Royal Banquet Dinner Style

After Temple of Heaven, majority of my group mates decided that they wanted to have their last minute shopping spree in Beijing. So, we went to Silk Street Market again.

After an hour of shopping, we grabbed some sandwiches and sodas at the lower ground of the mall and sat there for a little while. Then we headed back to the bus while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive.



Soon after, we went to one of the famous restaurant wherein we enjoyed the Royal Banquet Style Dinner.


The imperial-style restaurant features costumed waitresses, some traditional Chinese art embellishments and furnished with tables and chairs that are elegantly decorated with red, yellow and gold colors.


We enjoyed a variety of exquisite food from former Chinese dynasties, such as Bird's Nest Soup, Sea Cucumber with Pigeon Eggs, Frog-Shaped Abalone and a lot more. One of the most popular entrees on our dinner menu is the shrimp, which comes with orange bird-like sculpture carved out of carrots.


During dinner, imperial entertainment includes the dramatic entry of the Chinese musical with traditional folk dancing.



I had a chance to have my picture taken together with these two beautiful ladies. And the result… Oh my goodness, I looked like a midget here.


But don’t be deceived by the look of this picture. If they’re not wearing these towering headdresses and super elevated shoes, I’m probably taller than them. hehehe... Anyhow, I like their colorful outfit they looked cute.

THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

Moving on, we went off to have our lunch at the restaurant.

Then we proceeded to Temple of Heaven, located in the south of Beijing, covering an area of 2.73 million square meters.

When we got inside, I was simply astounded by the vast seemingly endless green trees enhancing the natural beauty of the place.



I saw this store a couple of blocks away from the entrance.

The Temple of Heaven is the most holy imperial temple in Beijing. For this is where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. Since his rule was legitimized by a mandate from heaven, a bad harvest could be interpreted as his fall from heaven’s favour and threaten the stability of his reign. So it was not without a measure of self-interest that the Emperor fervently prayed for a very good crop.

Then we walked around, and wow, I was quite surprised by the number of people there, playing musical instruments, singing Chinese traditional songs, playing games and some were dancing. It was like an elaborate outdoor party, noisy but fun atmosphere. (I wasn't able to take pictures of other performers because throngs of curious and eager spectators gathered along the corridors.)



The design of the Temple of Heaven complex, true to its sacred purpose, reflects the mystical cosmological laws believed to be central to the workings of the universe. Hence, complex numerological permutations operate within its design. For example, because the number nine was considered to be the most powerful digit, you will see that the slabs that form the Circular Altar have been laid in multiples of nine. Similarly within the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

Our group going to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.


Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, was built in 4120 during the reign of Ming Emperor Yongle, the original hall, rectangular in shape, was first named the Great Hall for Sacrificial Rituals used to worship both Earth and Heaven. In 1545 during Ming Emperor Jiajing’s reign, it was rebuilt as a round hall with a triple-eaved roof covered with blue, yellow and green glazed tiles symbolizing Heaven, Earth and the mortal world; it was renamed the Great Hall for Offering Sacrifices.




Reconstructed again in 1751 during the reign of Qing Emperor Qianlong, it was surmounted by a triple roof with azure glazed tiles only, culminating in a gilded sphere and renamed the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, exclusively used to pray good harvests in January.

38.2 meters high and 24.2 meters in diameter, the hall is supported by immense pillars, symbolizing the four seasons, the 12 months of the year, the 12 divisions of the day and night, and all the constellations. It is the only existing example of the ancient Ming Tang architectural style.




The upper floor of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.



The view from the Hall.



Here is our souvenir group photo.



East Annex Hall of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, was constructed in 1420 during the Ming Emperor Yongle’s reign, its original layout was two rolls of halls-the front hall with 9 bays, the rear with 7 bays.


In 1751 Qing Emperor Qianlong had the rear hall removed due to “its orderly arrangement”. The front hall remained to house the divine tablets of attending gods.

It is said that during the Imperial times commoners were not allowed to enter the enormous Temple of Heaven. But now, for a minimal fee, the door is open. Chinese citizens and tourists can enjoy it all day long.

UNESCO placed the Temple of Heaven on the list of the World Cultural Heritage in 1998.

