China Trip - Beijing (Day 6: Summer Palace, Li Qun, Tiananmen Square)

Our first day in Beijing started as a gloomy one. This was probably the busiest leg of our trip in China as they were celebrating the start of their National Holiday. I really think that there was some cloud seeding involved with today's sudden downpour.

Bus heading to Summer Palace

First line of business was to head to the Summer Palace. The place was packed even if the weather was such a hindrance.

Summer Palace

Summer Palace

Summer Palace

I was surprised to see the infamous giant rubber duck along the lake. Just shows how massive the grounds are. Due to the bad weather and all, we weren't able to go around that much.

The giant rubber duck in Beijing

As soon as we left for lunch, the weather quickly became dry and sunny. I told you there was cloud seeding involved before the start of their National Holiday.

Somewhere in Beijing

It took us an hour or so wandering around and asking how to get to Li Qun. This place was highly recommended for us to try out. They are known for their peking duck. Just follow the duck symbols and you will find it.

Li Qun

Food did not disappoint! We actually ordered two ducks to satisfy our craving!

Li Qun

In the afternoon, we headed to Tiananmen Square. The place was packed and there were barricades everywhere. There were specific entry and exit points for the National Holiday.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square

Despite the crowd, it was a great time to just lounge around the square - cool weather and all. Too bad I didn't notice that my camera lens fogged up until we headed back to our hotel.

Pizza for dinner

Tomorrow is another big day for us. There's just so much to see in Beijing.

- Just Another Wanderer

China Trip - Huanglong (Day 5: Huanglong Scenic Valley)

On our 5th day, we woke up early to travel from Jiuzhaigou to Huanglong. Just like Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Heading to Huanglong

Our travel took us 3000+ meters above sea level. Some suggest to purchase a pocket oxygen tank (or oxygen drops) to help with possible altitude sickness. We actually considered buying some but the price was quite expensive.

Huanglong Scenic Valley

Once we reached the foot of the valley, the weather became really cold. We drank some baijiu (Chinese white liquor) to keep us warm. This liquor which tasted like pure alcohol saved me from hypothermia! Now I know what to bring if I head into high altitude next time.

Huanglong Scenic Valley

Huanglong Valley is known for it's natural pools formed by calcite deposits. Something I am quite amazed as I've never seen anything like this before.

Huanglong Scenic Valley

Huanglong Scenic Valley

Huanglong Scenic Valley

As you go higher, the oxygen gets thinner every moment.

How ironic?

We wanted to go higher as fast as we could but we only reached up until the Washing Cave and a few meters above that. Our flight to Beijing was on the same day so we did not have time to pace our ascend. This wraps up our Huanglong leg!

China Trip - Beijing (Day 6: Summer Palace, Li Qun, Tiananmen Square)

- Just Another Wanderer

China Trip - Jiuzhaigou (Day 4: Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park)

After a much deserved rest, we woke up early the next morning to visit Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park. Just like our trip to Xi'an, we were fortunate to visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Walking to the National Park

Our lodging was just a few minutes away from the foot of the national park. It took us arouund 15-20 minutes to get there.

Foot of Jiuzhaigou Valley

From the moment you reach the entrance, you will see hundreds of tourists. Unlike Xi'an, the tourists here are predominantly Chinese. This is something I admire greatly about China. They are proud of their own culture and heritage. 

Bus ride

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Access around the park is very convenient as there are hop-on hop-off buses in every attraction. Lines get long though at certain stops. Walking around is very convenient as the roads are well-paved. Access to the attractions have wooden pathways. It blends very well with the natural scenery. 

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

There's really no need for me to explain how magnificent this place is...

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Waterfalls... Lakes... Forests... All spectacular views!

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

As much as we wanted to visit each stop, it wasn't doable during our trip due to the hundreds (or even thousands) of visitors during this time. 

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

I am definitely impressed with how beautiful Jiuzhaigou is. Some even suggests to visit Jiuzhaigou in every season as each has it's own unique charm. It was between spring and fall when we visited.

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park

Our whole day was dedicated to the National Park. We just grabbed some beer and street food along the way to cap off our night.

China Trip - Huanglong (Day 5: Huanglong Scenic Valley)

- Just Another Wanderer

China Trip - Xian/Jiuzhaigou (Day 3: Terracotta Army)

The 3rd day marks our last day in Xi'an. Today, we will be visiting a must-see attraction in this region - the Terracotta Army. From the city's capital, we went to the main station where several buses can take you there.

