Beijing 20-28 May 2012

this is a trip to bring parent in laws..

we went to travel fair..

looked thru few big travel agencies..

then we chose CTC travel.

cos their SQ flight got 1 for 1..

so 4 of us cost $3600 in total, $900/pax!

very reasonable price! 

but of cos got add some misc thing here n there..

its 8 days n travel in SQ + min 3 star hotel...

some places n things i'll out links to it, so u can click to know more info abt it...

i super love this SQ flight's seats!

cos not all SQ flight got these features one..

if u notice left side, got the put cup compartment, 

at the put magazine slot - got small slot where i can put own tissue + lip balm + moisturiser (if u can see)..

got leg rest...

so im enjoying my ride...

we r overwhelm by the hotel!

it is in fact a 5 star quality hotel!

very big too!

got free internet but need to connect using wire one..

lobby got free wireless... good too..

1st stop..

temple of heaven

this place was used for worshipping the heavens n prayinh for good harvest in the Ming n Qing dynasties.

(copied from brochure)..

hahaha else i totally wont rem this place name n for wat...

BIMBO..

Tian an men square

rent a wheelchair..

father-in-law is sitting on a hand support with small chair attached..

we bought it from singapore so dad can sit as n when needed.

i seldom wear shades de..

but beijing sun is kinda glaring..

n the air/sky is so smokey i cant see the blue colour n cloud oh...

duno is it too dusty or the fog...

the forbidden city..

have always wanted to come cos i always watch HK 古装片...

ceiling with stories engraved..

this is the steps tat guards will carry emperor to his hall.

seld take...

inside of hall...

actually so so la...

but once a lifetime shd come see see...

wah! my leg look longer here! 

see how shock i m..

haha

saw the hole at the panel..

the guide say this is why our tap is call 

cos the water flow out from this place n got dragon thing...

quoted from here...

"For example, the word for tap (water tap) in Chinese is Shui long tou. The literal translation to English would be Water Dragon Head because Shui means ‘water’, Long means ‘dragon’ and Tou means ‘head’. So, to understand what a Chinese person means when he says, “Open the water dragon head” without you being thoroughly confused, you will have to know the ancient legend of the dragon in China. The Chinese dragon does not breathe fire, but actually sprays water out of its mouth. After seeing a depiction of this dragon, you can clearly see the similarity of its head to the water tap, thus comprehending why their ancestors would give it such a name. "

at the forbidden city, 紫禁城, all halls looks similar...

after seeinga few, i got bored le...

this scene looks like HK drama scene hor...

inside of the bed room etc..

kinda interesting to see the inside of bed rooms..

pic is taken from outside window..

we cannot go inside..

duno inside things r real or not...

cos real antiques shd b kept elsewhere?

all halls look similar...

so many names tat i totally am not listening to guide at all..

haha

my dear sitting at the portable chair + my small fan..

weather is hot.. n cooling at times..

some old times stories engrave onto ceiling pillars..

this is 孙悟空

i think this pic is 孟母三迁

actually quite hot..

but cos im wearing sleeveless, so die die dont wana take out my sweater..

haaa...

she is 慈禧太后

guide say her hair is still black when she's old...

i forgot the age though..

oppss. forgot who is who le..

1 is kang xi, 1 is qian long..

hahaha

ok..

the sales stop begins..

this is the sell Silk place..

they show us how silk is being hand-made..

take the ball of silk, slot into the bending thing..

do many layers then u got silk blanket etc..

they say silk helps prevent 风湿, rheumatism..

they put water on top of the silk to show tat water wont penetrate thru,

means when u cover over body, aircon etc wont hurt ur joints etc..

lucky dear keep pulling me back n warn me NOT to buy.. else later i gana close again..

haha

i think she is 西施 .. 

me with  慈禧太后

the Beijing olympics Bird Nest and Water Cube..

quite boring place n nothing to do.. jus see see only..

n hot...

i think our singapore's MBS, water by the bay etc is much nicer!

notice our hands carrying the torch...

the trishaw ride to tour Hutongs and local Siheyuan houses..

click link to see history..

quite interesting to be there...

sitting trishaw passing by small lanes n see how local hse is..

how Siheyuan houses looks like...

sales stop 2.. Jade place...

buffing jade..

this is the MING Tombs...

nxt sales stop..

this is Long Qing Xia, 龙庆峡..

quite beautiful place..

got mountain got water n is kinda cooling n quietly nice place...

hello...

i like this place... not many human ard..

boat ride thru the river..

abit like my Grand Canyon river ride..

but i like this beijing ride better..

cos the scenary is more beautiful...

n my ah dear is with me..

natural landscape..

jus relaxing enjoying the breeze n river flow sounds in the ride...

some performance high up..

but serious not so see-able la...

so small.. but dangerous..

tour mates helping father-in-law in controlling the wheelchair...

YES! 

the Great Wall of China...

have always wanted to come see see...

But NOT climb climb..

i only climb little bit to feel tats all..

see the dented floor..

must be careful not to fall oh..

can see my dear up there...

ok.. proof of me at Great Wall...

hahaha

rubbish pose.. hahah

all seems to look the same le...

dear wana climb.. so i tell him go climb himself...

i stay this area to self take pic...

too many stairs to climb la..

this is the happiest meal... steamboat..

the tour package meal is not very yummy...

dear went beijing for conference n say the food is so much nicer, so we conclude is tour meals lousy...

Sales stop.. Tea place..

