China : Beijing – Xian – Shanghai

To & From:

This trip required a degree of additional planning, as we wanted to fly to Beijing and back from Shanghai, some airlines are facilitating and still good value on multi – city, we opted for Turkish airlines, which is a late afternoon flight from Dublin to Istanbul and then overnight to Beijing arriving 24 hours later East China is + 7 hours GMT. Return leg is an overnight back from Shanghai arriving mid-morning home benefiting from the gain on time.

China requires a Visa and be prepared as with many embassies in Dublin, painfully precise details are required to obtain the Visa, so do not leave it late to apply, as chances are they will look for something that will require a second or subsequent visit, as it is you have to leave your application and passport with them for later collection with the visa added.

See 1 under Useful Links.

We traveled out late December, a good time for dry crisp weather, but problematic with smog lingering potentially disrupting flights. Arriving into Beijing Capital International Airport ( PEK) is possibly not much different than any other Far Eastern terminal, plenty of people running in all directions, despite being the world’s second busiest airport clear signage ensures swift exit. The airport is approx 35 Km NE of the City and can be reached by express train, bus or as we did a prearranged waiting driver from the hotel.

We had opted to stay at the former Raffles Hotel close to Tiananmen Square, as we had been so taken by its famous sister in Singapore. One advantage of this time of year is tourists are scarce, so hotel rates are affordable, and you can avail of a free airport transfer in a chauffeur driven limo.

The hotel has been taken over by the Nuo group but still retains its 5-star status, and superb location close to the forbidden city. The traffic in Beijing is bad, so be prepared for a long transfer.

See 2 under Useful Links.

The trip from the airport is largely uninspiring, through high rise residential apartment complexes, and or industrial zones, there are few glimpses of any rural countryside, which probably isn’t a surprise considering the 22.5 Million population, Beijing is second only to Shanghai coming in at 27 Million , only Delhi and Tokyo eclipse that number.

So we arrived early evening just enough time to have a drink in the hotel bar and then dinner in the fine restaurant at Raffles.

Day 1.

We had decided to book a tour guide for the must see attractions, so we were delighted when our tour guide duly appeared as arranged at 8 am in the hotel lobby. Tour Beijing have many options for tours but we found the one day sufficient, and in fairness good value for the day.

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First stop was Tiananmen square, reputed to be the largest city square in the World, paved with light granite slate it is imposing with some monuments to the people’s heroes and Mao’s mausoleum and the Great Hall of the People, the meeting place of the National people’s congress of China. Plenty of people so we urged our guide to move us along to the Forbidden City.

The forbidden city is vast and hosts the worlds largest collection of Medieval wooden buildings, within the Imperial palace complex.

The tour guide explains everything, as you progress through the series of ceremonial outer courts and residential inner courts. The complex attracts over 14 Million visitors annually, the grounds are relatively quiet November to February so we were happy to press on and come out the far side into a waiting car to run us out to the one of the New Seven Wonders of the World , the Great Wall. The winter chill and smog does take its toll after a while.

We were to visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, about 80 Km from the city. The first hour we travelled about 5 km, in thick traffic and thicker smog, the next the other 75 Km out into to countryside towards the section of wall. We had growing apprehension as we started to enter the town close to the wall, lunch was on the itinerary and many restaurants were proudly boasting of donkey being their speciality. On our guides suggestion we opted for a vegetarian assortment, but possibly should have waited until we finally arrived at the entrance to the awe inspiring feat of ancient defensive architecture, which is the Great Wall of China, sadly first being greeted by the USA icon Burger King. The Mutianyu branch was doing brisk business. But having feasted on authentic Chinese greens we jumped on the cable cars that took us high above the smog to the 14th Watch tower. The views at 3,000 feet are as stunning as the air is clear .

The tour guide worked out very well and whilst her passion for her heritage was slightly elevated above ours, we were glad to arrive safely back to our hotel after a long but very worth while day. Not everyday you get to visit a Wonder of the World!

Day 2.

Guide free we took to the streets early for some leisurely sightseeing, over the road from the hotel is the National Museum of China, it is free and you could spend an entire day looking at the million or so relics.

See 4 under Useful Links .

Late Lunch was calling so we headed back towards Wangfujing and the pedestrian shopping area. We learnt quickly that food was a challenge and that the locals had as much English as we did Chinese. However in the shopping centres they did have some more Western-Style eateries, so plenty of options and huge centre for retail therapy ,Michelle always likes to travel home with more in her luggage than she arrived !!

Raffles at all times was a welcome sanctuary, walking back into the hotel after a day out was a pleasure, smelling of smog, you did need to shower and change, before heading back out into the fumes. We did precisely that passing lots of tempting dinner options along the way- see image below !!!

Creatures of habit where ever we travel in the world we do like to check out an Irish pub & Indian Restaurant although we failed on the latter in China! But did take in the Irish pup at the Legendale Hotel, Molly Malone’s Gastropub and grill, a welcome spot.

