The city of Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and The population as of 2012 was 20,693,000.[2] The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government (wiki)
Departed from singapore Changi airport and after 6 and a half hours of flight journey, we arrived at terminal 3 of the Beijing international airport. Upon stepping into the terminal lobby, one will be amazed by its size and simple yet elegant architectural design. With very high and long span ceiling (in which you cannot see both ends), it makes Changi airport look like a dwarf.
I have tried some strange but surprisingly delicious local delights - the donkey meat sandwich(驴肉火烧)，the deep fried scorpion, the thin sliced cow stomach cooked in the spicy soup (爆肚 bao du). Other local food are fantastic as well such as the Peking duck, the dumplings and steam buns, noodles and many more.
Local fruits are tasty too ;) at this period of time, there are cherries, peaches, plum(yang mei), mangoes, and laichi. There are fresh and sweet.
Local people i met are kind and helpful too, try to ask for directions or help, I'm sure you will not be ignored. A simple xie xie thank you after that, and the local will sure reply 'mei shi-er' (you are welcome) with a smile ;)
In many occasion, they may seem to speak very loud and hard. This the way they used to, imagine living in a big city crowded with people, one really need to scream in order to be heard.
The greening effort of Beijing is worth mentioning. Singapore is well known for its greening effort where greeneries like big trees and plants are well trimmed in most part of the island. Beijing on the other hand, has done it even better and larger scale (due to its size is several times the size of Singapore). Willow trees are the main attraction here, when it dances elegantly when the summer breeze blows. On top of that, during the summer season, the colorful flowers bloom. Great effort also given to prevent the trees from dying in the extreme temperature during the winter time. Bravo beijing ;)
Fast Train to TianJing
The fast Train Station of Beijing
Inside the fast train cabin
Speed reaching 290km/h
The design of the fast train
The train and its captain
Tian jing - The complex that sell nothing but Ma Hua ( Fried Bun)
The statue of Chong Kuei - Lord of the Underworld
Beijing City - The Tian An Men Square
Beijing City - The Tian An Men Square
Beijing City - The Tian An Men Square
Beijing City - The Tian An Men Square
Beijing City - The Tian An Men Square
The Forbidden City 紫禁城 - the greatest palace.
For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.
The name "紫禁城 (Zijin Cheng)" is a name with significance on many levels. Zi (Purple) refers to the Ziwei Star (North Star), and in traditional Chinese astrology was the heavenly abode of the Celestial Emperor. The surrounding celestial region, the Ziwei Enclosure (Chinese: 紫微垣; pinyin: Zǐwēiyuán), was the realm of the Celestial Emperor and his family. The Forbidden City, as the residence of the terrestrial emperor, was its earthly counterpart. Jin, or "Forbidden", referred to the fact that no one could enter or leave the palace without the emperor's permission. Cheng means a walled city.
The architectural and engineering aspect of this magnificent palace are a marvel even in today's term. The mega scale wood structures, signified the great power of the past emperors and his kingdom still standing proud without a single sign of fatigue. From the huge halls and the never ending red wall, we arrived at the king's chamber. What surprised me was the place is humbly small, i would say it is even smaller than our average home.
The King's chamber
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall is another magnificent engineering wonder. Built on the top of the mountain chain, this barrier walls and watch tower served as the primary defend system of the ancient china, where wars were raged for conquering lands. I managed to climb the wall, it's not that hard, do more training prior to the visit and you will enjoy the climb even more. I do recommend jogging and squat as steps are uneven and high. Not to worry, Massage in Beijing is cheap, about Rmb 120 for 2 hours at palor/salon. So you can consider having one after the climb ;)
Olympic Park
Food
donkey meat sandwich (驴肉火烧)，
Deep Fried Scorpion
爆肚
bing tang hu lu 冰糖葫芦
Typical Beijing Breakfast
The Tea House
Beijing Zoo - Panda
The summer palace
Again this place has shown how brilliant our ancestors are. The mighty man made Kunming lake against the mountain created the perfect landscape where the cooling mist from the mountain and the refreshing breeze meet create a air-conditioned like environment perfect for summer getaway ;)
Xi Dan area
The Place 世贸天阶 with a huge LCD screen that display vivid colors and animations.
