Category: Travel

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China Personal Travel

From Beijing to Shanghai

Flew from Beijing to Shanghai

Got my watch battery changed

Another informal Dinner in the back streets

Again we were severed by two very cute waitress!!

I sat by the window, and was able to look out and watch what was going on in the streets below us.

This was actually a Shanghai style feast!!

  • Raw Crab
  • Small clams
  • Pigeon
  • Sparrow
  • More Fish

After dinner, we went to a Fair/Carnival Place

This Fair/Carnival place was run by the government, so that families could have some place to take their families. It only costs $0.50 per ticket, and people can see anything from distortions mirrors, acrobats, juggling, Chinese theater, Fashion shows, Chinese dubbed American films, etc.

The American movie that was showing a Jean-Claude Van Damme in it.

The fashion show illustrated Western influenced Chinese designers, and there were some beautiful women modeling the clothes.

It started to rain while we were in the amusement park, so we headed back to the hotel.

Back in the room, I watched several movies as I laid in bed an wrote down thoughts of my journey so far.

I finally fell asleep around approx 02:00am.

One of the movies was Die Hard II with Bruce Willis. The sound track was in English, but at the bottom of the screen was the Chinese character translations.

When Bruce swore, just below him, you would see the characters!!

– Andrew
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China Personal Photo Essay Photography Travel

Tiananmen Square and The Great Wall

Note – All images are scanned from slide film.

Tiananmen Square – Overview
Monument to the People’s Heros
Museum of Chinese Revolution & History
Working People’s Cultural Palace
Great Hall of the People
Map of the Tombs
Walking up to the tombs
Walking up to the tombs 2
13th Ming Emperor’s Tombs – Looking Out
13th Ming Emperor’s Tombs – Looking Out 2
13th Ming Emperor’s Tombs – Looking Out 3
The Great Wall – Tower
The Great Wall – Walking View
The Great Wall – Looking out
The Great Wall – Stairs
The Great Wall – Walking Surface
The Great Wall – Looking Out 2
The Great Wall – Looking Out 3
The Great Wall – Looking Out 4

Tiananmen Square

  • Tiananmem Square Overview
  • Monument to the People’s Heros
  • Museum of Chinese Revolution & History
  • Working People’s Cultural Palace
  • Great Hall of the People

13th Ming Emperor’s Tombs

  • Map of the Tombs
  • Walking up to the tombs
  • Walking up to the tombs 2

It is very hard to show pictures of the Tomb because they are all underground.

At the entrance, you walk down about 100 feet of stairs, and then opens up into a series of large vaults.

In these vaults are the various items buried with the Emperor.

Back above ground, one is treated with a great view of the surrounding country side.

  • Looking Out
  • Looking Out – Detail 1
  • Looking Out – Detail 2

Lunch in a ‘tourist trap’

Lunch in the upstairs portion of the building.

A tour bus of Chinese tourists came in toward the end of the meal.

Shopping around the International Store.

The Great Wall of China

The drive north-west of Beijing/Peking

There is some beautiful mountains that you drive through to get to the wall. I just kept looking out the window in the amazement of nature.

I was also amazed to see portions of the wall traversing the tops of the mountains. Here was this extremely rugged terrain, and on top of it all, this stone wall!!

Simply put, AMAZING!!

Robert did have a problem with the tickets because of his nationality.

Merchants selling picture books, buttons, and table cloths all along the wall!!

The higher I walked, the more and more I was amazed.

The Wall just stretches as far as the eye can see.

  • Great Wall Tower
  • The Great Wall 01
  • The Great Wall 02
  • Walking up some stairs
  • The Great Wall 03
  • The Great Wall 04
  • The Great Wall 05
  • The Great Wall 06

Drive back to Beijing

I saw a small fire in the under brush that no one seemed to care about. I did not see anyone tending the flames!!

Formal Dinner

Dad was the host for this meal

– Andrew
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Categories
China Personal Travel

Tour of Beijing

Note – All images are scanned from slide film.

Roof Corner Detail – Forbidden City
Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen) – Gate of Supreme Harmony
Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen) – Bronze Lion
Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen) – Marple Terraces/East
Dragon-Cloud Ramp Stone Carving
Gold Guard Lion
Carved Wood Dragon
Iron Incense Urn
Gold Guard Dog
Main Enterence to the Forbidden City
Guard Tower – Forbidden City

Beijing/Peking, China – Day 2

Walking around to the shops to view displays

Drove around Tiananmen Square

Forbidden City

VERY LARGE. I can easily see why people were in awe back a few centuries ago!! I mean I was amazed here and now!!

  • Main Entrance to the Forbidden City
  • Guard Tower – Forbidden City
  • Roof Corner Detail – Forbidden City
  • Taihemen – Gate of Supreme Harmony
  • Taihemen – Bronze Lion
  • Taihemen – Marple Terraces/East
  • Dragon-Cloud Ramp Stone Carving
  • Gold Guard Lion
  • Carved Wood Dragon
  • Iron Incense Urn
  • Gold Guard Dog

The Emperor Gardens

Dinner in the streets

We ended up eating dinner right across the street from the hotel.

