Chinese New Years!!! (Part 1: Beijing)

So, if you didn't know, Chinese New Years is a big deal in China. And I got a week off of school. So everyone travels during this time. I figured it would be my only break long enough to travel mainland China, so that is what I did.

I wasn't able to post anything while I was there, because Blogger and Facebook are illegal in China, but here is a recap of my experiences. Enjoy. :)

My Chinese New Years travels started with a delayed (surprise surprise) flight from Shenzhen (across the mainland border from Hong Kong) to Beijing with Danika. Taking a bus and an hour and a half metro ride in Beijing to the hotel to meet up with Danika’s brother (from the US) and Tristan (who took a different flight from school) at our hotel turned into a horrible, long, stressful mess. Turns out people in Beijing don’t know English like they do in Hong Kong. Makes me appreciate Hong Kong so much more. We found we were in the complete wrong section of the city and finally arrived at our hotel 4 hours late. But we survived. Somehow.

We get some local dim sum (also know as tapas in other cultures, or just small plated meals) food for dins and crashed for the night. PS. Hong Kong temp is around 60. Beijing is below freezing. Not feeling it. I do love all the Chinese architecture present in Beijing.

(Chinese New Years decorations at our hotel, also at every restaurant in China)

(Dim Sum restaurant...so asian, love it)

(Asian beer. Not the best)

(Yogurt drink. Much better option. Nommm)

(Dim Sum. Dumplings, pancakes, and some pineapple beef plate. YUM)

(Shrimp dumplings in rice paper. My favorite Chinese food)

(View from our hotel room)

Saturday morning we wake up to get a bus to take us to the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs. We get to the bus station and the bus director tells us he will drive us around to both places for the same price, so what the hay? We jump into his little black car and head out to the Great Wall. No sketchiness involved or anything.

When we get to the Great Wall, we realize why they were all laughing at the hotel when we told them our plans. The wind chill up in the mountains had to be below zero. I snapped some shots, almost killed myself on the treacherous stairs, and ran into the coffee shop to keep warm. The little village they have around the Great Wall was all shut down because it’s offseason. Lame.

(Just one of the 7 Wonders of the World)

(Village next to the Wall)

(in the village)

Next stop, Ming Tombs. Some old emperor and his ladies were buried there. Pretty sweet traditional Chinese architecture and painting inside all the rooms. Again, pretty cold. Went through it as fast as our numb feet would allow us. 

(View from the top of the Ming Tombs)

(Year of the DRAGONNN)

We get back and grab some Xiabu Xiabu for dinner (which is hot pot). Lots of fun. Lots of messiness. Lots of eating unknown vegetables and fish with eyes. By the time we got home, we cried a little because there was no hot tub to warm up in, and went to bed.

(Don't worry, I poked his eyes out first before eating himmm)

Fun Facts about Beijing Asians:

1. They have no rules of the road: such as stop signs, stop lights, pedestrian crossing. Leads to frightening situations.

2. They have curly fries at Mickey Ds.

3. Coffee is insanely expensive.

4. Just as Hong Kong people love 7-11, Beijing people love KFC.

5. They have the weirdest drinks here. And their drinks labeled the same as ours don’t taste or even look the same (their Mountain Dew is completely different and an even more unnatural neon yellow color). And they have heated drinks in vending machines.

6. We are more of an attraction to these Asians than their monuments are to us.

7. They have a Disney World right next to the Great Wall that was being built but they never finished it because they ran out of money.

8. Their Metro system is very nice (and INSANELY cheap), like in Hong Kong. Why is it only in the US that they are so shitty?

9. Not too many of them speak English, unlike Hong Kong.