beijing_daily

What a rush to wake up and realize that all the sound and sights just outside our cabin were tour greeting to that far away, mysterious place we had learned about in grade school (remember the "China Unit" in the sixth grade?), considered the enemy during and after high school (remember the Korean War and the Yalu River?), and now vaguely wondered about as news of a "societal rebirth" filtered to the West (remember all the "Made in China" labels?).

In and by itself and compared to those we experienced in Japan, our arrival in Xiangang, the port city serving Beijing, provided a contrasting and a fairly significant introduction to China. Instead of sounds of musicians playing on the dock, the loud noises we heard were those made as workers driving fork lifts slammed one load after another in to stacks of large cargo containers piling up all over the pier. Instead of a group of young people performing intricate flag dances the as part of Japan's official welcome to us, we saw only coverall clad stevedores patiently waiting to unload the Sapphire Princess.

Only 75 miles southeast of Beijing (two hours by bus), Xiangang is a historic city and the largest industrial and trade center in north China. The Xingang Harbor is the largest port in north China and is one of Asia's largest facilities for the international shipment of export and import cargo containers.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

China: Modern China gets its name from the CHIN, the first emperor and founder of the dynasty that ruled from 265 to 420. The first of the dynasty, Chin Shih Huang, united the country under a centralized government, standardized the currency, and set up a code of law. He also ordered the building of the Great Wall to deter raiding nomads. (Click here for a good Internet link to ancient China.)

Beijing: Kubilai Khan, grandson of Ghengis Khan, moved the capital of the Mongol Empire from Karakorum (in the original Mongolian territory) to China and created the magnificent city of Beijing to serve as one of his empire's capitals. In Chinese writing, the word "Beijing" consists of two characters, one meaning "north" and the other "capital". (Click here for our Ports of Call background information regarding Beijing.)

The Sapphire Princess berthed early in the morning at Xingang Port in Tianjin. As part of the normal Princess baggage collection and disembarkation process, we had been given special gold-colored tags to put on our luggage. These tags read "Gold I," which turned out not only to be the code for our "turn" at leaving the ship at Xiangang but also the designation for the bus were would board to meet our group and begin our eight-day travels through China. Since "Gold 1" wasn't due to be called until 9:30, we took advantage of our "Penthouse Suite" privileges and called room service so we enjoy one last room service breakfast until our color was called.

As we waited, we observed that dozens of busses were arriving and lining up on the pier outside. These would soon be filled with passengers leaving the Sapphire Princess to continue their travels elsewhere. And, although it had been there earlier when we had first looked outside, we now took notice of the heavy smog that filled the air as far as one could see in every direction. This was our first exposure to a nasty environmental phenomenon that stayed with us everywhere we were to travel in China.

It was finally our turn to disembark and we walked down the gangway and spent our first ten minutes in China wandering around on the pier wondering where in the world "Gold 1" was to be found. Finally, after walking almost to the end of the pier area, we found our small bus, clearly identified by a hand-lettered "Princess Gold 1" sign in the front window. We boarded and began the automatic "getting acquainted" chit chat with the people (six other couples, two Canadian and four from the USA) who would be our companions for the next eight days. (Ever seen dogs sniffing around when they encounter a new group?)

We also met the young man who would be our tour director throughout China. He introduced himself as Chang Wie but added that we might find it easier to use his English name, Stephen. As it transpired, many of the Chinese people we were to meet in the days ahead, including all of our local guides and the crew members of the Yangtze River cruise ship, have taken on "western" names for the benefit of their tourist customers. Although we appreciated the thought, it was very difficult to think of our tour director as "Stephen" or to meet an attractive young Chinese woman and not chuckle inside at the idea of her being "Ingrid" or "Debbie." We never did use the name Stephen, always calling our tour director by his first name, Wie. (Like Hungarians, the Chinese put their family name before their given name, thus our director was "Wie," not "Chang" in casual conversation.)

Our tour director, Chang Wie, a/k/a/ Stephen.

Wei got us all seated and reasonably attentive and read through the "Rules of Engagement" for the days ahead. These included an overview of the daily programs, some "do's and don'ts" for travel in China, tipping protocols, and similar housekeeping items. Then we were ready to move out . We passed through the streets of Xingang, peering excitedly through the bus windows at the new and exotic sights--- people, buildings, stores, trucks carrying toilets, restaurants (!)--- that served as our visual introduction to a Chinese city.

After negotiating the streets of Xingang for 20 minutes or so, we reached the outskirts of the city and and headed down the highway for Beijing and our first official tour stop, Tiananmen Square. The trip from Xingang to Beijing took us along a marvelous superhighway and, thus, dispelled the notion that China's road system consists of antiquated, rock-paved roads originally designed for horses and wagons pulled by water buffalo. Indeed, the modern highway system we saw connecting the towns and cities wherever we were to go in China seemed every bit as good (and busy) as one would find in the USA or Europe. (Even to the billboard signs every 100 yards along the side of the road, toll gates, and gas station/rest stops with their fast food and souvenir sections.)

The heart of modern China is said to beat in Tiananmen Square, the symbol of the People's Republic of China and the center of Beijing's landmarks. The dramatic scene of political struggle and unrest, Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world and can accommodate up to one million people.

As pointed out in our Ports of Call "Know Before You Go" page for Beijing, the physical features of Tiananmen Square are impressive. Five-star red flags of the Peoples Republic fly high on the square, the Tiananmen Gate Tower sits at the north, and the Monument to the People's Heroes dominates the center. On the east and west are the massive buildings of the Great Hall of the People (where we ate lunch), the Museum of the Chinese Revolution, and the Museum of Chinese History,as well as the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. Tiananmen Square is listed top among Beijing's sixteen official scenic spots.

