BeiJing 北京 and ShangHai 上海 – winter trip

China in the snow; all in just 3 minutes ...

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Bonus film ...

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Beijing, the capital city of China, is a vibrant metropolis steeped in history, culture, and modernity. Here's a brief overview of what you can expect as a tourist in Beijing:

Historical Landmarks:
The Great Wall of China: One of the most iconic structures in the world, the Great Wall is easily accessible from Beijing. Mutianyu and Badaling sections are popular among tourists.

Forbidden City (Palace Museum): A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this vast imperial palace complex was home to Chinese emperors for over 500 years. It houses numerous halls, courtyards, and historical artifacts.

Temple of Heaven: A masterpiece of Chinese architecture, this ancient temple complex served as a place of worship for emperors to pray for good harvests.

Summer Palace: A stunning ensemble of lakes, gardens, and palaces, the Summer Palace served as a retreat for emperors during the Qing dynasty.

Tiananmen Square: One of the largest city squares in the world, Tiananmen Square is flanked by important landmarks such as the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.

Cultural Sites:
Beijing Hutongs: Explore the narrow alleyways and traditional courtyard residences of Beijing's historic neighborhoods. You can take a rickshaw tour or simply wander around on foot.

Beijing Opera: Experience traditional Chinese opera performances at venues like the Liyuan Theater or the Chang'an Grand Theatre.

798 Art District: A hub of contemporary art and culture, this former industrial area is now home to numerous galleries, studios, and cafes.

Modern Attractions:
Olympic Park: Visit iconic structures such as the Bird's Nest (National Stadium) and the Water Cube (National Aquatics Center) from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

CBD (Central Business District): Marvel at the futuristic skyline of Beijing's modern business district, which includes landmarks like the CCTV Headquarters and the China World Trade Center Tower III.

Culinary Delights:
Peking Duck: Indulge in Beijing's most famous dish, crispy roast duck served with pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce.

Street Food: Explore the city's vibrant street food scene and sample local delicacies like jianbing (savory crepes), lamb skewers, and dumplings.

Practical Tips:
Transportation: Beijing has an extensive public transportation system, including the subway, buses, and taxis. However, traffic can be heavy, so plan your travels accordingly.

Language: While English is not widely spoken, especially outside tourist areas, many signs and transportation announcements are in English. It's helpful to carry a translation app or a phrasebook.

Weather: Beijing experiences four distinct seasons, with hot summers and cold winters. The best times to visit are spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) when the weather is mild and comfortable.

Etiquette: Respect local customs and traditions, such as removing your shoes before entering someone's home and using both hands to pass or receive items.

Beijing offers a rich tapestry of experiences for tourists, blending ancient heritage with modern innovations. Whether you're fascinated by history, culture, or culinary delights, there's something for everyone in this dynamic city.

Shanghai is one of China's most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities, blending a rich history with modern skyscrapers and vibrant culture. Here's what you need to know as a tourist visiting Shanghai:

Historical and Cultural Landmarks:
The Bund: This iconic waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River features colonial-era buildings on one side and futuristic skyscrapers on the other, offering stunning views of Shanghai's skyline.

Yu Garden: Dating back to the Ming dynasty, Yu Garden is a classical Chinese garden with pavilions, ponds, and rockeries. The nearby Yu Garden Bazaar is a great place to shop for souvenirs and traditional crafts.

Shanghai Museum: Home to an extensive collection of Chinese art and artifacts, including bronzes, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy, the Shanghai Museum is a must-visit for history and art enthusiasts.

Jing'an Temple: One of Shanghai's most famous Buddhist temples, Jing'an Temple is known for its beautiful architecture, peaceful atmosphere, and towering golden Buddha statue.

Modern Attractions:
Shanghai Tower: Ascend to the observation deck of this iconic skyscraper, the tallest in China and the second-tallest in the world, for panoramic views of the city.

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower: Another iconic landmark, this futuristic tower offers observation decks, a glass-bottomed skywalk, and a revolving restaurant.

