Beijing - wall to wall dumplings and a palace

  Beijing, China
Thursday, November 1, 2007

Over the last few days, behind the scenes, we have been trying to arrange a trip to the Great Wall. We already know that Badaling, although convenient for a visit to other attractions on the same day, is essentially a tourist hell spot.

A friend back home, Andy, had told me good things about the wall at Mutianyu, but a travel guide staying at Huntongren with us tried to convince us that the section at Simitai was the best place to experience the real wall.

Great Wall @ Mutyianyu

As is happened, later that day I saw photos of the wall at Simitai and, whilst it looks like it would have been a good place to trek a section of the wall, it represents the wall as it is now, not as it was. That's not to say that Badaling and Mutianyu are true representations either, but the refurbishments made to each location give visitors a sense of how the wall used to be. Except maybe for the 3D tourist trap cinema thing at Badaling. I bet the sentries in China's past would have loved watching Jaws 3-D when not on duty!

Our friend Xiaojing has arranged for someone to escort us for the day. We need to be back by 6pm as Yang Zi is planning to cook dumplings for us. To that end, we compromise and opt for Badaling for sheer ease. We also plan to visit the Summer Palace too, so Badaling is indeed the most convenient option.

Or so we think. When we meet our escort, Rachel, she informs us that the road to Badaling has a series of roadworks which are causing delays. It will be quicker for us to reach Mutianyu. Andy will be so happy... (in joke - just for me and Andy).

The Great Wall - Mutianyu

Great Wall @ Mutyianyu

Arriving at Mutianyu (pronounced moo-tyen-yoo, I think) we opt to take the cable car up the hill. It looks like a very long walk otherwise and time is not our friend today. The ticket checking chap checks our tickets, then accidentally drops them. This is not a good thing to do in the windy conditions up here, but the tickets are saved thanks to some deft footwork.

Once on the wall, we turn to the right and head down hill. Naturally, we don't relaise how steep some of the sections are and will no doubt regret this decision on the way back.
Despite the number of visitors to this part of the wall, we manage to get lots of photos without a single tourist in sight. This is through a combination of patience, good fortune and the need to rest after scrabbling up one of the aforementioned steep sections.

Given the aforementioned comments about the various sections of the wall and the (de-)merits, I am glad we have visited Mutianyu today. Sure, much of it has been reconstructed, but that's a good thing in a way. It is possible to get a sense of what life may have been like on the wall, and around it.

Great Wall @ Mutyianyu

Given a whole day here, I would have liked to explore this whole section more, including the hike up hill (turning left where we turned right) and buying a beer from possibly the same person who overcharged Andy on his visit. Sadly, this is not to happen. Time is a cruel mistress on this day and we soon find ourselves heading back down in the cable car.

Once at the bottom, we fight our way past a line of market stalls and their traders who are keen to sell us cheap t-shirts and other souvenirs. I wonder what might happen if I refuse the first five stall holders only to buy something from the sixth (they're all selling the same stuff). And I stick to wondering instead of actually doing it in case I start a small riot or diplomatic incident.

We meet up with Rachel (who stayed in the car, reading) and she takes us for lunch at a nice place in Beijing. Afterwards, we head to the Summer Palace for a gentle stroll around the grounds.

The Summer Palace

Summer Palace - pagoda

We are dropped off at the East Gate and Rachel says she will meet us at the larger of the North Gates. Meandering around the palace, many of the buildings are similar in design to those in the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. From that perspective there isn't much to be gained (for me at least). However, the setting and surroundings are beautiful and, without stopping to take a photo every few paces, I readily soak it all in. Sadly, as we are about to start climbing 'Longevity Hill', I decide I need to pee first. The search for a nearby toilet costs valuable time. We never get to climb the hill.

Summer Palace - view

Somehow, we manage to stray off the beaten path (denoted by a lack of tourists) and get a little lost (the sign below might help you to understand why). The Summer Palace is huge (726 acres, much of which is actually water), and the map on the ticket isn't the most helpful. Still, we manage to find our way again and arrive at a bridge, over which lies the entrance to a lakeside shopping street. Most of the shops sell the usual variety of tourist stuff and it costs ten yuan to get down to it, so we decide not to bother. A short distance away is the larger of the two North Gates, so we exit and rejoin Rachel, who delivers us safely back to the hutong.

Dumplings

We arrive back a little early, so take the opportunity to take a stroll and do some shopping in the hutong. When we return to Hutongren, Yang Zi has indeed been busy preparing copious amounts of dumplings that will be our dinner, as well as that of Zhang Han and Yang Zi's other friends helping her out for the day.

Summer Palace - signage

While we eat, Zhang Han teaches us a little dining etiquette, concerning the resting of chopsticks at various points during a meal. A rough guide is shown in the diagram here (click to enlarge).

The dumplings keep coming thick and fast, faster than we're managing to eat them. Supply eventually outstrips demand, although it should be noted demand was high - they are the best dumplings I've ever eaten. Still, stuffed full of food once again, everyone retires to bed for a good night's kip.