That's why a bike is necessary.
Other things that come to mind about Beijing, would be it's rich history, and the Forbidden City. I just love the name - 'Forbidden City'... Doesn't it sound so Exotic... Majestic... and Out-of-bounds... :) Just the thought of it brings a grand, mysterious theme song (played by a full orchestra) to mind, as I imagine a character entering the gateway to --- the FORBIDDEN City! Ooooh... Alright, I shall not get carried away and start thinking up an entire plot for a film.
So yes, apart from the usual things above, there's more to see and experience in Beijing, and you wouldn't really imagine the sights below, would you?
Living in a big city, having to battle with peak hour traffic and hordes of people daily, not forgetting Beijing's frequent 'visitor' -- the air pollution, can be rather overwhelming at times. It's only normal that most Beijingers would want to hide and get lost in Beijing's centuries-old alleys (hutongs), or choose to escape on weekends.
FengNing Bashang 丰宁坝上 Grasslands
This is in FengNing Bashang 丰宁坝上 Grasslands - about 4hours drive from Beijing city, at the border of Hebei province and Inner Mongolia. It definitely was refreshing to experience a different pace for a change. One of the most enjoyable sights was seeing horsemen dashing at full speed, racing with one another through the grasslands, which had no end in sight, just like in the movies. What S-P-A-C-E and Freedom!
Witnessing that in the grasslands, how could we not be inspired to get a horse for ourselves? I wanted to be just like the horsemen I saw sprinting freely in the grasslands, flicking the reins and commanding my horse with a stern 'Haaik!', as it obeys my command. Pair that with the wind blowing through my hair as I speed through the grasslands.... Bliss.... =)
Unfortunately, reality was very different.
It started out fine. She moved when I told her to; Ran when I nudged her... But the further we went, the more difficult she became. I started to get a tad agitated, but I reminded myself that animals are able to sense our emotions and will react accordingly. So I took a few deep breaths and told myself to be more patient with my missy. I swore I was patient, positive and encouraging with my horse, but her behavior never changed for the better.... My friend said I was too gentle, and that it was time I showed horsey who's THE BOSS. Sure, that made sense! Probably Ms. Donkey thought she could mess with me... So, I was more stern the next round, whilst doing it with respect, as I didn't want to be thrown-off the horse like a friend of mine had been! Man, it became rather distressing... Almost like being in a bad relationship where you feel like you're treading on eggshells.
Later I found out from the owners that Ms. Donkey actually had an offspring back in the stable that's why she was reluctant to move further....... Awww, that's kinda sweet, but Maaan....... My dreams of being like one of the horsemen were completely broken! It also didn't help that my friends were sprinting past me with their mighty horses...
Needless to say, she was labeled as 'Donkey', and I learned next time, to ask if my potential horse is 'attached' or has any 'emotional baggage', heh,,
Next, we found a place to have our lunch. We 'parked' our horses and hiked up the hill. It was the perfect place to break into song, like in 'The Sound of music', belting "The Hills are Alive!"... (and in my rendition) it had a Bollywood twist of rolling down the hill... Which we actually did!
As I rolled down happily like a kid, I passed a couple of brown lumps on the ground on my way down. I recognised it and immediately broke my roll-down, stood up whilst shouting out to my friend --- "POOOP.... There's Poop all around us!!!!"
Boy was I thankful it wasn't fresh horse poop! So yes, to all the grown-up-kids like me, that's something to consider before rolling down the hills.
Great Wall: Jian Kou 箭扣长城
Alright, I know, this blog post is meant to touch on places which aren't touristy or typically associated with Beijing. Allow me to explain.
As we all know, the Great Wall is the world's longest architectural structure. With that, there are many parts of the wall you could visit -- starting from Shanhaiguan 山海关, Hebei Province in the east, to Jiayuguan 嘉峪关, Gansu Province in the west.
Most tourists would head to Badaling 八达岭 - the part of the Wall closest to Beijing City that is restored and convenient to get to. The Badaling Wall is stunning and majestic, but to me, it is too manicured, aside from being tourist-ridden.. Not exactly the real deal. And this is where I suggest other parts of the Wall, such as Jiankou 箭扣.
This sign alone, is enough to wake me up and say "Bring it on!!"
