part 3

Friday May 2019

We take the metro to Chengdu East station. It has a huge departures hall with thousands of travellers looking for or waiting for their departing train. We are at the station on time. First our ticket is checked and matched with our passport. Followed by a baggage check. Then we can wait near the platform entrance. We have another hour. The gates to the platform open 10 minutes before departure and we can go down to the platform. We are in the last carriage. The journey to Xi’an is going well. Just after 4 o'clock we arrive at Xi'an North Station. We take the metro to the hotel. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the Wulukou stop. We stay at the Mercure, which is located on a former party complex (Renmin Square or People's Square) with a number of hotels from the Accor family. Mercure is clearly the poor branch of the family. In any case, it is not the stately building that you see in front of you when you walk onto the square. That is the Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel. The Mercure building is hard to find and the rooms are a bit worn. Not what we are used to from Mercure in Europe.

In the afternoon we walk around in the neighborhood. The street is mostly full of stately government buildings and banks. In the evening we eat in the Azur restaurant in the Sofitel. It is a buffet with lots of choice.

Weather: 28 degrees sunny

Sunday 18 May 2019

After breakfast we take the Mobike bicycle to the Central Station. Mobike is a bicycle share system. You install the mobike app on your mobile phone. That is already possible in the Netherlands, because Mobike is also active here (Rotterdam, Delft and The Hague). We have put 10 euros on our account by using a credit card. That is more than enough, because a trip in China only costs 13 cents. The bike is unlocked by pointing the camera of the phone at the QR code of the bike from the Mobike app. Very simple. At the destination, all we have to do is lock the bike to end the ride. You are no longer allowed to park the bicycles everywhere you want. Parking areas have been drawn on the sidewalk where the bicycles must be parked. Other bicycle systems are also active, such as Ô-bike and Hello Bike. Initially, the share bikes in China led to great chaos and mountains of bicycle wrecks. Now there are a few suppliers left, who are obliged to collect the incorrectly parked bicycles and to regroup them at locations where there is a great demand.

Tour bus line no.5 (306) leaves for the Terracotta army at Central Station. It is a somewhat old bus. The tickets are sold on the bus and only cost ¥ 7 (€ 0.90). The journey takes approximately one hour. From the bus stop it's a short walk to the ticket sales office for the Terracotta museum. Admission costs ¥ 120 (€15,50 / $17,45). It is very busy. 

We start with hall 3. That is a museum hall, in which a number of special sculptures are exhibited, such as chariots with bronze horses. Then we follow our way to the second hall. There is not much to see here in the excavation. Digging for statues still goes on here. You look down on an enormous plain with here and there excavation pits and shards and pieces. On the side there are four special statues, exhibited in showcases, of a general, a kneeling archer, a standing archer and a cavalryman with a horse. Yet it is also very busy here, but nothing compared to what awaits us in Hall 1. People push and pull in order to see the famous soldiers who are lined up in front of us. This is also the place where the statues were first found in 1978 by a farmer who wanted to find a well. Hall 1 contains 1,000 of the 8,000 statues. We walk around the entire hall and fight for a place for the best pictures.
A bit overwhelmed by the crowds we go outside again, into the bright daylight. Inside it was half dark. We walk back running the gauntlet of countless food and souvenir stalls to where we left the bus. The bus arrives after a 5 minute wait. However, after ten minutes on the way back to Xi'an the bus gives up the ghost and we have to get out. We can change to the next bus. It is there almost immediately and we can continue. Back in the city we take the mobike to the hotel again. We have lunch at the hotel, rest and then head into the city to the Bell Tower. This originally 16th century tower (rebuilt in the 18th) was used to indicate the start of the day. A little further is the drum tower, which marked the end of the day. The Muslim quarter starts behind the drum tower. About 30,000 descendants of probably an Arab army that was in the service of the emperor, live here. Xi'an was the capital of China during the Tang dynasty (618-907). Xi'an was also at the end of the silk route and came into contact with Islam from the Middle East this way. The central street of the Muslim neighborhood is filled with food stalls and restaurants and it is a busy place. They sell all kinds of special food items, many of them grilled on a skewer. Also special are the peanut cookies, for which men with large wooden hammers beat the batter. The glass noodles are also famous. You all see how it is made. Most of the women behind the counters are wearing a headscarf and the men wear small hats.