Yeah...

pitching sales n trying tea...

quite nice pitching though...

n YES i bought like crazy amt of Pu Er, i think 15-20 packs ba...

per pack ard S$100 (dun really rem le)

tea pic is below.. click for more info of Pu er..

but basically i bought the more expensive type of pu er cos

2 pack can exchange for another 12 packs if i keep the 2 packs in singapore and go back to exchange the 2 after 3 yrs..

apparently, keeping pu er 1 yr in sg is equivalent to keeping 3 yrs in beijing...

reason is sg is more humid..

u know the tea longer yrs is better etc..

n i buy more cos on spot try is soooo fragrance n little sweetness...

n also pu er dont have caffeine.. so i can sleep at nite even though drink everyday...

but the truth is when come back sg, i duno how to brew the tea leaves, so its kinda different from the taste on the spot...

but still im ok la...

i like to drink tea... 

shopping time! 秀水街

see how dusty the air is...

almost all cars is like tat...

guess no use keep clean cos will always get dusty everyday then why wash le...

tried the bullet train...

sit inside dont feel anything weird..

like take mrt la.. but even more stable n quiet then mrt...

ok this is my tea...

the cert..

3 yrs later is 24/5/2015 where i can take 2 packs go back to the shop to take another 12 packs...

this is a very good cream for burns n cut..

the man demo on spot!

he take fire hot metal bar n burn his own hand, then quickly apply the cream, n show us his hand thereafer..

wow really works...

but scary demo man.. siao..

i bought a few though...

sigh am so easy to close... so spendthrift..

they free some other tea 

very cheap scarf for my aunt...

think S$2 only each n they r so beautiful n soft..

then found these tea set..

think only S$10 or S$15 1 set...

but end up din use for daily drinking tea la..

cos too troublesome..

beautiful hor..

1 set for grandma, 1 set for own home..

sg sell super ex i think...

2nd design..

sigh n at jade place, i bought 1 jade bangle.

have always wanted to buy a jade thing...

so saw this almost white one...

But Now as im writing this blog. i m NOT wearing it le..

dear scold me anyhow spend money..

sob.. agree!

nxt we went Bi Shu Shan Zhuang, 避暑山庄..

this is the place where Qing emperors used to go during summer to escape from the summer heat...

I really like this place alot!

see this building, its built using 楠木..

quoted from site

"Nanmu is a very knotty wood. It does not react to humidity and temperature much in the way of expansion or contraction and makes superior furniture which tends not to get loose or crack because of changes in climate"

reason why i like cos it smells really nice..

abit like those burn incense for praying smell..
dear dont like the smell though...

but somehow i like...

n this building is 冬暖夏凉..
how i wish my hse is made of this Nan Mu...
can save electricity...
haha

we cannot go inside this hall but when my hand stretch inside, its sooo cooling like got aircon!

n weather is hot..

so im so impressed with last time's architect...

the literally really Cool inner hall

some bed room

oh she's 80+ le still got real black hair...

ci xi's room

the last sales stop is a pearl/jade store...

this is where i feel we got cheated!

anyway see how pearls r from...

story starts:

the lady says they'll have their superviser in to explain things (pitch sales la)

after waiting quite long, nobody came in, n all of us r very sleepy le...

then a age 20+ man came in..

he act as if he duno alot abt pearl n ask us got qn or not... (like act innocent n not trying to pitch sales kind.. trying to show he's really honest)

he saw our tour gp so sleepy n not interested, he offer to give all of us free gift..

its a small jade zodiac pendent...

of cos the whole crowd gets energetic cos got free jade thing ma..

after some conversation, we later we found he's the small boss, 小少爷.

then he say since we all so got fate, he offer to give us cheap cheap rate for jade purchase...

some of our gp ppl got interested.. tat includes me..

haha.. cos i see his display counter put eg sell this jade bangle for S$6000m he gave us like half price etc..

so i got interested thinking to get 1 at supposedly cheaper rate from him, then come back sg sell...

so ding dong ding dong.. i found this...

abit purplish one... i actually quite like too...

jus tat i dont wear now la..

maybe when im older...

But anyway a few of us did buy some thousands one...

(dear DID warn me not to buy jus cos its "cheaper")

i dun care n buy...

i still duno this 小少爷 is bluffing..

until following mth, my fr went beijing too..

n she got the same story from the 小少爷!

faking innocent + free gift + got fate give cheaper rate for jade etc!

Gosh!....

so its a sales tactic!

argggg...

china sales man - GOOD man..

arggghhh..

but anyway i din buy it at too expensive too la..

jus tat i dont need TWO jade bangle la...

then when im back to sg, i found out tat sg pawn shop DONT take in jade one..

they say jade is 无价之宝...

faint...

so all in all i spent quite alot in beijing!

which i never expected...

arggg...

but shopping at 秀水街 i shiok la..

cos quite cheap..

n alot of imitation branded goods...

dun buy of cos.. haha

ok this is my Pu Er tea cert..

the cream medicine info...

the Nan Mu..

i buy this cos the lady say the smell will keep pest away.. so i put some in all my wardrobe n cupboards...

not for burning n praying purpose...

see the details...

the details jus explains all why i like it n buy it...

n i buy a comb made of Nan Mu..

cos lady say Ci xi's hair so black cos she use this Nan Mu comb..

hahah!

yeah im sooo gullible!

but i do like the smell.

Jade bangle cert...

wooo lesson learn..

Dont be so trusty...

hahahaha..

NOT even the seemingly friendly sincere china tour guide...