And the picture below is the reason why Jiankou is not officially opened to the public...
Let me introduce to you, the steeper, more rugged and most dangerous sibling of the rest of the Great Wall --- Jiankou 箭扣.
If you've been to Badaling (the touristy wall) and thought it was awe-inspiring and majestic... Jiankou may just blow your mind. First of all, it isn't filled with tourists yakking and snapping away, hence you get the peace and quiet to really take in the magnificent dragon structure and allow history to unfold before your eyes. Of course there are a few other parts of the Great Wall which you can do that, but I found Jiankou to be untouched, dramatic, breath-taking and the most important word of all -- Raw! The last time it was restored, was probably in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) hence you'll find many sections eroded and destroyed by the natural elements over centuries.
When I first saw the steep rubble before me, I remember saying to myself "Hell no.. No, No..!" I have an existing fear of loose rocks, and it didn't help that the climb was almost vertical and that I was carrying a heavy backpack 2/3 my size, stuffed with camping gear.
The walkway was completely eaten and there was no way for us to tread on it, so we had to walk at the outer edge of the wall. One unfocused step or loose foothold could send you screaming hundreds of metres down to meet your maker.
Ruined watchtowers...
Crumbling staircases...
Walkways overgrown with trees and bushes...
These are what makes it an adventure and a charm! I can imagine how eerily beautiful this place will be in Winter... But NO! It's dangerous enough on a bright summer's day, I'd suggest you avoid Jiankou in Winter.
I'd say Jiankou is definitely a great example of China's "Wild Great Wall" 野长城.
But if you want to see the Great Wall that is:
- At its grandest (as it's thoroughly restored) -- visit Badaling 八达岭;
- Restored with fewer tourists and accessible -- visit Juyong guan 居庸关;
- Restored with fewer tourists and has cable car & toboggan (but less accessible) -- visit Mutianyu 慕田峪
- Unrestored, few tourists and has cable car (but much further) -- visit Simatai 司马台
- Great Wall that overlooks a lake and reservoir -- visit Huanghuacheng 黄花城
- Great Wall at its most original and wild, with very few tourists -- visit Jiankou 箭扣
Note: Do try to avoid the Chinese national holiday - 1. Spring Festival around Jan/Feb (depending on the Lunar Calendar), 2. the May holidays and 3. Golden Week in October. Below is a picture that'll give you good reason to avoid traveling in China during their national holiday:
Is that how you'd like to spend your holiday? Please do yourselves a favour by checking on China's national holiday before you plan your trip to China.
OK, final gorgeous place for today...
Yanqing 延庆
80km Northwest of Beijing city.
The beauty and serenity of this place caught us all by surprise. It actually reminded me of Switzerland, and my friends from the US said it reminded them of their home in the Bay Area in San Francisco and Rhode Island...
It was absolutely relaxing to cycle around the lake, with the gentle breeze against your face, listening to the rustle of the leaves, birds chirping... It was so calm and serene.
This was where we had a picnic. Perfect!
The best part is that it is pretty accessible. The only challenge is at the beginning of the journey... If you're taking a train there, you've got to be at the train station early and start queuing up about an hour before departure. Here's why:
(In case you can't view the video, click here.)
Seats aren't numbered, that's why. So yes, please be there early people, and enjoy the Amazing Race in China ;)
Alrighty, lot's more to discover in Beijing and its surroundings! Till the next post!
xx
NEW ADDITION:
Foreign nationals from *51 countries who are in transit in Bejing Capital International Airport along with a few other Chinese cities -- may stay in these cities for up to 72 hours without an entry visa to China. For more details on the qualified countries, participating Chinese cities and the terms, read this.Here's a show I presented, on the things you can see and do while in Beijing, plus tips on getting around in your short 72 hours in the Northern Capital:
Thanks for this brilliant post and all the lovely pics--Your pictures are amazing. Just looking at those pictures make me want to climb the Great Wall of China now. I also found a great blog of Jiankou travel tips, I’d love to share it here with you and for future travelers.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wildgreatwall.com/how-difficult-is-it-to-hike-from-jiankou-to-mutianyu/
I think other than the air quality,Beijing does have some good places to visit. Look at the enormous amount of people on this long journey of great wall,never a short great wall,is a very long great wall that you can see it back on earth from space.
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