Weather: 28 degrees and sunny
 

Sunday 19 May 2019

We take it easy. After breakfast we have coffee at Starbucks. We go back to the hotel and then we grab a mobike to cycle to the post office and mail our post cards home. Then we cycle to the city wall. We go up the wall on the south side. Admission is ¥ 54 (€ 7). On top we rent bicycles to cycle around the wall. That costs ¥ 98 (€ 12.60) for two bicycles. We can use them for three hours. The city wall was originally from the 16th century, but rebuilt in the 18th century. It has a rectangular shape, with the old city inside with a grid-shaped street plan. The total perimeter of the wall is 13 km and there is a large gate on each city side. Later, more holes were made in the wall for car traffic. The wall is very wide and there are many people who walk or cycle around the wall. The pavement is not always smooth, but it not a big deal for the thick tires and the suspension fork on the bike. On the wall we see many bridal couples having wedding photos taken. The brides are almost all in red with a long veil. After the bike ride, we leave the wall to get something to eat. Oddly enough we find ourselves in a neighbourhood without any eating places. Only old books. We take a bicycle and eat a little further vegetable dish for ¥ 28 (€ 3.60) for two people, including a soft drink. Then we cycle back to the hotel. I'm for a  swim in the Sofitel’s pool. It gets a bit noisy when a father tries to teach his child to swim and constantly dictates the strokes. It doesn't look very educational.
In the afternoon we drink a cocktail in the bar of the Sofitel before we start looking for a recommended restaurant. Unfortunately, it has disappeared without a trace, while it should have been in operation since 1898. We then decide to go and eat in a mall, cheaply and not so bad at all. Back at the hotel, we pack our bags for the next day and have a drink in the Louis XIII bar of the People’s Grand hotel, a sister hotel of ours. The building was opened in 1953 as a guesthouse for the government. Now it is one of 5 Sofitel Legend hotels in the world. It is a different world. It is very chic and stylish and we enjoy our drink in peace.

Weather: 23 degrees, cloudy

Monday 20 May 2019

We get up at 6.30, have breakfast and then we walk to the Wulukou metro station. There we take metro line 1 and after one stop line 2 to the North Station Bei ke Zhan (video). We arrive well ahead of time for the train to Ping Yao. We have to wait another hour. The train journey goes well and after more than two hours we can get off at Ping Yao Old City station, which is oddly enough 7 km outside the old city of Pingyao. We take a taxi that takes us up to the city wall of the old city. We have to walk the last bit to the Yide Hotel. It is not far, but it has become quite warm under the scorching sun. We are warmly welcomed and we have a choice from two rooms. The lady at the reception speaks excellent English and is very helpful. It is a traditional hotel in the old town. The rooms are situated around two courtyards. The beds are also traditional. It appears to be a rather hard and thin mattress on a platform, but it turns out to be quite comfortable. We take a break and then we have lunch at the hotel. The food is excellent and the staff in the hotel restaurant understand enough English to help us.

In the afternoon we walk through the city centre. We drink coffee at a coffee joint called SeaRocks Coffee, which looked closely at Starbucks for the design and the product range. We visit a number of museums and places of interest. For that you have to buy the Pingyao ticket for 120 RMB and then you can into any of the 40 or so museums. We visit the oldest bank, Rishenchang, where cheques were already being used in 1824. Before 1912, Pingyao was a banking centre of China. Then, after the boxer uprising, Hong Kong and Shanghai took over that position. We visit two more museums. The buildings are a jumble of courtyards and rooms, in which all kinds of museum pieces are arranged, but after a while they all look the same.
In the evening we have a delicious dinner in the hotel again and in the evening, we walk through the streets of Pingyao, which are then illuminated by red lanterns. It is busy on the street and shop keepers and restaurant owners shout at the passers-by for business. We end with a dark beer in a hostel. It is nice and quiet there, except for a playful kitten.

