Wulff's Blog: 1993 Far East: Beijing, Guillin, Hong Kong and Bangkok

Annette and I decided to visit the Far East by taking a number of segments from Northwest/KLM
packages We finally settled on the first segment in Beijing, the second in Guilin, the third in Hong Kong and the fourth in Thailand. For each segment we would be met by a local guide who would see that we were taken to our lodging, present us with prearranged vouchers and arrange transportation to our chosen sites. In other words, our trip was custom made for our wishes. These arrangements were made with Prestige Travel (Uniglobe) in New Ulm.

Since both Annette and I were teachers, we planned the trip for June when our schools were
recessed for the summer. We also allowed for another trip to Rio de Janeiro to follow this one
because July would be winter in the other hemisphere and Brazilian temperatures mild.

June 16th

We boarded Northwest flight 007 (I like that number) on a 747 bound to Tokyo via Seattle,

June 17th International Date Line

June 18th

When we arrived in Beijing we were surprised that there was so little hassle at the airport when we went through customs. The Communist went out of the way to make things pleasant for American tourists. Another surprise was the old squat type toilets at the airport.

The third awakening was the amount of air pollution. On the drive via “expressway” from the airport to the city, we could literally taste the air we breathed.

Everywhere we saw banners and posters promoting Beijing as host of Olympics 2000. The Chinese were favored to be chosen and they were quite optimistic -- even though the United States was vocal among the opposition. Later we found out that China was denied the Olympics for 2000.

An English speaking guide employed by the Communist government tour agency took us to our hotel. The first class Hotel Beijing, located near the embassies (called the Diplomatic Area on maps), was to be our residence for the next four days. It is located on the main drag just below Ritan Park (which is green on the extreme right side of map)

The Beijing Toronto featured 659 rooms, two restaurants, coffee shop, lounge, indoor pool, health club and shopping arcade. The lobby area was gorgeous and spacious. Our morning buffets here were quite elaborate and part of the hotel package. The ample staff at the registration center reflected the Chinese attempt to ease unemployment, now at 30% according to our guide. The hotel was also overstaffed in the restaurants. Excellent service!

Our guide let us sleep in this morning. That was easy for him to accommodate us because we were his only clients. Our hotel was walking distance to Tiananmen Square on Chang An Boulevard, but he hailed a cab so we were there in just minutes (See previous map). We started at the south end of the square at the famous Tiananmen Gate. (Top of brown rectangle on map to the right.) Another name for the gate is the Gate of Heavenly Peace.

Over the entrance of Tiananmen Gate was a large picture of the late Chairman Mao. The Gate was built in 1651 and stands 110 feet high. If you look closely you’ll see five passages leading through it and is surmounted by a wooden tower with a double glazed tile. Five marble bridges lead over the moat to each the gateways. Before leaving on a journey the emperor would make a sacrifice before the Gate.

As for Tiananmen Square itself. It is at the center of the city and is one of the largest public squares in the world and serves naturally as a vast arena for political rallies and military parades. The nation’s leaders since 1949 have assembled here to review enormous exhibitions on national holidays.

We asked our guide about why the uprising of the democracy movement failed here. He said that there was no middle class existing to support such a revolution.

We recalled how the demonstration was ruthlessly suppressed in what became known as the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre.

On the western side of the square is the Great Hall of the People (built in 1959) where the National People’s Congress meets.

In the center of the square is an imposing monument known as the Monument to the People’s Heroes. High school students stood at attention as they ceremonially guard the structure. On September 30 of 1949, the first China People's Political Consultant Conference brought up the idea of building this monument in Beijing. Construction was not completed until 1958.

Nearby was the massive Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, built in 1977 to house the remains of Communist China’s founding father. When Mao died over a million people gathered in this square to pay homage to him. His body has been preserved in a crystal coffin. A long line of people had been formed so that the faithful could view his body. Our guide offered to wait for us if we wanted to get in line, but we declined his offer. It seemed rather morbid.

We could not help but notice the large number of bicycles and absence of cars in the area around the square. Those who were transporting stuff used three wheel vehicles. There were only a very few automobiles, though we saw quite a few yellow cabs.

We moved northward into the Forbidden City, through the Outer Court, and encountered lion sculptures on the opposite end.

Next we saw the Hall of Supreme (Great) Harmony, the highest of the halls in the Forbidden City. It was used for important ceremonies like enthronements, emperor’s birthday and initiation of military expeditions.

We walked up the impressive stairway of this most important of buildings

... and observed the emperor’s throne.