One of the pits

The complex is comprised of a park and several excavation pits. You can also visit the nearby Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Unfortunately, we did not get the chance to visit his tomb.

Entering pit one

We first visited pit one which is the most popular. It contains the Terracotta warriors. Visiting Xi'an and seeing these sculptures in person is one of the things in my travel bucket list. Behold...

Terracotta Army

In terms of size, pit one is really huge. The enclosure contains Emperor Chin's army all lined-up together. I was really impressed! 

Terracotta Army

On the downside, the amount of tourists was a deterrent for me to fully enjoy the grandeur of this place. I had a difficult time taking a decent shot with the huge number of tourists flocking pit one.

Terracotta Army

We also visited another pit which also contained other sculptures.

Chariot horse

For some reason, I ended up with mixed emotions after visiting this place. It was impressive but the emotional attachment was not there for me. I did not have the same awesome feeling when I first saw the Eiffel Tower or Angkor Wat. Maybe I'm just tired or maybe I just wanted this whole place for my own. Who knows...

An artisan of some sort

From our Terracotta Army visit, we headed back to our hotel to pick-up our luggage. We then rode a hired van to bring us to our next stop - Jiuzhaigou. Travel time took several hours. We reached the foot of Jiuzhaigou around night time. Time to rest!

China Trip - Jiuzhaigou (Day 4: Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park)

- Just Another Wanderer

China Trip - Xian (Day 1 & 2: Ancient City Wall and Muslim Quarter)

Before I share my week long trip to China, I would like to thank my friends who made it possible for this trip to work! For all it's worth, I would not be able to go here without them because my mandarin could only get me so far. Not saying that you cannot go here but the hassle just made think twice about traveling to China.

Beijing Capital International Airport

Our trip officially starts in Xi'an. We took a red-eye flight from Manila to Beijing and stayed in the airport until our flight at 8:30am. Unlike other international airports like Hong Kong or Singapore, there was barely anyone in the airport past midnight. To our relief, they had a coffee shop that was open until our morning departure. I spent most of my time in the cafe and outside the airport. I guess it was a good time for me to adjust to the cold weather in China during this time of the year.

Getting to the Ancient City Wall

From Beijing, we took an hour long flight to Xi'an. We took two cabs to our hotel right when we landed. Our travel took longer than expected. We were weary that the driver might have been circling around the same area to charge us more. English wasn't an option so I had to use my weak mandarin skills to talk to driver since no one else knew how to speak Chinese in our cab. He politely said that we were already near. Phew!

(As I'm writing this post, I discovered that there's a strong IT industry in Xi'an. So maybe what looked the same was either their Industrial Zone or housing units)

Park in Xi'an

Our first stop was to get to the Ancient City Wall. We passed by a park with lots of exercising equipment. 

Xi'an's ancient city wall

After a few minutes of walking, we finally reached one of the gates. Xi'an's ancient city wall is currently in the UNESCO tentative list. Given how beautifully maintained and restored this place is, there's a pretty good chance that it will be included.

Xi'an's ancient city wall

Xi'an's ancient city wall

I was surprised with how massive and long it is when you reach the top. As a tip, I'd recommend that you rent a bike to go around the city walls. Once you start walking, you can only exit through certain areas so you have to finish a whole stretch. 

Bell Tower

From the city wall, we went to see the Bell Tower. It is situated in the middle of a busy street. I also went to the nearby post office to send some postcards. This is a routine of mine (with my girlfriend) when we travel. Something to look forward to when we return.

Muslim Quarter

Muslim Quarter

Muslim Quarter

Our next stop is the Muslim Quarter. This is one of the better street markets I have been in Asia.

Muslim Quarter

Muslim Quarter

Our last stop for the day is to view the nearby Drum Tower that's beautifully lit at night. Just like the Bell Tower, we did not enter the inside of the structures anymore.

Drum Tower

We just had dinner at a nearby mall afterwards. Some supermarket beer afterwards for a well-deserved sleep.

Somewhere in Xi'an

That's it for our first day in Xi'an!

China Trip - Xian/Jiuzhaigou (Day 3: Terracotta Army)

- Just Another Wanderer