Weather: 28 degrees, sun

Tuesday 21 May 2019

After breakfast we are picked up by Jonathan, our guide from Red Plum Travel, who is taking us on a bike ride to a temple outside the city. We first pick up the bikes from a rental place. To get there we walk for about ten minutes through the old city. We ride on bicycles, which are fortunately a bit larger than the average Chinese size, and leave the city centre to take a look at the city wall. The wall is more than 6 km long and has 6 gates. Then we set course for the new part of Pingyao towards the temple. The route follows a busy traffic road along the railroad track. After forty minutes we are at the Shuanglin temple. Jonathan knows a lot about the meaning of the different buildings and statues. The complex, largely dates from the Ming and Qin periods (after 1600) and stands with the entrance to the South, to the sun. In the buildings there are many Buddha statues in all stages and positions, also a few Taoist gods are there, just to be sure. The most important temple buildings have a glazed shaing Temple roof with colorful decorations. The others are less decorated and show a clay color. At the end of the visit we go up the wall around the temple and it is time for a flight with the drone.

The return journey takes a different route, along a very wide road, which runs along neighborhoods that are still under construction and past corn fields, orchards and business parks. Erik gets a flat tire. Jonathan calls the owner who on the electric scooter to help us. He fixes the tyre very quickly, but the delay still takes half an hour. Back in the old city, Jonathan takes us to a bakery where they bake mooncakes according to a traditional recipe with no less than six types of nuts. They taste sweet and delicious.

We then return the bikes and return to the hotel. Meanwhile it has become incredibly warm and the sun is high in the sky. We have lunch in the hotel and have a rest. At three o'clock we go up to the city wall, but it is so hot and we are still tired from the morning bike ride that we quickly go back to the hotel. When it gets a little cooler I let the drone up again above the hotel for some nice pictures of the roofs of the old city. We eat in the hotel again and after dinner we walk through the old city again. Withdrawing money from ATM in the old city is not possible, because the bank behind the machines in the old city does not accept maestro cards.
In the hotel we have a drink before going to sleep

Weather: 29 degrees and sun

 

Wednesday 22 May 2019

We We get up early, because our train leaves at 8.40. We already checked out yesterday and placed our order for breakfast. It all goes so fast that we are 20 minutes ahead of schedule. We can already leave at 7.20 am with a car arranged by the hotel. The girl from the reception comes after us, apparently because we have paid twice for breakfast. We get the money back.

At the station we initially get the normal safety check, but then half an hour before departure all travellers have to go through the mill again for Beijing. And now more thoroughly. My Swiss officer's knife has to stay here. It is taken out of the suitcase and impounded. Then we have to wait in a separate part of the departure hall for a sign that we can go through the gates to the  platform. On the platform we are neatly aligned at the point where our carriage door is expected to end up. We get on the train as soon as it arrives and then sit back and relax for 4 hours until we reach Beijing West. We will arrive at 12.55.
In Beijing we take the metro to Dongsi (change trains once) and walk to the Cote Cour hotel, which is located in a so-called Hutong, an old working-class area. These Hutongs are located in former family palaces of the aristocracy, but after the fall of the empire were divided into small houses. Many of these neighbourhoods have been demolished in recent decades and replaced by large skyscrapers, but this one has not (yet). When you walk into the neighbourhood you do not exactly expect to find a hotel. Narrow streets, small houses, people who are playing Mahjong on the street… We get there, at least we walk past it, but a kind police officer walks with us to the hotel entrance we missed. It is very hot in Beijing and we notice that Chinese men uncover their midriff to cool down when it is hot.
In the evening we have dinner at Dadong Roast. That turns out to be a very upmarket place in a super chic shopping mall. Here we order Peking Duck. The duck is first presented by a cook at the table and then cut into small pieces. The meat is wonderfully tender and crispy at the same time. Dadong is one of the 10 best restaurants in the city for Peking duck and even has an article in the wikipedia.