Then we visited the Hall of Middle Harmony (right) and the Hall of Preservation of Harmony The latter was used to host enormous banquets to honor dignitaries.

We proceeded on to the Gate of Heavenly Purity
(right) and the Clock Museum

From here we went to the Imperial Gardens at the back of the three halls of the Inner Court. It was beautiful.

Our last stop was the Pavilion of Cheerful Melodies used for staging operas. During large-scale performances, actors and actresses appeared on the three stories at the same time.

When we returned to the hotel that evening we were met with the sound of beautiful music. Up on the balcony musicians played on traditional Chinese instruments. Very delightful!

In the morning we enjoyed a bountiful breakfast in the hotel restaurant. An abundance of waiters and everything was prepared with style. Our tour of the day was the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall of China. We left our hotel (lower right, by the Ritan Park ) and drove past the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower (upper center of map).

We had a nice view of the Drum Tower on top of prospect Hill from the bus. This building, over 700 years old, is one of the oldest buildings in Beijing.

We left Beijing and traveled 30 miles northward to the Ming Tombs (red dot closest to Beijing on the map) on our way to the Great Wall (the second red dot).

At the tomb sites we started out by walking the Sacred Road, starting at] the Stele Pavilion (center of map on the right)

The Shen Gong Sheng De Stele Pavilion, built in 1435, invited us to enter through the arch

... to find a 50 ton dragon-headed stone tortoise bearing a massive stone tablet.

After looking over the big turtle, we exited on to the pathway of the Sacred Road.

Under the willow trees we walked through statues of animals (mythical and realistic) and court officials, soldiers, etc., that all came in pairs (24 pairs in all).

As we came to tomb of Emperor Wan Li (Ding Ling) at the end of the road and to our left, we stopped at the entrance gate with three arched doorways set in the wall.

We approached the square tower over the Ding Ling Tomb, the place where the thirteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Yijun and his two empresses were buried together.

We walked around the building to the entrance of the underground palaceand continued down three flights of stairs.

The underground palace consists of three chambers. We walked to the rear chamber where the coffins are placed. Located near the coffins were copies of the treasure chests.

After all that walking we were ready for lunch at the conveniently located restaurant. We sat at large community type tables with a big lazy susan in the middle. You just helped yourself when your selection came around. There were many selections to choose from, but it wasn’t always easy to negotiate the table with so many operators. We started with chop sticks, but soon turned to Western style table ware. That is Annette seated at the left.

From the Ming Tombs we continued on to the Great wall of China at Badaling. Here our bus parked and we were allotted considerable time to climb the wall to obtain a certificate of our achievement.

The Badaling section of the Great Wall is the best preserved and the most popular one amongst all the sections. It is more than 1,000 meters (3281 ft) above sea level, and commands a strategic position for transportation and defense in ancient times.

Badaling, literally meaning “reach eight directions," got its name because the maze of its ridges stretches in all directions. It is easily accessible and has easy walking conditions. About 370 state leaders and VIPs have climbed Badaling and admired the magnificence and beauty of its scenery.

Naturally, there were vendors hawking their wares.

The last portion of our day included a stop at the Chinese Beijing North Industrial Art Factory where we could watch the construction of Cloisonne Ware. After viewing the various work stages, we toured the showroom and purchased vases.

As we travelled back to our hotel I videotaped the traffic that consisted of mostly bikes and taxis.

The next day was a free day in Beijing, so we decided to take a taxi to the Temple of Heaven.

Because the taxi drivers did not know English we had a clerk at our hotel write our destination down. She also wrote down what we would be swilling to pay. We asked a number of drivers until we found one that would accept our offer. Hopefully, he would take us where we wanted to go.

We entered through the North Gate.
The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century.

We walked to the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest, considered to be the most important building on the grounds. Interior of the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest.

A little further south we came upon the Round Altar or Huan Qui Tan. It is here that the emperor would come to make a sacrifice to heaven. The ceremony was accompanied by the chanting of priests, burning of incense, banging of gongs and the performance of ritual music.

Sacrifice stations

Stairs leading to the Temple of the Gods. Between the stairs there were large marble slabs.

We summoned a taxi, showed him the name of our hotel and negotiated a price. After our long day at the Temple of Heaven, we left for a long walk along Chang An Boulevard.
We felt perfectly safe in this large city. Fred bought silk ties from sidewalk capitalists. We saw
large billboards and banners calling for "A MORE OPEN CHINA WAITS FOR THE 2000 OLYMPICS."

