Sisters trip to Beijing & Xi'an, China
I spent two years living in China and was lucky enough to have my two sisters come and adventure with me. Since I had my own apartment in Guangzhou, China, we spent most of our time there. We always visited Hong Kong several times and just really enjoyed our time there together.
We took a week long trip to Beijing and Xi'an. I'd been to Beijing once before so I was beyond excited to share my experiences with them.
Day 1: Get settled in hotel, night market
We landed in Beijing mid-afternoon so most tourist places were closed for the day. We had a fun chat with our taxi driver and obnoxiously sand along with our favorite songs. I was so excited to see my sisters though that I didn't really care.
We unpacked our bags, jumped on the beds and then proceeded to figure our our plans. Since it was later, we decided to explore the night market. We walked around, shopped casually and ate some of the street food.
Day 2: Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Jingshan Park & the Hutongs
The hotel that we stayed at was super close to Tinanmen Square so we decided to start off with that. We got to TIananmen Square and walked around. We got approached by a woman selling silk paintings almost immediately. She offered to write our names in Chinese. I'd advise other people not to go along with it because it's intended to rip off tourists, but it was pleasant enough and we only paid a few dollars.
When we arrived at the Forbidden City, we realized that we had completely forgotten our passports. Frustrated, but not deterred, we had to return back to our hotel to get them. At the front gate, they'll accept a copy of the passport but we didn't even have that.
We got a second chance to see the Beijing subway at this point.
We made it back and inside the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the years 1420 to 1912 or from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It's been the home for emperors and their families for almost 500 years.
After finishing with the Forbidden City, we walked around the nearby park, Jingshan Park. It was pleasant to watch other travelers exploring the area and take a bit of rest in the shade.
We finished the day by exploring some of the nearby Hutongs. Hutongs are a form of traditional courtyard residences. Many neighborhoods were formed by joining one group to another and then gradually branching out.
Since people still live in these areas, we didn't want to disturb anyone, but we walked around respectfully.
Day 3: Great Wall
Out of everything we did, the Great Wall was easily my favorite experience. We took the bust to get there and experienced a slight setback when we almost got tricked into getting on the wrong bus. At the bus station, there was a women dressed in a uniform who asked us where we were going. We explained that we were going to the Great Wall. She had us get on a bus different from what we had been told at the hotel. We followed along with her, but on the bus I couldn't let go of the feeling that something was off. I was madly googling on my phone to figure out why it sounded strange. I came across an account from another group of travelers who said that the same thing had happened to them. My sisters and I got off at the next stop and got onto the correct bus. We got really lucky that we didn't waste anymore time.
After that, I did make a mistake and followed some bushy taxi drivers out. We had to pay a little extra to get to the Great Wall but luckily we didn't lose anytime.
The Great Wall is the Great Wall. There's not much that I can do or say that can really capture how I felt seeing it with my sisters. It's absolutely one of my favorite memories.
We visited the section at Mutianyu. It's pretty easily accessible by bus. It's a very popular tourist destination so naturally it can be very busy. We rode the ski lift up and took the slide down.
Here's some pictures of the ski lift going up.
Here's some pictures of us knocking around the Great Wall.
And finally, the slide going down.
Day 4: Summer Palace & Temple of Heaven
The Summer Palace is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape and gardens is beautiful.
We went on the weekend so we could see runners going through the park and older people playing mahjong at the tables. The park is incredibly popular with tourists, but it's definitely worth the visit.
After walking around all day at the Summer Palace, we just barely made it to Temple of Heaven before closing.
Day 5: 798 Art Zone
It was our last full day in Beijing and we were all pretty exhausted. We had a bit of a lazy morning lying around the hotel and eating close by. We ventured out early afternoon to visit the 798 Art Zone. Abby is an art teacher so we all knew that it'd be perfect for her.
The art district is made up of a 50-year-old military factory buildings. Now, it functions as an artistic community. There's something for everyone there, from the serious to the absurd. Our favorite shop ended up being a cute pottery store where Abby ended up purchasing a gift for her boyfriend.
We had a blast visiting the different art galleries and soaking up the scenery. There were lots of cute little hipster coffee shops, restaurants and interesting things to look at.
Day 6: Travel by train to Xi'an
Taking the high speed train in China is an experience all its own. China is such a big country with such densely populated cities that excellent public transportation is a necessity. The landscape is really beautiful and there's no doubt that it's best viewed by train.
We arrived in Xi'an just in time for dinner. We stopped for some delicious noodles. Xi'an has got some of the most flavorful food that I've ever had. I still fantasize about their handpulled noodles.
After dinner, we walked around the city and watched the sun go down.
I actually really enjoy days dedicated only to moving from one city to another. We could've easily spent more time in Beijing, but I was ready to explore a new city with two of my best friends.
Day 7: Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Army were built by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, in 210-209 BCE. They were built to protect the Emperor in the afterlife. Each figurine is totally unique. You can distinguish different clothing styles and facial expressions. The figures have different heights depending on their station. There are three pits of figures with more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses.
The army was discovered in 1974 by local farmers. Researchers are still finding more figures.
We opted to buy the companion audio guides, but wanted to experience it at our own speed. To be honest, the best part was sharing the experience with my sisters.
Day 8: Biking around city wall
Our last day in the city turned out to be my favorite by far. The city of Xi'an is enclosed by a beautiful ancient wall. The style of the architecture is very characteristic of China. We rented bicycles and drove all around the city. It was the perfect conclusion to our trip together. I got to see the entire city of Xi'an and spend lots of quality time with my favorite people.
Day 9: Return to Guangzhou, China
Unfortunately, our time in Xi'an came to a close. My sisters flew back with me to Guangzhou. I returned to work and they hung out at my apartment and explored on their own. It means the world to me that I got to explore with them. Out of all the trips that I've been on, I treasure this one the most. I got to share a piece of my life with them. China is really a world all its own. It's impossible to describe to someone who hasn't been. But, now all three of us can fully understand this amazing country.
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