Weather: 33 degrees and sun in Beijing

 

Thursday 23 May 2019

We get up early, because today is going to be a hot day. We are having breakfast at 7 a.m. and at half past seven we are on our way to the Forbidden City on Tian’anmen Square. First we buy a Yikatong card. This is an OV chip card on we store an amount of which we can travel. That is easier than buying a ticket for every ride. The card costs ¥ 20 (deposit) and we put ¥ 100 on it. The deposit and the remaining credit can be refunded upon departure. With the metro we get to Tian'anmen East in 20 minutes. To be able to enter the square, we must show our passport and go through a security check. Via a pedestrian tunnel we reach the huge square. The square measures 440,000 m2 and a million people can gather here. It's pretty busy on the square, despite the early hour. Groups of tourists are lined up, photographers offer their services and security personnel march across the square. Around the square are the Palace of the People (parliament), the National Chinese Museum, the Mausoleum of Mao (for which people line up by the hundreds) and the entrance to the Forbidden City. Exactly 20 years ago, grim scenes played out here when a large student protest, for more freedom and democracy, supported by the civilian population, was eventually crushed by the army with a lot of bloodshed. Nothing reminds of that anymore. We take some pictures on the square and then move (through a tunnel under the road) to Forbidden City. The portrait of Chairman Mao still adorns the Tian’Anmen gate. Left and right are large stands for party functionaries during major events. Through the Tiananmen gate we arrive at a large square. There is a ticket office in a corner. There you have to pay and your passport is registered. Your passport is then your admission ticket. Again through a gate and another one and then we come through the Wumen (Meridian gate), the largest of the gates, that once could only be used by the emperor. The Forbidden City is a large complex of 800 palaces and buildings that until 1912 were the exclusive domain of the imperial family and the royal household. A city in itself that was forbidden territory for ordinary Chinese. There are 11 Halls and gates in one straight line between the Wumen on the South side and North Gate. This forms the backbone of the complex. We cross the Golden Water Stream (Jinshui He) via bridges and arrive at another gate, the Taihemen, the gate of supreme harmony, which is guarded by two large lions. Behind it is another larger courtyard, where once the imperial audiences were held - as in the film The Last Emperor by Bertolucci (1987).
Elevated on the three-storey high elevation we see the Taihe Dian (the hall of the supreme harmony). The largest of three main ceremonial halls. This was used for coronations and birthdays or for appointing generals for important war campaigns. Behind it is the Zhonghe Dian (hall of central harmony) with another throne in it, where the emperor received foreign visitors. Behind it again the Baohe Dian (the hall for preserving harmony), used for state banquets and imperial exams.
After this we come to the imperial living quarters. The crowds and the heat are now beginning to get to us. It is now 34 degrees and the crowds are immense. We step up the pace a bit and continue to the imperial gardens. In the center of those gardens is the Qin’an Dian (hall of imperial peace). Here the emperor came to worship the Taoist goddess of water, to save the palace from fire. After the gardens we are back on the street on the north side. We cross the street through a tunnel and enter the Jingshan Park. Here is an artificial hill, that offers a view over the Forbidden City and also the entire inner city of Beijing, because there are no other elevations and no high-rise buildings. The climb up is short, but steep. Up there I am rewarded with a beautiful view. In the distance I see the headquarters of the CCTV (by Rotterdam architect Rem Koolhaas) and closer the shape of the National Center for the Performing Arts.
After I have walked down again we take a taxi to that center. It was completed in 2007 after a design by the Frenchman Paul Andreu and, appropriately, called the "egg". The “egg” is lying on its side in the water and it takes a while to find the entrance. It appears to be sunk on the north side under the edge of the water. We're going in. After the safety check we walk into the building through a tunnel under the water. There are three main halls: an opera, a concert hall and a theater for plays and ballet. In June the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra performs here with its chief conductor Lahav Shani. We see all three rooms and drink coffee in the beautiful lobby. Then we take the metro back to the hotel.
Around 5 pm we go to the CCTV building of Koolhaas to get a closer look. We are actually too close to it, but it is impressive. A little further up is the Chaoyang theater where we are going to see an acrobatic show. I ordered tickets over the internet months ago via an unofficial website (which does call itself official, but there appear to be many). The money was debited from the credit card and I received a 5-digit code via email. That was all. I had to show it at the box office. I had little faith in it, but low and behold, I get the tickets for the VIP rows without any problems.
The show is spectacular, with acrobats, jugglers and most spectacular of all with 9 motorcyclists in a spherical cage. After an hour and a half we are completely stunned by the show, the music and the video effects.
We have drink on the hotel roof to cool down.

Weather: 37 degrees and sun