THE SUMMER PALACE

After an hour at the Giant Panda Center, we headed to the Summer Palace, the largest Imperial garden in China located ten kilometers to the northwest of Beijing and used to be a summer residence of Qing Dynasty emperors and is now a public park.

A male lion statue holding a globe on his right paws near the entrance of the Summer Palace.

It is an imperial garden famous for its gorgeous natural scenery and architectural grandeur like pavilions, terraces, temples, pagodas, waterside gazebos, covered corridors, stone bridges etc.

The northern part of the Summer Palace is the 60-meter-tall Longevity Hill.

The Yu Quan Hill with Yu Feng Pagoda

Its southern part is a wide expanse of water called Kunming Lake, a man-made lake that covers approximately three quarters of the Summer Palace grounds. It is fairly shallow with an average depth of only 1.5 meter. Since the lake develops a solid ice cover in winter, it is used for ice-skating. (Picture: The huge Kunming lake dotted with rowing boats.)

There are different types of boats available for rent such as electric boat, pedal boat and canoe.

Our guide brought us to the Dragon ferryboat for a ride. The boat is long, paved with colored bricks and inlaid with a picturesquely dragonhead mounted on the bow.


When we got there, we lined up with hundreds of other tourists. We waited for several minutes until it was our time to navigate.

Inside the dragon ferryboat

We explored the lake, which is quite large, and next we docked off on another island.

Then we walked and passed by the Seventeen-Arch Bridge (Shiqi Kong Qiao),

built in 1750 during Emperor Qianlong’s reign, this 150-meter long bridge links the east bank and South Lake Island. It is the longest bridge in any Chinese Imperial garden and was named for its seventeen arches.

Over 500 stone lions in different poses were carved on the posts of the bridges railings. Four strange animals were carved at both ends of the bridge; strong and powerful, they are outstanding examples of Qing Dynasty stone carving skills.

BEIJING ZOO: GIANT PANDA CENTER

Early in the morning we went to Beijing Zoo Giant Panda Center. We only went here to see the panda bears. Our tour guide got our tickets.

There is a huge glass viewing wall and you can get eye to eye with the cubs.

There are also some souvenir shops inside the panda center.



About the Giant Pandas:
Inhabiting the western part of Sichuan, the southern slopes of Qinling Mountains. Shaanxi and Wenxian County of Gansu. Giant Panda is a rare and precious indigenous animal of China.

Due to different habitat and climate in the wild, the giant panda generally lives in alpine bamboo forests 1200-3500 meters above sea level where there is adequate rainfall, rich water resource and suitable temperature. It is good at climbing trees and also likes to play in the snow. Its main food is various kinds of bamboo growing in the mountains. It is rather a gentle animal and generally does not attack people on its own initiative. It is solitary except during breeding season. It does not like to live in groups. Generally 1-2 cubs are born usually in hollow trees or rock caves. The newborn cub is very small and pink in colour, with sparse white hair.

Visitors can view the giant pandas in a huge outdoor section of the zoo.

Hmmm... the panda kept getting busy masticating the bamboo leaves.

The Beijing Zoo first bred the giant panda successfully in 1963 and first bred it successfully by artificial insemination in 1978. The Chinese Government regards the giant panda as a symbol of friendship and has sent it to many countries as gifts.

PART XI: Badaling Hotel / Clothing Market / Songhe Hotel

DAY 4: August 25 (PM)

After our Great Wall adventure, we stopped at Ba Da Ling Hotel to have our lunch.

Once inside, we were led into a spacious hall with a roomful of big tables.

The buffet food station was set up in one long counter, with plates and spoons at one end. We had to serve ourselves, however, our one round beverage was provided at our table.

After our sumptuous meal, we went down on the ground floor and I saw these statues (similar to terracotta warriors) ...

And also these colorful Chinese Dolls.

(These pictures were taken inside the store in the hotel)

There are some stores in front of the Ba Da Ling Hotel.

Then our group tour went to Sanlitun Yashow Clothing Market. This is a tourist shopping area. Prices here are too high. You have to use your bargain technique. If not, you'll end up buying the items 3 to 5x higher than the original price. Now, you don't want to happen that, right?

But nothing really take my fancy. I was thinking and comparing the prices from "Divisoria" in Manila, which is way cheaper. Except the denim jacket that caught my attention. It's fashion trendy. So, I bought it.