Monuments, buildings, and architecture aside, the probably the most amazing thing we found at Tiananmen Square was the crowd. Since we were arriving almost at noon on the first day of of the nation's National Week (equivalent of our Fourth of July times seven), we were able to test firsthand the statement that the Square can hold a million people! It seemed that all of China had decided to arrive on the same day we did and it was so interesting just to "people watch" as thousands and thousands milled about, providing a human floor covering for the Square's thirty-four flagstoned acres of space. The day we visited, many people were attracted to a garden area where the five mascots for the 2008 Olympic games were on display (below). It turned out that a lot of Chinese were attracted to tall people, too, since Ralph had to poise for photos at least a dozen times while we wandered around the Square. (Nobody believed it when he said he was the grandfather of Yao Ming, the NBA star.)

While it wasn't actually IN Tiananmen Square, we had our first authentic Chinese meal in one of its main buildings, Great Hall of the People. A cavernous dining room has been set up on an upper floor to serve hordes of tourists, most of whom appeared to be foreigners. There were "objects d'art" on display as we entered--- replica statues of past princes and princesses, carved and sculpted lions and dragons, ornate banquet chairs, etc. One of the attractive hostesses showed us to our assigned eating area where we had our first encounter with the Lazy Susan serving style that is ubiquitous to Chinese restaurants--- eight chairs around a round table with a large glass tray rotating food items round and round. Most of our "Gold 1" group showed some hesitancy with the strange dishes--- pick, pick, pick--- but nobody went without finding something to pop in a nearly empty stomach, particularly when there were pretty waitresses to help out!

Classical Chinese architecture and an overwhelming depth of cultural wealth are on display in the Forbidden City which, after the Great Wall, is probably the major tourist attraction in China. The city, now known officially as the Imperial Palace Museum, was originally between 1406 and 1420. Covering an area of 250 acres, it was meant to be the dwelling for the Son(s) of Heaven, the successive emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Chinese royal families and the religious elite lived here in almost complete seclusion, their lives ordered by a complicated set of rules and taboos. Wie told us the Forbidden City was burnt down, rebuilt, sacked, and renovated countless times over it early centuries of existence. Thus, most of the architecture we observed during the day dates from the 1700s and later.

Our bus took us half way around the huge wall surrounding the Forbidden City because of the crowds and lack of parking space near the main entry area. Police were on hand to make sure buses couldn't even stop long enough to unload passengers at the most convenient (and busiest) places! So, when we finally found a place to get off, our group had a long, long walk just to get to an entry point. We walked along a very well-keep street adjacent to the wall, passing some busy commercial areas and also a small lake where lots of people were spending part of their day paddling about in small, plastic boats.

As we finally approached the magnificent Meridian Gate we saw why this complex of palaces, pavilions, ceremonial centers, and courtyards practically demands the awed attention of even the most seasoned travelers.

The weather was very hot and, with Wie hustling us along a a very quick pace and the holiday crowds taking up every available "sitting space" when we did have a momentary stop, we tired very quickly. It seemed as if it would take us forever to walk throughout the Forbidden City's 183 acres. (Especially if we wanted to have a close look at everything, which, honestly, we didn't, at least for that day. Consider it--- there are 9,999 1/2 rooms in the place!)

But, however footsore and leg weary we got following him, we knew we were lucky to have Wie with us to explain what we were seeing. One American couple we met had rented head phones with an audio tape (with Roger Moore’s 007 voice) that served as their guide system but Wie was a much better alternative because he could go into more detail than the tape and also answer any questions we might have about of the halls and attractions we encountered.

We heard that although many of the Forbidden City’s finest treasures were taken away by the Nationalist armies as they fled to Taiwan in 1949, there are still quite a few impressive relics left in the rooms of the palace (most in rooms that are closed to the public). There is also a garden which features a grove of beautiful old cypress and pine trees, as well as the strange rock sculptures that are studded about the Palace grounds. The largest open space was an immense courtyard where the emperors were crowned over the centuries. (Even the huge crowd of tourists visiting the Forbidden City that day took up an insignificant amount of space in the huge courtyard.)

There are souvenir shops everywhere in the Forbidden City, most with tons of cheap kitsch (but we did run across some nice stuff for sale). Wie told us that bargaining is allowed but our group members, acting typically North American, shied away from haggling over a dollar or two when there was something someone really wanted. (This hesitation dissipated in the days ahead, however, as we learned that the "game" was expected by the vendors, some of whom may actually have viewed the process as entertainment.

As was the case outside the Forbidden City, one of the best parts of the time we spend inside was watching the people around us. On this first day in China we recognized before too long that most our stereotype's about the Chinese were faulty and that maybe these folks, especially the kids, are pretty much like us in most important ways.

The Forbidden City tour complete, we made our way to the parking area where our bus was waiting. Just before boarding, Ralph saw two of his Sapphire Princess Trivia game partners, a couple from England, waving at him from their bus window. After a signaled reminder to them to keep in touch via e-mail, he was able to take their photo just as their bus pulled away.

From there is was a 30-minute drive to the Beijing Crowne Plaza hotel, a super-modern place that delighted us with its amenities, service, and large, comfortable rooms (tub, separate walk-in shower, huge plasma TV, high speed wireless Internet access, coffee maker, etc., etc., etc.). The Crowne Plaza is really as fine a hotel as any we have stayed in during any of our travels in the USA and abroad. Tired after a very long day, we skipped dinner, opting instead to simply check e-mail and go to bed.