Beijing - Cheng De, China (Day 5)

Day 5, 12th May 2010, in Beijing - Cheng De, China

Check out of the hotel.. Nothing special so I won't say much about this hotel. First destination in the morning after saying "Goodbye" to "my" so-called "American Breakfast" is to the 1st storey of the Watchtower which is actually now a Museum of Folk Customs of Beijing but the whole building is the Watchtower of Zhengyang Gate. Inside the Museum, we were shown the Beijing map by a female Chinese Professor who is the leader there. She explained in detail to us about the Chinese theory based on Confucianism, Chinese Cosmology & especially Feng Shui, behind the layout & designs of the Imperial Palace along with the whole of Beijing.

This is the place where it is recommended to buy/invite a "Pixiu" home. Reasons are simple, it's real and not fake! It's been prayed for atleast and it's safe and not related to religion. It is not a statue but it is a symbol and well, I think it's real. Given the fact to all of China's historical facts and figures out there, how can you deny "Feng Shui" at the very least?! Of course, you still need to work hard for it, "Feng Shui" is something to push you onwards. (Ps. Money don't grow from tree's, neither do they fall from the sky...lolx)

All of the "Feng Shui" sifu attend to each of us and offer us to ask questions concerning any issues and such. They have been trained well to look at our palms and face to tell us the answers. It's all accurate though. Can you deny a stranger telling you something that even your friend is "blind" to notice but it's the truth that only you know? Anyway, I gotta remove my mole on my face, because each time I give advice to ppl I meant them good but the way I say it is harsh because of my mole.... I wonder.... (We'll see... ehehhe)
Outside we took pictures of the City Gate Tower behind us and it's all a good experience!

My precious "Pixiu"... Means wealth.

Outside the Watchtower, is a town of it's own. There we sat on the tram to the other side of the town to get to our bus...

Next stop, an experience not to forget... We went to Hutong Village to visit one of the oldest neighborhood and also one of the most costly land in Beijing. Over there, we get to see how China used to live in the olden days. Of course, there are slight improvements except for the building structure and TOILET! There is no doors for the public toilet!!!!!!! Suppose to not have any water too but now there is water but still no door!! Hehehehe... Imagine the "aroma" 10 years ago and now!

Lunch Time! Went to the mini mart nearby to buy beer for  ¥2.20 & Lays potato chips for ¥5.40. Took pictures of random eye-catching shots on the way...

Pet dogs walking the streets UNLEASHED! That's what I call UNITY, LOYALTY & RESPECT.

Sex Shop, I think it's something like Malaysia's "I Need House" (I guess... Never bother to go in)

But they're so "open minded"! Direct and straightforward. No cover ups or censorships... Lolx!

Shopping again... Went back to the same place - YaShow Clothing Market... I dislike it there, makes ppl feel "cheap" to bargain with rude ppl that shows no respect for other ppl. Super rude! Can't blame them though, it's the way they've been brought up. Most are uneducated it seems and ALL are teenagers... Trust me! U gotta be much rude and fierce than them. If they were to put price tags, it wouldn't be so bad but sadly I think they don't know what price tags are for! I just went window shopping, couldn't care less to bargain with rude ppl that has no sense of respect and manners. Disregard them for whoever they are... Haha! Haha!
But yes, being "cheap" has it's advantages too. U can manage to get discounts up to 75% if you really bargain hard! Lots of chinese people that drive expensive cars, comes here for shopping... So there is the advantages & disadvantages to everything. Depends on how you see it. In my point of view, it doesn't suit me to shop here. It might be different for you though. No harm visiting here to find out yourself (hehehe... cheerx =P)

Last stop in Beijing for the day is the 798 Art Zone. Attracted by ordered designing, convenient traffic, unique style of Bauhaus architecture,many art organizations and artists came to rent the vacant plants and transformed them, gradually formed a district gathered galleries, art studios, cultural companies, fashion & etc. The best place I've been to, that is, if you know how to enjoy art!

Finally, 4 hours to Cheng De and the road gets bumpy at certain spots. Lots of field along the highway with ample amount of plantation fields and farms all through the journey. Plus the mountain view is breathtaking! Above the mountain you can see the "Great Wall" climbing the mountain top all the way through Beijing - Cheng De. As mentioned, the "Great Wall" is 8000km long and you definitely can see it stretch out of Beijing. The farmer lives along the highway in between Beijing - Cheng De but sadly, the land ain't good enough because it seems that the farmers grow fruits and vegetables only 1 year once. A very slow growth.