The jacket - long sleeves with large button front closure, front pockets, contrast stitching ... and with sequined hand-embroidered design on upper back. The lady was selling it for 350 yuan (P2450), but then again we used our haggling talent for a while over the price, and luckily we settled on 100 yuan (P700).

Then we had our buffet dinner at Songhe Hotel. The place is just adjacent to busy Wangfujing shopping district.

My Out of the Ordinary Experience:
The food was fine but not particularly memorable, especially I got pissed off that night. Something happened. What's more infuriating was the fact that it was just a trivial matter. (reason: because of the table and chairs). She could have asked me in a friendly way but she didn't. Dang! She's an old woman (old enough to be my mother) who sounds like a RAVING LUNATIC that night, VERY RUDE, UNEDUCATED and GROSS IN ACTION. She think she's from a FU*#*NG noble hierarchy and so FU*#*ING important, as if she owns the whole world. (please excuse me for the words but this is the best remark to describe her).

At that time, I was really completely taken aback. I was innocent and clueless. God knows, it was very tough for me to hold my temper in those situations, but I still managed to make myself calm. She should be thankful, I was brought up by my parents to respect older people. If not, I would have SLAPPED HER BOULDERY WRINKLED HIDEOUS FACE for being discourteous and indescreet talker . She's already OLD but her behavior still STINKS ...PITY HER.

I avoided the situation because I didn't want to ruin my "China tour". I tried to mellow down and not to lose my temper. (tsk, tsk, that's the problem when you're in a group tour.) I told my husband what had happened, but despite of my rage I still advised him to just forget it.

What a day! I started my morning with a feeling of euphoria but end up at the end of the day in a bad mood. tsk..tsk... I guess this is one of my off-days. We do experience that sometimes, don't we?

True enough, God really helps those who are meek. The next day, it was like manna from heaven. I received a good news from my hubby about that woman. (I don't wanna elaborate it.) Allelujah. Hoop, hoop, hoooray!!!

But despite the fact of what happened, I still like her younger sister. She seemed nice and well mannered.

Well, it's just a memory now. I've always thought it's best not to dwell on grievances too long. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.

China Part X: I Climbed the Great Wall

Early in the morning, our first itinerary was a tedious visit to a Jade Factory. It is located at the northern suburb of Beijing, near seventh exit of Badaling expressway. While we were inside, a lady came to us. She introduced herself and started her five-minute presentation and explained how jade was made. After the presentation, the group was given the chanced to browse around. Ed and I checked out a bit the jadeite carvings and other kinds of jade jewelries such as necklace, earring and pendant. I have a zest for jade ... but knowing for a fact that these are overpriced jade pieces and sculpture, I felt bored and uninterested. Plus I consider this "group tour shopping" a tourist trap.

Then we went to ...

The GREAT WALL:
I remember back in high school and college days, Great Wall of China was one of our history lessons. I had seen the pictures and read it in my history books. The Wall always has fascinated me that I desired to have an up close and personal view.

We went to Badaling Section, our tour guides got our tickets, and then we lined up and stepped up onto the cable car. We enjoyed the breathtaking views as the cable car ascends to its highest point. It was a foggy day, but regardless it was quite a sight.

We entered a tunnel leading us the entrance to the great wall.

There are some stores near the entrance of the great wall...

It's true that Badaling is the site most visited section of the Great Wall of China. Aside from being the closest of all the sections of the wall, I was surprised to see that it was chock-full of people. Ed and I had to squeeze our way through.

Some parts of the great wall is very steep, so I only went up a little way. And I had to pause from time to time to catch my breath. I let my hubby climbed and explore more the great wall. While I was resting alone, I saw a Caucasian man, who came down from the top; his t-shirt and short were soaked and covered with sweat. And the heavy perspiration was streaming down from his body. Holy cow! He looked like he walked from southeast to northwest. I wonder where did he got his strength. :)

It is said that the landscape of the Great Wall changes every season, with numerous scenery to catch your attention. A sunlit and enchanting scene of spring, with the valley covered with greens. When the rain from mountain comes, the vista will look vast and hazy. The sky in autumn is high with unsoiled stratosphere, while the maple forest is dyed in golden colour. White snow covers the whole scene in winter.

