We boarded Air China Flight 992 around 1:15pm and, after a 12-hour flight, we arrived at Beijing’s Capital International Airport. It was already late afternoon of November 4th in Beijing. We were immediately greeted by our friendly tour guide, Ms Lucy Wang. Our tour bus drove for one-and-one-half hours in rush-hour traffic before we arrived at the Fook Wah Kwok Restaurant for supper. After dining, we transferred to the Millennium Hotel, a “5-Star” hotel. Lucy set up a wakeup call for us, and suggested that we join her around 7am for breakfast at the Hotel Restaurant.

Friday, November 5^th we enjoyed a very hearty breakfast ‑ Continental Beijing style. Moments later, in the Lobby, Lucy gathered us together and delivered our itinerary. The weather was bright and sunny; a little chilly perhaps. We piled on to our tour bus, which took us to the Imperial Palace, also known as the Forbidden City "Gugong." A Beijing photographer, Ms. Chu, accompanied us throughout the day and shooting both video and still pictures. The Forbidden City’s scenery was as magnificent and awe-inspiring as depicted in many Chinese movies!

 

After visiting the Forbidden City’s Halls, we walked through Zhongshan Park and arrived at Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is in the center of Beijing. It is said to be the biggest square in the world: 880 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west. That’s a total area of 440,000 square meters, holding up to one million people! The Tiananmen Gate Tower sits to the north with the Five-Star Red Flag flying high on the square. The Monument to the People's Heroes dominates the square’s centre, and the Great Hall of the People and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History are to the east and west. The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Qianmen gate sit to the south of the square.

 

Saturday, November 6^th received our wakeup call at 6am, had breakfast, and boarded our bus to travel to Badaling: one of the well-preserved sections of the Great Wall in Beijing. Badaling is also one of China's most famous tourist sites. These sections were predominantly the remains from the Ming Dynasty, an era of tremendous construction, as the history books point out. The Great Wall runs across the northern part of Beijing for over six hundred kilometers, with various passes and towers. Today, the Wall has become a must-see for every visitor to China. Few can help saying 'Wow!' when they stand atop of a beacon tower and look at this giant, dragon-like structure. For centuries, these walls served succeeding dynasties as an efficient military defense. As a symbol of an ancient Chinese civilization, the Great Wall has stood for more than 2,000 years. We were so delighted to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come to China and see this magnificent, amazing and breath-taking scenery. The bottom steps on the Great Wall were so humungous; we thought our ancestors must have been giants! The climb was very strenuous so we stopped midway and looked down ‑ we must have been more than ten floors above the ground level. So as not to miss any steps, we walked down the Wall very slowly. This unfamiliar, rugged terrain appeared dangerous to us.

 

After everyone had descended from the Great Wall, we boarded our bus and headed to an enamelware factory where the artists demonstrated the various stages of their Cloisonne art creations. This enamelware is called “Blue of Jingtai,” as blue is the dominant color used for enamelling.

As the noon hour approached, we headed to the Beijing Jindian International Restaurant for lunch. We sampled a 56%-proof liquor – it was quite tasty!

After an enjoyable lunch, Lucy took us to see the Ming Tombs, a general name given to the mausoleums of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The mausoleums have been perfectly preserved, as has the necropolis of each of the many emperors. It was a sight for us to see, the underground chambers of a historical, palatial and integrated architecture.

Before dinner, our tour bus rolled on to Tong-Ren-Tang, a Beijing Pharmaceutical factory. After a short tour through their hallway, the factory guide relayed the herbal medicine history of China. In-house herbalists checked our pulses and recommended that we should take some of their herbal prescriptions, according to their diagnoses. A few of us purchased remedies. Our dinner location was inside this same building. Our meal consisted of soups and dishes made from their herbal formulas. During dinner, an impressive acrobatic show was performed by their Beijing artists. We returned to our hotel immediately after the show.

Sunday, November 7^th was another sunny day. After breakfast, we proceeded to a pearl factory where we saw all different types, colors, and shapes of pearls, pearl jewelry, and pearl cosmetic products. Most of the ladies in our group bought an item or two. The men walked around the store for 15 minutes or so, waiting for them outside the factory.

Lucy then took us to Tiantan, The Temple of Heaven. We were told that Tiantan has served as a place of ceremony and ritual for the Ming and Qing emperors. The Palace of Abstinence is located near the western entrance of the temple. Before each ceremony, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held a three-day fast during the summer and winter solstices. The emperors spent two days fasting in the Forbidden City, and completed their third day in the Palace of Abstinence. This beamless hall was one of the most famous buildings in Beijing.
 

South of the Echo Wall stands the Altar of Heaven, built entirely of white marble. The altar has four entrances and a flight of nine steps leading down in every direction. At the center of the upper terrace lies a round stone, surrounded by nine concentric rings of stones. A few of us tested the sound wave effects of this echoing phenomenon.