In Cheng De, 5pm the shopping malls will close! The population in Cheng De village is approx. 300k. The moment we arrive, we went straight to dinner and then check into the hotel and lights out!

Beijing, China (Day 3)

Day 3, 10th May 2010, in Beijing, China

The breakfast at the hotel is "Very Good" ! Our tour leader, gave us a tip, if he says it's "Very Good" means it's worth the value and obviously very good (lolx)... But if it's no good and not worth it, the answer is "Okay Lah"... So this is "my" American Breakfast! I LOVE IT!

After breakfast, we went to Beijing's Jade Carving Factory and one of the jade at the entrance took approx. 3 years to carve it out! Cool! Also the "White Cabbage" jade design for prosperity and purity (it's in white). Also there was a Jade armor that looks cool and "heavy" (hehe...). I bought myself a "Dragon Jade", because of some "feng shui" I asked our tour leader, Xiao Yan, for advice and first he said the medium sized "White Cabbage" is good but I can't afford leaving it on the table top in the open!!

So he said to protect myself, wear my zodiac on me for protection of my own. So he took me to see some jade necklace and one particular "Dragon Jade" caught my interest with full attention! I bought it and it is said that a real jade could be differentiated by the sound when knocking it against another jade. Also a real jade will change color after 1 year, which means the jade adapts to the individual body and health. My "Dragon Jade" started changing color after wearing it for 2 days, I was worried it was my health or something wrong, when i asked, they said I'm lucky because the jade is adapting to me at very fast speed and it means good luck too.


Soon after, we went to the "Great Wall". Really really "GREAT"... I walked up approx. up to 100 steps and give up! I turn back... It's not easy!!!!!! The steps all are unbalanced! Some higher than the other, I had to go on all "four" and crawl up... But I give up.................. Plus the wind blowing at speed 5, it's not easy for lazy ppl like me!!

After lunch, we saw some super huge strawberry the merchants were selling outside the restaurant. Our local tour guide, Perry, said that outside the Great Wall entrance has a long stretch of farms and the fruits or anything that grows in those plot, grows up huge and healthy! No pesticide & etc etc! Lucky farmers!!! But nobody knows why...

Around 2pm, we went to the "13 Ming Tombs - Ding Ling". With my kinda hearing and feeling gift, I rather avoid going underground to the tombs because it was constructed in the 16th century for the emperor Wan Li, and it seems that in those days, if the emperor "kicks the bucket" their servants and guards get buried alive (in the coffin) next to the emperor's coffin... After walking UP the "Great Wall", we had to walk DOWN the "13 Ming Tombs", I took pictures outside but did not go in, so I waited outside and went to browsed the small exhibition hall next to the tombs.

Later, we were taken to the "Bao Fu Ling" factory. The "Bao Fu Ling" cream aka Compound Camphor Cream is only made in China and it seems they have 3 successful factory in Beijing, Shang Hai and one other location (not sure)... But due to fake products found the "that" one other location, today, only Beijing factory is operating, the other 2 has been closed down. The address is at Beijing City ChangpIng Shahe Xiaozhai. You can purchase this online at this website Beijing Bao Shu Tang Sci-tech Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.
Btw, after the visit to this factory, at the entrance I bought a milo ice-cream for ¥70 - RM3.50, worth it!

At night, we went to "Wangfujing Street" - "Dong Hua Men Night Market", it's a street like Petaling Street/Niu Ze Xui @PJ. But much better with all the branded goods and weird food!! Live scorpions as snacks or maggots, seahorse or starfish... Very very.... Makes me sick to my stomach! In malay "GELI"... In english is "tingling" feeling... And I saw NOKIA there too... To compare them with our Nokia outlets (interiors), I say it's a 50-50 chance. Our's look more neat and tidy, however, theirs is more colorful and confusing too... I don't know which display is which! Atleast, we have our display for music, for multimedia, for e-series and such... But they close early... 9pm and it's closed... We should be grateful our Nokia stores "starts" closing at 10pm - 10.30pm.