Mao Zedong Mausoleum is. We took the bicycles and went behind the Great Hall of the People where the new futurism theatre is just going to be finished (architech is Paul Andreu). I suppose few old Hutongs were destroyed to build this symbol of the modern city. We crossed this district by Xijiulianzi Hutong and arrived at the corner between two huge boulevards, Xuanwumennai Dajie and Xuanwumen Dongdajie, where is the South Cathedral. Then, we came back through Dazhalan and Liulichang hutongs district and ate in one of the restaurant around.

Xi’an, two days

It is better to buy internal fly ticket in China, but you have to book them in advance, planes use to be really busy.

We got at Xi’an Airport at 10am and we rented a car with a driver for the full day; it cost us 50 euro. We first visited the Terracotta Army where three pits show from the Kneeling archers to the High ranking officer all the Qin Shi emperor army composed by 8 000 warriors, all different and at the real size. Only 2 000 were dug up and archaeologists stopped to reveal the others. They want to insure they know the technology to preserve the warrior colours. This emperor first unified China and then connected several walls to form the Great Wall (221 bc – 206 bc).

Xi’an was China’ capital to 11 dynasties over a period of 4.000 years. We visited the Great Pagoda (outside the city).

By walking this day night and next day, we were impressed by the busy activity around boutiques in the mains streets of Xi’an. There aren’t those small shops we used to see in traditional China, but trendy places, with young Chinese people, dressed with the most up to date closes. Those chops displayed local brands and eastern brands which are more expensive than in Europe. Smart Chinese don’t bear fake products.

Mains sites at glance in Xi’an are the Bell Tower, the Wall around the City and the Muslim district. The Wall is 13km long and is being restored completely. It is impressive with a quiet garden around the douves. Inside the city old buildings were destroyed to leave place to the Modern city (and shopping area). Only, the Muslim district has remained with old streets and buildings and the amazing, quiet and beautiful Great Mosque.

Guilin (southwest) and the Li River, two days

Guilin is a mix-up of modern ugly buildings, few nice old buildings (as the Jinjiang Prince’s Palace, now a University), and, above all, the hills with the Li River snaking between. It was not possible to catch a boat in Guilin to Yangshuo but we were to take a bus to a place out of the city from where boats left to the Li River cruise. There are plenty agencies selling ticket for the Li River cruise and the less expensive tickets are those for boats reserved for Chinese tourists (20€ each instead of 45€).

Li River cruise was the occasion to rest, to speak with Chinese people and to admire this landscape full of deep hills. Weather was overcast as it used to be. We arrived at 2pm in Yangshuo.

Yangshuo, one day and a half

It’s a tourist’s small city. The Hong Fu Palace Hotel in the main tourist’s street (West Street or Xi Jie) is really nice and the chairman is French. We rent bicycles to discover the small villages and to see closer the hills and the rise fields. It cost us for one day around 1€ per bicycle plus 10€ for the guide. There are numerous curiosities to see around Yangshuo as the Moon Hill. Our Guide, Marcel was really kind; we just had to explain him that another cruise on the Yulong River wasn’t necessarily (it cost a lost and after the Li River cruise we were more interested to see the landscape by bicycle).

In Yangshuo, near the bus station, we ate at night in a nice outdoor market.

Longsheng, one day

To go from Yangshuo to Longsheng we took first the public bus from Yongshuo to Guilin (one each quarter and it takes one hour and a half for 2€) and then from Guilin to Longsheng another bus. As it is difficult to be understood in the bus station, we asked Marcel to help us and he decided to joint us for the two following days. Was really funny to be with him, he taught us few Chinese words.

In Longsheng, it was quite difficult to found someone driving us in the mountain to one of those nice villages. We went to Ping An village where the Yao community lives. Women keep their hair uncut until 18 year when they cut them. Then, they keep its again uncut and very long. Using their cut and uncut hairs, they do their hair very well.

Our journey in Ping An was the occasion to rest and to go for a walk in the rice fields. We got at a nice village (I can’t tell you the name), where there is no electricity nor water in houses. We met two young boys who explained us they are twins but were born one month one after one. It was a really strange story. It was sunny and cold (about 5 degree!).

We took a taxi to come back to Guilin Airport. At night, we flew back to Beijing.

Beijing, three days

We visited the Temple of Heaven that has been too restored. We went for a walk in the garden around; it is really quiet and nice with Chinese people playing. Close the Temple of Heaven, there are few Hutong districts that were destroying to leave a place to the ‘modern city’. We visited then the Mosque; there are two rooms, one for men, and one for women. I don’t know if there are women Muslim in Beijing as it exists in others parts of China.

At night as all the following nights, Peter brought us in trendy restaurants as one decorated by Stark. Customers were a combination of Chinese and western people. To sigh of those trendy and happy people was another evidence of the gap created between country people and city dweller and how China will manage it remains a non answer question for me.

The next day, we rent a car and a driver (it cost more than in Xi’an, about 70 euro) to go to the Great Wall. First, we stepped at Bedina where we walked about 1km in one way before to be stopped by a fence (the wall was restoring for the following section) and then 1km in the other way before to be blocked by another fence (the wall was used for another tourists’ section). I was disappointed not be able to walk few kilometres from a point to another one. We went by car to others Great Wall accesses… so many were created.

We visited the Mink Tomb and came back to Beijing.

Our last day was focused to visit the Summer Palace. Buildings are displayed in a huge garden; one day is necessarily to visit it. It is quiet far away from the city centre and it wasn’t possible to go by bicycle. We caught a taxi (around 8€). Was a beautiful day, sunny and quite hot.

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