pantone801

Beijing

// February 27th, 2010 // Travel

On the way home from QHD I was able to spend 2 nights in Beijing. Traveling from QHD to Beijing by train is much better than driving. The high-speed train which travels at over 200km/h only takes an hour and a half. First class tickets cost AUD$16 although we spent the whole trip in the bar carriage. Conveniently we booked into the Marriot City Wall, which is directly next to Beijing Central Station. The hotel was great, and at only AUD$130 per night a bargain. I highly recommend visiting Beijing in winter- everything is cheaper, and quieter. On my day off I visited Beijing’s’ major sights- Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Olympic venues.

Tienanmen square was strange, filled with Chinese tourists who all probably had little idea of what happened there in ’87, and the portrait of Mao is powerful, looking down on the mass of tourists posing for pictures in front of him.

The Forbidden City was alright, one of those things you have to do, and I have done it, but will probably not go back on future trips. I did get some lovely photos though. Getting a cab back to the hotel was impossible, I have no idea what I was doing wrong but everyone refused to take me, except for rickshaw drivers who I avoid because I was ripped off on a previous trip tot the city, so I ended up walking the few kilometers back.

The afternoon involved playing what Mum calls train roulette- where you go into the subway get any random train and see where it takes you. I was vaguely trying to get to the Olympic Venues, but was not fussed on which way I went. Trains in Beijing cost ¥2 per trip (about 32c), and are easier to get than cabs.

I eventually found the Olympic Village, and the Birds Nest Stadium is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen, and is in my opinion on par with the Sydney Opera house, or the Golden Gate Bridge.