Upon arrival in Zhengzhou, we were picked up by my aunt and uncle, who brought us to their apartment. By this time, I was starving, so we woke up my cousin (who was also visiting), headed to breakfast and ate "you tiao" and drank soy milk, both of which are incredibly delicious.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_tiao)
Next, we returned home and my parents unpacked/ went out to the bank, etc. As a result, my cousin and I decided to head out into the city. After wandering around for a bit, we decided to head to the local arcade. We ended playing Time Crisis 4 and eventually beat it, after spending like $30 (Yuan) haha. Hung around for a bit more and played some Initial D, as well as various other games.
Headed back home, chilled for a bit and before we knew it, it was time for dinner. Went out to this restaurant, where we booked a banquet hall, and ordered some delicious food. Afterwards, we returned and slept pretty early (we were worn out by our wearisome walks and adventures so far ^^)
The next day, my cousin and aunts arrived from Guangzhou. My cousins and I ended up driving around the city before we went to the mall, visited the arcade again, and ate at KFC (western food ftw). I ended up eating a fried chicken sandwich, along with some fried chicken. We returned home at around 10ish and I ended up talking with my cousins/ family until 1 AM.
The following day, we headed to Kaifeng for some family business, but also for some relaxation. After we finished our business, we ended up eating at a banquet hall, feasting on small baozi (a specialty in Kaifeng), squirrel fish (not made from squirrels!), egg and chicken soup, as well as various other dishes. Afterwards, we headed to a five star hotel, with amazing rooms and awesome facilities, to relax and recuperate. (The price of the presidential suite was 38800 Yuan => ~$6000). My cousins and I ended up swimming during the afternoon and going to the gym. Afterwards, I watched some TV before taking a nap. Later on, we all rendezvoused for dinner.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Nanjing: Day 2
Woke up pretty early and grabbed a buffet breakfast at the restaurant in the hotel lobby. Ended up seeing two one-star generals in the Chinese Navy (based on their blue attire), which I thought was pretty cool. Tour bus came to our hotel and picked us up...apparently there was another family from the US on the tour too haha.
Anyways, our first stop was the former palace of a "self-proclaimed king" who led farmers in a rebellion against the government (he ended up winning). Inside, many relics from his "dynasty" were preserved...including, but not limited to, urns, bowls, statues, monetary coinage, etc. As usual, I ended up taking lots of pictures (which will eventually be uploaded...).
Next, we headed to yet another famous imperial garden, complete with pagodas, a lake, fake mountains, and a Buddhist Temple. Went through the usual tour of famous sights/ locations on the complex, then our tour group ended up watching a Chinese Ensemble play some traditional Chinese songs. Afterwards, we were treated to a brief opera performance. Apparently, lots of elderly people come to the park everyday with their birds, instruments, and "equipment" to practice Taiqi, fly kites, and relax.
As we passed by the souvenir shop, my dad ended up buying this huge scroll of a replica of "Wu" (on the scroll, there are actually five separate words embedded in this one modified chinese character)...there's also a complex story about its meaning. if you ever come by my house, make sure to see it! Next, the tour group ate together at a local restaurant. We ended up buying tomatoes (with sugar), cucumbers, Nanjing duck (a specialty, too salty for my taste though), a stir-fried dish, and rice.
Our next stop was one of the main entrance gates to the city of Nanjing. Nanjing is completed surrounded by walls and water (it was a capital way back in the day), so there are limited entrances. The gate was composed of four separate giant doors, and in a sense was a mini-castle. (Think Helm's Deep in Lord of the Rings) Even if the enemy breached the first gate...they had three more to go, and would be instantly owned by a rain of arrows (a small enclosure separates each gate). In total, this gate had 29 separate "enclosures" that could be used to house over 3000+ soldiers.
Next, we took a brief road tour of famous landmarks around Nanjing (there were lots!) before we headed to Dr. Sun Yat-sen's memorial/ grave. (Tour buses/ all visitors can only park for a max of 1 hour at a time...) Climbed all the way up, and then hiked all the way back then (wasn't too much to see). While we were waiting for the bus to leave, we perused a Jade Shop. Inside the store, I saw this huge sculpture that I tried to take a picture of, but apparently photography isn't allowed...? Being crafty, I went outside the store and then took a picture :D. Oh, I forgot to mention, this jade sculpture is priced at $288,888 (Yuan).
Next, we were taken to a cutlery store (all asian tours do this :/), and were given a demonstration on their "fine" knives. I'll admit, there knives really were sharp...and extremely durable. For a little over $100 (Yuan), my dad bought a six piece set...(the retail price was 550, but we were at the factory...complete with warranty and refund if broken). There was even a 10x refund if you couldn't bring it past customs, security checkpoints...etc.