Shanghai Disneyland: Located in the Pudong district, Shanghai Disneyland offers a magical experience for visitors of all ages with its themed lands, attractions, and entertainment.

Shopping and Entertainment:
Nanjing Road: One of the world's busiest shopping streets, Nanjing Road is lined with department stores, boutiques, and restaurants. Don't miss the nearby pedestrian-friendly Nanjing Road East, known for its lively atmosphere and street performers.

Xintiandi: This upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment district features a mix of traditional Shikumen-style buildings and modern amenities, making it a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

French Concession: Explore this historic neighborhood known for its tree-lined streets, charming cafes, boutiques, and art galleries.

Culinary Delights:
Shanghai Cuisine: Sample local specialties such as xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), shengjianbao (pan-fried dumplings), and Shanghai-style noodles.

Street Food: Wander through the city's bustling food markets and snack streets to taste a variety of street foods, from savory pancakes to grilled skewers.

Practical Tips:
Transportation: Shanghai has an efficient public transportation system, including the subway, buses, and taxis. Consider purchasing a rechargeable transportation card for convenience.

Language: While Mandarin is the official language, English is widely spoken in tourist areas, hotels, and restaurants.

Weather: Shanghai experiences four distinct seasons, with hot, humid summers and chilly winters. The best times to visit are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) when the weather is mild and comfortable.

Etiquette: Respect local customs and traditions, such as using polite language and avoiding loud behavior in public places.

Shanghai offers a captivating blend of old and new, with its historic landmarks, modern skyscrapers, vibrant culture, and delectable cuisine. Whether you're interested in history, architecture, shopping, or dining, Shanghai has something to offer every type of visitor.

