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