Finally, we headed back to our hotel to pack and check out in time for our train. The train we took was once again a sleeping train (we bought four beds, which equals one personal room). Ended up sleeping quite well before we arrived in Zhengzhou (where I was born) at around 6AM.
Note: Facebook is currently blocked. Thanks Chinese Govt...(proxy time!)
PS Asian bread = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_tou ^^ (fried man tou and bing are also really good!)
Anyways, our first stop was the former palace of a "self-proclaimed king" who led farmers in a rebellion against the government (he ended up winning). Inside, many relics from his "dynasty" were preserved...including, but not limited to, urns, bowls, statues, monetary coinage, etc. As usual, I ended up taking lots of pictures (which will eventually be uploaded...).
Next, we headed to yet another famous imperial garden, complete with pagodas, a lake, fake mountains, and a Buddhist Temple. Went through the usual tour of famous sights/ locations on the complex, then our tour group ended up watching a Chinese Ensemble play some traditional Chinese songs. Afterwards, we were treated to a brief opera performance. Apparently, lots of elderly people come to the park everyday with their birds, instruments, and "equipment" to practice Taiqi, fly kites, and relax.
As we passed by the souvenir shop, my dad ended up buying this huge scroll of a replica of "Wu" (on the scroll, there are actually five separate words embedded in this one modified chinese character)...there's also a complex story about its meaning. if you ever come by my house, make sure to see it! Next, the tour group ate together at a local restaurant. We ended up buying tomatoes (with sugar), cucumbers, Nanjing duck (a specialty, too salty for my taste though), a stir-fried dish, and rice.
Our next stop was one of the main entrance gates to the city of Nanjing. Nanjing is completed surrounded by walls and water (it was a capital way back in the day), so there are limited entrances. The gate was composed of four separate giant doors, and in a sense was a mini-castle. (Think Helm's Deep in Lord of the Rings) Even if the enemy breached the first gate...they had three more to go, and would be instantly owned by a rain of arrows (a small enclosure separates each gate). In total, this gate had 29 separate "enclosures" that could be used to house over 3000+ soldiers.
Next, we took a brief road tour of famous landmarks around Nanjing (there were lots!) before we headed to Dr. Sun Yat-sen's memorial/ grave. (Tour buses/ all visitors can only park for a max of 1 hour at a time...) Climbed all the way up, and then hiked all the way back then (wasn't too much to see). While we were waiting for the bus to leave, we perused a Jade Shop. Inside the store, I saw this huge sculpture that I tried to take a picture of, but apparently photography isn't allowed...? Being crafty, I went outside the store and then took a picture :D. Oh, I forgot to mention, this jade sculpture is priced at $288,888 (Yuan).
Next, we were taken to a cutlery store (all asian tours do this :/), and were given a demonstration on their "fine" knives. I'll admit, there knives really were sharp...and extremely durable. For a little over $100 (Yuan), my dad bought a six piece set...(the retail price was 550, but we were at the factory...complete with warranty and refund if broken). There was even a 10x refund if you couldn't bring it past customs, security checkpoints...etc.
Finally, we headed back to our hotel to pack and check out in time for our train. The train we took was once again a sleeping train (we bought four beds, which equals one personal room). Ended up sleeping quite well before we arrived in Zhengzhou (where I was born) at around 6AM.
Note: Facebook is currently blocked. Thanks Chinese Govt...(proxy time!)
PS Asian bread = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_tou ^^ (fried man tou and bing are also really good!)
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Nanjing: Day 1
After waking up at around 6ish, we took the bullet train to Nanjing and arrived around 11ish. We stayed at this three star hotel (normally reserved for people in the military only), which we booked via our travel agency. The rooms there are HUGE (think 1.5x of function room in Next Dining) After grabbing breakfast at this restaurant nearby (which also had ridiculously large portions)...we purchased 3 dishes, a soup, noodles, and asian bread?-man tou- but barely finished any of it.
Next, my dad and I headed to the Presidential Palace in Nanjing. The Presidential Palace is famous for being an important capital in the Qing and Ming dynasties, as well as the former Headquarters of the Chinese Nationalist Government (namely for Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT- woot), before it fell in the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong. (http://www.nanjing.gov.cn/pub/english/life/leisure/spots/200705/t20070525_213704.htm if you're interested in more ^^)
The layout of the Palace is quite geometric, as there is one central lane that stretches from one end to the other (you can even see from one side to the other!) In addition, there are multiple wings that house numerous buildings used by the former government officials that occuppied it. It was really interesting seeing the historical context in which the palace was used as well as observe the preserved artifacts/ museums on the complex. There were entire buildings dedicated to the life of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, as well as the preserved offices of Chiang Kai-shek and his cabinet.