 

We had a lamb, Hot Pot lunch at the famous Dong Lai Shun Restaurant. After lunch, Lucy took us to the Beijing Capital Airport and arranged our next flight to Shanghai ‑ we thanked for her hospitality and service. We were all wishing that we could have more time in Beijing to visit other historical places…

Late that afternoon, we arrived at the Hongqiao Airport (old Shanghai Airport) and met our next tour guide, Mr. George Shen. Mr. Shen was quite a funny character! He explained why his previous tour groups teased him about his name. He told the ladies that they may call him “Ah Shen.” They all laughed, because with his accent, “Ah Shen” was pronounced in a way that meant “aunt” in a different dialect. He told us that we would be heading to Suzhou first, then Hangzhou, and back to Shanghai.

Our bus traveled the endless highway for hours. During the ride, George recounted an old Chinese proverb: "In heaven there is paradise, on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou." Suzhou is a major tourist city of wide reputation located in the Jiangsu Province. It is an ancient and moated city; however, it is also an open city with a developed economy and frequent exchanges with the outside world. George explained that Suzhou is famous for its gardens, beautiful women, and silk. We finally arrived at a Suzhou Restaurant after nightfall. Fortunately, the restaurant was kept open for us. We sampled Suzhou-style cooking while a songstress visited our tables singing and playing her “Pi Pa.” Mr. Kin Man Yee and Mr. Wayne Yee asked her to sing two more songs for us.

After dinner, our bus continued on to the Nanya Hotel, where we stayed for two days. The hotel staff brought our luggage to our rooms and George gave us our next day’s itinerary.

 

Monday, November 8^th was another fine day. After our Suzhou, continental-style breakfast, we carried on to visit the Garden of the Master of the Nets. Originally known as the Fisherman’s Retreat, it is the smallest of the Suzhou residential gardens yet it is the most impressive. The effective use of space creates the illusion of an area that is much greater than its actual size. Even more than the architectural achievement is the mood of tranquility and harmony that this humble garden embodies. We then visited the Hanshan Temple – formerly one of the ten most famous temples in China. The poem of "A Night Mooring by Maple Bridge" by Zhang Ji, a famous poet of the Tang dynasty, is so oft-quoted and widely loved, that its poetic rhyme and bell-tolling sounds have made the Hanshan Temple celebrated at home and abroad.

Later that day, we went to the Tourist Trading Department of Jiangsu Silk Research Institute. The tour guide showed us how the cocoon covering the caterpillar is extracted by hand. Cocoons are placed in hot water and the silk filaments joined together to form a long, continuous thread when wound on a reel. It’s amazing to imagine that these tiny silkworms produce the fibers that make such beautiful silk fabric. We found the process very interesting. After touring the Institute, we lunched at their third-floor restaurant. Next, we moved on to the shopping complex where most of us purchased silk quilts and quilt covers to take home. We also watched a fashion show in the auditorium.

Suzhou is also known as the Venice of the East. We relaxed on a boat ride through the Grand Canal, taking in its ancient features and waterside villages. We also passed through the ancient Panmen Gate: the only well-preserved city gate in China with both land and water gates. First built in the Warring States Period, the Grand Canal passes by the city wall and this scenic area encompasses both a water country and the ancient style of Suzhou city.

Tuesday, November 9^th after breakfast, our tour bus passed through "Little Singapore," an entire industrial city built on the outskirts through Singaporean investment. We visited the Suzhou Lanliyuan Cixiu Yanjiusuo (Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute) next, and their Embroideress fascinated us with her embroidery masterpiece (Chinese: Cixiu) which has two different faces. For example, one face might show a image of a kitten, and then when you flip it around, the other side shows a dog. There were many other examples of beautiful handicrafts and artistic, silk tapestry to view.

We headed toward Hangzhou, which was a two-hour drive from Suzhou, arriving around 12:30pm. We met our next tour guide, Mr. Tung Yi, at the restaurant for lunch. George explained to us that Mr. Tung is more familiar with the area since he is a native of Hangzhou. We visited the Linying Temple ‑ the temple for the soul’s retreat ‑ one of the most famous Buddhism temples in China. After an hour or so of sightseeing at the temple site, we proceeded to our hotel, the Ramada Plaza Hangzhou. We dined in a private room at the Hangzhou Hong Ni Garden Restaurant, where they served us some of Hangzhou’s finest cuisine. It was worth the extra $68 RMB each, to sample their specialty of Dazha crabs. This specialty is advertised as follows: "Yellow hair, golden claw, green shell, white belly and heavy weight" which describes the unique characteristics of these Yangchenghu Crabs. "September female and October male" is the secret for tasting. Yangchenghu Dazha Crabs means female crabs in September have rich and hard ovaries. Male crabs in October are rich in fat. Mind you, as these crabs are rich in cholesterol, we would not recommend that you eat too many of them!