The next morning we packed up and left our wonderful hotel for the Beijing International Airport. After clearing customs with no hassle whatsoever we paid our departure taxes and sought out the Guilin departure gate. No announcements were made in English over speakers and the airport personnel did not speak English. We waited for people with tickets like ours and followed them out an exit that led to the field. Finally we boarded a jet of the South China Airlines.

We flew 1080 miles to the beautiful city of Guilin, a sizable city with a population of 300,000.
This city is close to some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world.

But the airport terminal looked like a dingy garage. The toilets there were only pits designed for squatters. Our Chinese guide was waiting for us with a cab. The ride to our hotel was long and over bumpy "roads." Along the way we saw many peasants working in the rice fields, as well as workers along the road pushing carts or carrying loads balanced on long poles.

We finally arrived at our Holiday Inn, a comfortable tourist hotel with three restaurants, swimming pool -- and situated besides a beautiful lake. Our hotel package included full American breakfasts and two complete Chinese dinners.

First off, our Chinese guide asked if we were interested in Chinese live theatre that evening. Naturally we said tes and she agreed to pick us up that evening. She showed up with her lovely three-year-old daughter and they both joined us for the show. Our guide had only one daughter because of government restrictions limiting children. She told us that an urban family with two children faced a heavy fine and a ban from meaningful employment. (Annette with guide's daughter on right)

The show provided great entertainment with dancing, singing, acrobatics, magic, and so on. There were considerably more people on stage performing than people in the audience (twelve of us). Emphasis was proving employment rather than profitability.

The next morning we left for our Li (Lijiang) River Cruise. Along the river dock we counted over ten boats loaded with passengers for the scenic cruise. On the back of each ship was an open kitchen which was used to prepare lunch during the journey.

On either side of the river we witnessed extraordinary landscape of natural domes and towers -- some rising almost vertically 330 feet from the shimmering green paddy fields. The hills were riddled with caves and garlanded with trees, orchids and vines.

This haunting beauty has been immortalized in Chinese landscape paintings. No wonder there were so many tourists here.

Our Chinese lunch, complete with chop sticks, was served below deck. We didn't recognize everything on our plate, but is quite delicious. The Chinese beer, served in quart bottles, was good.
Dishes were washed in the dirty river (yuk).

When we landed at the end of our voyage we encountered an old fisherman with large birds tied to a long pole. The birds were used to swoop down and catch fish. The fisherman would then bring the bird back to perch on the pole. He then snatched the fish from the bird's beak and placed it into his basket.

On shore we were greeted with many self-employed merchants hawking their wares. As in Beijing, we were expected to barter for the goods.

Early the next morning we went outside to the park in front of our Holiday Inn to watch the Chinese do their morning exercises.

Our guide picked us up for our tour of Guilin. We viewed rice patties on the way to explore Reed Flute Cave.

Reed Flute Cave The more than 70 aged ink inscriptions discovered are a testimony of the cave's occupation already in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a precious discovery giving to the place a tremendous fame in Guilin vicinity. Due to its main entrance anciently covered by reeds, the cave was used during modern times as a perfect hiding place for war times. During the World War II (1939-1945)

As we went along we asked the guide if we could visit a school during a school day. She said she would try nearby where her daughter attended. Our driver had no trouble with the guard at the gate and we were free to wander around the school grounds. When I videoed the children during the lessons they knew I was there, but they maintained attention to the instructor. Our guide said the children were strongly motivated to learn by their parents, the teachers and by future prospects of employment or furthering higher education. When students are tested in high school they pay about $1,000 for their education exam if they pass; but about $3,000 if they fail. Even kindergarten children had homework every night. If nothing else, they learned discipline. Uniforms were colored according to grade level and high achievers wore red scarfs to designate their scholastic standing. The children all appeared to be happy and cheerful.

University students attended school on the adjoining campus. The students' dormitories had walls around them with shards of broken glass embedded in cement along the top.

Also on the university grounds were monuments to Sun Yat Sen who attended this university. He was the one who had reorganized the Guomingdang in 1924. Sun Yat Sen was followed by Chiang Kai-Shek. Our guide was understandably not very fond of Kai-Shek.

When our stay in Guilin had been completed we headed to the airport for our Dragonair flight to Hong Kong. We bid farewell to our most excellent guide.

As our plane approached Hong Kong at night I videotaped the city's colorful bright lights.

We met our guide "Al" at the terminal and he shuttled us to our hotel. The Park Lane, formerly the Radisson, was located on Hong Kong Island. This was to be home for four nights. The Park Lane was a deluxe hotel located in the business and shopping district of Causeway Bay. It featured 850 rooms, two restaurants, coffee shop and two lounges.

View from our hotel window.