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Simple Chinese language phrases to enhance your China trip (pinyin and pronunciation)
PinYin - English : pronunciation. ~ is used where there are two sounds in one syllable. Ou[ch] means use the first sound of the word 'ouch'; same sound as ow[l]. *** Greetings Nǐ Hǎo - Hello / Hi (literally, you good?) : nee how Zài Jiàn - Goodbye / bye : z~eye jee~ann HuānYíng (GuāngLín) - Welcome ! (You'll often hear this when enter a restaurant) DaJia Hao ! - Hello everybody ! *** Introductions Nǐ - you / your : nee Wǒ - I / my : woh What is your name? - Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì? : Nee j~ou[ch] shen mer ming zuh? My name is ... - Wǒ de míngzì shì ... : Woh der ming zuh sh ... *** XièXiè - : Thanks : shee~air shee~air (second is a little softer/quieter) XièXiè Nǐ ! - Thank you! : shee~air shee~air nee! *** DuìBuQǐ - Excuse me / sorry : der boo chee BúKèQì - No problem / you're welcome : boo ker chee Mei guan xi - No problem / you're welcome : may goo~ann shee Qǐng - Please : ching Mei / MeiHǎo - Beautiful : may / may how *** Interations DuWei - That's right : doo~way (quickly, and often said twice) Yes and no have no direct translations in Chinese, but the following will be fine is answer to common questions, although they are more like 'to be' and 'not to be' if translated literally; however, these are real colloquial uses. Bú shì - no : boo shh Bú shì can also be used in reply to 'Thank you !' with the meaning 'you're welcome' / 'no need to say' / 'it's nothing' Shì de - yes : shh der E.g. LàJiāo ? - lah jee~ou[ch] (chillies ?) : Shì de / Bú shì *** Wǒ - I / me : woh Nǐ - You : nee Tā - He / she : tah *** Shopping and restaurants Wǒ Yào - I want / would like I would like one of these : Wǒ yào Yī ge Zhè ge (woh yow ee guh jay guh) *** ZhèGe - This : jay guh NàGe - That : nay guh *** Yī Ge - One (of) : ee guh Lian Ge - Two (of) : lee~ann guh (Two as a simple number is Er, pronounced 'are') Sān Ge - Three (of) : san guh *** Duō Shǎo Qián? - How much? (price) : doo~or sh~ow[l] chee~ann? Zhège duōshǎo qián? - How much is this? : jay guh Nàgè duōshǎo qián? - How much is that? : nay guh Tài Guì Le! - too expensive! : tie gwee ler! *** nǐhǎo ma? - How are you? : nee how mar ? Hǎo De - ok : how der Hěn Hǎo - Good : hen how Bù Hǎo - Not good : boo how *** ShénMe? - When? : shen mer NǎLi? - Where : nah lee? Nǎr - There (gesturing) : nah Qĭng wèn - Excuse me (before asking a stranger a question) : ching wen Qĭng wèn, weì shēng jiān (zài) nă lĭ? - Where is the restroom? : Ching wen. Way sheng jee~ann z~eye (nah) lee? Qĭng wèn, dìtiě zhàn (zài) nǎ lǐ? - Where is the metro station? : Ching wen, dee tee~air z~eye (nah) lee? You might hear zai nar in norther China (e.g. BeiJing) *** 小 Xiǎo - Small : sh~ow[l] 大 Dà - Big : dah Tai - Too : tie *** Bin De - Ice-cold : bin der Lian De - Cold : lee~ann der Rè de - Hot : rer der Rè chá - hot tea : rer char Bīng píjiǔ - Cold beer : bing pee jee~oh *** La - Spicy : lah Bu La - not spicy : boo lah Xiao La - a little spicy : shee~ow[l] lah Da La - Very spicy : dah lah Tai La! - too spicy! : tie lah! *** Noodles - Miàn : mee~ann Dumplings - JiǎoZi : jee~ow[l] zuh Rice - MiFàn / Fàn : mee fan / fan Eggs - JīDàn : jee dan Beef - NiúRòu 牛肉 : nee~you row Lamb - YángRòu 羊肉 : yang row Chicken - JīRòu 鸡肉 : jee row Pork - ZhūRòu 猪肉 : joo row Fish - YúRòu 鱼肉 : yoo row Tofu - DòuFu 豆腐 : doh foo (See BeijingBuzzz's food cheat sheet for much more) (Wo) Chī bǎole! - (I'm) full! : Woh ch b~ou[ch] ler! (Ni) Chī bǎole ma? - (Are you) full? : (Nee) ch b~ou[ch] ler maa? Ma is appended to change a statement into a question. *** ZhōngGuó - China : jong goo~woh YīngGuó - England : ying goo~woh MěiGuó - America : may goo~woh ZhōngWén - Chinese nationality : jong ren YīngWén - English nationality : ying ren *** Hótel - Hotel FànDiàn - Hotel / Restaurant : fan dee~ann Wǒ Bù ZhīDào - I don't know : woh boo juh~dow Tīng Bù Dǒng - I don't understand : ting boo dong ZhèGe Duōshǎo Qián? / DuōShǎo Qián? - How much is this? : doo~or sh~ow[l} chee~ann? Tài guìle ! - Too expensive ! : tie-gwee lah ! Wo Yao ... - I would like ... : woh yow ... Wǒ Yào ZhèGe - I want this one : woh yow jay~guh *** 5 yuan (kwai) / 2 pieces (items) 5元 / 2个 or 5元 2个 8 折 (bā zhé), which directly translates as '8 discount'. This means that the discounted price is 80% of the original price (20% off). 