Travel: China - Beijing

[dunnoleh]

verykiasu2010:

北京导游网上讥笑狮城游客　呆笨好骗...

very true,


in sg, 5-cent 10-cent also make noise, but over there kena con until blur....

i dunno why. :?

[autumnbronze]

verykiasu2010:

about going to the Wall -- PLEASE NOTE : the correct footwear is important because the stones you are walking on the Wall is so smooth that it is ABSOLUTELY easy to slip, slide, and fall; and certain portions on the wall has no hand rail...got to use fingers to hold on to the bare rock surfaces, especially when walking down (back) slope....

Heng arrrhhh

For someone who likes her shoes, I wore my track/running shoes when I visited THE wall in April last year.

Thank goodness my common sense took precedence over my vanity :lol:

The path on the wall slopes irregularly and there are loose stones on the ground as well ....

[flim]

mathsparks:

amylqf:

oh, that's interesting place.
Is it far from Beijing City. Address?

Not too far. We cab there. About 62km from beijing. We booked a guide online and the guide arranged our ski accomodation, transport, birthday cake, firecrackers etc. She's like a personal guide that tends to your needs. Not the kind that follows you around the whole day.

http://www.nanshanski.com

Hi, may I know how I can find a personal guide such as yours? and how much did she charge?

I'm interested in staying at Nanshan for a few nights too, but I'm not sure how to book the accomodation.

Thanks!

[corneyAmber]

autumnbronze:

verykiasu2010:

about going to the Wall -- PLEASE NOTE : the correct footwear is important because the stones you are walking on the Wall is so smooth that it is ABSOLUTELY easy to slip, slide, and fall; and certain portions on the wall has no hand rail...got to use fingers to hold on to the bare rock surfaces, especially when walking down (back) slope....

Heng arrrhhh

For someone who likes her shoes, I wore my track/running shoes when I visited THE wall in April last year.

Thank goodness my common sense took precedence over my vanity :lol:

The path on the wall slopes irregularly and there are loose stones on the ground as well ....

I went on stiletto heels winter high boots...how smart hor...but I did not fall la....

[verykiasu2010]

insider:

I am booking a last minute trip to Beijing this early December.


Anyone has experience visiting the Great Wall for a few hours during that time? I know it will be very cold but is it bearable?

Appreciate any advice...

the cold is bearable if you have a scarf / muffler for the ear / nose, leather gloves would be nice, long john inside, wind-proof jacket, and you are ready

good experience

[dunnoleh]

insider:

... and soak one more day in Gu Gong.

Thanks!

or you may visit a lesser known palace known as 恭王府.
Built by the most corrupt official in Chinese History 和珅.
It was said that he pocketed 15 years of Emperor QianLong's revenue from right under his nose!
A walk through this place will tell you that he lived a life more lavish than the emperor himself.
There is much to discover in Beijing about the lesser known facts of the Qing dynasty, if you are interested, and have time to spare.

[dunnoleh]

insider:

... Am very keen to visit the date tree that was planted in memory of one of my best heroes 文天祥。...

文天祥 is also one of my biggest heroes!

His refusal to yield to the Mongols and composing the 正气歌 left a deep impression in my mind, since reading it from primary school days.

ya, with limited time available, it sounds reasonable to visit a monument of 文天祥 instead of 和珅.
they are like exact opposites of each other,
文天祥 = executed for his loyalty(as a Song subject)
vs.
和珅 = executed for his corruption(as a Qing official)
:lol:

[verykiasu2010]

an Audi taxi for a day job to Great Wall (Badaling) from city centre, and back to downtown any location (eg dinner, shopping, hotel etc) is about Rmb 450, 4 or 5 pax. Pre-negotiate, not based on meter

[schweppes]

Thanks for sharing, Insider. Makes me want to visit Beijing now. Glad that you enjoyed yourself there :lol:

[growie]

Thanks Insider for your generous and detailed sharings.

:thankyou:
Yes..sure make us want to go next year..and looking at end Nov or so. We like to DIY our holidays too although sourcing for information from hotels/apartments to planning the sights and sounds for each day can be taxing. But nevertheless it's still worth all the effort.