ABOUT THE GREAT WALL (BADALING SECTION):

The Wall of Badaling has a total length of 3,741 meters with an average height of 8 meters. The highest part is 15 meters. The total area for a tour is 19,000 square meters. The top of the wall can permit five horses to be ridden abreast.

There are arched doors at the inner side of the wall with very little distance between each two doors. The arched doors lead you to the top of the wall by stone stairs.

Badaling was the earliest section to be open to the tourist among all the parts of the whole Great Wall. 130 million tourists from China and abroad have visited the Badaling; 370 foreign leaders and very important persons have come to climb Badaling successively.

Near Badaling, there is a large-scaled Great Wall of China Museum as well as the Great Wall National Theater from which you can get a full and complete view of the great wall.

In 1961, the State Council decided that Badaling was a national key protected culture relic unit. In 1987, Badaling became 'World Cultural Heritage' by the United Nation. (source: travel china guide)

Also on the great wall side, you can get yourself dressed up like a royal princess complete with a carriage (an open non-wheeled wooden chair typically carried by men). It was like a festive and noisy boisterous ceremonial parade. I was amused and entertained at the same time. But beware though, they charge ridiculously high. One of my group mates, a "balikbayan" (a Filipino working or living abroad) was charged for 300 yuan (P2,100). They argued for a long time until they settled for 20 yuan (P140).



Update (2007) : Great Wall of China is now one of the New Seven Wonders of the World which was officially declared last July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Purtugal.

PART IX: The Red Theatre Kung Fu Show

I'm a woman but Kung Fu, Karate or Martial Arts is definitely my favorite movie theme ever since my childhood days. I don't know why, but this is one that most fascinates me. I just love it! Those forms in which sharp blows and kicks are applied makes me thrilled. That's the reason why I like also watching Mixed Martial Arts like Pride FC, UFC and K-1. Well of course, I can't hide the fact that I was also influenced by my husband watching these shows. And I've to admit that I became a big fan of Fedor Emelianenko, Vanderlie Silva and Mirko Crocop. These guys are modest in behavior & great fighters. I was a Bruce Lee fan, too. I watched most of his movies during my younger days. He was considered the greatest icon of martial arts cinema during his days. But unfortunately, he died too young. I'm an admirer of Jet Li as well. He's small but highly skilled in Kung Fu and moves very fast.

Oooops... what am I thinking? hehehe... Ok, ok let's go to the RED THEATRE. This show was included in the tour package. Tickets were provided by our tour guide. We came a bit late. The theatre was already jam packed with people. (big sigh) We got our seats on the second floor back row. Waaaah...

The title of the show was CHUN YI: THE LEGEND OF KUNG FU. It is a martial arts dance performed by young men and boys. The story is divided into seven parts / scenes. It's about Chun Yi, a little boy, who entered the temple and after many years of hard training through practicing Kung Fu and Zen, he becomes a master. He was tempted but suffered a great remorse. And finally reaches the sacred goal of enlightenment.

Even though there were off-moments, the show was still good. It featured lots of vigorous style, kung fu fighting, tumbling moves and scintillating display of swordplay battles. There was a scene, where these young men grabbed some metal rod and smashed it on top of their head. (whew!!!) Indeed, these performers showed great routine and fantastic Kung Fu display.

(These pictures were taken from the brochure)

Pictures and videos are not allowed during the performance. But the fact, that most of the viewers were using their own digital and video cameras while the performance was going on, we had been tempted to take pictures, too. Well, we took two shots only. I took this picture during the curtain call.

After the show was over, the cast comes out and lined up in the lobby. The audience can take photos with them. And that's what we did. We merged into the crowd that had gathered in eagerness to have pictures with the performers. Unfortunately, we didn't know that picture taking had a "5 to 10-minute" time limit only. But nonetheless, we still had the chance to interact with them, and here we are...

These are my nephews whom I sent in China to study Kung Fu. just kidding

Look at my hubby playing around and trying to be a Kung Fu expert himself. mwehehehe...

THE RED THEATRE
44 Xing Fu Da Jie,
Chongwen District,
Beijing, China
(Across Tiantan Hotel)
SHOWS: Every evening at 7:30 PM