Beijing

27th February 2014 to 4th March 2014
China (Beijing)
w. mummy

Total steal ground travel package at MATTA fair (September. I personally find the Sept. fair better than the March).

Stayed in an 'ok' hotel. Claims to be 3star and it was a fair score. I can't remember the name of the hotel, so it's pretty insignificant to me.

Went on the trip with a tour guide (Tour guide name: Yi Nan). I usually prefer self-travel but because I was travelling at such an off-season period, there was only me and mum for the tour. Also, for all the history he's told us, I'm glad we had a tour guide. His and mum's knowledge on Chinese history basically covered all I need to know and more. I thought I was well equipped with Chinese history, until I read the Three Kingdoms.

This is basically the temple the Emperor goes to for his new year blessings.
One temple for one man. ONE!
There's also a museum/permanent exhibition opposite this temple and you can see the evolution of the temple. When it first started out, it was a wooden hut. Look at it now.
*started from the bottom now we're here on top~*

The Chinese people are crazy precise about the symmetry and symbolism of everything.

There is something about the number of pillars, the corners in the building, the hierarchy of symbols, the number of the symbols... and more. It's so complicated, it's fascinating.

Went to a tea ceremony that came with the travel package. 

As usual, hard sell sellers. Buy a little but never splurge. 

SIDE NOTE: 

I was also brought to a pearl shop by the travel agent. The pearl shop was located at the Olympic Station (Bird Nest) and if you google, you'll find plenty of bad reviews. Basically, they are a conman shop selling 'expensive' pearls at 'discounted prices'. 

Things to note when you're brought to the store:

1. The first person who serves you is somewhat 'incompetent' (ie. doesn't really know her industry, claims she's new there). She'll walk out of you soon, no worries.

2. A second person walks in to replace. From my experience and those reviews I've read, it is usually a guy. Second person explains that he is the son of the shop owner. He'll be a real chum to you and explains all you need to know about pearls like he expects nothing.

3. He brings you around the store. For me, I was so disinterested in pearls and jade (they sell some jade too) that he told me he'll show me their best collection in the entire store. Granted, it was impressive cause they were hidden behind some display cases and only opened with a remote control. 

4. Owner's son will tempt you to buy by giving large discounts on the pearls. His discounts are so excessive that the sales girls will gasp at the amount, look at each other, etc. Remember, it's all just an act. They are pretty good at it. 

5. One more thing about the store, they have no name. When asked, they basically just say that the owner donated a large sum of gold bars for the constructive of the Olympic Stadium and in return, they gave him a shop within the stadium compounds.  

I did bought some pearls there because they were getting annoying. I bought a <RM20 pearl necklace. That's how much I pay to see them act.
My mum bought a little more; a pearl bracelet. It was <RM200 but one pearl fell off the first night. I rest my case.

Cold kitty @ Happy Valley Theme Park. 

This theme park is surprisingly a good value for money. It's basically Disneyland without the royalty payment to Disney.

Don't go in winter thou. I took one roller coaster ride and it took the next 1 hour to thaw my frozen face.

 This is the worst possible picture quality because it was sneaked. 

But the point is, this is the best show I have ever seen.

Forget about water effects, they bring in the real water, even if its a waterfall or a flood.

The ancient fire extinguisher: perhaps the best part of my tour in the Forbidden Palace. 

2 reasons;

1. There may have been 4 of these or more in a courtyard/any specific section of the palace. There is still no way it could extinguish any fire bigger than a campfire, especially when the palace's structure is made out of wood.

2. See those scratches? There used to be gold covering the extinguisher (baller emperor). In an attack by foreign enemies, the soldiers scratch the gold clean for some extra mullah because the extinguisher was too heavy to carry away. 

Climb the Great Wall if you can. The higher you go, the amount of tourists thin. 

The further up you go, nature will reward you with the most beautiful sights.

Amazing how mother nature needs no Photoshop. 

The Emperor's Summer Palace

Only really rich families have seasonal getaway homes complete with a full-blown lake, couple of palaces and an arch. 

The Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium.

I was told that it's not left is a somewhat abandoned state.

Pity, especially since so much architecture, cultural significance and money was put into it.