Living and working in Beijing

by Jerry Guo on

I spent a chunk last year living and working in Beijing, something that I’ve always wanted to do. I grew up in Tianjin, which is an hour’s train-ride outside the capital, and so I have fond memories of the place.

There’s been so much press–and no doubt it’ll consume us completely by this summer–on Beijjing’s rampant growth and construction, leading up to the Summer Olympics this August.

But what tourists this summer will be drastically different than what goes on the other 50 weeks of the year. Here’s a gallery of life for ordinary Beijing-ers, as well as shots from Beijing’s famous snack street (there are actually two near the Wangfujing subway stop) and general nightlife.

Hope I’ll see you in Beijing come August.

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The real Great Wall, and how to get there

by Jerry Guo on

The girl in the photo is my girlfriend, in the process of slowly freezing to death on the Great Wall. We were stuck in a snowstorm with the nearest hikers miles away. And that path? Yep, it’s as narrow as it looks, and I’m not exaggerating here, but one slip, and you’ll be falling a few hundred meters down straight cliffs.

Yet that hike at Simatai has been one of the most fun adventures we’ve taken. Why? We got to experience the real wall (which is rapidly crumbling), avoided the masses of tourists (see this ridiculous shot at Badaling, the most over-touristed section of the wall), and the climb was actually strenuous in parts.

We had such a blast that we returned to the wall a few months later, this time to Jiankou (translated as the “arrowhead”), the steepest section of the 3,000 mile Great Wall. Here, we camped in one of the watch-towers for a night, which I’m sure is not exactly legal, and hiked an untouched part of the wall that has been almost covered with dense vegetation. Here’s some info about hiking to Simatai and Jiankou. Backpackers in Beijing and hostels will also have more info for you (it’s a bit strange that Westerners will actually know more about the “wild” Great Wall than the local Chinese).

This gallery has photos from both trips.

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New direct Beijing to Seattle route with Hainan Airlines

by Anna Brones on

The Seattle Tacoma International Airport has been my starting point for many an adventure, so I am always partial to any news regarding the caffeinated city’s connection to the outside world. Well, add another point to Seattle’s cool list: China’s largest privately owned airline Hainan Airlines will begin flying a direct Seattle to Beijing flight starting June 9, 2008.

With four flights a week, this is Hainan Airline’s first service to North America. On top of it, if you end up traveling with the airline once in China you will get to play its Unexpected Fortune game. “What,” you may ask, “is the Unexpected Fortune game?” All domestic travelers receive a ticket (10 of them if you are seated in First Class) which has a mahjong tile symbol on it, and depending on which one you get, you might win some Chinese yen.

Despite the chances of winning some Chinese spending money, I am personally most excited about the in-flight seated yoga service; the 11.5 hour flight from Seattle to Beijing never looked so good.

Celebrate 2008 Year of the Rat with red rat-themed panties!

by Abha Malpani on

Thanks to the Internet that allows us to travel and educate ourselves without getting out of our pajamas, today we can be privy into lifestyles and traditions of radically different cultures. And, when culture and superstitions blend, it’s almost impossible not to have an an interestingly strange (if not explosively bizarre) outcome: believing that wearing red panties with rats on them will bring you good fortune, for example.

That’s exactly what’s happening in Malaysia: Chinese women are buying red panties — this year with rat motifs — in order to get lucky as the Chinese Year of the Rat is about to begin on February 7. They say if you really believe in something, it will probably come true and if wearing red panties will strengthen your belief, why the heck not, eh!?

The Chinese new year is celebrated with a bang throughout the world. Most Chinese cities will have a 3-day public holiday to bring in the new year, and Chinatowns around the world will rejoice the beginning of the rat year through parades, firework displays, multi-course banquets and parties. Unlike the rest of us, the Chinese party for a good month post their new year’s day.

The Lunar Calendar determines the Chinese New Year. Although the western calendar is what’s mainly referred to by the Chinese, the zodiac Lunar Calendar still holds much importance.

I have never followed the Chinese calendar nor do I entirely understand it, but I do know that according to it I’m a monkey. The last Chinese Year of the Monkey was 2004, so if it’s a 12-year cycle, I suppose I’ll be celebrating in 2016?

Is Shenyang, China worth a visit?

by Jerry Guo on

I recently spent a day in Shenyang, a huge metropolis in northwestern China above Beijing. It has been far overshadowed by superstars like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and even upstarts like Chengdu.

When it comes to Shenyang, I think there’s good reason why you haven’t heard of it. For a city of this size, there’s not a proportionally impressive amount of cultural and sightseeing outlets. Of course, that’s not to say forget about Shenyang.

If you’re on your way to the northern playground of Harbin, for instance, it might be nice to drop by Shenyang. Same if you’re off to the beach resort of Dalian. Here’s why: there’s the Shenyang Imperial Palace, which is in the same style as the Forbidden City in Beijing, and has much less foot-traffic (definitely worth a visit); a 2,000 year old pagoda right outside of town (look in Lonely Planet), and the “Strange Slope,” a bump of a hill on which gravity takes you uphills if you’re driving a car.

Of course, there’s also the ridiculous giganto monument of Mao in the center of the city that’s worth a look. Neil has the gallery below as well as a post about Mao in Shenyang.

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