The grounds of the Presidential Palace are extremely beautiful, as there are mountains and lakes (key to fengshui!). For example, there are numerous gardens, pavilions, pagodas, and even fountains. Some cool parts I noticed were a horse stable, an air raid shelter (a war was going on!), and life-size sculptures.
Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel, ate at the same restaurant, and headed to bed early as we would be waking up early for our tour the next day.
Note: Still trying to upload pictures...
Next, my dad and I headed to the Presidential Palace in Nanjing. The Presidential Palace is famous for being an important capital in the Qing and Ming dynasties, as well as the former Headquarters of the Chinese Nationalist Government (namely for Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT- woot), before it fell in the Chinese Civil War to Mao Zedong. (http://www.nanjing.gov.cn/pub/english/life/leisure/spots/200705/t20070525_213704.htm if you're interested in more ^^)
The layout of the Palace is quite geometric, as there is one central lane that stretches from one end to the other (you can even see from one side to the other!) In addition, there are multiple wings that house numerous buildings used by the former government officials that occuppied it. It was really interesting seeing the historical context in which the palace was used as well as observe the preserved artifacts/ museums on the complex. There were entire buildings dedicated to the life of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, as well as the preserved offices of Chiang Kai-shek and his cabinet.
The grounds of the Presidential Palace are extremely beautiful, as there are mountains and lakes (key to fengshui!). For example, there are numerous gardens, pavilions, pagodas, and even fountains. Some cool parts I noticed were a horse stable, an air raid shelter (a war was going on!), and life-size sculptures.
Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel, ate at the same restaurant, and headed to bed early as we would be waking up early for our tour the next day.
Note: Still trying to upload pictures...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Manors/ Gardens of Suzhou
Upon arrival in Suzhou, we went to a famous scenic area called The Humble Administrator's Garden. The size of the garden was huge, as there were waterfalls, dozens of pagodas, various buildings, and a multitude of plants. (There were even palm trees!) During our tour, we saw a huge bonsai garden, lots of ancient architecture, as well as bridges connecting the portions of the garden. Personally, I thought the garden was repetitive, though it clearly captured Eastern ideologies about Fengshui and balance/ harmony. Once again, we headed back to our hotel and ate dinner at a nearby restaurant. Headed to bed at around 10 as we were prepared to go touring all day the next day. (Suzhou is a very affluent city apparently, since over 50 of the top 500 companies in the world have factories in the area)
After we woke, we ate breakfast at a family street vendor (the food they sell is not only delicious, but cheap). Unfortunately, both my mom and brother felt sick, so they didn't go to all the spots on the tour. Meanwhile, my dad and I explored our first stop: the Lion Forest Garden (the last owner was I.M. Pei!). The design of the entire mansion is spectacular as all the paths are in a circle, and its impossible to reach a dead end. Furthermore, there are two large rock mazes, each containing 29 alternate paths. (The only way to get out is to either only go straight, only go right, or only go left- or "hurdle the rocks") Even so, it took me quite a long time to finally exit the maze.
Afterwards, we headed towards the famous octagonal nine story North Temple Pagoda. Before ascending the tower, we first stopped by the temple nearby. Since we came by on the first of the month (in the Chinese calendar), the monks offered us prayers and encouraged us to burn incense. In addition, one of the head monks blessed some holy relics and offered them to us. In addition, the head monk "commented/ determined" on our fates, and what he said was shockingly true. Next, we purchased a huge stick of incense that we burned. (The incense stick was at least 7-8 feet tall...and almost half a foot thick). By the time this finished, we had roughly 15 minutes to climb up and down the pagoda (no biggie, I've climbed mountains already). The interesting part of the trip was the fact that on the third, sixth, and ninth floors, we had to walk a loop outside the pagoda to ensure "good luck."
Next, we visited an old Ming Dynasty palace as well as an adjacent garden known as The Couple's Garden Retreat. Both featured lots of ancient architecture, as well as stunning scenic sights. Afterwards, we headed off to a water tour of Suzhou, which is remarkably similar to Venice. The canal system connects a large portion of the city (roughly 40% of Suzhou is covered by water). Passing by the junction of the old portion of the city and the new parts of the city, it was interesting to look at the skyline. (In the old city, buildings must be three stories or smaller, in order to preserve the ancient layout) As our tour winded down, we visited a silk factory, as well as a pearl factory. We ended up seeing the intricate methodologies used in those industries and were "encouraged" to buy their products at a discount.
Headed back to our hotel and ended up eating out again (every meal so far haha). Then we headed back and packed yet again to prepare for our early morning departure to the ancient city of Nanjing.
Note: Got caught up in some TMS/ ITASA stuff, so haven't been able to post in a while. Still working on putting up photos, but the computer I'm using keeps on freezing due to the sheer amount of pictures.