My introduction to the Mongolian Fire Pot style of cooking and eating

Our waitress was an extremely cute Chinese girl, and we got her to sing a traditional Chinese folk song for us, and in turn, Dad sang a song back to her.

After dinner we walked down the street, and had desert from the side-walk vendors. During the day, none of the vendors are there, but just before dawn, they start to set up, and by dinner time and up to 11:00PM they are still selling all sorts of food.

Robert & I tried to barter for a scroll.

Bar hopping w/Robert

1st Bar – Sammy’s Hostess bar

One of the senior hostesses was training. The proper way to pour a beer, to clean an ash tray, and at point, I do remember the teacher slapping the student.

The where very quick with the lighter when you reached for a cigarette. It was rather odd knowing you are representing Zippo, and the hostess keep whipping out disposable lighters.

Early in the evening, the power was cut off.

Going to the bathroom with a flash light, and the guy in the bathroom with the flash light as you are doing your thing.

2nd Bar – Hostess Bar

They wanted 200 juan just to sit there!!

3rd – Hostess Bar

One of the first things that struck me about this bar was the collection of Camera in a glass display case as you walked in.

At the door, one is greeted by one hostess greets you and then walks you into the lounge, and up some very elegant stairs to the second floor.

At the top of the stairs, you are greeted by another hostess, who guides you down the corridor, and you try to decide what type of atmosphere you wish to partake in.

We decide on going into the Karaoke portion.

Several times, Robert got up to do some singing, and he turned out to be quite good!

Our hostess, Melinda, know some English, and she studying to become a doctor.

– Andrew
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China Personal Travel

Next stop… Beijing

Beijing/Peking, China – Day 1

China Southern Airlines – Flt#CZ3111 – Guangzhou->Peking (42E)

Meet at the airport by 3 Black Mercedes Benzes

Dad and Mr. Cheng were in one, while Robert and I were in another, and Brian in the third.

Checked into The Palace Hotel

Very formal Chinese Dinner

The little green peppers appeared again

Once again we had “Hung Fu”, plus some really good brandy.

Introduced to Fruit tea with the dried fruit actually in your cup. One drinks the tea with the
uses of the lid to strain the fruit. The boy pouring the water, had any attitude, but poured the
water with a flair!

Robert and I went to the Hard Rock Cafe

Robert wanted to learn how to drink like an American.

I drank him under the table to the point that he fell asleep at the table… The cab ride back
to the hotel was very interesting… Robert spoke to me in Cantonese, Mandarin and English…

– Andrew
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China Personal Travel

Launching of Zippo in China

Official launching of Zippo lighters in China

It was Show Day, the official launching of Zippo lighters in China!!

I sat at the head table with the Counsel General Guangzhou, and to my left was the Commerce Secretary, Robert S.

There were several conversations that revolved around the Liley’s.

After lunch, Dad & I explored the shops within the hotel.

I ended up buying two sets of Xi Dynasty figurines.

I am having them shipped back to the states by the hotel.

A group of us went around to six shops in the center of Guangzhou to look at displays.

While walking around in the streets, another little poor boy tried to get money out of Robert and I.

Very persistent devil.

There was another group dinner hosted by Oli at a friend’s restaurant in some back alley.

The sashimi was great!, but the rest of dinner was okay.

The “Kentucky Fired Snake” was about the only good part of the meal.

The bathroom was on the roof of the restaurant.

At dinner, I once again got into a drinking contest.

This time with Mr. Cheng.

The base of the shot drink was something called “Hung Fu”. This is the national wine of China, and it tastes dreadful. It makes tequila taste like Champagne!

There was something different about this drinking game. It was not so much how much one could drink, but what.

The first mixture was Green.

I looked at Mr. Cheng and gestured, you do one, I do one. Then we drank.

A giant laugh at the two tables.

The second mixture was Red.

I looked at Mr. Cheng and gestured, you do one, I do one. Then we drank.

Again a giant laugh from the two tables.

I was then asked if I knew what I had just drank. Of course I said no.

I was then told that the Green stuff was from the gallbladder of the snake, and the Red stuff was the blood!

In either case, it had the taste consistency of paint!!

Zippo Night at a local Guangzhou Disco!!

There was a contest to see if people could blow out the lights, and if they did, they won a light.

After the people had won their new lighter, I was running around filling the new lighters with fluid, and at one point, I managed to set myself on fire!!

Oli started to get me into trouble by getting me to speak Chinese to some of the single women that were hanging around our tables.

At another point, Dad, Brian, Robert, myself, the entire groups was out on the dance floor!! I was GREAT!! The entire time I was dancing, I was thinking to myself what a dream world I was in. Dancing in the middle of China at the age of 30!!

Dad and I got back to the room after 01:00AM!!

– Andrew
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