Wednesday, November 10^th we got up early ‑ the sky was a bit cloudy. Rain must have fallen during the night as the ground was a bit wet. Luckily, it was not raining anymore. After breakfast, we passed through a pond full of colorful carps and then took a boat ride on the West Lake. This is a manmade lake located in the middle of the city. Mr. Tung said if we have ever watched The Legend of White (and Green) Snake, we might notice that this lake was the meeting place of the two lovers. He also pointed out several other famous scenic areas.

We visited the Mei Jia Wu Tea Village, famous for its Longjing (Dragon Well) tea. Mei Jia Wu Long Jing has very light nutty aroma but made up for it with its very smooth and delicate taste and a pleasant flowery aftertaste. This tea is recommended to tea drinkers who prefer light and delicate flavored tea.   Most of us bought these flat, slender strips of tea leaves in small containers. Ms. Mei, our host at the Mei Jia Wu Long Jing, was a well-educated woman who is a descendant of the Tea Village family. She’s also an excellent sales person, I might add!

After lunch, Mr. Tung took us to the 13-storey-high, Six Harmonies Pagoda site. Dating from 970 and built on the site of an earlier pagoda that served as a lighthouse, the name refers to the six codes of Buddhism i.e. harmony of the body, speech and thought, and the renunciation of personal pleasure, opinions, and wealth.

 

We returned to our hotel for a short rest before dinner. Mr. Tung asked us if we would like to sample the Hangzhou famous Duck Soup (for an extra $80 RMB each) at the Zhang Sheng Ji Hotel Restaurant. We all agreed. Since we traveled from across the Pacific Ocean to enjoy this trip ‑ we were happy to experience some, if not all of the authentic, Chinese cuisine. The food was delicious and well worth the price.

We all went for a walk down the West Lake after dinner.

Thursday, November 11^th we had breakfast and met George at the hotel lobby. Climbed on to our bus and headed for Shanghai. Shanghai, called "Hu" for short, is a bustling metropolis located at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Connected with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces to the west, the city is exposed to the East China Sea to its east. We arrived in Shanghai around noon. Shanghai’s vast skyline was filled with skyscrapers and bridges.

It was off to the Shanghai Zi Jin City Shopping Center’s Restaurant for lunch. The food was excellent and quite tasty.

After lunch, we went to visit the Yu Garden and its shopping bazaar. Yu Garden is a place of peace and comfort in the heart of bustling Shanghai and dates back to the fabled Ming Dynasty.

  

Next, we visited The Bund (also called the Zhongshan Road). This is a famous waterfront and has been regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It’s definitely one of Shanghai's major, sightseeing highlights. Pu Dong, on the other side, now houses the headquarters of major banks and corporations. As we walked along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the futuristic Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen across the river. The weather was picture perfect; all of us took photos there.

After dinner, we strolled down Nan Jing Road. Once, Shanghai's major shopping street, this exciting avenue is lined with well-known shops and department stores selling clothing, food and specialty goods. It still proves worth visiting, especially at night in its full, neon-lit glory. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Vista Shanghai.

Friday, November 12^th was a free day. We met our friends, Fred and Clara Yee from Seattle, around 8:30am in our Hotel lobby. This meeting was planned months ago, while still in Vancouver. Seven of us from Vancouver, rode in a company van (courtesy of the husband of Clara’s, Shanghai-friend). We were driven to the Zhouzhuang water village. This village is noted for its profound cultural background, the well-preserved, ancient residential houses, elegant water views and the strong, locally-colored traditions and customs. We spent almost half a day there.

 

The driver returned us to Fred’s hotel, where the men were discussing the meeting agenda on the upcoming Yee convention and the ladies were out shopping till the late afternoon. We went for dinner at the Old Shanghai Restaurant. After dinner we all took a taxi back to our hotel except Kitty; she went out with Clara and Fred to see the night scene at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

Saturday, November 13^th after breakfast, George took us to Shanghai’s new Pu Dong International Airport. We thank George for his excellent services. Again, we all wished that we had more time to spend in Shanghai to visit other major attractions… We were about to depart this famous city to attend the Yee Convention. Time flew by so swiftly, only memory of this unforgettable trip will linger in our minds. Who knows? We may come back and visit China again in another time.

We flew and arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport around 1:45pm. The Hong Kong Yee representatives met us to drive us to our hotels. We stayed at the Stanford Hillview Hotel.  Later that evening, my sister, Kitty and I went out for dinner with Kitty’s old classmate, Mr. Wen Kay and his wife;  they are a very nice couple.

We all looked forward for our next few days' itinerary arranged by our Hong Kong cousins.

As to the happenings of the Yee’s Convention from November 14^th to November 16^th? Well, that’s another story…