After we woke, we ate breakfast at a family street vendor (the food they sell is not only delicious, but cheap). Unfortunately, both my mom and brother felt sick, so they didn't go to all the spots on the tour. Meanwhile, my dad and I explored our first stop: the Lion Forest Garden (the last owner was I.M. Pei!). The design of the entire mansion is spectacular as all the paths are in a circle, and its impossible to reach a dead end. Furthermore, there are two large rock mazes, each containing 29 alternate paths. (The only way to get out is to either only go straight, only go right, or only go left- or "hurdle the rocks") Even so, it took me quite a long time to finally exit the maze.
Afterwards, we headed towards the famous octagonal nine story North Temple Pagoda. Before ascending the tower, we first stopped by the temple nearby. Since we came by on the first of the month (in the Chinese calendar), the monks offered us prayers and encouraged us to burn incense. In addition, one of the head monks blessed some holy relics and offered them to us. In addition, the head monk "commented/ determined" on our fates, and what he said was shockingly true. Next, we purchased a huge stick of incense that we burned. (The incense stick was at least 7-8 feet tall...and almost half a foot thick). By the time this finished, we had roughly 15 minutes to climb up and down the pagoda (no biggie, I've climbed mountains already). The interesting part of the trip was the fact that on the third, sixth, and ninth floors, we had to walk a loop outside the pagoda to ensure "good luck."
Next, we visited an old Ming Dynasty palace as well as an adjacent garden known as The Couple's Garden Retreat. Both featured lots of ancient architecture, as well as stunning scenic sights. Afterwards, we headed off to a water tour of Suzhou, which is remarkably similar to Venice. The canal system connects a large portion of the city (roughly 40% of Suzhou is covered by water). Passing by the junction of the old portion of the city and the new parts of the city, it was interesting to look at the skyline. (In the old city, buildings must be three stories or smaller, in order to preserve the ancient layout) As our tour winded down, we visited a silk factory, as well as a pearl factory. We ended up seeing the intricate methodologies used in those industries and were "encouraged" to buy their products at a discount.
Headed back to our hotel and ended up eating out again (every meal so far haha). Then we headed back and packed yet again to prepare for our early morning departure to the ancient city of Nanjing.
Note: Got caught up in some TMS/ ITASA stuff, so haven't been able to post in a while. Still working on putting up photos, but the computer I'm using keeps on freezing due to the sheer amount of pictures.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Hangzhou: Revisited
After arriving in Hangzhou, we promptly left the bus station (the bus ride was long and filled with traffic, as we passed by a huge thunderstorm-saw so much lightning. We met my cousin and aunt for dinner (they came to Hangzhou to visit us and take some of our luggage since we had sooo much). We ended up walking to the city's "restaurant" street that was filled with flashing lights/ signs that advertised the hundreds of shops on the street. Ordered about eight different dishes and ate quite well for the first time in a couple of days (mountain food = inferior). Afterwards, I took a taxi with my cousin to go to an internet cafe. Unfortunately, you need a Chinese student ID to access the computers (talk about epic fail). Ended up walking around the city and finally returned to our hotel. Hotel internet is pretty horrendous (not only do they block sites, but they also have a ridiculously slow speed).
The next morning, my aunt and cousin left for Shanghai, while we explored the city some more. We ended up visiting the Lingyin (a Zen Buddhist) Temple. The place was huge and housed numerous sacred relics. In addition, there were lots of historical artifacts (some over 2000 years old!). It was really interesting seeing the various Buddhist monuments and monks. We were really lucky as we saw monks administering a prayer service (it was really musical and majestic). *See the pictures :)* Ate out on "restaurant" street again. The restaurant we ate at had a special on this special kind of chicken, which we ended up getting ($29 for a whole chicken) Went back to the hotel, packed and slept pretty early since we were leaving for SuZhou early the next morning.
PS: Beware of Chinese taxi drivers, they drive in circles and waste your time sometimes
Major Blogfest soon
The next morning, my aunt and cousin left for Shanghai, while we explored the city some more. We ended up visiting the Lingyin (a Zen Buddhist) Temple. The place was huge and housed numerous sacred relics. In addition, there were lots of historical artifacts (some over 2000 years old!). It was really interesting seeing the various Buddhist monuments and monks. We were really lucky as we saw monks administering a prayer service (it was really musical and majestic). *See the pictures :)* Ate out on "restaurant" street again. The restaurant we ate at had a special on this special kind of chicken, which we ended up getting ($29 for a whole chicken) Went back to the hotel, packed and slept pretty early since we were leaving for SuZhou early the next morning.
PS: Beware of Chinese taxi drivers, they drive in circles and waste your time sometimes
Major Blogfest soon
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