Early the next morning after huge (and expensive) breakfast at the Park Lane, we began our city tour. First we took the drive up to Victoria Peak for a commanding view of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon with the airport jutting out into the water. We descended from the Peak on the Peak Tramway. The homes on the higher elevations were very expensive to rent; then the lower the elevation, the lower the rent.

Our next stop was Aberdeen down on the waterfront. Everyone in our group opted to take a boat out into the harbor for a close-up look at the floating restaurants, the sampans, and the boat people.

Fortunately, this was a major holiday (fifth day of the fifth lunar month) called Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat) Festival. Hence we witnessed the famous dragon boat races being conducted. At the prow of each long narrow boat was fixed the head of a dragon. Just behind the dragon was a drummer who beat his drum mightily to get every ounce of energy from his crew.

It was also great to get a close-up view of the boat people who live on their boats with animals and family members. The boat people are more and more becoming assimilated into the Chinese land population. Before the Communists take over in 1997 any remaining boat people will be relocated in to high apartment buildings like those shone here. The postage stamp size apartments all had wet clothes hanging outside the windows. About 48% of all housing in Hong Kong is public housing. Poor people are on long waiting lists for public housing. The apartments are so crowded that children go to study areas (often provided by churches) to do their homework in the evenings.

The next stop was Stanley Market.

That evening we boarded the Pearl of the Orient ship for a dinner cruise. The entertainment started with a Chinese fan dancer and the sounds of a Filipino band. The buffet dinner was nice and we ate as we passed along the glittering lights of the city.

Afterwards our guide drove us to our hotel along colorful lighted streets.

The next morning we began our "Land Between Tour" that took us through the stretch of the "New Territories" between Hong Kong and Communist China. Our first stop was at the Buddhist Chuk Lam Monastery. Most Hong Kong Chinese worship both Buddhist and Taoist deities, something they do not find incongruous. They also worship their family ancestors.

We visited the Luen Wo Market where found displayed dried octopus, squid, eel, live fish, turtles and you name it. This was a typical Chinese market where the locals bought and sold.

Not far from the border of was a duck farm where ducks were raised for market.

Late that afternoon when we returned to our quarters we found a returned message from Rev. Frei of our Hong Kong Mission. We wanted to see Grace Lutheran Church in Kowloon and he offered to come over to the Park Lane Hotel and personally escort us via the subway.

Rev. Frei gave us a comprehensive tour of the building complex.

Our last full day in Hong Kong was a free day for shopping and taking a double decker street car ride. First thing in the morning I took a video shot from our hotel window of Victoria Park, Hong Kong Harbor and Kowloon across the water.

The next morning, before leaving for the airport, I took a video from our hotel of Hong Kong early risers doing their exercises in Victoria Park. They were doing tai chi chuan (Chinese shadow boxing) which looks like a dance in slow motion.

The lobby of the Park Lane had a typhoon warning information site that warned of typhoon -- staring with a 3 rating and increased to 8 (scale of 10). Finally it hit an 8 and we were facing gale winds that toppled trees. When we arrived at the airport it was jammed with people because so many flights had been cancelled. Our flight was not even on the board. We asked the Cathay Pacific desk why it was not listed. They told us that pilot could not get the plane landed that we were scheduled to use. Finally he landed but the new pilot would not fly in the high winds. Finally a message came over the public address system that those going to Bangkok should line up at gate 26 to have tickets reissued for a flight going to India. We moved quickly and boarded quickly. The 747 was large and passengers were seated as they boarded so there were no spots of concentrated passengers. Annette and I were given separate window seats in different rows. As our plane waited it on the runway to take off the ship was swaying back and forth from the strong wind. When we started down the runway the wind was at 91 miles per hours. The take-off was really rough. Eventually we were flying above the weather and the turbulence decreased.

We arrived in Bangkok without our luggage. The entire plane-load of passengers had to board so quickly no attempt was made to load any luggage. No luggage the next day either because a full force typhoon hit Hong Kong after we left, killing six people. Two days later our luggage was shipped.

Our guide in Hong Kong was not at the airport because personnel said no flights were leaving Hong Kong. Consequently, he was not at the airport to meet us. We jus called a cab and asked to be taken to the Royal River Hotel. The charge was 400 baht or around $17 US. Later our apologetic guide reimbursed us.

The Royal River Hotel where we were booked for four nights was a first-class hotel located on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River.

A complimentary river shuttle was always available to take us to the east bank.

Our first day in Bangkok was pretty mich taken with the better known historic sites and shrines. Childralada Palace (right), home of the Royal family, kept secure by armed guards.