人 Rén - Person : ren 5元 / 2人 - 5 yuan for 2 people *** For toilet doors / WCs : 男 - Man 女 - Woman *** BúShì - No : boo shh ShìDe - Yes : Shh der Hǎo de - Okay : how der MéiYǒu - none / out of stock : may~oh *** Wǒ ài ... - I love ... : woh eye ... - I love this! : woh eye jay-guh! Wǒ ài ZhōngGuó - I love China : woh eye jong goo~woh *** Hǎo Chī - Delicious (literally good eat) : how ch Bú Hǎo Chī - Not tasty : boo how ch One can think of 'Bú' as meaning 'not' *** Wǒ Bù LiǎoJiě - I don't understand : woh boo lee~ow[l]~jee~air *** Chi - eat : ch Wǒ Xiǎng ... - I would like ... : woh shee~ang ... Wǒ Xiǎng Chī ... - I would like to eat ... : woh she~ang ch ... *** Directions Bei - North : bay Nan - South : nan Xi - West : shee Dong - East : dong *** DìTiě - Subway train : dee tee~air Dìtiě nali ma? - Where is the subway? : dee tee~air nah~lee ma Zhan - Train station : zahn Men - gate : men Yuan / kwai - rmb (currency) : yoo~ann / kw~eye (more common) Gong yuan - Park : gong yoo~ann *** KāFēi - Coffee : kah fay Chá - Tea : chah kěLè - Cola : ker ler PiJiou - Beer : pee jee~oh Shui - Water : shway Wo yao liang ge pijiou liande - I would like two cold beers : woh yow[l] lee~ann guh pee jee~oh lee~ann der *** Jia Yo! - Let's go! / Go! (encouraging) : jee~ah yoh! Wǒ Bù Shuō Hànyǔ / ZhōngWén - I don't speak Chinese (huh?!) Or simply Bù ZhōngWén : boo jong wen *** Numbers Numbers are easy (there are finger position numbers too, but that's not so easy) : 1 - Yī : ee 2 - Èr : are 3 - Sān : san 4 - Sì : si (the sound is the first half of 'soot') (short sound) 5 - Wǔ : woo~oh 6 - Liù : lee~oo 7 - Qī : chee 8 - Bā : bah 9 - Jiǔ : jee~oo 10 - Shí : shhh (longer sound) Example of 11 - 99 : 73 - Qi Shí Sān (7x10) + 3 : chee shhh san (7 10 3) 70 - Qi Shí (7x10) : chee shhh (7 10) 100 - Bǎi : buy Example of 101 - 999 : 357 - Sān Bǎi Wǔ Shí Qī (3x100 + 5x10 + 7) : san buy woo~oh shhh chee (3 100 5 10 7) 300 - Sān Bǎi (3x100) : san buy (3 100) One small complication - two (of) - rather than the number two) is liǎng ge : lee~ang ger *** Cheers! - GānBēi! : gan bey!
On Taiwan (August 2022)
With The New Atlas, Brian Berletic and Angelo Giuliano ... With Carl Zha ...
China 中国 family trip
ShangHai (including Disney), BeiJing, Xi'An, ChengDu, YangShuo, Hong Kong ...
ShaoXing water town, ZheJiang province
The coastal city of XiaMen 厦门 and the Hakka community round houses – FuJian province
South east China. XiaMen was one of the first four 'special economic zones' when China began economic liberalization in the early 1980s (just 30 years ago). The traditional round houses of the Hakka ethnic minority, called TuLou (土楼), provided a measure of security and were like a small village inside.
The Dao De Jing 道德经
The Tao Te Ching in older PinYin. The 'Book Of The Way', by LaoZi (Lao Tsu / Lao Tse) is the essence of Daoism (Taoism). An audio book with introduction; don't miss it ... Bonus film - The Taoist Way - a talk by Alan Watts ...
ShenZhen 深圳 stroll
Modern China, center of business and commerce, began here, in GuangDong province, south east China, just forty years ago, following the vision and effort of Deng XiaoPing (1904 - 1997). Deng XiaoPing opened China to the world, as it had been during the long period of a prior golden age with the Silk Road to the Middle East and Europe (by land) and other parts of south east Asia and as far as Africa via the Silk Road of the Sea. His policies are credited with helping China to develop in the most startling transformation that the world has ever seen, raising the standard of living of hundreds of millions. This followed his Southern Tour of 1992 when the likelihood of adoption of his vision still looked slim. Deng was also a key player in the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Too far. some might say, but without this move, the position to debate that would not now exist. Let's take a stroll along a street in the downtown on a spring evening ...
ShuHe ancient town, YunNan province
With DuckTravel ...
Cook at home – MaPo DoFu and Kung Pao Chicken
With Souped Up Recipes ... Bonus film - the most essential everyday ingredients / flavorings ...

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