Back From Beijing

Well, I just returned from my vacation to Beijing. It is Chinese New Year break out here in Taiwan and we had a week and a half off of school. Tomorrow we start up with classes again, for four days, and then have a four day weekend before getting fully back into the saddle next week.


I was in Beijing from Sunday January 25th until Friday the 30th, and it was a great chance to get away, relax and take in some historic sites. Here's a quick overview of the trip. I went with my friends Kevin and Michelle. We stayed at hotel that was located in the heart of the city. Honestly the location could not have been much better as we were within walking distance of nearly every place we went, whether it be sites, shopping, or restaurants. That being said, we did a ton of walking, more than I have done in a long time. However this made for great exercise and a cheaper trip.

One we frequented was Tiananmen Square. This wide open area had several monuments and museums, including a Memorial to Mao Tse Dong, and is across the street from the Forbidden City.


Another highlight of the trip was a hike along the Great Wall. We took a combination of subway, bus, and taxi to travel about an hour and a half out of Beijing. There we went on a 10km hike on the Great Wall. The view was breathtaking and the hike was a good work out, complete with a couple of stories and some good Chinese practice.


In addition, we also saw the Olypmic complex were the 2008 games were held, went to a Chinese teahouse to watch Beijing style Chinese opera, and ate at several good restaurants. We sampled the Beijing Roasted Duck, ate at a German restaurant, a TGI Friday's, and an oustanding Thai-Indiand Restaurant.

That's a quick overview and I hope to write in more detail as time allows.