When I first got word of my 10-day trip to China, I thought, “Fantastic. Now I’ll be able to tick it off the must-do list.”
But I was wrong. Having tasted just a few of China’s highlights, it’s still on my list, right at the top, and I simply must get back. Soon. The welcome, the chatty people, the sense of history, the fascinating clashes of traditional old villages and bustling new cities, plus truly sensational shopping, entranced me.
By the end of day two, I’d ticked off the big bucket-list sights of The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. As one of the Seven Wonders – and rightly so – the wall is definitely worth the journey.
We explored the outianyu section, a 2.5km stretch that is slightly less crowded than other parts, a 40-minute (sometimes white-knuckle) drive from central Beijing. Time your visit wisely as the wall is very exposed to the elements, so when the weather is freezing or sweltering you will be too.
The wall is magical, and sometimes has a profound effect on visitors. I was walking not far behind an American man and couldn’t help hearing his sudden, excited cellphone call. “I’m a changed man, baby! Seriously. I’m going to come back home and see you and show you how I’ve changed.”
Now, I wasn’t quite so enthusiastically changed by the wall, but after spending too much time walking up there, with my bus not far from leaving, I had to take the ski-lift option back down the hill. With a wicked wind-chill and some sheer drops below, I think I may have conquered my fear of heights for good.
A three-hour flight from Beijing lies the tranquil countryside of Guilin, a region famous for its historical carvings, Buddhist inscriptions, impressive caves and terraced rice fields. Locals have a truly unique fishing technique, taking low bamboo rafts out on the lake with their favourite fishing companion – a cormorant bird.
The fisherman ties a string around the bird’s neck, just tight enough so that it can swallow a small fish, but not a big one. When it finds a decent-sized catch, the fisherman reels the bird back and takes the fish from its mouth. It’s a sight to behold.
A short journey from Guilin is Yangshuo, famous for its Liu Sanjie night show, which is set on the river, with towering limestone peaks in lead roles – along with 600 actors wearing traditional dress. It tells stories of the local Zhuang, oiao and Yao people, and the cormorants even make an appearance – in fact, many of the actors are actually moonlighting fishermen.
We were lucky enough to experience the show after a leisurely dinner we’d put together ourselves at the local cooking school. After a week of eating some of the most delicious meals of my life (and forming an addiction to chilli eggplant!), learning the skills to take home with me was a fun experience.
The trip from Yangshuo back to Guilin involves a couple of hours on the bus, or in our case, a leisurely five-hour boat ride. Things started turning a little odd when dozens of other travellers (mostly domestic tourists) started asking to have their photo taken with me. Any momentary boost to my confidence was eroded when they all took out their digital cameras, flicked back to their photo with me and exploded with laughter at the tall Kiwi in their picture. Yes, they thought I was unintentionally hilarious looking!
After Guilin came another extreme contrast: Shanghai, where we were bundled onto the world’s fastest train. The oaglev runs from Pudong airport to the city, travelling at a ridiculous 431kmph with the 30km journey taking only eight minutes. When two trains skim past each other, the loud crack in the air makes unsuspecting passengers (like myself) jump in their seats. The oaglev looks set to revolutionise travel in China, with tracks already laid for similar trains connecting Shanghai to Beijing and other main destinations throughout the country.
Shanghai is a shopper’s dream and with a lot of ground to cover, it’s well worth investing in a guide to take you to the right spots and help you haggle. This might sound a bit extravagant, but having someone in the know quickly pays off in a bargaining situation. (FYI, a pair of “designer” jeans should set you back no more than 100 yuan – that’s roughly $20.)
Shanghai is buzzing, the cuisine is fantastic and the sheer speed at which the city is growing is mind-boggling. It’s not a spot to spend a huge amount of time in if you’re concerned about your lungs though. The city is home to more high-rises than New York, and people compare living there with being a full-time, heavy-duty smoker.
This particular day, the smog in the air hung so thick and dense, I could barely see a few blocks ahead.
Despite this, 24 hours simply wasn’t enough time for all the sightseeing, eating and shopping Shanghai offers. I’ll be back in a heartbeat to discover more of what this vibrant city – and indeed, the rest of China – has to offer.
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