Day 3.

We had two things left on our to do list, that was to visit the Olympic Birds Nest National Stadium, and the Aquarium, both are reasonably close to each other, and easily accessed via the efficient metro, the Wangfujing subway station literally outside the Hotel.

See 6 & 7 in Useful links.

Awake Tip : Not sure you should try the street food !!

Awake Tip : If you are looking for western palate food restaurants in the shopping centres could be way forward!

Day 4 Xian.

We left the hotel after breakfast for an internal flight to Xi’an served by Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, ( XIY), Shenzhen Airlines fly from PEK in about 2 hours 30 minutes. Thick smog followed us all the way to Beijing airport, but that didn’t seem to cause any issue, and we flew on time across a largely uninhabited mountainous vastness landing on time at the city at the Eastern end of the old Silk road. Some initial confusion subsided as we established the transport to town was by bus and was due to leave when full, we duly boarded.

Xian the former Capital spanning 13 Imperial dynasties, is home to more than 12 Million residents and receives over a million visitors annually, thanks to the Unesco World Heritage site of the Terracotta Warrior and Horses Museum close by.

Awake Tip : The ladies toilets at the terracota warriors probably not the best!

In its own right Xian is a well preserved walled city with a number of top attractions, outside the old walled part, it is a modern metropolis giving way to sprawling old residential areas fast being consumed by high rise accommodation blocks.

We had chosen the Sofitel on Renmin square right in the heart of the old city, a first class hotel close to all the action, it has a great Club level lounge worth the premium.

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The Terracotta warriors are about 50 km or an hour or so outside Xian, there is a tourist bus that leaves from out side Xian Railway station –you will see a Tourist Bus 5 sign with a smaller 306 number, its straightforward enough and buses leave frequently when full, they collect the money on the bus, so no need to worry about pre-booking tickets. If bus full they do ask natives to get off the bus to facilitate tourists !

The bus also services some stops along the way so stay on until the final stop in the car park, remembering where to pick it up for the trip back.

The visitor centre is the gate way to the three excavation pits containing the army of soldiers and horses, Pit 1 the largest is spectacular, and work is still on-going unearthing and repairing the army beneath.

See 9 under Useful Links.

We headed back to Xian following a really fantastic visit to a truly astonishing museum, well worth the effort of getting there.

Day 5.

We only stayed the one night in Xian and were booked on a late flight to Shanghai, so we had most of the day to wonder the old town sights, and the charms of a town celebrated as being the birthplace of Chinese civilisation. What you do find is that Western civilisation is somewhat more refined especially when it comes to public etiquette, spitting is a national pastime in China and they seem generally indiscriminate upon aim. Loud bodily expulsions are celebrated possibly even revered in these parts, together with stuffed chickens feet and ubiquitous fast food stalls laden with local fare, at least none had four legs and a tail.

So we left Xian behind, and flew to the most populous city in China Shanghai.

Day 6.

Arrival was late into Shanghai’s PVG International Airport via China Southern Airlines, but a swift transfer via the metro has you in Pudong, we had chosen the Oriental Riverside Hotel, close to the International conference centre, good connectivity to the city and we were within walking distance of many of the sites.

Day 7.

Shanghai has a multi-cultural flare with a modern more Western feel than either Beijing or Xian. The City is bisected by the Huangpu River a man made tributary of the the Yangtze to the North which provides the gateway for commerce and trade out to the Yellow Sea and the World beyond.

We started out close to the hotel in Pudong, a sprawling area with some gems within the Global financial centre.

The Ocean aquarium and Wild Insect kingdom are well worth a visit, and the History Museum within the Oriental Pearl TV tower also has an observation deck looking out over the Huangpu River to the Bund.

But then it had to be a visit to Shanghai Zoo to see the Pandas , anywhere we are in the world that there are Pandas we have to go see them!

See 10 & 11 under Useful Links

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is a great landmark for a return home after a night out.

Day 8.

The Bund is across the river from Pudong, and easily accessible via the Waitan sightseeing tunnel under the Huangpu River, a train and light show whisk you along in no time.

Emerging along the riverside walk on The Bund, you get a more European feel with an array of International Buildings, including a Customs House, more comfortably sitting in Dublin than China. It provides an interesting contrast to the more futurist Pudong district opposite.

Nanjing street puts you into the fashion and shopping heartland of Shanghai, one spot worth visiting is Yan Zhong Guang Chang Gong Yuan –a park with traditional buildings on stilts, an odd oasis in an otherwise concrete jungle.

We finally headed back to our hotel for some light refreshments

The last day we were flying late so took the opportunity to do something we don’t do that often on City visits, a Hop on Hop Off bus tour –very conveniently it started & finished at the TV tower and was an ideal way of saying goodbye to Shanghai and China.

WOW another Wonder of the World under our belt !! And wow what a wonder the Great Wall of China is, a must visit if you ever have an opportunity and do also add on the Xian Terracotta Warriors as they are amazing !

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