China Trip
May 13, 2017 - May 31, 2017
This China trip was incredible! The pinch yourself moments, the grandeur, the interesting cultural differences, and so much more made for an exceptional trip that was much more than I ever dreamed it would be.
Things I Really Enjoyed
Hong Kong
- Victoria Peak: Despite the rain and fog, I still enjoyed the views and exploring the optical illusion exhibits at the top of the mountain.
- Half Day Tour: Our package included this Gray Line Tour. It was a convenient way to see the major sights of Hong Kong in addition to learning about the culture.
- Exploring the City on Our Own: We explored the city on foot and by subway. The subway stations are really clean. The signs and announcements are in English and Cantonese.
- Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel: This elegant hotel is in a great location and has a fantastic breakfast buffet.
Beijing
- Walking/Running on the Great Wall: It was mind-blowing to stand on this ancient structure and take in the views.
- The Summer Palace: This huge property was used as a retreat and home for emperors.
- Forbidden City: Despite the crowds and heat, it was fun to marvel at some of the extravagant artistry of this ancient palace said to contain close to 10,000 rooms.
- Visiting a Chinese Teahouse: It was fun to learn about the various types of tea and to taste them.
- Beijing Renaissance Capital Hotel: We had nice city views from this hotel. The staff was friendly and helpful. The selections of food at the breakfast buffet was incredible!
Xi'an
- Terracotta Warriors: We toured the site where more than 8,000 warrior statues (each with a unique face) were and still are being discovered. These statues were constructed more than 2,200 years ago to protect the emperor in the afterlife.
- Tang Dynasty Dinner Show: This was my absolute favorite experience during our China visit. The costumes, the live music, the special effects, the martial arts… Everything was amazing!
- Muslim Market: Despite a creepy stalking incident, I really enjoyed exploring this lively section of the city – especially at night when it is all lit up. We did a walking tour that taught us some history while tasting several food items available at the market.
- Calligraphy Class at the Tangbo Art Museum: The highlight of our visit to this small, interesting museum was the calligraphy class we took to learn how to write/paint words in Chinese.
- Hotel Sofitel Xi'an on Renmin Square: We really felt pampered at this hotel. We had a suite with turn-down service, candy on the pillow, attentive hotel staff, etc... It also had a great breakfast buffet.
Yangtze River Cruise
- Cruise Embarkation from Chongqing: The city comes to life at night with dazzling displays of lights on buildings, bridges, and even boats. Our nighttime embarkation allowed us to enjoy the light displays while gently floating down the Yangtze River.
- Traveling Through the Canal Locks: This was my first time traveling through a lock system. I was amazed at how close the captain brought our boat to other boats and the walls of the canal without doing damage.
- Walking Tour of Fengdu: I enjoyed observing and learning about life in this city on the banks of the Yangtze River. We visited a market, a home, a school, and other places to get some insight into the culture.
Shanghai
- Seeing the Bund at Night: We had dinner at the House of Roosevelt which overlooks the Bund waterfront area. We were mesmerized by all of the dazzling lights and special effects of this section of Shanghai. This was one of the most unforgettable travel experiences of my life.
- Shanghai Acrobatic Show at the Portman Ritz Carlton Hotel: Similar to a Cirque du Soleil performance, these amazing acrobats kept us on the edge of our seats as they demonstrated their agility, strength, and balance.
- Viewing the Shanghai from a Skyscraper: During our free time in Shanghai, we went to the 100th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) building for an elevated view of the city. There are several exhibits and activities there to keep tourists entertained.
- Portman Ritz Carlton: This hotel has a great location for tourism. I liked that the staff always greeted us by name. I loved the convenience of having a grocery store beneath the hotel. And of course, the breakfast buffet was out of this world - so many choices!
Things I Would Do Differently
- Visit Fewer Temples: We had the opportunity to visit Buddhist temples at almost city we visited. We were all "templed-out" after about the second one we visited. We should have chosen some of the other sightseeing options.
- Avoid Buying from the Government Stores: Just about every tour we did in China included a stop at a government store where we would have a lecture on how the products are made and how to determine good quality. We were then turn loose to shop in the store. We found that items tended to be overpriced. We could sometimes find the same items being sold for a fraction of the price at various shops and markets we explored during our free time. Furthermore, some of the cities we visited had a Walmart which was potentially another cheaper alternative to the government stores.
Trip Report
Traci has a goal of running a half-marathon on all seven continents. We traveled with Marathon Tours who specializes in vacation packages for runners. We were led to them through one of Traci's running clubs. China was chosen as the site of the club's international race that they run every other year. We participated in the Great Wall Marathon events on May 20. The rest of our nearly 2.5-week trip consisted of fantastic guided sightseeing tours through China. Here is a summary of the itinerary:
Map of Our China Trip
And now, the trip report... Continue...
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